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WEEKLYNEWS.NET - 781-593-7700 JUNE 16, 2022
Commemorating Ethel R. Strong
and the Moses Richardson House
By Judit Armitstead
For the Weekly News
Come one, come all
to the Summer Street
library this month
Ethel R. Strong (1888-1979)
was a long-time resident of
Lynnfield who lived on Main
Street not far from the border
of Wakefield. Her family’s
farm, which burned in 1940,
later became Edwards Avenue,
North and South. Mrs. Strong
was a self-taught artist who
was known at the time as “the
artist of Lynnfield.”
Beginning in the 1930s, she
was a miniaturist who had a
studio in her home. Among
other miniature works, she created
tiny oil paintings by hand
which were sold throughout the
country for dollhouses.
Many of her miniature paintings
featured historical New
England sites, but a handful of
her paintings were of important
and historic Lynnfield homes
and structures.
An example of one of Mrs.
Strong’s miniature paintings
depicts the antique Moses
Richardson House at 244 Main
Street, which is pictured here
on a miniature mahogany easel
created by the Lynnfield dollhouse
furniture maker, Chester
H. Waite, in the late 1930s.
Mrs. Strong’s rendition of the
Moses Richardson House is a
splendid example of preserving
in miniature one of Lynnfield’s
early homes. Marcia Wiswall’s
book, Lynnfield 1895-1976, “A
Heritage Preserved” discusses
the history of the house. It is
not known exactly when the
house was built, but in 1745, it
was moved from Wakefield to
its location on Main Street.
When Mrs. Strong executed
the painting of the lovely historic
house around 1940, it
was owned by her good friend
and neighbor, Katherine Ross
(1886-1972) who was an active
member in the town and known
for her many contributions. The
painting is a mere 2.5 inches
by 1.5 inches painted on a thin
piece of wood. The reverse of
the painting has a tag in Mrs.
Strong’s writing, “K. Ross,
COURTESY PHOTO | JUDIT ARMISTEAD
This is a miniature painting by artist R. Strong of the Moses
Richardson House at 244 Main St. The home is one two historic
homes on Main Street formerly owned by Historical
Society member Roy Sorley, who sold them to developer
Mario Zepaj. Both homes were recently demolished to make
way for new housing.
Lynnfield.”
The sides of the miniature
painting had been painted
gold to mimic a gold frame,
a signature feature of Mrs.
Strong’s miniature paintings.
The painting illustrates how
the dwelling looked at the time
of Miss Ross’ residence. The
house was painted white with
numerous paned large and
small windows and the large
red brick center chimney dominated
the slanted black roof.
The lovely gardens with numerous
flowers prominently
featured two arbors, an arched
one over the front door and a
large flat-top one at the side of
the house which appears to be
covered with climbing roses.
A similar photograph, taken
at a later date, of the Moses
Richardson House showing
the two arbors, is pictured in
the Wiswall book. In the past,
the two arbors were a significant
identifying feature of
the Moses Richardson House,
which had been removed by the
time the recent photo was taken
shown here. Sadly, the house
was demolished during the
week of May 23 of this year.
The miniature painting of the
Moses Richardson House must
have been very special to Mrs.
Strong, as it had always been
in her family until recently.
The story of Mrs. Strong’s long
and productive life was relayed
to me by her daughter, Rhoda
Buttrick, many years ago.
Judit Armitstead, a long-time
resident of Lynnfield, is a researcher
and writer of antiques
and historical artifacts.
PMLP conducting customer
satisfaction survey
By Magella Cantara
The public Lynnfield library
is offering a variety of
free programs this month for
residents.
Tarot Tricks with Mike
Richmond will be held on
Tuesday, June 21 at 6:30 p.m.
in the mezzanine.
Participants can learn the basics
of some tricks to help understand
how to use and interpret
a set of 78 cards designed
for guidance and insight. Tarot
cards are a great tool for self
understanding and decision
making, allowing someone to
see their situation from a different
perspective and offer
potential awareness of how
actions could affect the future.
The 90-minute beginner
class reviews the meaning behind
the suits and numerology
of the cards, break down the
deck into sections and practice
reading with simple spreads.
Attendees can bring their
own deck, but some will be
available to use during the
class. This program is for
adults only and will be sponsored
by the Friends of the
Lynnfield Library. Registration
recommended but not required.
Story Time
Story Time features singing
songs and listening to stories at
the Meeting House, a block up
Main Street from the library.
Suitable for ages 5 and under.
In case of a nice day, story
time will be held outside on the
Lynnfield Town Common between
the library and Meeting
House.
Parents are welcome to
bring a blanket or chair to sit
on, note that indoor story time
will have a limited capacity
and attendees will be let inside
in the order of arrival, there is
no registration, recurring every
Wednesday mornings at 10
a.m.
Zoom Yoga
Yoga on Zoom with Tammy
Syrigos Irrera, register online
or email aporter@nobleet.org.
There will be 60 minutes of
yoga flow, this class will match
breath with movement to bring
peace of mind while simultaneously
building core strength
and stability. A yoga mat or
towel is suggested, along with
water.
Attendees who have registered
will receive an email
with login information a half
hour before the class starts.
This program is funded by
the Friends of the Lynnfield
Library. This program is for
teens and adults on Thursdays
at 12 p.m.
Button Maker
The Button Maker Bonanza
for teens and tweens program
will provide pre-made design
buttons and of course attendees
will be able to make their own.
The button maker will be set
up from 2:30-3:45 p.m.
Registration is recommended,
but walk-ins are also
accepted. This program will
take place upstairs in the mezzanine.
This program is for attendees
between ages 11-18 on
Thursday, June 16, 2:30 p.m.
Best-Selling Author
Lynnfield resident and
best-selling author David A.
Morales will discuss his new
book “American Familia” with
football coach and educator
David Dempsy. Morales’ message
has resonated with readers
and the media. This program
will be held, discussing his new
book in the mezzanine of the
library. Registration is recommended,
but not required. This
event is for adults on Thursday,
June 16, 6:30 p.m.
Mitzi Stories
Mitzi, a trained therapy
dog, will be visiting Lynnfield
Library hoping to hear some
great stories. Children can sign
up for a 10-minute session and
choose a book or excerpt from
a book to read to her.
This program is geared toward
children in kindergarten
through fourth grade and space
is limited to six children.
When registering, select an
available time, and be sure
to be on time! If registration
is full, join the wait list by
emailing, ifdyouth@noblenet.
org.
The event is on Wednesday,
June 22, 3:30 p.m.
For the Weekly News
From now through July 12,
the Peabody Municipal Light
Plant (PMLP) is conducting a
survey among its ratepayers in
Peabody and South Lynnfield.
The purpose of this survey
is to measure customer satisfaction
levels and opinions,
as well as identify opportunities
to improve PMLP moving
forward.
The survey, available in
both English and Spanish, is
being conducted by GreatBlue
Research, Inc., a professional
research firm located in
Glastonbury, CT.
As required by the Code of
Ethics of the National Council
on Public Polls and the United
States Privacy Act of 1974,
GreatBlue Research, Inc.
maintains the anonymity of respondents
to surveys the firm
conducts. No information will
be released that might, in any
way, reveal the identity of the
respondent.
Customers of PMLP may
complete the survey at https://tinyurl.com/PMLPCustomerSat.
The Peabody Municipal
Light Plant is the community
owned, not-for-profit utility
company serving the residents
of Peabody and South
Lynnfield.
Looking for a house?
Check the real estate section!