OTISFIELD — The Otisfield Historical Society will present a program on the stencils of Moses Eaton at 7 p.m. April 26 at the Town Hall.
Polly Bartow, who has a master’s degree in decorative arts, will show the work of Eaton and demonstrate some of her stenciling techniques as well.
Participants will be able to view photographs of what is believed to be Eaton’s work from the early 1800s that is on the wall of the old Holden homestead on Oak Hill Road in Otisfield. The house was built in 1812 by Roland Holden, who came to Otisfield from Stoneham, Mass., in 1797, according to information from the historical society.
Although Bartow said there appears to be no signature on the Holden farmstead stencils, society member Jean Hankins said the identification of the artist is based on a statement by Randall H. Bennett in his book, “Oxford County, Maine: A Guide to Its Historic Architecture.”
In the book the authors writes, “This well-preserved farmstead (Holden’s) is particularly notable for its authentic early nineteenth century exterior qualities and for its interior wall stenciling attributed to Moses Eaton, an itinerant New Hampshire stenciler who probably executed them in the late 1820s or early 1830s.”
Bartow said that stylistically the motifs in the Holden farmstead stencils are the same recurring motif that Eaton used in his work. It’s believed the stencils have been uncovered on the wall for at least 25 years, she said. At some time before that they probably were covered with wallpaper, which was typical at the end of the 19th century, Bartow said.
Hankins said wall stenciling became an art form in New England in the first half of the 18th century as an affordable alternative to expensive imported wallpaper. “Patterned stencils filled a felt need by many for artistic decoration in their homes,” she wrote in a statement about the program.
Eaton, one of the best known of New England’s stencilers, moved from Massachusetts to Hancock, N.H., in 1792. He and his son, Moses Jr., were only two of many such craftsmen who worked in New Hampshire and Maine.
Comments are no longer available on this story