History of Jacob Hill Farm 1723 - 2023 #historic #Seekonk #history 300 year #anniversary

In addition to writing novels, one of my passions is visiting and researching historic sites.  Recently, I had the opportunity to visit the historic Jacob Hill Farm in Seekonk, Massachusetts.  It is now an amazing wellness center, with three of the original structures still gracing this beautiful property, 300 years after the farm was first built!  Before it became the wellness center, it was Jacob Hill Inn, Seekonk's first professional bed and breakfast.  The owners of the Inn purchased the property in 1991, and did a great deal of work to restore the landmark buildings, while also researching the property's history.  Much of this post includes information from their website and television appearance, used with permission.  Visit the site for more details and photos at HistoricJacobHill.com  and view the corresponding 3-part televised discussion on Discovering Seekonk History.   

The land itself was first deeded to Reverend Samuel Peck by the Wampanoag Tribe.  It passed through generations of his family and was eventually deeded to Thomas Allen in 1722.  With 10 children, building a large home was necessary, and it still stands today.  When Calvin Jacob, a prominent deacon, married into the family, the property eventually acquired the name Jacob Hill Farm.

The "Front House", known as the "Club House"
 during the years it was a hunt club
(and then again when it was the Inn), as it appears today

In 1915, the wealthy Grosvenor family purchased Jacob Hill Farm, in part due to their love of horseback riding.  In 1924, it became the Jacobs Hill Hunt Club, a members-only establishment possibly arising in part to the restrictions of Prohibition.  The Grosvenors donated the Front House to the club, and that became the Club House.  Members included such prestigious figures as former Governor of Rhode Island William H. Vanderbilt and his wife, Mr. and Mrs. Roger Firestone, and Mrs. Gammell Cross of the family that founded what is now A.T. Cross, one of the oldest pen manufacturing companies in the world. (There are even some Knights on the list!  Probably no relation).  See the member (box holder) list from 1939 and other photos on the Historic Jacob Hill website under the History tab. 

The arbor was once a coach stop ~
note the seats on the sides!

In another current photo of the Front House, you can see the arbor that was once a coach stop on the Providence to Taunton route.  Note the seats on the sides for waiting passengers.  One of the other three buildings still standing today was originally a barn which was converted to a carriage house.  The third structure, known as "The Barn", was the barn constructed by the Hunt Club.  It was painted white...a symbol of affluence at the time as white paint cost more in those days than the usual red paint associated with barns on farms.  It is still white today.

The Hunt Club was active from 1924 -1943, hosting horse shows and fox hunts (where no foxes were actually harmed!  Only their scent was used for the chase).  The property passed through several families until it was purchased as an Inn.  At one point, a member of the Atomic Energy Commission resided there, and there was a phone in the Front House that connected directly to the White House.

Hello? ;)
Door to the Front
House basement

So, with such a rich history, this author of ghost mysteries had to ask about any unusual happenings.  One person told me he saw the door to the basement open by itself while standing in the current kitchen of the Front House, but of course, it is a very old (but very beautiful) building.  

Speaking of kitchens, the Front House still holds fireplaces original to the building, including the one pictured below, which was a cooking fireplace (note the long iron arm).  To the right, the small door still houses a beehive oven, once used to bake bread.

Original cooking fireplace and beehive oven (behind door)

I've posted a few more of my photos below!  Thanks for stopping by, and if you enjoyed this post, you might also want to check out a few of my other posts on historic places: Historic Mt. Washington Hotel, Historic Falmouth, Cape Cod, Haunted, Historical Barnstable, and Visiting Brewster.

Side view of the Front House

Gazebo off the Front House

Wallpaper in
the Front House

The Carriage House, now a gym and offices

Sunset at Jacob Hill

 

 

 

Cover Reveal #4 ~ The Turning #Witches #RomanticSuspense #99c Box Set of 21 #Books!

A few weeks ago, I revealed the cover for Love Under Fire, a limited edition box set releasing in November, which will contain my latest romance + ghost mystery, The Haunting of Hillwood Farm.  I'm thrilled to be a part of this project, which involves 21 USA Today, Wall Street Journal, and Amazon Bestselling Authors each contributing a brand new story filled with passion, thrills, and danger to benefit Pets For Vets, a charity that pairs rescue pets with veterans in need of companion animals.  To find more info on Love Under Fire and how you can get your limited edition copy of 21 books for just 99 cents (!!!!), click here or find the links below after the cover reveal.  Because right here on my blog, as we build up toward release day, visitors get to see each *individual* cover and read the accompanying blurb...so keep checking back, because we have 17 more to reveal, including mine! Up today is The Witches of Storm Island, Book I: The Turning, by Linda Watkins.  

It is the Year of Our Lord 1685 and fourteen-year-old Maude Prichard finds herself at a crossroads in her life.  A chance meeting with a strange woman who never ages set the young Puritan maid on a path littered with fear, superstition, and witchcraft.  A boy whose love is forbidden and an old man drenched in darkness and depravity will catapult Maude out of her well-ordered world and into a life fraught with danger.  Travel with her as she journeys from the Massachusetts Bay Colony to the wilds of Maine, where she will finally take her place with The Witches of Storm Island.

The Witches of Storm Island series serves as a prequel to the contemporary Gothic novel series The Kate Pomeroy Mysteries, the first of which is entitled Storm Island.

What do you think of the cover?  I think it's wonderfully striking and spooky.  I love the fact that this story is set in Massachusetts, which is where I've lived since 1998.  In fact, my hubby is from Danvers, which is right next to Salem, the site of the infamous Witch Trials.  Of course, me being a fan of all things spooky, we've visited Salem on numerous occasions to take in the sites and the history.  Wandering around Salem during the month of Halloween is quite a scene!

Just 1 of the many pics I took this past October in Salem -
people take Halloween decorating very seriously there!

In case you missed the other Love Under Fire reveals, here is the list so far:

1.  Reign of Fire by Casi McLean
2.  The Asylum by Aaron Paul Lazar
3.  Buckle Bunny by Pamela Fagan Hutchins

We still have 17 covers in the set left to reveal!  Some of the stories in the box set contain paranormal elements, and some a different kind of danger or enemy...but all contain page-turning, spine-tingling romance and suspense!

Sound good?  Pre-order the whole set for 99 cents today!  Links for Apple, Nook, and Kobo are below, Amazon is now available too!

Love Under Fire on Kindle/Amazon

Love Under Fire on iTunes/iBooks

Love Under Fire on Nook/Barnes & Noble

Love Under Fire on Kobo

Love Under Fire additional links

LOVE UNDER FIRE ~ 21 stories to heat up your winter!

Fall Family Fun Weekend! #Staunton #VA #MD #Travel

Selfie with my brother

I'm back from a whirlwind trip that included seeing a bunch of different family members, celebrating joyous occasions, and reminiscing about the past.  My journey was filled with train and car rides, loads of laughter, and two family events.  Oh, and because it's me, there was also one trip to a haunted building.

I started off making my way from Massachusetts to Maryland via a long but peaceful train ride.  I love the train, actually--I always choose the "Quiet Car", where talking and cell phones are prohibited, and I get to read uninterrupted (with the exception of naps) for hours on end.  It's a mini-vacation in and of itself.

One of the pics I took exploring
Glenn Dale Hospital

From Baltimore, I needed to hook up with my brother and sister, so I took a car to my sister's office.  Like me, she loves all things spooky, so we had to take a quick side trip to the Glenn Dale Hospital,  an enormous, 216-acre campus of abandoned buildings that once served as a tuberculosis sanatorium and isolation hospital.  Built in 1934, it hasn't been used since 1981.  I went into a few rooms (not exactly legal) to snap photos, and while I don't think I encountered any ghosts, it was certainly eerie.  It reminded me a bit of the tour I received of an abandoned prison here on Cape Cod.  In fact, as we get into the Halloween season, I'll probably do an entire post of the history of Glenn Dale hospital and the legends surrounding the facility and include the rest of my pictures...who knows, maybe it will even serve as inspiration for a new book--seems like a perfect setting for one of my stories!  

From Maryland, we hooked up with our brother and continued on to Staunton, Virginia, located in the Shenandoah Valley between the Blue Ridge Mountains and the Allegheny Mountains (both parts of the Appalachian Mountains).  We know it best as the hometown of both our cousins on our mother's side and The Statler Brothers, a country music group we used to see in concert every year when we'd visit for the Fourth of July.  Since it was just a sibling road-trip--we left the spouses and kids behind--it felt like we were time traveling, back to the past.    

Staunton, Virginia

My cousin's wedding was lovely, an all-day event that brought us together with family and friends we hadn't seen in years.  We had a great time reminiscing and the two days we spent there went by too fast.  

We took some of the wedding flowers
to use at the Baptism - love these

Then it was back in the car to my sister's house, for the Baptism of my youngest niece.  I got to see more members of the family and play with my nephew and nieces, whom I adore.  

I was back on the train on Monday, exhausted but thrilled to have been a part of the family celebrations.  It may not have been the easiest trip to make, in terms of timing, logistics, and convenience, but I know it was important too.  Now I'm slowly trying to get back into my usual routine, and it's not easy after five hectic days away!  So, time to get off my computer, and get back to the laundry.  Thanks for stopping by!