The STAR Newsletter is published Quarterly by North Star Historic Conservancy. The Winter 2020-21 issue was published in December, 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/2020/12/Newsletter-2020-12.pdf
In this issue:
- Article: “Julia Morgan: Attention to Detail”, by Joan Clappier. Julia Morgan is well-known as a remarkable architect who designed over 700 buildings in a wide range of styles. Many people do not realize that interests in design skills extended to interior and exterior ornamentation and accent pieces. She provided detailed designs for skilled artisans to create work in metal, plaster, tile, wood, and many other media
- President’s Message
- Carole Miller Retires: A tribute to a long-time, tireless volunteer who has contributed a great deal to the North Star Historic Conservancy, including researching and documenting both the flora of the grounds and the history of the house, mine, and key people.
- Introducing Zach Walsh: Welcome to our new Property Manager.
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.
To Our Friends of The North Star House
The North Star family and our community are currently sharing a rough patch of history with the coronavirus slowing down our active lives. The 115 year old North Star House has survived many tragedies from World Wars, to economic recessions, to pandemics. Please be assured that NSHC will continue to preserve The House as a beacon of hope for better times. Although the facilities are closed for the time being due to the governor’s orders, we are not neglecting our responsibilities to our treasured house.
While we look forward to resuming event activities at The House, the NSHC Board and Volunteers continue working from our homes … planning our Speaker presentations, enhancing our website, and putting out the March 2020 Newsletter. When government regulations and general health concerns permit, we will launch a new Open House program, with the North Star House staffed by history docents on Wednesday and Sunday afternoons, alternating weeks, during the summer. We are also putting the finishing touches on our new Private Group Tour program. Look for information about that soon on our website.
The Heritage Garden crew is maintaining the garden and has it spruced up for Spring. We are disappointed that the Soroptimist Garden Tour had to be cancelled for 2020, but we will be on their tour May 22-23, 2021. Construction work has slowed but not stopped. (Did you know that some of our woodworking magic is done in the home workshops of volunteers, who bring their beautiful finished work back to The House for installation?)
The first presentation of our 2020 North Star Speaker Series — Chris Enss talking about Woman Suffrage — was very entertaining and informative. We have three more talks scheduled this year. If necessary, one or more of them will be rescheduled to later in the year.
- May 3 August 23: “North Star Mine Powerhouse: A Legacy of Arthur De Wint Foote”, presented by Jeffrey Boylan and Gary Smith of the North Star Mining Museum.
- July 12: “Nisenan Homelands: Then and Now”, by Shelly Covert, spokesperson for the Nevada City Rancheria Nisenan Tribe.
- October 4: “James Hague: The Man Behind the North Star”, by local author and historian Gage McKinney.
We wish you all the best, and hope that you and your loved ones are safe and healthy. You can still make reservations for future events by calling the office. Keep in touch by visiting the website or Facebook. We look forward to reopening the North Star House and welcoming you back.
Board of Directors
North Star Historic Conservancy
