Marrett House circa 1789

The Marrett House has opened for the summer season. This is a yearly event that brings out-of-town people as well as locals to visit the historic house that sits at Standish Corner.

The Marrett Family gifted their home to Historic New England in 1944 and since then it is opened annually for the public to view. Last weekend they held their annual plant sale and this year plants were dug from the holding gardens by Master Gardeners and volunteers from Wildridge Garden Club. The tour guides were Charles Ruby who is also the caretaker, and Elaine Bradbury from Grandiflora Garden Club. Tours were given through the house, and visitors were free to visit the garden and barn.

If you have not visited the Marrett House for a tour, it is something that you might want to consider doing this summer. The tours are given on the first and third Saturday of the month, beginning at 11 a.m. and running to 4 p.m., through October. Admission is free for Standish residents and $5 for non-residents. Many visitors came to tour the house on opening day, and to walk through the garden.

Plants were dug on a “while you wait basis” and it just happened that the morning was warm and sunny and visitors were able to enjoy the nice weather. Many lilies and iris were dug as well as other perennials and the prices were good for large field grown clumps of your favorite plant. This is always a good event and no one was disappointed. There were many varieties of plants and sufficient people to dig the plants so that visitors were able to go away with nice purchases.

The Marrett Family resided in the house for 148 years and the furniture style in the residence is reflective of the many people who resided in the home over the years. There have been many changes in the course of the home’s history with a large restoration taking place in 1850. At that time, there was indoor plumbing added as well as the formal garden.

Visitors are asked to put on the blue booties that are typical for use in historic homes to protect the floors and the carpets. Visitors are free to roam around the room on the one-hour tour as the guides tell different stories about the home and the inhabitants.

When Standish needed a minister, Daniel Marrett was chosen and he moved her from Lexington, Mass. He and his wife, Mary, moved here and they had six children. After her death, he married Dorcas Hastings and together they produced another eight children. All but two of the children lived to adulthood. Their children were doctors and lawyers and one by one they all left home to pursue lives of their own. When Daniel died, his son Avery came and took over the business and house. Avery married Elizabeth Weston. It was their daughte, Frances, who left the family home to Historic New England.

Frances taught at Perkin’s School for the Blind and she befriended Helen Keller. There are numerous handwritten letters from Keller in the house archives.

If you love old homes, this is a must see. It is a wonderful house and the gardens are still beautifully maintained. It is wise to not just go to the garden once in the season. The June garden is different from the July garden and they are both different from the August garden. If you live locally, stop by and see the garden several times during the season when you see the “garden open” sign because it will look different to you each time you stop by.

Standish man receives award

Robert G. Fuller, of Standish, was recognized May 16 with an Employee of the Year award in the category of Electronic Work Enhancement and Telecommunications, given by the Federal Executive Board of New York City.

The award, given during Public Service Recognition Week, was presented at a ceremony held at the Ellis Island National Monument. Fuller received one of about 40 awards given for meritorious service to individuals and teams, federal employees of the New York City metropolitan area.

Fuller developed a software application for the Veterans Administration Hudson Valley Health Care System that is designed to enhance the reporting of patient incidents occuring in VA health care facilities. Such incidents would include patient falls, injuries, medication errors, missing patients, and other unsafe incidents including “near-misses.” Incidents can now be easily reported by use of a computer by any employee, as all have been trained to use the system. The Incident Reporting System resulted in a 24 percent increase in reporting shortly after implementation. The use of this application makes possible swift, efficient reporting that results in prompt review and improved patient safety for the veterans.

The awards ceremony was held outdoors next to the Great Hall immigration station, a site with grand views of the Statue of Liberty and southern Manhattan. The luncheon ceremony began with a Color Guard, Pledge of Allegiance and singing of the National Anthem before brief acknowledgments by the Honorable Graciela Dixon, Chief Justice of Supreme Court, Republic of Panama, and Vice Consul General of Panama, Cynthia Brown Franklin. The keynote speaker was Mary Jo White, former U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, who handed out the awards.

Fuller’s wife, Jean, attended the ceremony. Together they also visited the Statue of Liberty and toured the Ellis Island Immigration Museum.