Medford Historical Society Papers, Volume 3.

[p. 125] owners of the house. A special act of the General Court was necessary before the plate could be accepted by the church in Medford. There were interesting letters from Revolutionary soldiers in camp and in prison, the diary of Deacon Benjamin Willis, a prominent Medford citizen before the Revolution, and a few old love letters, among them one written by Parson Turell. Autograph letters of Samuel Sewall, Thomas Jefferson, Governor Brooks, Dr. Osgood, and other papers of especial interest to students of Medford history, over one hundred in all, made a valuable collection.

From far and near visitors came to see the historic edifice, and one and all were charmed with the artistic arrangement of the house and marvelled that such an effect could be produced in such limited time. There were nearly two thousand articles exhibited, but six days sufficed to put everything in place, and three days after the exhibition closed everything had been safely taken from the house. March 6, 1899, the chapter voted to hold the exhibition, and Mrs. C. H. Loomis, the regent, was made chairman of the committee of arrangements. She divided the chapter, of fifty members, into five sub-committees for special work, and the members were a committee of the whole to solicit loans. The people of Medford responded generously. To the regent the highest praise is due for unremitting effort and close personal attention to detail from the inception of the affair until every loan had been returned to its owner. On Saturdays the doors were open at nine o'clock in the morning for the benefit of school children, and some of the pleasantest remembrances of the exhibition are tours through the house with these bright-eyed, eager little people. The exhibition closed April 29. It was with feelings of real regret that the ‘Daughters’ turned away from the ancient door-stone, but hope is cherished in their hearts that some day the mansion can be refurnished permanently, and remain a monument to the days of old.