Land, Liberty, and Leadership: Endowing the Interpretation of the Durant-Kenrick Homestead

FAIN: CH-51016-12

Newton Historical Society (Newton, MA 02458-1433)
Cynthia S. Stone (Project Director: May 2011 to April 2016)

Endowment for a half-time Museum Educator position responsible for public and school programming in the humanities at the Durant-Kenrick Homestead.

Historic Newton seeks $100,000 in challenge grant funds towards the endowment of the Durant-Kenrick Homestead. Endowment funds will support the half-time Museum Educator position which will have the responsibility for public and school programming. All programming will be developed to interpret the broad themes from the three main periods of home ownership: (1)the pre-Revolutionary period in which the Durant family—active in pre-war activities—serve as models of civic engagement; (2)the early 19th century in which the Kenricks developed a nationally significant commercial nursery that impacted the nation's horticultural economy; and(3)the early 20th century historic preservation movement in which the house was restored by Harvard Professor Arthur Dewing. The Homestead will be the only historic property contextualizing the themes of land, liberty, and ownership in the post-Revolutionary War period through the Abolition era activities leading to the Civil War.