Longfellow House Bulletin

The Longfellow-Washington Bulletin (formerly the Longfellow House Bulletin) documents the National Park Service's stewardship of the house and the efforts of the Friends of Longfellow House-Washington's Headquarters to support and supplement this work. Every issue contains articles on aspects of the house's collections, research on Longfellow- and Washington-related topics, and a profile of someone involved with the Longfellow House, whether as a "Friend," scholar, staff member, or other interested person. The Bulletin is a collaborative endeavor between the Friends of Longfellow House-Washington's Headquarters and Longfellow House - Washington's Headquarters National Historic Site.

A research guide to the Longfellow House Bulletin (PDF, 211 KB) contains an index to volumes 1 to 16 (1996-2012) and can be searched for specific topics. Browse through individual issues of the Bulletin by clicking on the thumbnail images or text links below.

 
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Fanny Longfellow

The Longfellow-Washington Bulletin, Vol. 3, 2017 (PDF, 665 KB)
An issue celebrating the 200th birthday of Frances Elizabeth (Appleton) Longfellow.

Frances Appleton Longfellow (1817-1861)
The "Fanny Papers" and a New Finding Aid
Growing Up Appleton
When Henry Met Fanny
Meet a Friend: Archives Volunteer Ted Hansen
Fanny Longfellow and Motherhood
"Proud to be the Pioneer to Less Suffering"
Fanny as a Poetic Muse
A Tragedy Beyond Dispute: The Death of Fanny Longfellow
Spotlight on an Object: Portrait of a Sister

 
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Domestic Staff

The Longfellow-Washington Bulletin, Vol. 2, 2014 (PDF, 805 KB)

The "Servant Problem" in the History of a Historic Home
A "Very Excellent" Dinner Party in 1845
From Servitude to Independence in the 1700s
Service at Washington's Headquarters
Signs and Signals
Meet a Friend: Mirit Lerner Naaman
Fanny Appleton Longfellow, Household Manager
The Faces of the Household
Recent Happenings at the House: The Longfellow Memorial Rededication
Caring for the House Today
Spotlight on an Object: Symbol of a Trusty Servant

 
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Conservation

The Longfellow-Washington Bulletin, Vol. 1, 2013 (PDF, 975 KB)

Over a Century and a Half of Conservation at Longfellow House
Restoring the Parlor Bell Pull: A Case Study
Recreating the Fabric of a Historic Home
Restoring America's Favorite Poet's Favorite Inkwell
Learning from the Past, Improving Conservation for the Future
Meet a Friend: Furniture Conservator & Historian Robert Mussey
The Wide-Ranging Challenges of Object Conservation

 
Longfellow House Bulletin, June, 2012

Andrew and Elizabeth Craigie

Longfellow House Bulletin, Vol. 16, No. 1, June 2012 (PDF, 573 KB)

An issue all about the Craigies! Andrew and Elizabeth Craigie owned the house from 1791 until her death in 1841. Highlights include:

Society of the Cincinnati Aids House Ties to the American Revolution
Andrew Craigie: Apothecary General and Land Speculator
Craigie House Connections to Black Lewisville
Interview with a Friend: Stephen Pratt, Craigie Family Descendant
Fashioning "Castle Craigie"
Mary Allen, Craigie’s Illegitimate Daughter
Elizabeth Craigie and Her Boarders at the House

 
Longfellow House Bulletin, December, 2011.

The Civil War

Longfellow House Bulletin, Vol. 15, No. 2, December 2011 (PDF, 837 KB)

A special double issue commemorating the 150th anniversary of the Civil War, with consideration of the Longfellow family, Cambridge, and the Civil War. Highlights include:

Longfellow House Participates in National Commemoration of the Civil War
Charley Longfellow in the Union Army
Longfellow Family Life During the Civil War
Interview with a Friend: Meet Carol Bundy
Longfellow Relatives and Friends Fighting for the Union in the Civil War
Alice Longfellow’s Scrapbook of Patriotic Civil War Envelopes
Longfellow Family’s Civil War Collections
The Bee: Young Women Aid the Union Troops
Prisoner of War Camps in the Civil War
Henry Longfellow’s Support of the Union and Black Regiments

 
Longfellow House Bulletin, June, 2011.

Longfellow House-Washington's Headquarters

Longfellow House Bulletin, Vol. 15, No. 1, June 2011 (PDF, 651 KB)

A review of the names of the house through the years, marking the official name change for the site. Highlights include:

Longfellow House-Washington’s Headquarters National Historic Site!
Through the Years the Many Names of 105 Brattle Street
Interview with a Friend: Robert Mitchell, Friends’ Treasurer
Harry Dana and "Chronicles of the Craigie House"
Frances Ackerly: An Appreciation

 
Longfellow House Bulletin, December, 2010

Charles Sumner

Longfellow House Bulletin, Vol. 14, No. 2, December 2010 (PDF, 512 KB)

An issue celebrating the 200th birthday of Charles Sumner, U.S. Senator from Massachusetts, abolitionist, and friend of Henry W. Longfellow. Highlights include:

Celebrating the Bicentennial of the Birth of Charles Sumner
The Poet and the Politician: The Lifelong Friendship of Longfellow and Sumner
A Tale of Two Statues: Memorials to Charles Sumner
Interview with a Friend: Beverly Morgan-Welch, Museum Director
The Political Career of U.S. Senator Charles Sumner: Abolitionist, Radical Reformer, and Civil Rights Activist
Charles Sumner, Art Patron and Art Collector
Mary Smith Remembered

 
Longfellow House Bulletin, June, 2010

Southeast Asian Connections

Longfellow House Bulletin, Vol. 14, No. 1, June 2010 (PDF, 730 KB)

This issue explores connections between the Longfellow House and Southeast Asia. Highlights include:

Longfellow House’s Connections to Thailand Past & Present
House Unveils Unique Collection of Historic Southeast Asian Photographs
Anna and the King of Siam, and the Longfellows
Interview with a Friend: Meet Cholthanee Koerojna, President of the King of Thailand Birthplace Foundation
Charley Longfellow & Second King “George Washington” of Siam
Henry Longfellow’s Interest in Southeast Asia & His Asian Book Collection

 
Longfellow House Bulletin, December, 2009

"Paul Revere's Ride"

Longfellow House Bulletin, Vol. 13, No. 2, December 2009 (PDF, 3.48 MB)

New research on Longfellow's poem "Paul Revere's Ride," and a look at the people behind the poem. Highlights include:

New Research on "Paul Revere’s Ride" Marks the Poem’s 150th Anniversary
Longfellow House Remembers Senator Edward Kennedy
Interview with a Friend: Meet Charles Bahne, Public Historian
Paul Revere: Man versus Legend
Symposium on Integrated Anti-Slavery Activity
Paul Revere’s Tie to Henry Wadsworth Longfellow’s Family

 
Longfellow House Bulletin, June, 2009

Pets & Children

Longfellow House Bulletin, Vol. 13, No. 1, June 2009 (PDF, 665 KB)

A bulletin on Longfellow family pets and youth programs at the site. Highlights include:

Family Programs Expanded Through Centennial Challenge Funds
Discovering the Furry and Feathered Members of the Longfellow Family
Interview with a Friend: Meet Susan Moynihan, School Librarian
The Longfellow Pets Through the Years
A Dog Named Trap
Student Poetry Awards at the House
George Washington and His Dogs
Harvard Ed School Students’ Pet Projects

 
Longfellow House Bulletin, December, 2008

Material Culture & Architecture

Longfellow House Bulletin, Vol. 12, No. 2, December 2008 (PDF, 652 KB)

Reports on Harvard and Smithsonian classes on material culture at the Longfellow House. Celebrating the house's 250th anniversary with a look at its architectural context. Highlights include:

Harvard Scholars Use House As a Laboratory to Examine Material Culture
Vassall-Craigie-Longfellow House Celebrates 250th Anniversary
Interview with a Friend: Meet Laurel Thatcher Ulrich, Historian
Georgian Country Houses In and Around Cambridge and Boston
The Vassalls and Their Relatives on Eighteenth-Century Brattle Street
Peter Harrison, Eighteenth-Century Architect in America
Smithsonian Class Studies Asian Objects

 
Longfellow House Bulletin, June, 2008

Historic Preservation

Longfellow House Bulletin, Vol. 12, No. 1, June 2008 (PDF, 536 KB)

Examining the Longfellow family's legacy of historic preservation. Highlights include:

A Paul Revere House Centennial and the Longfellow Contribution
Longfellow Family Members in the Historic Preservation Movement
Interview with a Friend: Meet Melanie Hall, Historic Preservation Professor
William Sumner Appleton, Founder of the Society for the Preservation of New England Antiquities
Longfellow’s Poems Helped to Preserve Historic Places

 
Longfellow House Bulletin, December, 2007

Longfellow House Archives

Longfellow House Bulletin, Vol. 11, No. 2, December 2007 (PDF, 534 KB)

The history, organization, contents, and present-day use of the House archives. Highlights include:

Longfellow House Archives Cataloging Complete At Last
Treasuring Family Heritage: A Brief History of the House Archives
Interview with a Friend: Meet Ann Hitchcock, NPS Curator in Washington
Some Treasures from the House Archives
A Public Resource: How the House Archives Are Used Today

 
Longfellow House Bulletin, June, 2007

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's Bicentennial

Longfellow House Bulletin, Vol. 11, No. 1, June 2007 (PDF, 518 KB)

Celebrating Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's bicentennial with music, poetry, and a look back at the 1907 centennial celebration. Highlights include:

Celebrating Henry Wadsworth Longfellow’s Bicentennial
Looking Back at the Centenary Celebration of Longfellow’s Birth
Interview with a Friend: Meet Dana Gioia, Poet and NEA Chairman
Schoolchildren & Others Across America Marked Longfellow’s Centenary

 
Longfellow House Bulletin, December, 2006

Longfellow on Slavery

Longfellow House Bulletin, Vol. 10, No. 2, December 2006 (PDF, 831 KB)

A Special Anniversary Issue: Henry Wadsworth Longfellow Turns 200 and the Longfellow House Bulletin turns 10. This double issue also covers Longfellow and slavery and Longfellow House's selection as part of the National Park Service's Underground Railroad Network to Freedom. Highlights include:

House Selected As Part of Underground Railroad Network to Freedom
Longfellow’s 200th Birthday Celebration
Interview with a Friend: Meet Christoph Irmscher, Scholar
Something for the Great Cause: The Influence of Longfellow’s Poems on Slavery
Longfellow’s Outrage at the Fugitive Slave Law
A Gathering Place for Outspoken Opponents of Slavery: Some of the Many Abolitionist Visitors to Longfellow’s House
Harvard’s Houghton Library Exhibition: Henry Wadsworth Longfellow at 200
Maine Historical Society’s Bicentennial Exhibition
Longfellow’s Impact on Abolition in Latin America

 
Longfellow House Bulletin, June, 2006

Samuel Longfellow

Longfellow House Bulletin , Vol. 10, No. 1, June 2006 (PDF, 581 KB)

An issue covering the poet's youngest brother, Reverend Samuel Longfellow. Highlights include:

Reverend Samuel Longfellow’s Papers Catalogued and Finding Aid Completed
New Biography of Samuel Longfellow by Joseph Abdo in Progress
Interview with a Friend: Meet Margaret Welch, NPS Archivist
Samuel Longfellow, Radical Unitarian Minister and Social Reformer
Samuel Longfellow’s Observations About the Family and Life at the House
Samuel Longfellow: Crafting His Brother’s Image

 
Longfellow House Bulletin, December, 2005

Children

Longfellow House Bulletin, Vol. 9, No. 2, December 2005 (PDF, 665 KB)

A look at children in the house, then and now, coinciding with Christoph Irmscher's new book Longfellow Redux. Highlights include:

New Book on Longfellow Sheds Light on His Domestic Life
Children of the Vassall-Craigie-Longfellow House Re-enacted
Interview with a Friend: Meet Heather Moulton
Children of the Vassall-Craigie-Longfellow House
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow’s Stories and Drawings for His Children
Longfellow Children’s Toy Collection

 
Longfellow House Bulletin, June, 2005

Garden Rehab Project

Longfellow House Bulletin, Vol. 9, No. 1, June 2005 (PDF, 606 KB)

The Longfellow Garden Project issue contains information about the progress of the capital campaign, and the initial plantings, and the history of the garden and landscape. Highlights include:

Garden Fundraising Campaign Nears End: Rehab Well Underway
Hutcheson’s Design Rehabilitated for Its Centennial Anniversary
Interview with a Longfellow Descendant: Mary Hunting Smith
Vassall-Craigie-Longfellow House: A Landscape Through the Years
Donor Recognition for the Capital Campaign
Use of the Longfellow Garden and Grounds: Then and Now
Adjoining Longfellow Properties As One Landscape

 
Longfellow House Bulletin, December, 2004

The Longfellows' Collections

Longfellow House Bulletin, Vol. 8, No. 2, December 2004 (PDF, 509 KB)

Marking the NPS Museum Centennial, this issue looks at the Longfellows as collectors. Highlights include:

Longfellow House Participates in NPS Museum Centennial Celebration
Charley Longfellow as an Early Collector of Japanese Works
Interview with a Friend: Meet Christine Guth, Scholar
Joseph Thorp’s Glass-Plate Negatives Newly Printed
The Longfellows as Collectors: Personal Taste, Serendipity, & Thomas Gold Appleton
Save America’s Treasures: Sculpture and Book Conservation in the Final Phase

 
Longfellow House Bulletin, June, 2004

Education

Longfellow House Bulletin, Vol. 8, No. 1, June 2004 (PDF, 430 KB)

Features on the Longfellow family's committment to education and a new teacher program at the site. Highlights include:

First New Biography of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow in Forty Years
Teachers as Scholars Program Comes to the Longfellow House
Interview with a Friend: Meet Henry Bolter, Educator
The Tradition of Teaching in the Longfellow Family
Alice Longfellow, Pioneer in Women’s Higher Education

 
Longfellow House Bulletin, December, 2003

Languages, Translation, & Travel

Longfellow House Bulletin, Vol. 7, No. 2, December 2003 (PDF, 580 KB)

Longfellow the Translator, Longfellow in Translation
The Longfellow Family’s Interest in Foreign Languages and Travel
New Attention to Charley’s “Japanese Room”
Interview with a Friend: Meet Anita Israel, Archivist
Longfellow’s Scandinavian Connection
Longfellow House: A Unique Resource for Researchers

 
Longfellow House Bulletin, June, 2003

Colonial Residents & New England Slavery

Longfellow House Bulletin, Vol. 7, No. 1, June 2003 (PDF, 469 KB)

Sharing new research on the colonial and revolutionary occupants of the house and the history of slavery in New England. Highlights include:

New Research on the Earliest Households at 105 Brattle Street
Longfellow House to Participate in “Patriots of Color” Celebration
Interview with a Friend: Meet Jim Shea
A Brief History of the White and Black Vassalls
The Vassalls and New England Slavery
Glover’s Marblehead Regiment at the House
George Washington’s Letters Reveal His Views of Black Soldiers
George and Martha Washington’s Household

 
Longfellow House Bulletin, December, 2002

Dante

Longfellow House Bulletin, Vol. 6, No. 2, December 2002 (PDF, 564 KB)

An issue examining the literary relationship of Longfellow and Dante. Highlights include:

Longfellow House Celebrates 30 Years with the National Park Service
Two New Books Make the Longfellow-Dante Connection
A Night with the Dante Club at Craigie House
Interview with a Friend: Meet Matthew Pearl
Longfellow Descendants Hold Family Reunion at House
Recent Discovery & Donation: Historic Glass-Plate Negatives Reveal Photographer

 
Longfellow House Bulletin, June, 2002

Site Reopening After Rehab

Longfellow House Bulletin, Vol. 6, No. 1, June 2002 (PDF, 399 KB)

Celebrating the reopening of the Longfellow House after a three year rehabilitation project! Highlights include:

Longfellow House Re-opens Its Doors After Three-Year Rehabilitation
Japanese Screens Displayed in House for the First Time in Decades
Longfellow Art Collection Seen Anew
Interview with a Friend: Meet Richard Nylander
New Theme-Tour of House Highlights the Longfellows’ Love of Music
The Making of the Longfellow National Historic Site: A Preservation History

 
Longfellow House Bulletin, December, 2001

International Connections

Longfellow House Bulletin, Vol. 5, No. 2, December 2001 (PDF, 434 KB)

A look at the Longfellow House as a powerful a symbol of international accord. Highlights include:

"A House May Hold a World"
"Dedication" in Memory of September 11, 2001
International Gatherings at the Longfellow House
Longfellow House Lawn Fetes Benefited the Cambridge Neighborhood House
Interview with a Longfellow Descendant: Meet Ann Hutchinson Guest
Digging the Longfellow Garden: Archaeological Finds

 
Longfellow House Bulletin, June, 2001

The Song of Hiawatha

Longfellow House Bulletin, Vol. 5, No. 1, June 2001 (PDF, 846 KB)

A double issue on considerations and reconsiderations of The Song of Hiawatha. Highlights include:

New Study Examines The Song of Hiawatha as Controversial Bestseller
Interview with a Friend: Meet Marilyn Richardson
Longfellow’s Early Interest in Indians
Visions of The Song of Hiawatha
One Hundredth Anniversary: Alice Longfellow's Account of the Visit to Hiawatha's People
Hiawatha Set to Music

 
Longfellow House Bulletin, December, 2000

Brazil & Portugal

Longfellow House Bulletin, Vol. 4, No. 2, December 2000 (PDF, 625 KB)

A look at international connections, focusing on the Longfellow House's Brazilian connection and Samuel Longfellow's stay in the Azores. Highlights include:

The Emperor and the Poet: Longfellow House’s Brazilian Connection
First New Collection of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow’s Works in 25 Years
Interview with a Friend: Meet the Brazilian Consul
Samuel Longfellow in the Portuguese Azores, 1843-1844

 
Longfellow House Bulletin, June, 2000

George Washington

Longfellow House Bulletin, Vol. 4, No. 1, June 2000 (PDF, 736 KB)

A double issue celebrating the 225th anniversary of the American Revolution and George Washington's residency!

Longfellow House to Celebrate 225th Anniversary of American Revolution
The House Which “Washington Has Rendered Sacred”
Interview with a Friend: Meet George Washington
Phillis Wheatley’s Poem for General Washington in Cambridge
Head Quarters, Cambridge: Washington’s Occupancy of the Longfellow House
The Past and Present Here Unite: Commemorations at the Longfellow House
Friends Acquire Richard Henry Dana Jr. Letters
Dana Papers Catalogued at House

 
Longfellow House Bulletin, December, 1999

Replica Houses

Longfellow House Bulletin, Vol. 3, No. 2, December 1999 (PDF, 578 KB)

An account of replicas of the Longfellow House across the country. News of the new finding aid to the Henry Wadsworth Longfellow Dana (1881-1950) Papers, with a biography and summary of the papers. Highlights include:

The Next Best-Known House in America and Its Replicas
Letter to the Editor: Another First Lady at the House
Interview with a Friend: Meet Barclay Henderson
Ole Bull Delegation from Norway Visits House
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow Dana Finding Aid Published
Longfellow's Historic Lighting Fixtures Illuminated

 
Longfellow House Bulletin, June, 1999

Save America's Treasures & Remembering Stanley Paterson

Longfellow House Bulletin, Vol. 3, No. 1, June 1999 (PDF, 448 KB)

An update on the Longfellow House Rehabilitation Project and a visit from First Lady Hillary Clinton for the "Save America's Treasures" grant. The site welcomed new superintendent Myra Harrison and paid tribute to the late Stanley Paterson. Highlights include:

Hillary Clinton Pays Historic Visit to the House
"Save America's Treasures" Gifts Announced
Interview with the New Superintendent: Myra Harrison
George and Martha Washington's Period at the Longfellow House
Stanley Paterson's Research on Longfellow's Letters and Journals
Memorial Address for Stanley Paterson

 
Longfellow House Bulletin, December, 1998

Rehabilitation Project

Longfellow House Bulletin, Vol. 2, No. 2, December 1998 (PDF, 422 KB)

An update on the closing of the house and the preliminary stage of the Longfellow House Rehabilitation Project. Featured are works of art by nineteenth-century women artists at the Longfellow House. Highlights include:

Congress Approves $1.6 Million for Longfellow NHS
Packing, Moving, and Repairing Recall a Longfellow House Tradition
Interview with Two Longfellow Descendants: Frankie Wetherell and Edie Bowers
Women Artists at the Longfellow House
Publication Party for Charley Longfellow Book

 
Longfellow House Bulletin, June, 1998

Rehabilitation Project

Longfellow House Bulletin, Vol. 2, No. 1, June 1998 (PDF, 515 KB)

An update on the planning stage of the Longfellow House Rehabilitation Project and new discoveries as the archives were processed. Highlights include:

Longfellow House Rehabilitation Project: The Next Phase
Workshop on the Future Treatment of the House
Interview with a Scholar: Meet Christine Laidlaw
Longfellow Institute Speaks to Multi-lingual Past
Bridgman Poem Comes to Light
Scandinavian Collection Revealed in Longfellow Archives

 
Longfellow House Bulletin, December, 1997

Longfellow Garden & Archeology

Longfellow House Bulletin, Vol. 1, No. 3, December 1997 (PDF, 699 KB)

An issue focusing on Alice Longfellow's garden and archeological findings at the site. Highlights include:

In Search of Alice Longfellow's Garden
Interview with a Friend: Meet Frances Ackerly
Fanny Longfellow's Pioneering Use of Ether
Russians Visit the House
In Memoriam: Margaret Henderson Floyd
Buried History at the Longfellow National Historic Site

 
Longfellow House Bulletin, June, 1997

Stories from the Archives

Longfellow House Bulletin, Vol. 1, No. 2, June 1997 (PDF, 617 KB)

A look at the breadth of stories in the Longfellow House archives. Highlights include:

Longfellow Archives Throw New Light on Japan's Meiji Period
New High-School Curriculum Features Charles Longfellow
Interview with a Friend: Meet Stanley Paterson
Frank Buda Remembered
Alice Longfellow as Preservationist: From Mount Vernon to Brattle Street
Two Sisters Remember the Longfellow House

 
Longfellow House Bulletin, December, 1996

Friends of the Longfellow House

Longfellow House Bulletin, Vol. 1, No. 1, December 1996 (PDF, 340 KB)

Founding of the Friends of the Longfellow House, and the first issue of the Longfellow House Bulletin.

Last updated: June 4, 2024

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