Stephentown

by David Flint

Members of the Stephentown Historical Society spent most of Wednesday on an exciting field trip to the Berkshires, concluding with a visit to the Mission House of John Sergeant, missionary to the Stockbridge Mohicans.

The first part of the expedition was to the workshop of Berkshire Carousel on Merrill Road in Pittsfield. Berkshire Carousel is a community project to create an art attraction for downtown Pittsfield that the whole family can enjoy, a magnificent hand carved and hand painted wooden carousel.

SHS members learned from Project Director Maria Caccaviello that the project was the brainchild of former residents Jim and Jackie Shulman. They provided initial funding and conceived the idea that the whole Berkshire community could participate in all aspects of the project. Residents with carving experience or even without carving experience as long as they are willing to learn and have a sense of commitment, are encouraged to work as teams in creating the horses for the carousel under the direction of master carver Walt Reuss. Other artists and volunteers will work on the rounding boards, the fancy panels that go at the top of the carousel, which in this case will depict historic themes of the Berkshires. More volunteers are needed to help with fund raising. The grand opening of the carousel is planned for May 2011 which is the 250th anniversary of the City’s incorporation. 

The carousel will be located on a one acre site formerly occupied by a Cadillac dealership at Center and South Church Streets. It will be about 40 feet in diameter and will have 37 horses and two chariots. An exhibit hall housing the carousel will have space for a gallery, a gift shop, concessions and a hall for special events and parties. The carousel itself is expected to cost about $700,000. The total cost of the project will run close to $3 million. 

Reuss explained how the horses are carved and constructed. They will be made of bass wood from linden trees of the Northeast. Carousel carvers long ago determined that laminated hollow body construction makes for the most durable figures. In the head of a horse there will be about ten boards laminated together. Designs selected by the Board of Directors are projected onto a screen and a tracing is made on paper. The design is then transferred to the laminated blocks of wood that make up the body of the horse. Band saws and angle grinders are used to rough out the shapes. This is followed by many hours of carving and an equal number of hours of sanding. “How do you know when to stop carving?” is a question often asked of the master carver. “When it looks right,” is Reuss’s response.

Information on the Berkshire Carousel project is available at  www.berkshirecarousel.com. Those interested in contributing can sponsor a painted pony or other parts of the carousel or simply make a donation or save their loose change for “Pennies for a Pony.”

The Lebanon Valley Historical Society and the New Lebanon Library will be presenting a talk, “Searching for Jesse Torrey,” on Monday, September 15, at 7 pm. 

Dr. Jesse Torrey was the founder of the free public library movement in the United States. In 1804, at the age of 16, he established the Library of the “New Lebanon Juvenile Society for the Acquisition of Knowledge.” This organization was the first free lending library in the nation and became the present New Lebanon Library. Dr. Torrey’s passion for education drove him to petition Congress for a network of free public libraries and schools across the country, enlisting President James Madison to his cause. 

While in Washington DC, Jesse became struck by the abusive treatment of slaves. He wrote a book about slavery which is now an important archival work in African-American studies. He worked ardently for the humane treatment of slaves and for a government-purchased redemption program. He also collaborated with attorney Francis Scott Key to try to secure the restitution of liberty to illegally captured freed slaves.

A physician by trade, Jesse Torrey wrote a dissertation about contagious diseases, advocating treatment by innovative remedies. He also petitioned congress for the establishment of a national botanical garden for medicinal purposes. As an educator, he developed original and practical systems of teaching English, reading and spelling. 

Frances Bonner and Anne Nardacci, descendants of Jesse Torrey, will be the presenters. They will talk about their extensive and meticulous research into original texts in the National Archives, congressional records, the NYS Museum Archives and Library and many other institutions. They will share their discoveries about the life and work of this accomplished and intellectually independent man. 

The presentation will take place at the Forge, at the Mount Lebanon Shaker Site, on Shaker Road in New Lebanon. Please call 518-794-9177 for directions.