The Corner Cupboard

Family Matters:Voices from Letters

Rebecca Lasley — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 14:09:43 +0000

In the 19th century, people wrote letters as often as we write emails. Their concerns were often the same as ours: family news, landmark birthdays, financial worries, complaints about the house-guest who stayed too long. From such details life springs and in the process illumines our kinship with the past.

Come and hear excerpts from Mendenhall family letters at the BICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION OF THE MENDENHALL HOUSE this coming Sunday, October 2, from 2:00 - 5:00 p.m. Opening remarks at 2:00, program from 2:30 till 4:00, refreshments following. FREE ADMISSION

Manumission: A Quaker Dilemma

Rebecca Lasley — Tue, 27 Sep 2011 17:30:49 +0000

The owning of slaves was increasingly frowned upon in Quaker society as our nation grew more divided. However, the law forbade granting freedom except as a reward for outstanding service to the state. What should the Quaker do?

Learn more at the BICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION OF THE MENDENHALL HOUSE. This coming Sunday, October 2, from 2:00 - 5:00 p.m. Opening remarks at 2:00, program from 2:30 till 4:00, refreshments following. FREE ADMISSION

Bicentennial of the Richard Mendenhall House

Rebecca Lasley — Fri, 23 Sep 2011 20:20:10 +0000

Would Richard Mendenhall be surprised to know that the home he built in the center of Old Jamestown would still be welcoming guests 200 years later?

Join us for an afternoon of stories, pictures, and music, as we present a sampling of the fruitful, often surprising, legacy of the building Richard’s granddaughter Mary referred to as “the crazy old house on the hill.”

Our sampler includes little-known aspects of the house and its families, neighbors, and community, presenting glimpses of how the effects of one homeplace ripple through history. Our topics for the day will include:

> architectural quirks

> family stories and letters

> the antislavery endeavors of the Manumission Society

> our neighbors Mezeriah and Ezekiel Fuller

> experiments in education

Opening ceremonies at 2:00 PM; light refreshments will be served at 4:00 PM.

Stay tuned over the next week as we count down to the event with a highlight from each section.

Sprucing up for the 200th Anniversary

Rebecca Lasley — Fri, 06 May 2011 19:41:40 +0000

At every turn of 2011, something new has been happening at Mendenhall Plantation. We started the year with a new president, Shirley Haworth, and several new board members. They hit the ground running: planning an extended events schedule, solidifying our financial structure, creating a new office and reception area in the Gathering Room, and embarking on an all-around spit-and-polish campaign.

Meet Our Newest Volunteer

Rebecca Lasley — Wed, 06 May 2009 18:29:29 +0000

Stacy showed up on our doorstep recently, hoping to volunteer at Mendenhall as part of her senior project for Southern Guilford High School. Museum work is one of her interests for the future, so she wanted to gain some practical experience behind the scenes. For the past couple of months she’s been coming in on Saturdays to help out. I’m not surprised she received high marks for her project — after the first round of orientation, she was ready to fly solo on guiding visitors around the site. She did a fine job of it, too, I noticed on my occasional turns at eavesdropping. Several of our visitors took the time to tell me how much they enjoyed her presentation.

Happily for us, Stacy plans to attend college locally this fall and would like to keep volunteering as her schedule allows. We look forward to seeing more of her enthusiasm and friendliness around the site. History is a topic often neglected or poorly communicated in the classroom, so it’s always a pleasure to find students who appreciate that we can learn more from the past than a bunch of meaningless dates.

Welcome, Stacy! Thanks for choosing us!

Want to be on TV?

Tom Netsel — Fri, 01 May 2009 15:57:32 +0000

WGHP Fox 8 will film a short promotional piece on Jamestown, Monday, May 4 at 10:00 am at Mendenhall Plantation. Unfortunately, the plantation is usually closed at that time and day.

We need your help!

Bring the kids, bring a friend, come wander around the grounds, see the buildings, have some fun and maybe end up on television. Help us make Jamestown look good on Fox 8!

Another Chance to Preview the Oakdale Cotton Mills Video

Rebecca Lasley — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 22:27:06 +0000

This event will be held Sunday, May 3 at 2:00 at the Central Library in Greensboro. The encore showing of “Oakdale Cotton Mills–Close-Knit Neighbors” will be one part of a program featuring two presentations and two exhibits focused on the textile industry. “Piece Work” is a theater production based on a poetry book. The exhibits focus on the Cone Mill community, including photos of 5 families from the mill village and a project called The Memory Map, developed by UNCG graduate students.

See the Mendenhall Plantation web site for more information about the Oakdale Cotton Mills project. The DVD is in production, expected to be available in four to six weeks.

Thee is Welcome Here

Rebecca Lasley — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 01:22:28 +0000

The roadside marker reads:

Home of Richard Mendenhall c. 1811

Built in the center of Old Jamestown, near the intersection of Federal and Union Streets, Richard Mendenhall’s house served as a gathering place for residents and a stopover for travelers. This home exemplifies the community of Quaker tradespeople and farmers who actively opposed slavery, promoted education for all, and labored to create a life of peace and simplicity during troubled times. Family members lived here until 1900.

Nearly two hundred years later, we feel privileged to continue Richard’s legacy of hospitality, welcoming travelers from all over the world and many walks of life.