Description:
Wooden shovel with an iron shod, which was a Mrs. Esther Dickinson gift to PVMA, Main Hall, listed as "MH 528." Old Wooden shovel, Iron Shod." The shovel descended through the family of Consider Dickinson (1761-1855), son of Thomas Dickinson (1718-1814) of Deerfield, who bought the "John Williams" house in 1789 from John Williams, Esq. (1751-1816), son of Elijah Williams (1712-1771) who built the house in 1760; the house is now near the Deerfield Academy Administration building. Consider Dickinson had no children from his first marriage to Filana Field (1761?-1831) whom he married around 1785; his second wife, Esther Harding Dickinson (1790-1875), whom he married in 1840, bequeathed a number of family pieces to PVMA on her death and directed that her estate "be applied to the establishment and maintenance of a High Schoool and Library and Reading Room, which shall be located on my Home Lot on Deerfield Street." George Sheldon (1818-1916) prevented the house being pulled down by suggesting that this was the 1707 house built for Reverend John Williams of 1704 renown, which rallied public sentiment around saving the house.
Link to share this object record:
https://museums.fivecolleges.edu/detail.php?t=objects&type=ext&id_number=HD+64.325 |
