Evening star., 1941-08-24

down narrow streets and pathways.
Marblehead has, in auu4.-~.. }
numerous lookouts known as
Widows or Captains Walks on top
of its old houses, located on rocky
sites above the sea, two towers
which dominate its picture; one,
of fine Colonial design, on the Con-
gregational Church, old North
Church." on Washington street, the
organization of which dates back
to 1895, and that built of red brick
in a pseudo-gothic style on Abbot
Hail. which had the misfortune to
be erected in 1877, when the art Of
architecture in this country was at
its lowest ebb. The best that can
be said of this building, which
houses the town officials and mu-
nicipal activities, as well as free
and much-freQuented library, is that
it is useful and that its clock not
only records the hours but rings
them out melodiously, as we'll as
sounding the time -honored curfeW
In the reading room in the Public
Library is the Well-knoWn painting,
The Spirit of '76" by Archibald
M. Willard of Cleveland, which was
shown in the Centennial Exposition,
Philadelphia, in 1876, and then was
purchased and given to his native
town by Gen. John DevereauX.
Several Smaller Copies.
This is a large canvas showing
three figures advancing over a hill
top, a middle-aged man playing a
fife, an old man and boy drum
ming. a wounded soldier at their
feet bravely raising himself to wave
his cap. An angry. clouded sky
makes the background 1t is a
spirited composition, full of vigor
and action, and we'll calculated to
arouse patriotism. Three or four
copies of this painting were made
by the artist. but on a much smaller
scale.
The walls of the transverse hall
ways on the first floor of Abbot
Hall have been partially decorated
by artists working under commits
sion of the Federal Government.
On one wall is pictorial map of
Marblehead, flanked by paintings of
a Clipper ship and OF a racing
yacht in full sail, all of which are
very appropriate and genuinely
decorative. They are the work of
T. S. Baker and are dated 1885.
Beyond these are three historical
paintings of life in Marblehead in
early days, done by a local artist,
Arthur Leslie Kelley, which have
decorative quality. but perhaps less
impressive strength. BY him also
are several single figures typifying
historical personages, the paintings
OF some of which seems not to
have been completed Also, there
Is rather good painting of a fish
ing vessel approached by dories
which occupies large panel, but
is unsigned and without Superscrip-
ton or frame. Furthermore. one
long wall has been laid off in three
panels. for painting, but the work
apparently has come to a stand
SOtlOlClOll WlIlCIl SNcl
town officials seem unable to ex-
plain. This does not reflect credit
upon the Federal Government. or.
for that matter, upon the town of
Marblehead.
A visit to Marblehead, and some
dipping into its history at this
particular time, could not fail to
strengthen belief in the principles
of democracy, as we'll as increase
national pride, for here it was that
men and women came from the
Old World to attain freedom and,
in later time, laid down their lives
for this cause. 1t was men of Mar
blehead who rowed Washington
across the Delaware when the bat
tie of Trenton was fought, men
who had followed him there in the
then shabby army of the Revolu-
tionistS. Citizens of Marblehead
appropriated f400 to establish a
college which became Harvard, in
Cambridge, and it was in this sea-
board town that the first public
school in New England was set up
with the purpose of free education
Tor the orphans of seamen. Out of
this port sailed many of the bravest