Community Project ... 'Girl on the Old Farm'
Procuring a Piece of Our Past ... a painting by Marie Spaeth
Marie Spaeth (1870-1937) was a well-known Impressionist artist and a member of the Pennsylvania Settlement, Nelson’s very own art colony. She received her formal training at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts in Philadelphia and in Europe, Spain, Italy and France. She was married to Dr. John D. Spaeth, Princeton professor, and their Nelson home, where many of her paintings were created, is located off Center Pond Road, on Spaeth Road. Descendents of Marie Spaeth still live in Nelson and the property remains in the family.
Girl on the Old Farm is a portrait of Helen Towne. Helen was the oldest of Don and Grace Warner’s children. She was born, raised, and worked her whole life at the Warner farm on Center Pond Road. The Warner family has been an integral part of Nelson life as active participants in social and religious activities, as well as by working for the town and volunteering their services.
As many of you know, Olivia Rodham, after whom our library is named, was the scholar at the center of the Pennsylvania Settlement. And the stained glass windows in our library and the painting of Olivia Rodham were created by Margaret Redmond, another member of the art colony. So you can see how exciting it would be to include in our library, a painting by Marie Spaeth, where it also can be enjoyed by residents and visitors alike. I first saw this painting while writing about the Pennsylvania Settlement, and never imagined that it might become part of our present-day public life. But the Spaeth/deMartelly family has offered this painting to Nelson for purchase, and the Moving In Step Board of Directors have joined me in offering their non-profit status as a vehicle through which donations may be received. In fact, they kicked off our effort by making the first donation toward purchase!
Our fundraising goal is $1,500.00, and donations of any amount are welcome. If you are interested in contributing toward the purchase of this painting, please click the PayPal Donation button below or contact Teri Upton at 847-3449 or teriupton@yahoo.com with questions. Donations may be made by check, cash or through PayPal, and are tax deductible.
Checks should be made payable to: Moving in Step, and mailed to:
Moving in Step
Dave Birchenough, Treasurer
162 Nubanusit Road
Nelson, NH 03457
With your help we’ll reach our goal. Thank you.
Teri Upton and the Moving In Step Board of Directors
It's All About the Community
Everyone agrees. Our community is one of the friendliest.
Everyone - younger folk and older folk alike - has a consciousness of belonging. Many folk who come and enjoy their summers by our lakes and ponds often return to become permanent residents.
Moving In Step brings the people in Nelson and Munsonville together to help preserve and to enhance our community. In mid-September of 2010, a Community Forum was held over the course of a day and a half where neighbors met to share the identifying characteristics of our community and to provide both a vision for the future of Nelson and Munsonville and to devise action plans to implement that vision.
Read The Nelson NH 2010 Community Forum Report
Moving In Step ~ a community project reflects what seems to be an underpinning of Nelson's community character - an approach that is very much a "We can figure this out and address our challenges by working together, learning from others and using the talents and resources that we have right here in our community."
This web site and its contents are a community service of Moving In Step ~ a community project,