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News and Updates from Sanborn Mills Farm
Lisa Curry Mair Featured on This Old House
We are proud to share the news that SMF instructor Lisa Curry Mair’s latest project, a sweeping mural for a stately Victorian home in Westford, Massachusetts, will be featured in the PBS television series This Old House. The episode featuring Lisa and her mural is scheduled to air beginning May 22nd.
Host Kevin O’Connor and the crew visited Lisa to film her in action and to capture her reflections on her work and her Westford upbringing. This mural isn’t just a decorative piece—it’s a vivid, heartfelt homage to Lisa’s childhood roots. The home that will house the mural sits directly across the street from where Lisa grew up. In a touching personal detail, she’s painted herself into the mural, seated on the lawn of her former home with her beloved pony, Bluebell, faithfully by her side.
The mural captures the spirit and story of Westford with rich, historical detail. A dynamic foxhunt scene, carefully rendered depictions of historic Westford buildings, and loving portraits of the homeowner’s favorite dogs and horses weave a tapestry of memory, tradition, and beauty that will soon wrap around the dining room of the Victorian residence.
Each panel of the mural is being carefully crafted before it is cut and installed on the home’s walls, allowing a unique opportunity to see the mural as a whole before it becomes a permanent part of the space. The process, Lisa says, is a labor of love—one driven by her deep personal connection to the place and the people of Westford.
Interested in learning more about painting historic landscapes? Register now online for Lisa’s workshop happening June 4-5. Only one spot remains, so act fast!
Young Preservation Enthusiasts Visit SMF
This past Friday, May 2nd, SMF welcomed eight high school students from New England as part of the New Hampshire Preservation Alliance’s (NHPA) “Career Exploration in the Old Building Trades” program. The day-long visit gave students a hands-on introduction to the rich world of traditional trades and historic preservation in a dynamic, working farm setting.
This unique NHPA initiative is designed to expose students to historic crafts and trades, such as blacksmithing, timber framing, and historic masonry, and to encourage them to consider these essential skills as viable and rewarding career paths.
While at Sanborn Mills Farm, the students embarked on an immersive experience across the property, beginning with a tour of the farm’s historic buildings and a sawmill demonstration led by experts Steve Fifield and Brian Clough. They were able to witness traditional woodworking techniques and the inner workings of the farm’s water-powered sawmill—an example of living history in action.
One of the most exciting parts of the day was the blacksmithing demonstration led by Garry Kalajian. Students not only observed the time-honored trade but also had the opportunity to try their hand at forging, gaining firsthand insight into the skill and precision it takes to shape metal.
In the Barden Barn, Samantha Locke, a teamster at SMF, conducted a horseshoeing demonstration, offering students a rare look at the connection between draft horses and the farrier’s trade, skills vital to historic farming.
Later in the day, the students took a tour of the Grange building and the belfry, guided once again by Steve Fifield. These spaces provided further context into the architecture and preservation efforts that help maintain the cultural heritage of rural New England.
The visit to Sanborn Mills Farm exemplifies how programs like NHPA’s “Career Exploration in the Old Building Trades” can spark interest in young people and highlight fulfilling opportunities in trades that are both historic and highly relevant today. For these students, the experience planted seeds not only of curiosity but perhaps of future craftsmanship.
Woodworking for Women & Rice Paste Resist
Perfect for beginners, this hands-on workshop introduces the fundamentals of woodworking as you craft your own custom charcuterie board using both power and hand tools in a creative and supportive environment.
Explore the art of katazome in this all-levels workshop, where you’ll create stunning indigo-dyed patterns on fabric using hand-cut stencils, rice paste, and traditional Japanese techniques adapted for the modern studio.
Sanborn Mills Farm | www.sanbornmills.org
Sanborn Mills Farm | 7097 Sanborn Road | Loudon, NH 03307 US