The Maine Antiques Dealers Association has awarded a $1,000 grant to Historic New England to launch a new history lecture series in Maine.

"Lectures on the Lawn" will feature top scholars, authors and conservators in a series of informative and entertaining talks about a variety of subjects relating to nineteenth century New England life.

Each lecture will be followed by refreshments on the lawn at Castle Tucker in Wiscasset (or in the barn at Nickels Sortwell House in case of rain). Admission to the lectures is free for members of Historic New England and $5 for non-members.

"We are extremely pleased and thank the Maine Antiques Dealers Association for this show of support. "Lectures on the Lawn" is part of our ongoing commitment to offer educational and entertaining history programming to our communities", said Peggy Konitzky, Wiscasset Site Manager for Historic New England.

"The Maine Antiques Dealers Association is the nation's oldest organization devoted to antiques", according to its President, Bev Reynolds. "Our goal is to endow programs such as this with the hope and belief that we are all working toward the preservation of our precious past."

The first lecture will be held on Sunday, June 29 at 3 p.m. Dr. Jennifer Pustz, Historian at Historic New England, will share her exciting research and perspective on the topic 'Voices Back Stairs', the stories of the unnamed servants who helped women like Mollie Tucker run Castle Tucker and other large mansions in the late nineteenth century. Often missing from the narrative of historic house museums, these working people played pivotal roles in running and maintaining these houses, and in enabling the lifestyles of both home owners and their guests.

On Sunday, July 20 at 3 p.m., the program will feature Jack Larkin, Chief Historian and Scholar at Old Sturbridge Village, professor of History at Clark University, and author of "Where We Lived: Rediscovering the Places We Once Called Home and The Reshaping of Daily Life in America, 1790-1840."

In his uniquely entertaining style, Professor Larkin will talk about the changes in New England homes and the lives lived within them, from the eighteenth through the nineteenth centuries.

The third lecture, to be scheduled for some time in September, will feature John Childs, Chief Conservator at Historic New England. Through his popular " Furniture Forensics, " John will instruct the audience in methods of dating "Granny's rocker" and other antique furniture.

Historic New England operates two historic house museums in Wiscasset. Castle Tucker, built in 1807, affords a view into the life of a Victorian family in the seaport of Wiscasset from the nineteenth through the early twentieth centuries. Inhabited by members of the Tucker family from 1858 until after the turn of the 21 st century, Castle Tucker offers the visitor the opportunity to experience the world through the perspective of the Tucker family as seen through their stories and their belongings in this large, imposing Regency style home. Castle Tucker is open five days a week, Wednesday - Sunday, June 1 through October 15, with the first tour of the day beginning at 11 a.m. and the last tour at 4 p.m.

The

Nickels Sortwell House , located on Route One, is a beautiful example of a grand Federal mansion built by a sea captain at the peak of Wiscasset's prosperity as a prime New England seaport. This museum is open three days a week, Friday - Sunday, also from June until October 12, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Both Castle Tucker and the Nickels-Sortwell House are available for group or special tours. Call 207-882-7169 to make arrangements.

The Maine Antiques Dealers Association produces two Maine shows a year. Our Annual Coastal Show in Damariscotta on August 27 and a 1 st Annual show with the Botanical Gardens in Boothbay Harbor on July 17. "The majority of MADA members are from Maine, but about 25% are from as far away as Florida, Tennessee and Illinois." says Bev Reynolds.

Historic New England is the oldest, largest and most comprehensive regional preservation organization in the country. It offers a unique opportunity for the visitor to experience the lives and stories of New Englanders through their homes and their possessions.

For more information, visit online at www.HistoricNewEngland.org.