Miscellany Mondays: Now, Back to (Andover At) Work
3rd and 5th grade students in Andover, Mass., have been getting back to "Andover at Work" for over 40 years. Some early students have come back as 3rd grade teachers with classes of their own!
My second history buzz post takes me down memory lane because I am one of many Andover students who went to Andover at Work in the 1820s. In my case, I was a fifth grade student in nineteen-ninety something.
“A at W” started in 1980 and, by 1990, served almost five thousand fifth graders. Over the years, the A at W program has seen students in other grades, too. Recent attendees are fourth graders who missed out, no thanks to covid19. A at W hosts about 500 Andover school students every year.
Each student receives a profile of an actual, historical Andover resident, tours the Blanchard house, and visits five stations that depict common professions in nineteenth century Andover. Students also get in costume. In 2022, they have a choice of an apron or a pocket worn over one's shoulder. The pocket resembles a pocket book and was utilized by women in the 1820s.
One A at W volunteer, Sue O'Neill, recounted in a newsletter article that her son did not like his role as Timothy Flagg because his teacher was Mrs. Flagg and he did not want to be married to HER.
A at W students get really invested in the program. The mother of the reluctant Timothy Flagg recorded that she would need to consult with more knowledgeable colleagues to answer some of the questions asked by students. And, in a brief wait for the bus back to school, one student taught himself to operate a nineteenth century table saw.
In 1993, high-school-aged Matt Reghitto recounted his experiences of A at W. He and his friends looked forward to any field trip they could get. Matt was overwhelmed to be assuming the role of Moody Bridges, harness maker. His whole class was hoping that their characters were important members of the community. Matt was excited to learn that, yes, Moody was an important person. Matt wrote: "The community can not grow and prosper without the dedication and commitment of each and every individual."
Kids will still be kids though. A staff member at the History Center told me that a third grade class got wide-eyed over the assumed location of the outhouse.
A at W taught fifth-grade me that federal reserve notes did not exist 200 years ago. Each bank printed its own money. One dollar from the Andover Bank may have been worth less than $1.00 in New York, or even in a neighboring town. Having dollars and cents was aggravating! So it made perfect sense to me that a guy living in Andover in the 1820s would barter with the shopkeeper for items that he might need.
I had the privilege to re-experience A at W on a rainy Thursday morning with some South School fourth graders. Mr. Redmond, who was almost my sixth grade teacher, was our guide. We started at the print shop. The students got to use a nineteenth century printing press and learned about Timothy Flagg and Abraham Gould. Flagg and Gould were printers in Andover.
I remembered why capital letters are called upper case letters. Since they are least used, printers would place them in the upper case in their work space. Lower case letters are far more common, so they are stored in a case that is closer to the printer.
Next we took a tour of the Blanchard House, and my class got a big kick out of the rules for entering the formal parlor. Children their age would need to catch the attention of an adult in the room, bow or curtsy, and ask for permission to enter. As many grown-ups have noticed, the kids were very observant. Grandmothers be aware, the décor in the 200 year old Blanchard House resembles your house. The kitchen is always popular, too. Nobody passes up the chance to use a mortar and pestle. Mr. Redmond gave a comical speech about the housewife in the 1820s who had nothing to do. The housewife is caring for a baby, churning butter, mending clothes, and cooking dinner over a fire. In essence, multi-tasking. But the housewife still had nothing to do.
The students tried a bucket brigade before learning about the innovation of the Hunnemann Tub, a piece of fire fighting equipment that was still powered by men. Our tour ended with brief lessons on milking cows and keeping chickens, and a short visit to the general store.
Without a knowledgeable, dedicated, and (seemingly) tireless group of volunteers, A at W would not be the success that it is. Many volunteers have a background in teaching, but there have also been stay-at-home parents and under-employed librarians. I don’t remember the late Doug Mitchell’s exact words, but he found himself as an A at W volunteer after a career in banking and finance. He didn’t intend to be involved but he enjoyed the experience nonetheless.
Many mentions of A at W in the newspapers and on Andover Patch include a call for volunteers. So, if you live in the area and you’d like to help out, please contact the History Center at 978-475-2236 or email info@andoverhistoryandculture.org.
I don't remember much else about my childhood A at W experience, to be honest. I have, however, been through the house and barn quite a few times since then. The things I learned as a fifth grader are mixed in with many other positive experiences at 97 Main Street. And isn't that the objective, to spark curiosity and get students thinking about the history of the place in which they live?
Thanks for reading!
Doug
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AAW stresses that it is so important so that young people learn the past to help them learn of the future. It is perspective.
I learned today about UPPER case and lower case letters...makes sense.