The Hastings Homestead, circa 1900 Submitted photo
A presentation by Randall H. Bennett, “The Hastings Homestead Museum: Five Generations in the Making,” will be given at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 3, at the Charlotte Hobbs Memorial Library in Lovell.
Randall Bennett Submitted photo
In a PowerPoint presentation, Bennett will talk about the Homestead, which is in Bethel’s “Broad Street Historic District” and has been continuously occupied since 1819 by five generations of the same family. On the exterior, the imposing structure provides a lesson in changing architectural tastes by combining elements from the Federal, Greek Revival, Queen Anne, and Colonial Revival styles. A classic example of the “big house, little house, back house, barn” configuration, the Homestead was the birthplace of — among others — David Robinson Hastings, who founded the Hastings Law Office in Lovell in 1847.
Illustrating over two centuries of occupancy by a prominent western Maine family, the Hastings Homestead tells a story of change over time as members of the family redecorated and updated their house, but left unchanged, many furnishings and interior arrangements as relics of the past. Of particular note are the numerous nineteenth century wallpapers, floor coverings, furnishings, mineral collections, and paintings that exist throughout the home.
Bennet is the Executive Director Emeritus of the Museums of the Bethel Historical Society. He also serves as the Operations Manager/Secretary & Clerk of the Trustees to the Hastings Homestead Museum. Along with this, he is an accomplished historian and author of several books of historic and architectural importance. His works include “Oxford County, Maine: A Guide to Historic Architecture,” originally published in 1984, “Bethel, Maine: An Illustrated History,” originally published in 1991, “The Mount Zircon Moontide Spring: An Illustrated History,” published in 1997 and “The History of Bethel, Maine/ Nathaniel Tuckerman True,” published in 1994 as well as many other works of regional importance.
This presentation is brought to you as part of the Speakers Series of the Charlotte Hobbs Memorial Library. For more information, visit hobbslibrary.org or call (207) 925-3177.
Send questions/comments to the editors.
