Grant Awarded to Linden Place Mansion for Restoration of Historic Barn
Money granted to Linden Place will be used for surface restoration and painting of the 1850???s barn,
Linden Place Mansion, an 200-year old historic house museum located in downtown Bristol, RI, has been awarded a $10,000 matching grant from The 1772 Foundation for exterior surface restoration and painting of its historic 1850???s barn.
The barn housed boarders during the time when Linden Place was a boarding house in the 1860???s.??It later served as home to Samuel Colt???s horses, tack, laundry and servant quarters. Originally built directly next to the mansion, the barn was later moved to a more eastern point of the property in 1905 to make room for the current-day ballroom.
The barn is now home to the Bristol Art Museum and functions as a cultural arts center hosting art exhibits, gallery talks, film screenings, programming and classes for both adults and children throughout the year.????
When asked, Executive Director Susan Battle said, ???The barn is significant to Linden Place???s history because its story reflects the life and times of the DeWolf and Colt families. Preserving the barn preserves this important story. We are very thankful for The 1772 Foundation???s ongoing support in making restoration and painting of the barn a reality!???
The 1772 Foundation works to ensure the safe passage of our historic buildings and farmland to future generations and has supported pervious preservation projects at Linden Place over the years including upgrade of its fire suppression and alarm systems and restoration of the mansion???s windows, including the nationally important fanlight window.
About Linden Place:
Built in 1810, Linden Place is a magnificent example of Federal Period architecture and it is extremely important with respect to U.S. social history. Four United State???s Presidents visited Linden Place and the great stage and film star, Ethel Barrymore once summered here as did Samuel Colt, scion of the gun inventing Colt???s of Hartford, Connecticut, who started United States Rubber and Industrial Trust Company (later Fleet Bank). The DeWolf/Colts who built Linden Place and occupied it for seven generations served in the U.S. Senate and were instrumental in both the War of 1812 and the transatlantic slave trade. As the only DeWolf?? ???great house??? extant, Linden Place has become central to discussions of northern complicity in the triangle trade.
Linden Place also provides cultural enrichment to the Rhode Island and south coast commnities from hosting music concerts, lectures and educational tours to our summer arts camp for children. Locally known as ???Bristol???s Living Room???, Linden Place hosts local schools and assists fellow non-profits with their programming and fundraising efforts through donated use of its ballroom.
For further information, please visit,??www.lindenplace.org??or call (401)253-0390.