NHFF Venue Partner, The Moffatt-Ladd House, Celebrates 100th Season Kick-Off: “Our Old House Festival” Saturday, June 2nd
Portsmouth, NH—The Moffatt-Ladd House and Garden located at 154 Market St. in downtown Portsmouth is a National Historic Landmark built in 1763, and has been open to the public as a historic house museum since 1912. The house is furnished to showcase its original features and to reflect its use as a private home from 1763 through 1900. The Garden was laid out in its present form by Alexander Hamilton Ladd in the late nineteenth century, and some highlights include an English damask rose planted in 1768 by Sarah Catherine Mason Moffatt and the enormous horse chestnut tree planted in 1776 by General William Whipple upon his return from signing the Declaration of Independence. Also on the property is The Moffatt-Ladd Coach House which represents one of only a few 18th century shops or warehouses to survive on the New Hampshire Seacoast, and went through a massive renovation and restoration process in 2008 and the beginning of 2009.
After the renovations were complete in 2009, the New Hampshire Film Festival began using the Historic Coach House as a screening venue. The Warehouse has become a favorite among festival goers and filmmakers for its unique and intimate setting, and NHFF is excited to continue this partnership for 2012!
Please support the Moffatt-Ladd as they celebrate the beginning of their 100th season with the“Our Old House Festival.” [From http://www.moffattladd.org/]: The Festival will highlight all of the many activities that have been important to the museum throughout its history, and will feature workshops, demonstrations, and presentations throughout the house, garden, and warehouse covering a wide range of subjects on conservation and restoration of historic buildings, flower arranging for the historic home; historic archaeology, and caring for the museum’s historic trees. Family and children’s activities including mural painting, making marbled paper, writing with a quill pen, face painting, and more — will be ongoing throughout the festival. Garden committee members will be selling heirloom plants taken directly from the garden. The celebration culminates with a concert by Great Bay Sailor in the 18th-century Warehouse building at 4:45.
The Festival is FREE and open to the public, and will be held RAIN or SHINE in the House, Warehouse, and under tents! Don’t miss this wonderful event!