Maine Clambake Mysteries at the Governor’s Mansion

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by Barb, home in Maine where it looks a lot like Christmas

A few weeks ago, I received an email from Pam Johnson, a member of the Kennebec Valley Garden Club. The club decorates the Maine Governor’s Mansion, known as Blaine House, every holiday season. This year the decoration theme was Maine authors, and Pam had chosen my novella, “Nogged Off” from Eggnog Murder for her decorations. Could I send along a book?

Could I? Of course. And then, reader, I couldn’t resist. I signed Bill and me up for a tour. After all, how often do these things happen in your lifetime? I was so eager that I initially signed us up for a tour of the Governor’s Mansion in Augusta, Georgia instead of Augusta, Maine. Bill pointed out my mistake when the email confirmation arrived.

I don’t know what I expected. I had some vague notions about a lot of Stephen King, and maybe writer pals Paul Doiron and Julia Spencer-Fleming would be included? I could let them know and send photos. It would be fun.

When we got there, it wasn’t that at all. But it was wonderful.

I found myself included with some of the greatest and most famous American authors of all time. I was honored, flattered, and a little bit embarrassed. But not so embarrassed that I’m not going to tell you all about it.

Just these writers (among others)

Robert McCloskey
E. B. White
Edna St. Vincent Millay
Sarah Orne Jewett
Dahlov Ipcar
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

And me

Didn’t Pam capture the cover of Nogged Off beautifully? (see below)
Don’t I look delighted?

As an almost 50-year resident of New England, I was initially baffled by the Yankees paraphernalia. Until my own husband reminded me that the novella opens with my main character Julia traveling to New York City to clean out her apartment and say good-bye to her old life.

Two of the other women on the tour told me (while laughing) that they were in “the most powerful book group in Maine.” Naturally, I gave them bookmarks.

There were other fun connections, too.

I used Blaine House as the model of Windsholme on the map of Busman’s Harbor I had made a few years ago.

Blaine House

I added the porch and the third floor dormers to fit with descriptions of the house that had appeared in several of the books. I had the hardest time picking an image for the mapmaker to use for Windsholme. You can read all about that process here.

And then there’s this. Right next to the Nogged Off decorations.

The guide described it as James G. Blaine‘s desk when he served in the U.S. Senate, but I recognized it right away and confirmed my suspicion after consulting online auction sites and the book, Modern Gothic: The Inventive Furniture of Kimbel and Cabus, 1863-82. The desks and chairs were used in the U.S. House of Representatives, beginning in 1857. One hundred and thirty-one of the chairs, designed by Thomas Ustick Walter, architect of the Capitol Extension, 1851-1865, were hand-carved, assembled and finished by the firm of Bembe and Kimbel. Anton Kimbel, the cabinetmaker in the partnership, was my great-great grandfather!

How’s that for synchronicity? The desks and chairs were retired in 1873, when Blaine was Speaker of the House, so it makes sense that it was that set that he brought home.

Bill and I had a great time touring Blaine House at Christmas and I hope you’ve enjoyed coming along for the ride.

I bought a Blaine House Christmas ornament as a souvenir

Readers: Have you ever received an unexpected recognition? Or taken a tour filled with lovely concidences?

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Published by Barbara Ross

Barbara Ross is the author of twelve Maine Clambake Mystery novels and six novellas. Her books have been nominated for multiple Agatha Awards for Best Contemporary Novel and have won the Maine Literary Award for Crime Fiction. She lives in Portland, Maine. Readers can visit her website at www.maineclambakemysteries.com

33 Thoughts

  3. How fabulous, Barb! All of it.

    It wasn’t a tour, exactly, but when I was in graduate school wandering the halls of the venerable old Indiana University student union building, I kept coming across portraits of my Maxwell ancestors (my g-g-g grandfather was the founder)! Including in the Men’s Trophy Room, my grandfather as captain of the 1916 basketball team.

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  5. What an honor!! And I didn’t realize you used the Blaine House as your vision for Windsholme – how cool is that!

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  6. How grand was that! Always love to hear when not only do things go well, but pleasant surprises are revealed as well. Happy for you! It must have been exciting to have recognized the desk and it’s family connection to you.
    2clowns at arkansas dot net

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  9. I recently won New Hampshire’s READS Award of Excellence which is given to one Adult Services Librarian a year. I was absolutely shocked and thoroughly surprised. I had no idea that the Director of my library nominated me. It is such an honor. READS stands for Reference and Adult Services. It is a section of the New Hampshire Library Association.
    I was very happy to hear your reading at the Portsmouth Book & Bar!

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  15. How absolutely fabulous!!!! (Can I say I knew you back when????) Warmest congratulations to you. The family furniture connection is definitely icing on the cake.

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