Fall 2012 - Pennsylvania Questers

ChaPTeR
News
6 Fall 2012
Ye Olde Almshouse #466
Submitted by Mary Elizabeth Cuba
Tour of George Nakashima's Workshop and Compound
Ye Olde Almshouse Questers met at 9:45 a.m. at the Nakashima
Workshop at 1847 Aquetong Road in New Hope. Our morning
began in the “Office Showroom” which was filled with various
Nakashima chairs
plus the “Shoki Collection”
of furniture
based on recently
discovered drawings
from the early
1940’s by the legendary
craftsman
George Nakashima.
It was here
in this wonderful
room where Mira,
George’s daughter,
appeared and
charmed us with
a detailed history
of her father. He
was born in 1905
in Spokane, WA. He was trained as an architect at the University
of Washington and MIT. Through the sponsorship of Antonin
Raymond, he was released from the internment camps in the
Idaho desert after one year and founded his workshop in Bucks
County in 1945. His design philosophy was reverence for the trees
used to craft his furniture. He believed that each tree has its own
character and soul. Since 1990, upon the death of her father, Mira
has extended the tradition of her father by producing the classic
and traditional lines and by preserving the methods and techniques
embraced by her father. She also continues the evolution of new
designs through the Keisho line which means “continuation.”
Mira took us on the first part of the tour of the property to the
many buildings on the property. Because of her bad knees and the
lay of the land, Mira had her daughter-in-law finish showing us
the various showrooms and the amazing pole barn with literally
yards and yards of stacked wooden slabs and lumber. All in all, a
very interesting tour made all the sweeter by the enchanting Mira.
Ye Olde Almshouse chapter members at the Nakashima workshop.
Unami Creek Questers at Shelley Schoolhouse
Conestoga Questers #63
Submitted by Robin Koslo-Stahl
On the Historical Road Again
Imagine living in a 77-room, 5-storied,
French-style chateau designed in the likes
of Versailles. Alfred I. Dupont, who amassed
a fortune in the gunpowder industry, built
for his second wife, Alicea, this very residence,
called Nemours. Tucked away on a
tranquil 3,000-acre estate in the state of
Delaware, Nemours houses many references
to the French nobility: Marie Antoinette’s
gates in the garden, vases from the Schonbrunn
Palace, and paintings of Louis XVI
and Marie Antoinette adorn the walls. Our
Conestoga Questers were on the historical
road once again to seize an opportunity to
do a behind-the-scenes tour of this “palace”
designed by Carrere and Hastings.
A treat awaited us as we walked the
back halls and stairs to view the operations
of a large estate from another time—water
purifying systems, heating systems, state of
the art kitchen and baths, not to mention
the countless art/furniture/artifacts. Following
our view of the interior, our group
boarded a bus to capture the beauty of the
formal gardens complete with reflecting
pool and blooming horse chestnuts (an
endangered species). An added bonus at
the conclusion of the visit was a close-up
look at a small collection of family cars,
complete with two Rolls Royces. After a
wonderful lunch at Harry’s Savoy Grill, we
made our way home to Pennsylvania.
Conestoga Questers at Nemours
Unami Creek#1010
Submitted by Dot Barlow
Unami Creek #1010 chose the Shelly School House, recently
recognized by the National Register of Historic Places, as its recipient
of both State and Chapter grants. The grants are to restore
the windows and shutters on the building. After we presented the
checks to Vic Stevens, he talked to us about the education given to
students in grades one through eight in a one-room school house.
The Shelly School House was in operation from 1885 to 1955. He
spoke about the various items used by the students and teacher
and the necessary houses. Some of us even did a little reminiscing
about our school days. We also saw a demonstration of wool
spinning by one of the Richland Historical Society members, who
concluded our tour by playing a mountain dulcimer.