The North Star House continues to be closed due to safety precautions and government regulations during the pandemic. Even though we cannot open to the public right now, we are continuing with house restoration and planning for the future.

• The construction volunteers are utilizing the house closing to spread out into all of the first floor rooms with restoration and finish work … using masks and social distancing.
• The garden crew is maintaining the Heritage Garden, which is growing and filling in nicely. It will look gorgeous when we are on the Soroptimist Garden Tour May 22-23, 2021.
• We are revamping the Open House and Docent program, plus adding a new Landscape Tour that will be available in 2021.
• We have interesting speakers lined up for a 2021 Speaker Series.
• We plan to launch Friday Nite Locals concerts in the summer, featuring established local artists and introducing new talent.
• And we have learned to have Board meetings via Zoom!

We look forward to welcoming you back to the House when we are able to host the public again.

The STAR Newsletter is published Quarterly by North Star Historic Conservancy. The Autumn 2020 issue was published in September, 2020. If you are not a member and have not received a copy, you can access it online at:

https://thenorthstarhouse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/Newsletter-2020-09.pdf

In this issue:

• Article: “Great Houses Made for Great Friends”, by local author and historian Gage McKinney. This article talks about the friendships and interactions between the Hague & Foote families of the North Star Mine and the Bourne & Starr families of the Empire mine. It is an interesting look into the personalities and interactions of these major mining families.
• President’s Message
• Article: “Decorating an Historic Home”, by Laurie Harrison-Dayton. Decorative items and style are being carefully selected to reflect the taste of Arthur D. and Mary Hallock Foote, and to represent the early period in which the house was occupied: 1905-1920.
• Construction Update, by Joan Clappier. A several-page spread with pictures and description gives you an overview of the construction work in progress.

North Star House Docents tell our story to the visiting public. We are the voice of the Foote Family, Julia Morgan and the North Star Historic Conservancy.

The North Star House docents are trained volunteers who act as a knowledgeable visitors’ guide to further the public understanding of the North Star Historic Conservancy, the Julia Morgan designed North Star House and the surrounding property.

Docents greet visitors and provide an informal tour of the house answering questions about the house, the Foote family and the North Star Historic Conservancy. They serve a 3 hour Saturday morning shift once a month from April through October. Docents also have the opportunity to volunteer for NSHC events and specially arranged tours of the house. We are a friendly group who have several social events during the year.

Please contact us if you would like to find out more about this volunteer opportunity.

If you love history and architecture, this is a job for you.