March Meeting

March 8, 2008

A 1900 picture of the house.

Topic: If Walls Could Talk, The Civil War Diaries

Speaker: Molly Schnabel

1:30 p.m. John Curtis Free Library, Rt. 139, 534 Hanover Street, Hanover, MA (781) 826-2927

In 1972 Frank and Molly Schnabel bought a Cape Cod style house on South Union Street in Rockland with the intent of completely restoring the c.1829 house within five years. Some thirty years later, they had completely restored all but the kitchen of the house. Little did they know, that the last room would present them with the true history of the house and the town in which they lived.

While deciding on the structural reinforcement of the kitchen area, their contractor, Tor Stave, found two diaries that were written by Lemuel and Mary B Fletcher, during the time of the Civil War. The Fletchers were the second owners of the house. As a member of the Rockland Historical Commission, Molly had researched the history of the house and was aware of the authors of the diaries but was not prepared for how they would change the life of her family and their house.

Mrs. Schnabel will join us to share the history of the house and its owners as well as how it became involved with the show If Walls Could Talk on HG TV and how the diaries opened up a connection through genealogy with members of her own family in Illinois.

One of the diaries found in the kitchen ceiling.

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