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This has been a busy spring and
summer.The annual gala fundraiser,
A
De-Lovely Night in Grosse Pointe,
was
sold out once again! Four hundred people
attended the event at the Simon home
and everyone enjoyed good music, food
and company. Although it did rain a little
later in the evening, it did not dampen
the spirits of guests.Thank you all for
your support and for helping make the
evening special and full of fun. Also,
thank you Simon family for making this
beautiful home available to the GPHS –
it is filled with so many fond memories
for the community. I would also like to
enthusiastically thank all of the sponsors
and donors who helped make this event
possible during these difficult times.
In an effort to make history fun and
accessible, Izzy Donnelly has been
working diligently on outreach to the
schools with Debbie Graffius. She has
organized a fun-filled summer camp,
Ribbon Farm Days 2009
, for children ages
6 through 9. We hope to expand these
offerings in the coming year. During year-
end field trips this past May and June,
several local elementary school teachers
suggested visiting the Provencal-Weir
House multiple times during the upcom-
ing school year.Their hope is to break
up the grade-appropriate, state approved
curriculum into smaller segments to al-
low them to focus on specific topics for
each visit to parallel their study plans. We
thought this was a great idea and we hope
to keep the One-Room School buzzing
with activities from September through
August. Please call GPHS with any
questions or to make reservations.
Lastly, I would like to share what is
happening in the GPHS gift shop,
located in the Provencal-Weir House.
Although the space is tiny, we have
been filling it with interesting new
merchandise ranging from specialty
foods, books, stationary, hand-crafted
items and artwork, as well as Victorian
style toys and games. Our plan is to
expand our hours and to make the shop
available on Wednesday and Saturday
afternoons, as well as by appointment.
With respect to the history of our
French ribbon farmhouse, we will be
selling old-fashioned French jams (apple/
pear/walnut, rhubarb and others), black
currant and herbes de Provence vinegars,
locally produced honeys, and rustic grain
mustards. I like to think these are the
types of items that Pierre and Euphemia
Provencal would have made and enjoyed
themselves while living in the house.
Please watch for the announcement of
our expanded hours and grand opening in
early September.
All Society members will receive an
e-blast with more information.
From the Director
Maureen
Devine
Executive
Director
2
The Grosse Pointe Historical Society is growing – as of
January, 2009 we have increased our membership from 763 to
800 active members.
We appreciate the many monetary and in-kind donations that
arrive at our door to assist in maintaining the Alfred B. and Ruth
S. Moran Resource Center, as well as the Provencal-Weir House.
Thank you to the recent donors to the 2008 Annual Appeal:
News from the Alfred B. and Ruth S. Moran Resource Center
Donations:
City of Grosse Pointe, dedicated to the GP City
Survey Project.
Alice Kales Hartwick Foundation
Mr. and Mrs. Alfred R. Glancy III
McGregor Fund
We have also received the following in-kind donations:
Mrs. Mary Bissa ................Full set of Heritage Magazines
Mr. Lawrence Garska.........Picture of the 1940 Police
Department of the Village
of Grosse Pointe Park and
the commemorative
plaque presented to
Mr. Garska
Mrs. Susan Hartz...............Book “Picturesque Detroit”
Ms. Ursula Kroppa.............Burton Abstract and tax bills
dating back to 1930 to 1940
Copy of testament of
Mr. Gottfried Stoeber
Ms. Kay Agney
Mr. and Mrs. Denis Bouchard
Mr. and Mrs. J. Michael Getz
Mr. and Mrs. Jonathan Hartz
Mr. and Mrs. Michael J. Kurap
Mr. and Mrs. Robert H. Lees
Mr. and Mrs. Jerome Rock
Mr. and Mrs.Thomas Shafer
Mr. Robert G. Tighe