A Sense of Place, our virtual program series, resumes with a Summer Programs Preview, introducing a few of the people who will be leading the in-person workshops and classes at Chase's Mill this summer.

For generations, teaching and learning at the Mill have drawn upon the diverse personalities and talents of the Mill Hollow community. This presentation introduces some of the next generation of inspired teachers — the artists and craftspeople who make our tiny community truly magical and foster curiosity, creativity, and lifelong learning.

In a series of videos, our featured instructors will share their passions and outline the contents of their courses. Then we will hold a Q&A in which participants can ask questions ahead of the June 1 launch of class registration.

You'll meet:

• Jim Gruber (Timber Frame Construction)

• Barbara Davis (Tile Making)

• Ellen Chase (Pencil Drawing)

• Others to be announced!

A Sense of Place continues to explore the stories, history, and qualities that make Chase's Mill and Mill Hollow unique.

“If Candlemas is fair and clear
there'll be two winters in the year."

“Half your wood and half your hay
you should have by Candlemas Day.”

Ever heard these old expressions or know what they mean? Find out as A Sense of Place continues with "Winter Then and Now" hosted by author, historian, and Board Co-Chair, Helen Frink. Helen will share a marvelous slideshow of Mill Hollow photos taken in winter over the years, and she will moderate a panel discussion about how people worked and played. Friends of Chase’s Mill will share memories of winter work and winter fun from years back. Add your experiences about winter “back in the day.”

• How cold was it?

• How did people get around when it snowed?

• How did work change?

• What did they - and you - do for fun on snow days?

The event is at 8 p.m. EST on February 2, Groundhog Day (Candlemas Day).

As always, the event is free but advance registration is required. Please invite your friends!

Click here to register.

About Helen Frink: Helen holds a BA in English from the University of New Hampshire and masters and doctoral degrees in German from the University of Chicago. She retired from Keene State College as Professor Emerita of Modern Languages in 2009. She is the author of These Acworth Hills, Alstead Through the Years, Women after Communism: the East German Experience, and Oil, Ice and Bone: Arctic Whaler Nathaniel Ransom. She is descended from two families of Yankee whalers and lives too far from the sea in Acworth, New Hampshire.

A Sense of Place continues to explore the stories, history, and qualities that make Chase's Mill and Mill Hollow unique. Join us for a tour of Alstead's Orchard Hill Breadworks and an interview with its founder, Noah Elbers. It will be followed by a Q & A. Noah’s presentation will feature the bakery’s new stone mill and highlight the growing nationwide movement of artisan bakers who’ve chosen to work directly with the farmers who grow their grain.

The event is free and is open to all, but you need to register to receive the link to the webinar.

Noah Elbers believes that good food and happy, healthy communities go hand in hand. Bread was first baked for sale at Orchard Hill in 1997, but the story of this place begins in 1972. Noah’s grandparents purchased the land and buildings that are now Orchard Hill Farm and Breadworks. In the early years, it was merely a late 1700s farmhouse and a dusty barn which sat at the center of thirty acres of fields and forest. Since that time, three generations have planted orchards, tended gardens, built homes, launched a school and community center, and helped a bakery grow and flourish.

Please join us as A Sense of Place continues to explore the stories, history, and qualities that make Chase's Mill and Mill Hollow unique. This month, historian Dr. Helen Frink will interview Sharon Spaulding about the remarkable Mary Ware Dennett, a woman ahead of her time. During her life, Dennett (1872 - 1947) was a leader in the Arts and Crafts movement, second-in-command of the National Suffrage organization in New York, founder of the first national birth control league in the U.S., and a champion of free speech and sex-education.

Sharon married into the Dennett family and hasn't missed a summer in Mill Hollow since the 1980s. At some point, she began leaving her summer reading at home to dive into Mary's papers, journals, and letters that were stored in the attic of the family's house where Mary had also been a frequent visitor.

The event is free and is open to all. Feel free to invite your friends, but you need to register to receive the link to the webinar.

When not tending to her duties as President of the Mill Hollow Heritage Association, Sharon can be found archiving, researching, and working on a book about Dennett. She began her career as a freelance writer for newspapers and magazines before jumping into marketing and PR. A few years ago, she decided to return to her first love, writing, and to helping women give voice to their vision.

During the winter, she lives at the base of the Wasatch Mountains in Utah with her husband, Carl, and dog, Gus. sharonspaulding.com

Where: Via Zoom (link will be provided via email)
Cost: There is no charge for the event, but donations are appreciated.

Please join us as A Sense of Place continues to explore the stories, history, and qualities that make Chase's Mill and Mill Hollow unique. This month, a few people who took part in those legendary Shop Classes taught by Edith and Heman Chase will reminisce about their experiences and share what they learned not only about woodworking, but also about life. Moderated by the Chase's grandson, Jonathan Botkin, we will also explore why we believe it's important to create similar opportunities and connections for current and future generations.

The event is free and is open to all. Feel free to invite your friends, but you need to register to receive the link to the webinar.

Jonathan Botkin, is a mechanical engineer who has worked on renewable energy for the past 30 years. In his youth, he spent much time in the mill with Heman, learning about water power, wood working, and even a little bit about land surveying. Jonathan lives in California with his wife and son, and three dogs.

When: Tuesday, July 28th 2020, 7:30-8:30 pm EDT
Where: Via Zoom (link will be provided via email)
Cost: There is no charge for the event, but donations are appreciated.

On Tuesday, July 28, our third A Sense of Place event, Water Works will be hosted by Bob Brown and Helen Frink. Bob, who took many shop classes at the Mill, will offer a virtual tour of its water power. Helen, an author and historian, will discuss the history of mills and their importance in the development of manufacturing in New England. 

About Helen Frink: Helen holds a BA in English from the University of New Hampshire and masters and doctoral degrees in German from the University of Chicago. She retired from Keene State College as Professor Emerita of Modern Languages in 2009. She is the author of These Acworth Hills, Alstead Through the Years, Women after Communism: the East German Experience, and Oil, Ice and Bone: Arctic Whaler Nathaniel Ransom. She is descended from two families of Yankee whalers and lives too far from the sea in Acworth, New Hampshire.

Tuesday, JUNE 30, 2020 7:00-8:00PM EDT

Where: Webinar (link will be provided via email)
Cost: There is no charge for the event, but donations are appreciated. Please register no later than June 28.

A Sense of Place continues with its second event, An Evening of Poetry and Music from “The Holler,” and features Alstead artists Ellen Chase and Randy Miller. They will alternate between Ellen reading her poems from her latest collection, A Cow Named Joy, (as well as a few poems written by her mother, Edith Chase, written in and about Mill Hollow), and Randy playing old fiddle tunes that relate to milling. Randy will also perform one of his own compositions, Mill Hollow Reel.

Registration by Sunday, June 28, is required. The event is free, but donations are appreciated!

About Ellen Chase: Ellen grew up in Alstead, then lived in various other parts of the country for 50 years before returning in 2007. She has a BFA in illustration from the Mass College of Art and MFA from Syracuse University, and has had several solo shows of her paintings. Her occupations have included potter, carpenter, scientific illustrator, software designer, and most recently, teacher of poetry courses through the CALL program at Keene State College. She considers her study of illustration to be a good foundation for poetry writing, as both arts depend on sensory information, metaphor, and imagery to create an emotional effect.

About Randy Miller: Randy comes from a musical family - he and his three siblings all took music lessons while growing up. He has played fiddle and piano at contra dances and Irish sessions nation-wide for more than 40 years and has recorded six albums of traditional New England and Irish fiddle music. Randy co-hosts several regular Irish music sessions in Hanover, Newport, and Peterborough, and is the dance fiddler for The Inn at East Hill Farm. Randy moved to Mill Hollow in the spring of 1973, renting “The Corn Crib” from Mary Burroughs. In 1975 he was commissioned by author Heman Chase to make several wood engravings for Heman's book, More Than Land.