Setting up shop
After closing on May 1, staff enjoyed some bubbly (Sprite) and lunch after the first twist of the key opened the door.
The next steps, like moving to any new house, were to track down the utility services, swap garbage cans, and make sure all the toilets still flushed. Funny story, in an 1867 house, some may not have a modern mechanism and need more muscle than expected!
Our new innkeeper, Ella, marched in an estimated 25 plants, including a very fuzzy cactus. As she got settled into her new digs, we began an inventory of the bed and breakfast items left by the Wallace’s. In addition to the furnished guest rooms, this included seasonal decorations, linens, dishes, and serving items. Since our guests will have the options of a basket of local yumminess outside their door or some “Ticknor Cash” to spend down town, we will not need the quantities of serving items Deb used. Depression glass, anyone?
That brings us roughly to today. Our goal from here on out is to keep a diary of the house each day for history. It might be a single photo with a caption, a paragraph, a story, a special find, a flower, a success, a new friend, a challenge, whatever comes our way. These are, after all…the Ticknor Times.
Photo: this small room with a fireplace and bookcase is located in the middle of the house across from the conservatory. The conservatory is the bow window as you drive toward the parking spaces. On the right hand side is a secretary desk from the Greenwald room. The two wing back chairs came from the sitting room, which will be converted to the microfilm room. This space will be perfect for Rebecca to store files, get some emails done, for Sara to record a podcast or chat with a new Volunteer, or for two people to sit together and record a conversation.
The drawers you see in the bookcase held some new to us photos of the 1939 tornado and some fun 1960s Christmas photos. There might also have been some turpentine in one of the Ticknor drug bottles!! These, and a few original blueprints, will be accessioned into the collection.
