Page 6 - Alden house annual report 2023-2024 v2

DIRECTOR’S MESSAGE

Dear Alden Kindred Members and will present a talk this September about Alden House hero Major
Friends, Judah Alden. Funded by the Massachusetts Society of the
Cincinnati, Stephen will share his research about Judah’s service in
After six years of planning, the Continental Army and after the War as a successful merchant,
fundraising, and the usual toil town leader, and President of the Massachusetts Society of the
and trouble associated with Cincinnati.
getting building plans approved,
construction has started on the J. Alden and Virginia E. Keyser I am pleased to share the news that AKA acquired a small swatch
Center for Living History. The 2400-foot two-story addition will help of fabric that is credibly connected to Priscilla from the collection
showcase this historic jewel in the crown by providing the much- of the Pilgrim Monument and Provincetown Museum. The fabric
needed exhibit and program space to tell John and Priscilla’s story descended through the family of John and Priscilla’s daughter
through the lens of the Alden House Historic Site. Ruth, was cut up sometime in the 19th century, and separate pieces
were eventually donated to the Massachusetts Historical Society,
The capital campaign continues as we continue to raise the Radcliffe College, and the Provincetown Museum, and acquired
money needed to add a compelling interpretive experience, fund by a private collector. Our first news about the fabric came when
the preservation of Alden House, and ensure the endowment is AKA member Vernon Field proudly announced at the 1903 Alden
resourced to fund operations for generations into the future. reunion, “We have been quite proud in our family in the possession
of a bit of material which has come down the generations as a
We continue to create multi-media content that showcases our piece of the wedding dress of Priscilla.” 120 years later, we have a
scholarship about John and Priscilla and allows us to present the piece of this history, which will be a showcase piece in the Center
artifacts we have recovered from the First Site in meaningful and for Living History.
interesting ways. You may have joined one of our popular Zoom
webinars this year, like Laura Masur’s and Andrew Beaupré’s Building and Grounds remains as busy as ever. Grants from
fascinating talk about the trade ring found at John and Priscilla’s Americana Corner and the Felicia Fund have allowed us to hire
homestead and the influence of the Jesuits in Colonial America. mason Richard Irons and engineering firm Structures North to
If you missed this talk or any of the others, they are posted on our repair the crack in the flue behind the parlor and stabilize the
relaunched website. chimney pier. Additional assessments of the chimney condition
will be performed in the upper section of the chimney. A grant from
A generous grant from the Rockland Trust Charitable Foundation The 1772 Foundation and Preservation Massachusetts allowed us
supports a new project to reanalyze and catalog the almost to replace the decking on the entryway to the museum to improve
2,000 artifacts attributed to Native Americans uncovered by drainage.
archaeologist Roland W. Robbins at the 17th-century Alden site.
This research by archaeologist Daniel Zoto will serve as the I would be remiss if I didn’t thank all of our volunteers for the
foundation for the expanded Native American component of the wonderful work they do on events, programs, the heirloom gardens,
archaeology exhibit in the new Center for Living History. Daniel and behind the scenes to help provide our visitors and members
will present his research as a feature event during Massachusetts with a world-class experience. Top mention goes to Jeanette
Archaeology Month. MacKenzie, who spent countless hours researching, designing,
planting, and maintaining our heirloom gardens during the last
Sixty years after the collaboration between the Alden Kindred and decade. The beautiful gardens not only provide a welcoming
the Town of Duxbury to excavate the 17th-century homesite of experience for visitors, but they tell a story of early life in New
John and Priscilla Alden, a discovery that made national headlines, England and at the Alden farm. Jeanette is retiring because of
the Alden Kindred has successfully negotiated a formal agreement health issues, but her legacy continues in the beautiful landscape
to ensure the long-term preservation of the First Site. The she has created.
Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) includes a formal survey
of the area already designated as part of the National Historic As I close, I want to thank our board President Pauline Kezer for her
Landmark and protects an additional block to the south that may steadfast support and leadership. I joined AKA to help the Alden
harbor potentially significant artifacts. The MOU and survey will House celebrate the 400th anniversary of the Mayflower journey.
be recorded with the Plymouth County Registry of Deeds as the That milestone is long in the rearview mirror, but I stayed in large
permanent legal record of the agreement. measure because I have been inspired by Pauline’s vision for the
future and her passion for all things Alden. Pauline, thank you
As the United States looks to celebrate its 250th birthday in July for being a wonderful boss and a great friend along this exciting
2026, we’re doing our part to develop programs that highlight the journey.
contributions of the Alden family during the American Revolution.
Historian Stephen O’Neill, who curated our archaeology exhibit, Very respectfully submitted, Desiree E. Mobed, Executive Director

4 Alden Kindred of America 2023 - 2024 Annual Report