Visit Tudor Hall in 2011

Spirits of Tudor Hall invites you to visit the first floor of Tudor Hall located at 17 Tudor Lane, Bel Air, Maryland, 21015. The house will be open to visitors on the following Sunday afternoons at 1:00 p.m. and 2:00 p.m. As space is limited, please contact us ahead of time if you plan to bring a large group. There is no charge to visit Tudor Hall, but there's a suggested donation of $3.00 for those age 13 and above.

For more information, please phone 443-619-0008 or send an email to: SpiritsOfTudorHall@gmail.com.

  
June 5 and 26; July 10 and 24; Aug. 7 and 21; Sept. 11 and 25; Oct. 9 and 23

What To Expect When You Visit Tudor Hall 

While housing developments have steadily invaded the neighborhood surrounding Tudor Hall, the grounds still magically retain much of their rural charm and are generally open to the public from dawn to dusk every day of the year. Due to limited paved parking, finding a dry place to park can be difficult when the grounds are wet and muddy due to heavy rains or melting snow. Please avoid parking on the grass when the grounds are wet as your vehicle may become seriously stuck and assistance freeing your vehicle may not be readily available.

At the current time, the office of the Harford County Cultural Arts Board is located on the first floor. The other rooms on the first floor are used as meeting space and are furnished accordingly. The offices of the Center for the Arts occupy all the rooms on the second floor. As a result, visitors are not invited upstairs. The Cultural Arts Board is dedicated to encouraging the arts in Harford County in a variety of ways. The Center for the Arts is a nonprofit organization dedicated to building a home for the arts in Harford County.

Tudor Hall has not been restored and is not furnished with period furniture. Spirits of Tudor Hall guides wear modern clothing rather than period clothing. However, volunteers in Civil War era reproduction clothing are occasionally present.

The guides provide an overview of the entire Booth family, including Junius Brutus Booth Sr., his wife Mary Ann, and their children Junius Jr., Rosalie, Edwin, Asia, John Wilkes, and Joseph. In addition, a brief history of the Booth farm and Tudor Hall is presented. Some limited information about the assassination of President Abraham Lincoln by John Wilkes Booth is included. However, the primary goal is to inform visitors about the history of the entire Booth family and Tudor Hall. This information will help visitors place John Wilkes within the context of his family and the rural/small town community where he was born and spent much of his childhood.

We're looking forward to welcoming you to Tudor Hall!
See you there!

Tudor Hall and the Booths in Aegis, April 13, 2011

An article entitled "Civil War Divides Harford" by Bryna Zumer appears on the front page of the April 13, 2011, edition of the Aegis (newspaper published in Harford County, Maryland). Dinah Faber, Coordinator of Spirits of Tudor Hall, is quoted speaking about Tudor Hall and the Booth family under the heading "Ambivalent History" on page A6 of the article. To read part one of the article, please use the link below.

http://www.exploreharford.com/news/8641/harford-divided-civil-war/

The Conspirator Opens in Theatres April 15, 2011

The tragic story of the trial and execution of Mary Surratt is told in The Conspirator, a feature film premiering nation-wide on April 15, 2011. Mary Surratt was implicated in the assassination of President Abraham Lincoln for which she and her family paid a heavy price. The film was directed by Robert Redford.  Robin Wright heads the cast which also includes James McEvoy, Evan Rachel Wood, Alexis Bledel, and Kevin Kline. Redford consulted the staff of the Surratt House Museum in Clinton, Maryland, while making the film.

The fate of Mary Surratt illustrates that although John Wilkes Booth targeted only one man, there were actually many victims of his crime. While those who had supported Lincoln and the Union were plunged into grief, Lincoln's own family never fully recovered from the violent death of the husband and father who had provided a counterweight to his wife's unstable personality. Mary Lincoln was obviously thrown even more off balance by the death of her husband.


The young couple who accompanied the Lincolns to Ford's Theatre, Henry Rathbone and his future wife Clara, seem to have been "cursed" by the assassination, and their relationship ended tragically when Rathbone killed Clara and spent the rest of his life in an asylum as a result. Their children obviously suffered greatly due to the mental instability of their father and the tragic death of their mother at their own father's hands.


While the families of the victims of a crime are often recognized, the families of those who perpetrate those crimes are often overlooked. This does not mean, however, that their lives are not affected and their hearts are not broken. The Conspirator reminds us of that and in many ways is a "horror" film that depicts what can happen to individuals and families affected by criminal acts in one way or another.


Link to The Conspirator website: http://www.conspiratorthemovie.com/?source=gaw&gclid=CM-S4an5magCFQNx5Qod2SsxNg


John Wilkes Booth's brother, Edwin, anguished over the senseless act committed by his brother, expressed his sorrow in an open letter to the citizens of the United States. It read:

New York, April 20, 1865
To the people of the United States.
My fellow citizens:

When a nation is overwhelmed with sorrow by a great public calamity, the mention of private grief would under ordinary circumstances be an intrusion, but under those by which I am surrounded, I feel sure that a word from me will not be so regarded by you.
It has pleased God to lay at the door of my afflicted family the life-blood of our great, good and martyred President. Prostrated to the very earth by this dreadful event, I am yet but too sensible that other mourners fill the land. To them, to you, one and all go forth our deep, unutterable sympathy; our abhorrence and detestation of this most foul and atrocious of crimes.
For my mother and sister, for my two remaining brothers and my own poor self, there is nothing to be said except that we are thus placed without any agency of our own. For our loyalty as dutiful, though humble, citizens, as well as for our consistent, and as we had some reason to believe, successful, efforts to elevate our name, personally and professionally, we appeal to the record of the past. For our present position we are not responsible. For the future --alas! I shall struggle on, in my retirement, with a heavy heart, an oppressed memory and a wounded name --dreadful burdens -- to my welcome grave.

Your afflicted friend,
Edwin Booth

http://www.aboutfamouspeople.com/article1008.html

David Fried's North and South Exhibition at Slayton House in Columbia, Maryland, Feb. 10 to March 12, 2011

An exhibition of paintings by David Fried will take place February 10 to March 12, 2011, at Slayton House, 10400 Cross Fox Lane, Wild Lake Village Green, Columbia, Maryland. The title of the exhibition is "North and South" and the paintings are all related to the American Civil War. The exhibition includes portraits of Abraham Lincoln and Jefferson Davis as well as a new portrait of John Wilkes Booth.

Over the past few years, Mr. Fried has generously donated oil portraits of Junius B. Booth Sr, Mary Ann Holmes Booth, Edwin Booth, and John Wilkes Booth to Harford County for display at Tudor Hall. Mr. Fried also donated a pen and ink sketch and a watercolor of Tudor Hall, which are also displayed at the Booth's historic home which was purchased by Harford County in 2006.

Spirits of Tudor Hall Invites You to Join Us in the Adventure and Romance at Tudor Hall

Ever since we first organized in 2008, Spirits of Tudor Hall has been in the business of taking something old (Tudor Hall) and creating something new (our tours and our growing sense of team spirit). Not only do we work hard but we have fun as we work together to explore and share the history of Tudor Hall and the Booth family.

There are no membership requirements or dues at the current time beyond providing active support in whatever way suits you best. However, we do encourage our volunteers to consider purchasing a membership in at least one of the organizations that support Spirits of Tudor Hall. Memberships are available in the Center for the Arts, the Historical Society of Harford County, and the Junius B. Booth Society. For more information about becoming a member of these organizations, please contact spirits-of-tudor-hall@msn.com.

If you enjoy “pitching in” and using your skills and knowledge to make things happen, Tudor Hall just might be the place for you. A few of the “jobs” currently available are described below. Take a look at the list. If you don't find anything that fits your skills and interests, feel free to write and contact us with your own job description.

If you wish to volunteer, please contact us with information about your skills, experience, and qualifications and explain how you can put them to work on behalf of Tudor Hall.

For more information, contact Dinah Faber at spirits-of-tudor-hall@msn.com. We look forward to hearing from you.

Storytellers

Spirits of Tudor Hall invites anyone with a talent for storytelling to audition to bring to life the story of Tudor Hall and those who have lived there while guiding visitors through the house.

Anyone interested in auditioning should contact Spirits of Tudor Hall for more information, including an application form and guidelines for submitting a brief resume and preparing for an audition.

Actors and Reenactors of Historic “Characters”

The primary goal of Spirits of Tudor Hall is to insure that visitors enjoy visiting Tudor Hall and learning more about the history of the house and the Booth family. A visit to Tudor Hall should not only be educational but entertaining as well.

With that in mind, Spirits of Tudor Hall invites anyone with acting or reenacting experience to audition for the role of any one of several historic figures associated with Tudor Hall for the purpose of welcoming visitors and taking them on a tour of the house while “in character.”

The roles available include any and all the members of the Booth family, Ella Harward Kyle Mahoney who lived at Tudor Hall for nearly 70 years, and any and all members of the Joseph and Ann Hall family (an African American family associated with Tudor Hall from the 1820s into the early 1900s).

Those who successfully complete the audition process will receive assistance in researching the historical character they have chosen to depict and creating a “conversational” script for that character. Once a character and script have been developed and proficiency in depicting the character has been demonstrated, assistance will be provided in choosing, designing, and funding an historically correct costume.

Anyone interested in auditioning should contact Spirits of Tudor Hall for more information, including an application form and guidelines for submitting a brief resume and preparing for an audition.

Speech and Drama Coaches

Our "performers" would benefit from the advice of an experienced speech and/or drama coach who enjoys working with those who are new to the "theatre." If that describes you, we would be delighted to include you in our team. Please contact us with details about your experience and qualifications.

Script and Story Writers

While some of our actors, reenactors, and storytellers may create their own scripts, others may ask for assistance in developing a script or storyline. Anyone with a talent for drafting storylines and writing dialogue is invited to contact Spirits of Tudor Hall for an application form and guidelines for presenting a brief resume and samples of their writing.

History Buffs to Provide Research Assistance

It is important that all information presented to visitors at Tudor Hall be as accurate and complete as possible. While some of our actors, reeenactors, storytellers, and speakers may prefer to do their own research and fact checking, others may appreciate assistance. Anyone with experience researching historic people, places, and events, is invited to contact Spirits of Tudor Hall for an application form and guidelines for presenting a brief resume and examples of successful research projects.

Oral Historians

There are many people in the community who have been associated with Tudor Hall over the years. It is important to collect and record the memories of these individuals. If you enjoy interviewing and photographing people and/or if you are skilled with a tape recorder or video camera and would like to help capture the oral history of Tudor Hall, please let us know.

Stage and Set Managers

There is always a certain amount of "set up" and "break down" required before and after the tours at Tudor Hall.  This ranges from raising the flag in the front yard to setting up chairs on the front porch to distributing materials for visitors to pick up throughout the house and then "undoing" it all when the tours are over. If you would like to help us "open" and "close" the house and help keep things working like a well oiled machine in between, this job just might be for you.

Gift Shop

In January, February, and March 2011, our gift shop committee will meet to develop and take action on ways to transform our gift shop in time for the first tours in April. Anyone with retail experience is invited to contact Spirits of Tudor Hall for more information about participating in the gift shop committee.

Tudor Hall Speakers Bureau

To meet requests from community organizations and schools, Spirits of Tudor Hall needs people with a talent for public speaking to tell the story of Tudor Hall at local meetings and events and in local classrooms.

Actors, reenactors, and storytellers with experience at Tudor Hall may be interested in participating in community outreach of this kind.

Experienced PowerPoint Designer/Developer

Of course, “a picture is worth a thousand words,” and a PowerPoint “slide show” would enhance any presentation about Tudor Hall in a classroom or meeting hall. Anyone with experience creating successful PowerPoint presentations is invited to contact Spirits of Tudor Hall about the possibility of developing a PowerPoint presentation for use by members of our Speakers Bureau.

Website Designer

While our blog continues to work well for us, we would like to explore moving on to a full-fledged website if we can find an experienced website designer to help ease the process. Spirits of Tudor Hall would be thrilled to welcome a trained and experienced website designer to our team of volunteers.

Online Publicity Hounds

Attracting visitors to our tours is one of the most important and satisfying tasks we face. It is also one of the most time consuming and challenging. Therefore, in 2011 we are creating a publicity committee to divide and conquer a number of publicity related "jobs."

We’re looking for a dedicated and reliable individuals who:

are familiar with one or more aspects of local media, including newspapers (the Aegis and its associated publication The Weekender are especially important), websites, radio, and/or television

have online computer skills

enjoy giving attention to details

thrive on seeing their hard work  rewarded by increased attendance at tours and events at Tudor Hall.

Old-Fashioned Publicity Hounds

Attracting visitors to our tours is one of the most important and satisfying tasks we face. It is also one of the most time consuming and challenging. Therefore, in 2011 we are creating a publicity committee to divide and conquer a number of publicity related "jobs." 

Even though we live in an electronic age, there is still a need to reach people the old-fashioned way through printed fliers, posters, and letters sent via snail mail.

We’re looking for people who:

can design attention grabbing printed materials, including fliers that advertise our tours

plan and execute an effective distribution plan for printed materials

occasionally print letters, stuff envelopes, and deliver these materials for mailing to the post office

Social Networking Fans

While Spirits of Tudor Hall has a successful and popular Facebook page in place, we would certainly welcome assistance in making it more effective, lively, and engaging.

Our fledgling Twitter page is in need of someone who enjoys and "gets" Twitter to help our Twitter page spread its wings and fly!

If you have experience creating and managing a successful online Facebook or Twitter page (especially for a business or organization), Spirits of Tudor Hall would certainly welcome your advice and assistance in improving and managing our Facebook and/or Twitter pages or setting up new pages on other popular social networking sites.

Photographers

Digital photographs of activities and the change of seasons at Tudor Hall are always needed for the Spirits of Tudor Hall blog and Facebook page. If you have a knack for taking high quality photos and would like to use your experience and talent to capture Tudor Hall in digital images, please email us samples of your work.

Party People

Last but certainly not least. Refreshments are served at many meetings or events sponsored by Spirits of Tudor Hall including some tours, and “foodies” who enjoy preparing and serving food and beverages are very welcome and much appreciated at Tudor Hall.

If you've come to the end of the list and still haven't found a job description that fits your interests and skills, then scroll down the page for the "post" with the title "Going Wild at Tudor Hall." There you'll find a list of volunteer activities for people who enjoy spending time outdoors.

More Volunteer Opportunities: Going Wild at Tudor Hall

Bird Watchers: We would be delighted to find volunteers with an interest in bird watching to visit the grounds at Tudor Hall on a regular basis throughout the year to identify and record the wild birds they observe and to create a brochure that will tell visitors what birds they might expect to see at Tudor Hall during the four seasons of the year. While some volunteers might be able to only devote a month or two to the project, others might be able to follow through for an entire year. Please let us know if you agree Tudor Hall is “for the birds.”

Wildflower Enthusiasts: Even though the grounds at Tudor Hall, including the spacious lawns, receive maintenance on a regular basis from the Harford County Department of Parks and Recreation, there are a number of wildflowers that grow and blossom from the spring through the fall at Tudor Hall. We would welcome volunteers to identify and record the numerous varieties of wildflowers at Tudor Hall with the eventual goal of creating a brochure that will tell visitors what wildflowers they might see at Tudor Hall during the spring, summer, and autumn months.

Wildlife Observers: Despite the development that has steadily closed in on Tudor Hall, there are still a number of wild animals who frequently visit the property or make it their home. Getting a glimpse of the deer, foxes, snakes, frogs, and other animals that live in the area and recording their presence and activities would require patience and luck on the part of a volunteer.

Entomologists: A wide variety of insects are active at Tudor Hall throughout the year but especially in the spring, summer, and fall. If you have an interest in insects and would like to prepare information to share with visitors about them, please let us know. However, remember that Junius Brutus Booth Sr. declared Tudor Hall a “no kill” zone even when it came to lowly flies.

Tree Huggers: Over the years, Tudor Hall has been known for the wide variety of large, mature trees that have graced the grounds since the house was built. In fact, while the foundation for Tudor Hall was being built, Junius Brutus Booth Sr. insisted that the black locust trees growing near the building site should not be cut down. Not only are we looking for volunteers to identify and inventory the various kinds of trees and shrubs growing at Tudor Hall today, but we would like like to find a volunteer to create a map showing the location of each of the trees. Our eventual goal is to create a brochure or booklet that will tell visitors which trees they will see when they visit Tudor Hall.

Return of the Big Woods: The neighborhood where Tudor Hall is located was once the home of the “Big Woods.” Carefully planned reforestation of some of the grounds at Tudor Hall would not only reduce the expense to Harford County of maintaining the grounds but would be good for the environment. Researching and writing a proposed reforestation plan for Tudor Hall would be a good science project for a high school student or Eagle Scout.

Wildlife and Nature Photographers: It goes without saying that good quality photos of the birds, wildflowers, trees, and seasons at Tudor Hall would be very useful in creating printed materials and slide or PowerPoint presentation

Mapmakers: Many visitors to Tudor Hall ask where the boundaries of the original Booth farm were located. If you have a knack for creating accurate maps and enjoy working with land records from an earlier time, we would certainly welcome your help in creating accurate maps of the Tudor Hall property as it has evolved through the years and as it exists today.

Archeology Students or Professionals: The grounds at Tudor Hall would be an exciting place to conduct archeological explorations. However, careful, thoughtful, and extensive planning is required. Such planning would take a great deal of research and coordination among a variety individuals and organizations all of which would be very time consuming. Volunteers with training and experience in the field of archeology who are willing to make a substantial commitment of time and energy would be most welcome in helping create a viable plan for eventual review and consideration by the Harford County Department of Parks and Recreation.

Contact spirits-of-tudor-hall@msn.com for more info on any and all volunteer opportunities.

Volunteer Harford Features Junius B. Booth Society and Mike Brown in the Aegis, December 29, 2010, Pg. A3

In September 2010, Volunteer Harford, a division of the Harford County Department of Community Services, chose the Junius B. Booth Society, Inc., as one of 33 local non-profit organizations to highlight in its Volunteer Harford Top 33 Picks program. The result is that the Mike Brown, vice-president of the Junius B. Booth Society and one of our most popular tour guides at Tudor Hall, was featured in a 1/4 page "ad" that appeared in the Aegis on Wednesday, December 29, 2010, on page A3. Congratulations to the Junius B. Booth Society and Mike Brown for being chosen for such an honor!

For a more readable version of the following copy of the ad, left click twice on the image below and then left click again to "magnify" the image even further. Click somewhere outside the borders of the ad to get rid of the blue highlights.

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