Springfield Art and Historical Society

D.J. Fusonie -- Long time SAHS trustee passes away

2012-01-04T08:28:00.000-08:00

On December 29, 2011, Donna Jean "D.J." Fusonie passed away. Both D.J. and her husband Alan have been long time trustees and supporters of the Springfield Art and Historical Society and out student intern program. Together they worked behind the scenes to set up exhibits, organize receptions, and help with fund raising among many other things. D.J.'s experience in the library and museum world has been a great benefit to the SAHS over the years. Her boundless energy and wonderful sense of humor will be greatly missed.

The Fusonie's supported many other organizations in town such as the Springfield Town Library, the Springfield Humane Society, and the Lions Club.

Please see the obituary below from the Rutland Herald.

Donna Jean Fusonie

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"SPRINGFIELD - Donna Jean "D.J." Fusonie, 66, died Dec. 29, 2011, at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center in Lebanon, N.H.

She was born March 3, 1945, in Rochester, N.Y., the daughter of Karl and Pearl (Sanford) Mason. She attended schools and graduated from high school in Rochester, N.Y. She graduated from Hollins College in Roanoke, Va., with a bachelor's degree in English and French literature. She earned her master's degree in library science from Catholic University of America. She also completed courses for a master's degree in American literature and folklore at the University of Maryland.

She married Alan E. Fusonie on June 21, 1969, in Rockville, Md.

Mrs. Fusonie was the former director of the Reference Center for the Economic Research Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, for 10 years. She retired in November 1994 to work the 46-acre farm that she shared with her husband and to write children's books.

Prior to her position with the Economic Research Service, she served on Capitol Hill as special assistant and caseworker to the late Congressman Gillis Long from Louisiana. Previous to her work in government, she ran her own business for several years that included legal abstracting; freelance editing; completing a project for the Smithsonian Institution Libraries as a rare book bibliographer; and transcribing, editing and indexing materials for the American Folklife Center of the Library of Congress.

Before starting her own business, she was assistant head of the Humanities Reference Room in McKeldin Library at the University of Maryland for six years. She began her career as a children's librarian in the Prince George County public library system.

Mrs. Fusonie co-authored several bibliographies. She had been a member of the Associates of the National Agricultural Library serving as recording secretary from 1975 to 1978 and co-editor of the Journal of NAL Associates for over 10 years.

She and her husband were active volunteers in the program Progressive Equestrian Therapy, a riding for the handicapped program. She was a member of Vermont Folklife Center, the Springfield Art and Historical Society, Vermont Institute of Natural Sciences, Friends of Historic Deerfield, the New England Historic Genealogical Society, the Vermont Historical Society, the Miller Art Center and the Lions Club. She was an active member of St. Mary's Catholic Church and a member of the church choir. She had worked part time as reference librarian for the Springfield Town Library.

She was a volunteer with the Springfield Humane Society for many years.

She is survived by her husband, of Springfield; nieces, nephews, great-nieces and great-nephews.

She was predeceased by her parents.

A memorial Mass will be celebrated at 1 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 5, 2012, at St. Mary's Catholic Church in Springfield. The Rev. Peter Williams, pastor, will officiate.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Springfield Humane Society, 401 Skitchewaug Trail, Springfield, VT 05156.

Arrangements are under the direction of the Davis Memorial Chapel in Springfield.

Published in Rutland Herald on January 1, 2012

Tribute to a member of the "Greatest Generation" - David Bates Russell

2011-12-16T09:37:00.000-08:00

On Monday, December 12, another member of the "Greatest Generation" passed away. David Bates Russell of Springfield, Vt was 98. Dave will be remembered for his quick with and great sense of humor, he was truly a wonderful man. He was always willing a share a story, be it about his farming days, his work at the machine shops in Springfield, or of his family. Stories about the family farm on Parker Hill are among this writer's favorites. Dave used to stand at the bottom of the stairs and play his bugle to wake up his kids. His bugle mysteriously disappeared one day. David Jr., Pat and Peggy have never said what happened to it but several years ago they bought him a new one for Christmas. At the neighborhood Christmas party, Dave could always be counted on to play a few tunes on his accordion or hammer out a lively rhythm on a set of bones.

Our student interns had a chance to interview Dave and his wife of 71 years, Marjorie Blodgett Russell for our WWII exhibit. They talked about life on the home front and what it was like working in the machine shops. Just before WWII began, Dave served briefly in the Army Air Corp. He remembered training with broom sticks because there was a shortage of real guns.

Dave and Marjorie loved farming, horses, and square dancing. They held square dances in the ballroom of their Parker Hill farm house. Together they help to establish the GMHA facility in South Woodstock, VT, often leading trial rides from Springfield to Woodstock, and were very much involved with the local 4-H group. They created a small riding ring, complete with a judges booth, on their property and hosted horse shows for the 4-H kids.

Dave contributed greatly to the town of Springfield and to the surrounding area. He was an inspiration to many will surly be missed.

Obituary published in Rutland Herald on December 15, 2011

"SPRINGFIELD - David Bates Russell of Springfield passed away on Dec. 12, 2011, at age 98. Although Dave was born in Erie, Pa., in 1913, and later lived in Syracuse, N.Y., his Vermont roots go back seven generations. In 1923, his family returned to the Russell homestead in Shrewsbury, Vt., realizing a longstanding dream. There, Dave acquired his love of farm life. He graduated from Springfield High School in 1932.
During college, Dave worked summers at Jones and Lamson in Springfield, running the company's last Hartness flat turret lathe. Over the next 51 years, he worked at J&L, Lovejoy's, Bryant's and Bryant Computer Products as a machinist, draftsman, methods man, liaison engineer, cost estimator and personnel administrator.
Dave married Marjorie Blodgett in 1941. In 1944, the Russells bought a farm on Parker Hill in Springfield and raised their family there. Dave farmed full time for five years in the late 1940s and later continued to farm nights and weekends after going back to work in the shop. Over the years, he divided his spare time among dairy farming, raising horses, square dancing with Precision Valley Squares and playing a variety of musical instruments. He retired from Bryant's in 1978.
Writing was always important in his life. A collection of his poems entitled "Verses from a Vermont Hilltop" was published in 2005. In addition to writing poetry and keeping daily journals, he published articles about the history of Shrewsbury, Vt.
Dave is survived by Marjorie, his wife of 71 years; his son, David B. Russell Jr. of Burlington, Mass.; his daughters, Patricia R. Saylor of South Windsor, Conn., and Marjorie R. Raymond of Chardon, Ohio; six grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren.
The family would like to thank the staff at Springfield Hospital Special Care Unit for the wonderful care they have provided. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to the Springfield Humane Society, 401 Skitchewaug Trail, Springfield, VT 05156; or to the First Congregational Church UCC, 77 Main St., Springfield, VT 05156.
A memorial service will be held at the Congregational Church in Springfield on Saturday, Dec. 17, at 1 p.m. Arrangements are under the direction of the Davis Memorial Chapel in Springfield, Vt."

Closed for the Season - See you in 2012!

2011-12-09T09:27:00.000-08:00

The Springfield Art and Historical Society is now closed for the season. We will re-open in the spring. If you would like to visit us or have a research request please contact us at info@millerartcenter.com or 802-885-2415. Please note that during the winter months we don't have a regular person to answer the phone and check emails. As such we will do our best to return your call/email in a timely manner.

The SAHS is already working on exhibits for the 2012 season. We will have our annual Springfield student art show and hope to have a separate show for the high school seniors as well. Our two major exhibits for 2012 at this time will feature Springfield wedding gowns and accessories and the work of Springfield artists Stewart and Marion Eldredge. The dates for all exhibits TBA.

We hope you had a chance to visit us this year and hope to see you and many new faces in 2012!!

Photos from our Vintage Fashion Show

2011-11-14T09:45:00.000-08:00

Textiles on display during "250 Years of Fashion - A Vintage Fashion Show" Photo by Hannah Lillie, 2011

Thank you to Lindsay DeBlock, Mimi Stringham, and Jan Page for their help dressing our models; Abby Graffia, Bryne-Marie Sydne, Courtney Page, Jenn Stein, Julia Stein, Katie Stokarski, and Sara Gray. Thank you to our guest models, Cori Santagate, John Swanson, and Anna DeBlock. And to everyone who helped with refreshments. You all made this a successful event! The clothing and accessories used for this fashion show are a combination of reproductions as well as vintage and antique items. Most items are part of the collection here at the historical society. The reproduction pieces and a few of the vintage pieces were on loan from a private collection.

Photo by Hannah Lillie, 2011

The first outfit shown was a reproduction suit of men’s clothing from the mid 18th century. The coat and breaches are made from burgundy wool broad cloth. Men’s breeches were fitted through the legs but were rather loose in the seat. This allowed for easy of movement, especially for activities such as horse-back riding.

Women’s clothing in the 18th century underwent a variety of changes. Abby modeled a reproduction silk taffeta gown in the style know as a “saquec” or “robe a l’frances”. This style was popular from the 1740s to the 1770s. The gown is worn over a linen shift, stays that are fully boned, pocket hoops which hold the gown out at the sides, an under petticoat, a silk petticoat, stomacher, and finally the gown itself.

Snuff gloves c.1800 to 1820, SAHS collection. Photo by Hannah Lillie, 2011

A variety of Victorian era women's clothing was shown, ranging in date from the 1850s to the 1890s.

Bustle gown from the 1870s.
Photo by Hannah Lillie, 2011

Wedding gown of Elinor Price, 1886.
Photo by Hannah Lillie, 2011

Leg o' mutton sleeves and wedding bonnet.
Photo by Hannah Lillie, 2011

Clothing from the 1920s to modern day was also featured. Including a 1920s wedding gown, prom dresses from the 1950s and 1960s and modern day athletic wear.


1940s dress and fur wrap. Photo by Hannah Lillie, 2011		.

A special thank you to intern Hannah Lille for photographing our fashion show. And for allowing us to use her photos.

Interns and intern coordinators. Photo by Hannah Lille, 2011

Annual Meeting and Pot Luck Supper

2011-11-07T11:26:00.000-08:00

The Springfield Art and Historical Society cordially invites you to attend our Annual Meeting and Pot Luck Supper Thursday November 17th at 6:00pm.We will have a brief business meeting before dinner.

Special guest speakers Annette Spaulding and Patrick Madden will present their program, "Hurricane Hunters" starting at 7:00pm. Annette and Patrick have given several wonderful talks in the past. It is always a pleasure to hear about their adventures! Past programs by Annette and Patrick have included "The Ghost of Sharron Lake", parts one and two.

SAHS members and the public are encouraged to attend! Please bring an appetizer, main dish, salad or dessert to share.

If you would like to RSVP, please contact us at 802-885-2415, or at info@millerartcenter.com

Fourth Annual Empty Bowl Dinner

2011-10-29T15:41:00.000-07:00

The Springfield High School Arts Academy and River Valley Technical Center Culinary and Hospitality Programs

cordially invite you to attend

The Fourth Annual Empty Bowl Dinner

November 9, 2011

5pm to 7pm (snow date November 10, 2011

Springfield High School Cafeteria

303 South Street, Springfield, Vermont

Soup - Pasta - Bread and Beverage with a handcrafted ceramic bowl $20.00. Meal only $7.00

Silent Auction

Dessert Bar offered by SHS Class of 2013

Art Exhibits and Musical Serenade

SHS Chorus, Madrigals, Concert Band and Wind Ensemble 7pm in the Auditorium

Proceeds benefit the Springfield Family Center and the Springfield Art and Historical Soceity.

Many thanks to the Okemo Mountain Resort for funding this clay project.

Columbus Day Weekend Recap

2011-10-10T09:09:00.000-07:00

The SAHS had a very busy Columbus Day weekend, but what a beautiful weekend it was! We couldn’t have asked for better weather, it was perfect! Saturday was the 29^th annual Vermont Apple Festival and Craft Show. SAHS members and volunteers set up our display booth in the Riverside School cafeteria Friday evening and took turns at the booth during the day on Saturday. The Apple Festival ran from 9am to 5pm, but with set-up and clean-up time factored in it was a long day indeed. However, we had a great time and the chance to meet and talk with some wonderful people!

SAHS display at the 29^th annual Vermont Apple Festival

The SASH offered for sale a selection of Springfield history books, historic photos and postcards and quilt raffle tickets. We also had some bowls from last year’s Empty Bowl Dinner fundraiser. Our historic display included photos and one of the many bicentennial flags in our collection. Over a dozen flags were created by people in Springfield and were displayed around town during our nation’s bicentennial celebration. Two of these flags were on display during our 250^th anniversary exhibit this summer.

Face painting by our student interns was a big hit! The interns painted butterflies, pumpkins, apples, spiders, tigers and more. One little girl was so happy with her butterfly face that she kissed her reflection in the hand-held mirror. A big thank you goes out to our inters for all their hard work!

On Sunday we were finally able to present our vintage fashion show. Originally scheduled for August 28, we had to cancel because of Hurricane Irene. This Sunday we had blue sky and plenty of sunshine! The interns and volunteers modeling the antique and vintage clothing arrived at the Miller Art Center at noon. After getting dressed we had change to take a few pictures before the fashion show began. Everyone who attended had a great time and agreed it was a wonderful event. Marita Johnson from SAPA TV was gracious enough to film the event so if you missed us on Sunday, look for us on SAPA!

Vintage hats, SAHS collection

The events this Columbus Day weekend concludes our 2011 season. We will be closed to the public until next spring. If you are interested in visiting the Springfield Art and Historical Society at the Miller Art Center please call us at 802-885-2415 to make an appointment. We will have our annual meeting and pot luck dinner on November __. Elections of our board of officers will take place at this time. SAHS members and the general public are encouraged and welcomed to attend. Our guest speaker is TBA.

Check back soon for pictures from our vintage fashion show and details about this year’s Empty Bowl Dinner!

Post from VermontVacation.com The Official State of Vermont Tourism Site

2011-09-28T09:19:00.000-07:00

Springfield

Historic Springfield is known for its inventive spirit.

While the productive farmland gave the town its early success, it was the Black River Falls’ precipitous drop of 108 feet that powered the community to become a dynamic machine tool center during the early 20th century. In fact, Springfield was so successful that it was viewed as a significant “threat” by Germany during World War II! Today the gracious historic buildings couldn't be more welcoming.
You can explore the region’s history on the Machine Tool Trail which passes through Springfield's historic industrial area and downtown, or visit the Hartness House Inn, which showcases the 1910 Hartness Equatorial Turret Telescope, one of the first tracking telescopes in America. Nearby, the late 18th century Eureka Schoolhouse and 'town lattice type' Baltimore Covered Bridge tell of an earlier era.
New England-style churches and the Springfield Art and Historical Society are located downtown, along with the theater that hosted the world premiere of “The Simpsons Movie” in 2007. The Gallery at the Vault earned Vermont State Craft Center designation in 2009, and there are many fine local restaurants. Annual events include the Windsor County Agricultural Fair and the Stellafane Amateur Telescope Makers Convention.
Outdoor recreation starts right in town with a bicycle/pedestrian path that runs along the Black River for four miles to the confluence with the larger Connecticut River. Known as Hoyt’s Landing, this is a poplular spot for boating, fishing, swimming, canoeing, kayaking, and water skiing. Nature enthusiasts also enjoy the North Springfield Bog, several parks, and local, full-service campgrounds.
By season, the surrounding forests and trails offer hiking, biking, cross-country skiing and snowshoeing. Outdoor ice rinks are maintained during the winter months. Several mountain resorts, including Ascutney Mountain, Okemo, Killington, Stratton Mountain, Bromley and Magic Mountain, are close by. Golf enthusiasts can play and dine at Springfield's 18-hole championship Crown Point Country Club, with several other courses in nearby towns.
For more information: www.springfieldvt.com , 802.885.2779 or www.springfieldonthemove.org .