Arden Craft Shop Museum
  • About
    • Staff and Volunteers
  • Blog
  • Visit
  • Calendar
  • Collection & Archives
    • Finding Aids
    • Photographic Collection
    • Research Requests
    • Theses About Arden
  • Current Exhibitions
  • Past Exhibitions
  • Support Us
    • Ways to Give >
      • Check or Credit Card
      • Appreciated Stock
      • Planned Giving >
        • Legacy Gifts
    • Donate Objects
    • Volunteer
  • Rentals
  • Store
The past has a future here in the Ardens.

ARDENTOWN CENTENNIAL EXHIBITION

7/27/2022

0 Comments

 
Picture
The Mall in Ardentown, early to mid 20th century, ACSM01478
​The Village of Ardentown is getting ready to celebrate its Centennial and the ACSM is working on an exhibition to mark the occasion.  Several years ago, the Trustees of Ardentown loaned the Museum the book of original Ardentown leasehold records.  The book was part of the exhibition Finding A Homes in the Ardens. The plan was to have the records digitized, so that the information would be available and the book, which is in poor condition, could be preserved in its original state. We are happy that our curator, Abby Harting, found a former colleague who was willing to take on this special project.
As the project has developed a number of interesting facts have been found. The book contains over 330 pages, most of which are actual leases or copies.  Fortunately, the leases themselves were prepared on high quality paper, as they were glued to the cheap, newsprint type paper in the book. Included in the book is a three-page document titled “Assessment of Land Rents for 1924,” which is probably the oldest record of its kind for Ardentown. The earliest date is May 19, 1923 – 23 leases issued on that day.  The last lease in the book was issued September 16, 1940, which was for Leasehold 263. 
The leases have all been signed by the various trustees through the years, but two other names appear regularly.  One is Elizabeth B. Ritter whose name was found on 26 pages. It would be interesting to learn more about her and her connections with the village.  Not surprisingly, the other most commonly found name was Fiske Warren.  
Picture
Left to Right: Fiske Warren, Eleanor Stephens, Inky Stephens, Will Price outside Founder's House, ca. 1910s, ACSM00031
​Warren was a single-taxer from Boston who was part of the financing of the purchase of the Hanby and Harvey farms when Ardentown was founded in 1922.  Warren accepted a number of leaseholds as part of the financial arrangements.  His name appears on 79 pages in the book. Warren would rent these and eventually many of those renter/residents acquired the leaseholds for themselves.
We look forward to celebrating the Ardentown Centennial and learning more from this valuable record of the early days of the village.
In preparation for the opening of our Ardentown Centennial Celebration Exhibition the museum will be temporarily closing on August 1st.  so your last chance to see “Images from the Ardens: 1900-1960” will be Sunday July 31st from 1-3 pm.
​
0 Comments

    What's Happening at the ACSM

    To view blog entries from 2013 and previous years, click here.

    Archives

    February 2023
    December 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    September 2021
    August 2021
    June 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    January 2021
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    July 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    December 2019
    October 2019
    June 2019
    April 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    January 2017
    November 2016
    October 2016
    August 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    August 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    June 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014

    Categories

    All
    Arden Fair
    Collections
    Object Of The Month
    Volunteer

    RSS Feed



Open Wednedays 7:30 PM to 9 PM
and
​Sundays 1 PM to 3PM
Picture


1807 Millers Road
Arden, DE 19810

302.475.3060
A member of the Small Museum Association and the American Association for State and Local History.
© Arden Craft Shop Museum, 2022