Displaying items by tag: Old Sturbridge Village

Old Sturbridge Village has a remarkable collection of early American objects - the furniture, tools, clothing, toys, decorative arts and other artifacts of life in rural, inland New England during the period 1790 to 1840.

Old Sturbridge Village regularly hosts Collectors' Forums in order to focus on this collection, bringing together curators, experts, collectors and the public to examine a large sampling from the collection and learn about new scholarship and perspectives on the collection. This annual event is being held in conjunction with the opening of our new exhibit, Kindred Spirits: A.B. Wells, Malcolm Watkins and the Origins of Old Sturbridge Village.

The prominence of the fireplace in Early Republic homes was first driven by the simple necessity to heat the residence. Yet, over time, the design and decoration of the parlor hearth took on its own importance, signifying the wealth and refinement of the home’s owners. The embellishment in and around the parlor hearth centered on the inclusion of overmantels (paintings applied directly onto wooden panels above the fireplace) and fireboards (tight-fitting decorated boards used to seal off a fireplace from vermin and detritus during the summer months), merging the spheres of decoration and utilitarian function