Porter House News A Biannual Newsletter for Decorah’s Porter House Museum

Porter House Board Members:

Cam Forde (President) Betty Eggers Paul Cutting (Vice Pres.) David Faldet Kristin Erickson (Treasurer) CJ Huber Peggy Beatty (Secretary) Midge Kjome

Fall/Winter 2017

Mission Statement

The Porter House Museum preserves and interprets its structures, grounds, and collections to inspire diverse audiences to share in the educational and recreational benefits of learning about Adelbert Field Porter and Grace Young Porter in the context of Winneshiek County history and Mr. Porter’s love of the natural environment.

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Interested in volunteering, or want to know more about how membership and donation dollars are put

to work? Call (563) 382-8465 or send an email to porterhousemuseum@gmail.com to learn more.

The 2016 Annual Report is available at porterhousemuseum.org.

Nearing Halfway to Our Sesquicentennial Fundraising Goal!

As you begin planning your end-of-year giving, consider giving to the Porter House Museum’s sesquicentennial celebration fund. We are nearing halfway to our goal of $18,670. The museum board of directors chose $18,670 as the goal in honor of 1867—the year the house was first built by D.B. Ellsworth. In 2017, we are celebrating 150 of history, art, and heritage at 401 W Broadway. All sesquicentennial donations will go to support the museum’s young endowment fund. The American Association of State and Local History (AASLH) has identified a healthy endowment fund as one of the characteristics of a thriving and sustainable house museum. Established in 2014, the Porter House Museum endowment fund is intended to help sustain the organization in perpetuity. Gifts to the endowment fund support the museum’s artistic and financial vitality into the future. Donations to the endowment fund can be made at any time by visiting porterhousemuseum.org and clicking on the DONATE button on the home page. Online donations are processed via Paypal. You may also mail a check to the following address. Please write “150th” on the memo line. Thank you for your support!

Porter House Museum P.O. Box 115

Decorah, Iowa 52101

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Porter House Members and Friends Celebrate the 2017 Garden Party

On June 10th, a sunny and windy Saturday, members and friends of the Porter House Museum gathered to celebrate our annual garden party. Between the wonderful live music of John Goodin, great conversation and garden games, the garden walk by Lindsay Lee and Jerri Osenga, and the great food and wine, a fabulous time was had by all. At the conclusion of the garden party, the winner was announced for the sesquicentennial raffle. The raffle was held to raise money to help us reach our sesquicentennial fundraising goal, and featured an original piece of artwork by musician and artist Bonnie Koloc. The piece, inspired by Bert Porter’s love of butterflies and Grace Porter’s love of flowers, was won by Janis Mineart. Many thanks to Bonnie Koloc, Deb Paulson, John Goodin, Lindsay Lee, Jerri Osenga, CJ and Charlie Huber, Rachel and David Faldet, Steffenee Voigt, Peggy Beatty, Cam Forde, Paul Cutting, Midge Kjome, Gary Mineart, Betty Eggers, and all others who helped to make this fun event a success.

Before the Porters… The Story of 1867 (Based on Research by Elizabeth Lorentzen and Stacy Gossling)

The Porter House Museum is named for Grace and Bert Porter, since their story is the most evident one at the museum. However, the story of 401 W Broadway did not begin with the Porters. In our sesquicentennial year, we’ve been inspired to take a closer look at the original inhabitants of house: Dighton and Amanda Ellsworth, and later Harriet (Norton) Ellsworth. The Ellworths were married in 1848 and were natives of Cattaraugus County in New York State before arriving in Decorah in 1855. A merchant, Dighton engaged in a number of mercantile business ventures before spending 15 years as co-owner of a dry goods store on Water Street, in the building that now serves as the east portion of Rubaiyat. He later also entered into a partnership for a dry goods store in the same building that (now formerly) housed JC Penney’s. With their daughter Florence, the Ellsworths lived at a Greek Revival home at 304 West Main Street starting in 1860. The success of Dighton’s dry goods business allowed them to “upgrade” only seven years later, when they built a grand Italian Villa home at 401 W Broadway (now the museum). The home was constructed in only 4 months at the cost of $10,000—the equivalent of well over a million dollars today. H.O. Ball served as architect, with brickwork by William Alsip and carpentry by Benjamin T. Barfoot.

Amanda Ellsworth died in 1876 from breast cancer, and a year later Dighton married a young widow, Harriet Norton, who had four children. When Dighton died in 1896, Harriet continued to live in the house for two more years before selling it to Frank and Emma Young, and their daughter Grace. The rest, as they say, is history…

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Announcing: The Porter House Museum’s Fall 2017 Concert Series

Tuesday, October 24th at 7:30PM Hammers and Mallets by the Iowa Composers Forum featuring new music written by Iowan composers Thursday, November 2nd at 7:30PM Long Road Home: a journey for solo piano by Ben Hippen cinematic music in a three-act concert journey Thursday, November 9th at 7:30PM A Musical Harvest by Duo-B a feast of 'flavorful'' music from around the world

The Porter House Museum has unveiled the lineup for its Fall Concert Series. The museum has a history of hosting live musical performers in its historic music parlor, a tradition that stretches back to Adelbert and Grace Porter (an accomplished pianist in her own right) entertaining recitals at their home. Tickets: $14 for one concert or $28 for the whole series. First-come, first-served at the door. Members of the Porter House Museum may reserve tickets in advance as a benefit of museum membership.

The dry goods store that D.B. Ellsworth co-owned with Frederick Landers, now the eastern part of Rubaiyat. Photo courtesy of the Vesterheim Norwegian-American Museum Archives.

Mark Finholt donates Porter House Chair By Peggy Beatty

Meeting downtown in 2017 for a cup of coffee and to catch up with friends is a way of life for Decorah locals. Any given morning will find groups of people chatting, laughing, and sipping “a cuppa Joe” at comfortable (and delicious) local coffee houses and restaurants. In the 1960s, however, it was common for friends to call on friends in their homes, or for neighbors to stop by to visit someone – with or without a preliminary phone call! “Paying a visit” was often an activity in which children accompanied their parents. This is how former resident, Mark Finholt, recalled the morning over 50 years ago when he went with his mother to visit Bert Porter at 401 West Broadway. Helen Seim Finholt was a life-long Decorah resident, active in the community, and an avid antiquer. She was the wife of Vernon Finholt, the owner of the well-known men’s clothing store, the Ben Bear Store. On that particular day, Helen asked Mark to come with her to pay a visit to Bert Porter. She had learned from some

friends that Bert was willing to sell some of his furnishings and other collectibles. Mark recalled that he must have been about 10 or 11 years old at the time, and he was happy to go along. Mark remembers that their host was delighted to see his mother and him, and Bert inquired about his dad. They were invited into the house and Mark was able to go upstairs to see some of Bert’s collections, including the drawers of butterflies. Mark said that as an elementary student at East Side School, entire classes would go to see Bert and learn about the fascinating collections and memorabilia from his exotic excursions. Bert ushered Mark and Helen into the living room of his home, where he sat in his big leather chair and the Finholts sat on a settee across from him. The adults had coffee, and Mark was given a cold beverage, served on a butterfly tray that Bert had made. Mark vividly remembers the layout of the room and the position of the furniture, and visiting Bert in his unique and familiar surroundings. “At that time, of course, this room was twice as big,” Mark recalled with a smile. After chatting, Helen said, “Bert, I’d love to have that chair,” motioning to small velvet upholstered chair positioned in the corner of the room. They agreed on a price, and the “decorator chair” (as it is marked on the back) became part of the Finholt family furnishings from that time forward. Mark said the chair always occupied a special place in his mother’s house, but that he doesn’t recall anyone ever sitting on it!

When his parents both passed away, Mark became the owner of the chair. He enjoyed having it in his collection, and recalling the story of how his mother and he had acquired the piece. But earlier this year when he became aware of the Porter House’s 150th anniversary celebration, he decided to donate the chair back. Mark’s gift is being donated in memory of his mother, Helen Finholt, and his father, Vernon Finholt.

Peggy Beatty, Porter House board member, and Mark Finholt by the chair on the Porter House porch.

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The Porter House thanks the following businesses for their continued support as Corporate Members:

A&J Petersburg Agency Ace Hardware Amundson's Clothing Store Bruening Rock Products Inc. Copyland Decorah Bank & Trust Co. Decorah Pizza Ranch Dental Associates of Decorah Erdman Engineering, P.C.

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Star Volunteer: Sophie Hanson

The Porter House Museum is proud to name Sophie Hanson the “Star Volunteer” for this newsletter issue. Sophie volunteered this summer as a summer tour guide, as well as an archival assistant.

“For me, the most interesting part of volunteering at the museum was becoming well-acquainted with the life stories of two fascinating people. Bert and Grace Porter lived full, rich lives and every day at the museum seemed to bring with it a new detail about their travels, their marriage, or their interests. In handling some of their paperwork archives and being able to walk in their footsteps, I feel like I got to know some of the more granular aspects of their day-to-day life and those minutiae truly allowed their histories unfold. “As a college student, I am in the intense process of trying to decide on a career. Volunteering at the Porter House Museum convinced me that I should wholeheartedly pursue my love of history and of museums. Now, at Mount Holyoke College, I work in Digital Assets and Preservation Services, capturing and creating the metadata for pieces from the archives. I could not have done this without the skills I learned at the Porter House.”

Family Table Restaurant Friest and Assoc. Realtors Hovden Oil Inspire(d) Media KD Rae Jewelry La Rana Mabe's Pizza Margaret's

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Norwegian Mutual Insurance Perry Novak Electric Inc. Schluter-Balik Funeral Home Sims TV and Electronics T-Bock’s Sports Bar & Grill Wicks Construction Inc. Winneshiek Title & Abstract

The Porter House Now a Monarch Waystation

Depot Outlet Awards $2,000 Grant to the Museum

The Porter House Museum has been awarded a $2,000

grant by the Depot Outlet for ongoing collections work.

The funding will be used to purchase a tank-less water

heater, storage shelving, and a chest freezer. The chest

freezer in particular is an essential tool for the ongoing

preservation of the century-old butterfly and insect

collection at the museum. The museum is grateful for the

support of the Depot Outlet. This project will make a

significant impact in ongoing efforts to sustain the

collections at the museum.

The Depot Outlet is a non-profit organization owned by

the Winneshiek County area churches. The Outlet

operates a recycled clothing, books, and household goods

store at 510 Montgomery Street in Decorah. All of their

profits go back to Winneshiek County non-profit

organizations.

The Porter House Museum is now designated as a Monarch Waystation. The museum has been recognized as a site that provides milkweed, nectar sources, and shelter needed to help monarchs butterflies produce successive generations and sustain the butterflies on their migration through North America. The Monarch Waystation program is coordinated by Monarch Watch.

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THE PORTER HOUSE MUSEUM P.O. Box 115 Decorah, IA 52101 (563) 382 8465 porterhousemuseum@gmail.com

Porter House News A Biannual Newsletter for Decorah’s

Porter House Museum Fall/Winter 2017

Upcoming Events: Fall Music Series:

Hammers and Mallets Tues., Oct. 24, 7:30PM Iowa Composers Forum

Long Road Home Thurs., Nov. 2, 7:30PM by Ben Hippen A Musical Harvest Thurs., Nov. 9, 7:30PM by Duo-B

Ghosties at the Halloween, Oct. 31, 5-7PM Porter House Christmas Open House Sat., Dec. 2, 12 – 4 PM and wreath auction

This newsletter is a benefit of your membership. Would you like to save a tree and receive this newsletter electronically (and in full color)? Send an email to porterhousemuseum@gmail.com to subscribe. Your email address will be confidential. We won’t share it with any other organization or group, nor abuse this communication privilege.

We're looking to the

future! Donate today to help us reach our sesquicentennial

goal of $18,670.

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