The Hinsdale Historical Society has announced plans to restore the Anna Marsh Music Room at the historical Col. Ebenezer Hinsdale House in Hinsdale.
The Col. Ebenezer Hinsdale House was built in 1759 by Col. Ebenezer Hinsdale. It is a classic, three-bedroom, 18th century homestead set on 37 acres of farmland and forestland with frontage on the Connecticut River.
The homestead was sold to Dr. Perley Marsh and his wife Anna Hunt Marsh in 1789 by Hinsdale's nephew Judge Daniel Jones.
Before her death in 1834, Anna Hunt Marsh founded the Brattleboro Retreat with a $10,000 bequest set forth in her will.
In 1801, the Marshes built a room perpendicular to the building's main structure that was known as the music room or ballroom. It has a separate entrance from the main part of the house, and includes hardwood floors, a granite fireplace, and concave ceiling designed for its acoustic value.
Known in architectural terms as an ell, the addition is thought to have been used as a space to entertain the Marshes' many guests and also to hold musical events.
Restoration of the music room will allow the Society to make the space available to the public for a variety of purposes including art shows, lectures, concerts, weddings, and corporate meetings. This will require extensive repairs to the plaster walls and ceiling, foundation work, electrical service, and a climate control system.
The Hinsdale Historical Society is embarking on this $20,000 project in cooperation with the Brattleboro Retreat. The Society has raised $10,000 to date and is looking for support to reach their final goal.