TO ALL WHO FEEL AN INTEREST IN THE ANTIQUITIES OF NEW-ENGLAND:
WE, the undersigned, a Committee appointed at a meeting of Citizens of Deerfield,
on the 23 ult. for the
purpose of considering and applying the best means of obtaining the necessary
aid in preserving and securing
for future generations, that memorial of the dangers and sufferings of our fathers,
in the infancy of our
country, commonly styled, "THE INDIAN HOUSE," beg leave to address you on a
subject, in which, to some
extent, we have a common interest, though inhabitants of different Towns or
States. That you may be able
to judge whether it would gratify your feelings, to contribute a little pecuniary
aid for the object proposed,
we will state a few facts connected with the subject.
The owner of the Old House is on the point of taking it down for the purpose
of erecting on its site a more
convenient dwelling. He is willing to sell it for a Hundred and Fifty Dollars,
and our first plan was, to
procure another place and remove it. Two objections, however, have led us to
vary our plan: First, The
House would lose much of its interest, if removed; and Secondly, it may not
be in a state to be removed
without material injury. Our present object, therefore, is to purchase the ground
on which it stands, if the
owner will sell it. To this, he has had strong objections, which, though not
wholly overcome, will probably
yield. We cannot, however, accomplish this purpose without buying the whole
lot, containing about six
acres, as the Old House occupies the only good building spot on the premises.
Should we buy the whole,
our proposal would be to sell or lease five acres more or less, for cultivation
or other objects, which would
probably save from Six to Eight Hundred Dollars of the whole cost of the place,
viz: Twenty Three Hundred
Dollars, the price set upon it by the owner. This price we consider high compared
with what other lots are
sold for; but the family have a strong attachment to the ground so long occupied
by their ancestors, and it is
reasonable that the sacrifice of such a feeling should have some pecuniary compensation.
This compensation
we the more cheerfully endeavor to procure, when we consider how much we, and
the public in general, are
indebted to them for the cheerful and courteous reception, which for successive
generations, the family have
given to visitors at all hours of the day, although it has often been attended
with personal and domestic
inconvenience.
Should our plan be carried into effect, it might require Two or Three Hundred
Dollars to put the House
into such repair as would be necessary to its preservation, and in this state
we suppose that the rent of the
House and the acre of ground, would be a sufficient inducement for some decent
family to pay the necessary
attention to all the strangers who had the curiosity to view the antiquities.
Such is our present plan, to
which, however, we would add, that we intend to make it a repository of such
Indian Antiquities as we can
collect.
At first thought, perhaps it may seem that the people of Deerfield might, without
sending abroad, raise the
funds required for this object. To any suggestion of this kind, we would reply,
that comparatively few have
much of the antiquarian spirit. So little of this spirit, indeed, have a great
part of the community in any of
our towns, that they cannot trace their own pedigrees beyond their grandfathers.
From such persons it were
unreasonable to expect much. Besides, few or none of the present inhabitants
of Deerfield, who are most
able to contribute, are descendants of those who suffered in the destruction
of the town in 1704. We add,
that this memorial of what was experienced by our infant settlements, is, in
a sense, common property; interesting to the antiquary, wherever he may dwell. If it be suffered to perish
for the want of a little attention
and exertion, it will be a subject of regret and self-reproach, more perhaps
to the people of Deerfield than to
those of other places; but not peculiar to them. We are persuaded, however,
that we need not multiply
words. With those who, on the simple statements we make, are not self-moved
to aid in the undertaking,
we shall not be urgent. We want nothing but free-will offerings from any, at
home or abroad. Those who
will be gratified by an opportunity for contributing to this object, will please
to signify by letter to any one of
the committee, what they will contribute. If the whole amount should be sufficient,
it may afterwards be
collected; if not sufficient, nothing more will be done. If, as may be the case,
more should be subscribed than
the object requires, abatements will be made proportioned to every man's subscription.
We only add, that
what is done, must be done soon, as the owner of the Old House wishes to be
providing his materials for the
new building, if he does not sell.
Samuel Willard,
Ep. Hoyt,
Stephen W. Williams,
John Wilson,
Pliny Arms.
Deerfield, Dec. 15, 1847.
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