We are very sorry to have to say that James David Whidden, 49, of Ashburnham, MA died unexpectedly on November 30th, of natural causes. We will miss him and hope to see Alexander Knight House project, that meant so much to him, be completed in his honor.

Back at the Taylor Sawmill

July 2011 - Wide white pine siding is currently being milled with the water powered sash saw (up and down saw) at the Taylor Sawmill, in Derry N.H. Again, Bob Spoerl and his son, Ed, are authentically milling some of the siding for our project. The Taylor Sawmill is open to the public on the second and fourth Saturdays during the summer with live demonstrations of how lumber was historically milled. Visit them on-line at: Taylor Sawmill or at Technical info on the Taylor Sawmill

Raising Scheduled for Saturday September 4th, 10:AM, at the Ipswich Museum

A work in progress at Jim Whidden’s shop will soon unfold as the Alexander Knight House at the Ipswich Museum. We invite you to come and watch the raising of an authentic reproduction, 17th century house.

The frame raising is scheduled for Saturday, September 4th, beginning at 10:00 AM, at the Ipswich Museum, on the lawn beside the Whipple House. Baroque violinist John Schnelle and viol players Sarah McManaway and Michael Hamill will be playing seventeenth centuryconsort music under the tree in front of the Whipple Garden from 11:00 to 1:00, food and refreshment will be available for purchase. (rain date following Saturday, September 11th 2010)

Possible Artifacts?

Winter may keep us in but often gives us that time to focus on intellectual pursuits. Sue N. has been researching from the cozy confines of home viewing records and digging up treasures. The subject of the most recent investigation is the location of the original Alexander Knight House. The possibility exists that there may be evidence of the structure within the house at that site. The team hopes to be granted the opportunity to determine if a bit of the original house remains.
During the skating party celebration at the Ipswich Museum, Sue and Jim look over plans of the newer house (1680) built at the old Knight address with Fred Hale past president of the Ipswich Historical Society looking on.

Foundation Celebration a Success

Though the skating was a little mushy being out on the pond, in the field with lots of kids, young and old, really was a treat. Happy faces, hot chocolate - with marshmallows even, cookies and brownies, warm February sunshine made the afternoon truly enjoyable. Thanks to the volunteers at the Ipswich Museum for hosting such a nice skating party.

SKATING PARTY - Saturday, 20 February 2010

SKATING PARTY - Saturday 20 February 2010 between 1-3 PM
Celebrate the completion of the foundation for the Alexander Knight House; skate with us on Sally's Pond next to the Whipple House. Hot cocoa and snacks will be served. Event runs weather and ice conditions permitting.
Parking in the Town lot next to the Police Station. FREE!

Taylor Mill, Derry, NH

The Taylor Sawmill in Derry, NH has a water powered sash (up and down) saw. Mills like this are quite rare, having been replaced by the circular and band saws still used today. Bob and his son Ed run the mill on the second and fourth Saturdays during the summer and were good enough to appropriately saw the floor joists and boards for the flooring of the Alexander Knight House. White oak is not the usual wood sawn here; the speed of the carriage was slowed to allow for the hardness and density. The blade leaves a 1/4" kerf with each pass, For more info about the Taylor Sawmill : http://www.londonderrynh.net/?p=10484
Many thanks and much appreciation for their help; we now have the right materials prepared in the authentic way.

Reaping in the Wind

The AKH Team and a few local volunteers were joined by Rick, Michael and Shan from Plimoth Plantation. After meeting at the Whipple house in Ipswich to show our newfound friends the site of the future Alexander Knight House we departed for Essex.

It was a windy day down on the marsh behind the Essex Town Hall and the tall reeds swooshed and danced about. It wasn't long before clearings appeared in the tall grass and piles of thatching materials were bundled ready for transport. No major injuries reported before our late lunch of fried clams, french fries and onion rings across the Essex river. After lunch a quick tour of the Whipple house before the Plimoth contingency had to head south. Again the exchange of knowledge and enthusiasm was contagious and I hope they enjoyed the trip north as much as we appreciated their visit, Thanks again guys!

Reaping the Benefits - Plimoth comes to Ipswich

The Alexander Knight House (AKH) team welcomes the Plimoth Plantation Interpretive Artisans to town this Friday, September 25. The collaborative group will harvest approximately one-acre of reed for thatching the Alexander Knight House. Plimoth Plantation harvests approximately 7 acres of reed and cattail to thatch roofs in the village. The harvesting will take place in both towns of Ipswich and Essex. The reed will be gathered by the traditional First Period method using a sickle. Once the reed is gathered, it will then be dried and overwintered in preparation for Spring 2010 roofing activities at the Alexander Knight House site. For more information on this weekend’s activities log on to: www.ipswichknighthouse.org

What a great group of people we met Thursday at Plimoth Plantation. The recollections of many family trips to Plimoth became extra special as I met the people whose work I've long been impressed with and understood their dedication to "getting it right" . Misperceptions of my English forebears are everywhere, but the more we look, and study, and recreate, the closer we come to understanding how and why they lived. The group at Plimoth are so interested in looking at the evidence they and others have found, and acting on that evidence, there was a sense of companionship toward a common goal. What a day!

Treasure Hunting at Plimoth Plantation

Learning from the Best






























North meets South - the AKH team traveled to the South Shore yesterday and met with the Plimoth builders Rick, Michael, Tom and Shann. An exciting exchange of knowledge and information went on, and on, between the project members. Features of the early Plimoth houses were compared and contrasted with the Knight House along with much discussion about thatching, chimneys, and framing. A constant flow of conversation bounced from one to another, each contributing a particular view or discovery. An extremely rewarding (and fun) experience all northerners agreed; we hope our southern hosts felt the same. Our sincere thanks to them for giving us their time and we look forward to collaborating with them throughout our ongoing project.

and the dirt flew...

The official start of our project and the cellar hole is almost completely excavated - thanks to all of the shovelers!


















Jim Whidden and Mat Cummings














The ground breakers

Ground Breaking next Saturday

The foundation hole was a shallow excavation with a deeper portion for use as a root cellar. The walls were built of dry laid local stone.

White Oak preferred

Trees, best for hewing, grow in the forest and do not have branches. For the house, clear, straight grained wood is the best; White Oak is preferred as it retains its integrity and is naturally very strong and rot resistant. Trees were selected, cut to length and hewn where they fell.

Ground Breaking Ceremony

25 July 2009, Saturday at 10:AM is the ground breaking ceremony for the official start of the Alexander Knight House at the Ipswich Historical Society's Whipple House on Meeting House Green.

Building permit in hand

Ground breaking on 25 July 2009 is being planned...
Visit the project website at
www.ipswichknighthouse.org

Alexander Knight House, Ipswich, MA

A re-creation of an early, English style timber frame house from 1657 as described in Ipswich town records. An on-going, live exhibit; building with traditional tools, materials and construction methods of the First Period (1625–1725).