Join us as we dedicate two of the four new wooden benches designed and built by Connor Jones as his Eagle Scout project. He conducted historical research and coordinated with the Ball-Sellers House to identify an appropriate style for the colonial era in which the house was built (c.1750). Then he planned, led, and managed a team of scouts from Arlington’s Scout Troop 647 to build and install four benches. He also refurbished two older benches that look so good, we dare you to guess which ones are old and which are the new ones! He also designed and built a new kitchen table for inside the museum. The six benches are installed around the Ball-Sellers House property for visitors to enjoy during tours, special events, or just to appreciate the history of the site.
The dedication of the benches is open and free to the public to appreciate the work of this young man. We will serve refreshments and brief remarks by the Scout leader and AHS officials.
We will be dedicating one of the benches to a historic figure in Connor’s family, Ralph Jones (1625-1692) from Plymouth Massachusetts. This ancestor, one of the first European children born in the colonial America, inspired Connor’s interest in history and drew him to the Ball-Sellers House to complete his Eagle Scout Project for a historic site. (Photo at right is Connor Jones and his dad and assistant, Bill with three of the four new benches.)
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A second bench will be dedicated to Martha “Marty” Beggs Orth who was one of the people who accepted the house from the donor, Marian Sellers, in 1975. Marty continued to steward the house for most of the next 40 years. She helped raise money to refurbish it, cleaned and painted the house, served as the Chair of the Ball-Sellers House Committee several times, conducted research on the house, and wrote “The House That John Built” (1993). (Photo at right is Marty Orth and Dean Allard c. 1975)
Come for the dedication and stay for the free tours of the c. 1750 farmhouse.
