For decades, the 1810 House has been offering a glimpse of the past through a historical collection of antiquities, local lore, and more at the former Kinney estate at 1926 Waller Street. They’ve been making many improvements in recent years and the group just closed the chapter on a new landscaping project and organizers are pleased with the outcome.

Funded by the Portsmouth Area Ladies (PALS), 1810 House volunteer Lindsey Kegley, is happy to have the project accomplished thanks to their support.

“We had a very large garden along the inside of the fence and it was just getting to become too much for us to maintain,” Kegley said. “For years, we talked about taking it out and putting in grass, which we finally did.”

The group received their PALS funding and then hired Paco Rodrigues and his crew to transplant the array of plants to another section of the property, so they didn’t lose any of the historic plants, and then leveled out the garden before sowing grass seed.

“We didn’t lose anything, but we separated and moved around what we did have. We had some old-fashioned Iris, as well as a big hosta. We just spread it around so it is easier to maintain and keep up with,” Kegley said. “It is still historical; it is not a modern garden, but perennials that would have been around in the 1800’s. We’re just pleased it is not so overwhelming anymore.”

The museum lies within the former Aaron Kinney homestead, who was a major developing force behind Portsmouth’s founding.

According to the 1810 House website, “The twelve Kinney children all grew to adulthood and became outstanding citizens and leaders in the Portsmouth Community. They were active in local government, banking, river transportation and business. The Kinneys were prominent in establishing All Saints Episcopal Church.

“The Aaron and Mary homestead (now the 1810 House and Museum) is a major focal point of historic preservation. Three generations of the Kinney family occupied the house: Aaron and Mary, their son Henry, and Henry’s daughter Isabel, who resided there until her death in 1946 at the age of 88.

“The Kinney legacy still exists today. There are six Kinney Homes remaining in Portsmouth: The 1810 House on Waller; Eli’s home on Court St. (the former Elk’s Club); the Peter Kinney Home on Front Street; Margaret Kinney Hall home on Second Street; Nancy Kinney Walker house is South Shore, Kentucky: and lastly, another home built by Peter Kinney after his return from a trip abroad in 1867. This home was located on Mt. Tabor above Kinney’s Lane across from Greenlawn Cemetery. All homes, with the exception of the 1810 house, are now privately owned.

“The 1810 House, the original Kinney homestead, is an outstanding example of pioneer history in Portsmouth and is one of only a few such examples now remaining.”

The collection of the 1810 House doesn’t go past the 1946 date in which a Kinney family member resided, but primarily focuses on pioneer times.

The group is always on the lookout for volunteers and donors to keep the mission alive.

Volunteers can assist in opening the museum to the public and organizing the maintenance of the property. Donations go directly to operations and improvements, with zero staffing or administrative expenses tied to the mission.

“Everything we get from memberships goes to keeping the lights on and bills paid, lawn maintenance, and everything we need to stay open,” Kegley said. “When it comes to these additional care items, we have to find generous supporters or grant dollars. Sometimes, it can be tough.”

The group has also recently solidified their showcases for the season, which will include summer wear in July and August; September will be focused on school days, where they will be pulling out old school books and texts; October will highlight military and veteran items, which have been donated by locals that cover the Civil War, WWI and WWII; and the 1810 House is playing with a secret surprise in October; and then wrap up the season with the winter holidays and traditional decorations for them.

Anyone interested in a membership or in supporting their ongoing work, can donate to the 1810 House by mailing a check to p.o. box 1810.

“We want to save the history for our community,” Kegley said. “Everything gets torn down and we’re just trying to keep this thing up. There is so much local history and if we don’t teach it to our community and children then, well, I just don’t know. It gives you a sense of place and importance and it is worth keeping alive. We can’t forget where we came from.”

The season opened on June 4 and will operate on Sundays each weekend through December 10, between 1 to 3 p.m. The 1810 House also opens by special request for groups, if a volunteer is available.

Kegley said a lot of being planned for the season, including work at the Kinney Family Cemetery, historical features, and more. A Christmas Open House will be held December 3.

Reach Joseph Pratt at (740) 353-3101, by email at [email protected], © 2022 Portsmouth Daily Times, all rights reserved