The Hearthside
In 1810, Stephen Hopkins
Smith set his heart on marrying the daughter of a prominent
Providence family. She told him she had her heart set on
"marrying well" and expected to live in the grandest
house around.
When Smith won $50,000 in the
Louisiana lottery, hoping the young woman would reconsider, he
kept his windfall a secret and began building a dream home. He
bought land on Great Road near the Mohassuck River where he
proceeded with care and imagination building a magnificent
Federal-style home.
One Sunday afternoon, as the
story has it, Smith took his buggy to Providence and invited
the young woman to take a drive with him. They set out at a
leisurely pace, eventually turning onto Great Road. As they
crossed the bridge over the Mohassuck, Hearthside came into
view. "Oh, what a beautiful house!" the young woman
exclaimed -- and Smith's hopes soared. Then she added,
"But, I could never live so far out in the
wilderness!"
Silently, Smith turned the
buggy around and headed back to Providence. He never courted
again. But, neither did he become a recluse. He settled his
two unmarried sisters in the west side of the house, and his
brother, Joseph, and his young family on the east side. He
soon tired of the commotion of family life and moved into a
house directly across the street.
Smith built the Butterfly Mill,
was a major designer of the Blackstone Canal, and created a
more enduring legacy through his love of nature and his hobby,
botany. On a large tract of his land, he planted exotic
shrubs, trees, and built waterfalls and bridges on land all
Rhode Islanders today know as Lincoln Woods.
For 40 years, Hearthside has
been home to Andrew and Penelope Mowbray. The couple has a
happier version of Smith's story. One day, says Andrew, he
made the mistake of driving Penelope past Hearthside.
"Oh," she said, "What a beautiful house! And
look, it's even for sale!"
The above story has been
reproduced by permission from the Town Of Lincoln. All rights
are reserved.
©2000 Town Of Lincoln, Rhode Island
All Photographs on this page are owned by the Lincoln Public
Library. They may not be reproduced without permission. All
rights are reserved.
©2000 Lincoln Public Library
The Hearthside was
purchased by the Town Of Lincoln in January of 1996 so that the historical home
may be preserved and enjoyed by future Lincoln residents. Each
holiday season, the Hearthside is open to the public during
specified times. Visitors may tour the beautiful house, and
see each room lovingly decorated for the Christmas season.
Rooms are decorated by local volunteers and community groups.
The Lincoln Public Library has adopted a room in Hearthside
for the past couple of years, and we look forward to
"decking the halls" each Christmas season. We
consider it a wonderful opportunity for community involvement.
We hope to see you at the Hearthside!
To see pictures that taken
during the past year's festivities, please click here.
Click here
if you would like to see pictures from the first annual
Ladies' Tea.
In June, 2001, the Friends of
the Hearthside held an ice cream social. Below is a sampling of
pictures taken during the event.
|
This is
a doll-house size replication of the Hearthside.
...... |
|
As you can see, it was a beautiful day for an ice
cream social. |
|
...
..."I
love you truly..." This
foursome provided melodious entertainment to all who
attended the event. |
|
Mmmmm...Homemade
ice cream.
... |
|
 The
director of Lincoln Public Library always
had a ready audience to listen to her stories. |
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Lincoln, RI