New caretakers at Hartshorne House

Published in the July 2, 2018 edition

By GAIL LOWE

WAKEFIELD — When former Hartshorne House caretakers Jennifer and Richard Metropolis invited Allen and Emily Drinkwater to a gathering at the House about six years ago, the couple fell in love with Wakefield’s oldest home.

Now, several years later, the Drinkwaters have taken over the caretaking duties of Tyler and Ariel Gaudet, the most recent caretakers. The Gaudets moved into their new home in North Reading at the end of May with their twins Emerson and Sawyer.

Allen Drinkwater said that it is one thing for a historic building to be preserved structurally but quite another when the building is still open for use by the public.

“This fact was astounding to us,” he said. “As such, we consider it an honor to help maintain and promote the House as a bit of living history as opposed to some sort of sterile museum piece that is only viewed from a distance.”

Allen and Emily Drinkwater both grew up in Melrose and met for the first time in middle school. At the end of high school they began dating. After graduating from Melrose High School in 2005, Emily attended Northeastern University and Allen attended Emmanuel College.

Following graduation from Northeastern, Emily went on to the accelerated nursing program at the Massachusetts General Hospital Institute of Health Professions and became a registered nurse. Meanwhile, Allen’s graduate school experience earned him a master of arts degree in literature from the University of Massachusetts-Boston. He is now an English teacher and just finished his ninth year at Wakefield Memorial High School.

Allen first heard that the Hartshorne House would be vacant on June 1 when he met with Metropolis, principal of Wakefield Memorial High School. The two know each other well, and Metropolis asked if Allen and Emily would be interested in serving as the House’s caretakers once the Gaudets moved into their new home.

“Rich was kind enough to give me heads up and suggested that we apply for the caretaking position,” said Allen.

The Drinkwaters then filled out an application and scheduled an interview with the Directors at the House.

“We were interviewed by eight or nine Directors,” Allen said. “Everyone was incredibly warm, welcoming and encouraging, so it felt much more like a conversation than an interrogation.”

The Drinkwaters thought they would be well suited as caretakers, given their experiences and personal qualities.

For example, they consider themselves to be affable and cordial as both individuals and as a married couple.

“Although we have only been married four years, our friendship actually stretches back to our earliest teenage years,” Allen said.

“This longevity is, in our estimation, a testament to the love, respect and loyalty we have for one another. Consequently, we are inclined to believe that the Hartshorne House would be well-served by our sociable and committed dispositions.”

In addition to their relationship, Allen said they are both well suited to help the Hartshorne House serve as a venue for Wakefield and surrounding communities to enjoy, even though they’ve never before worked in an official capacity as caretakers of a historical property.

“Our professional lives have prepared us to work with people which, I believe, is what one of the goals of the House should be — helping people experience and appreciate a bit of history,” he noted.

The Drinkwaters have lived in Wakefield for the past few years and knew that the caretaking position would immerse them further in the community, something they both wanted.

“Living in the House is the story of a super unique, impossible to duplicate life experience we both value,” he said. “Not to wax philosophic too much, but we put a premium on life’s experiences — the sort of moments, events and opportunities upon which we look back on with fondness.”

He added that having the chance to live in a home that pre-dates the founding of the nation and is imbued with such rich history is nothing short of a “genuine privilege.”

Since moving into the House on June 1, the Drinkwaters have hit the ground running with regard to helping facilitate events that were already scheduled.

Allen said that he wouldn’t have it any other way.

“It’s been really heartening to see so many people appreciating the House, whether celebrating a birthday, graduation or other event,” he said. “Getting to be a part of this has been really special.”

He continued, saying that to live in a home founded in 1681 and to be part of the continuity of Wakefield history is “nothing to scoff at.”

“In fact, as one of my friends put it when I gave him a tour, ‘There’s a really special vibe to this place.’ With that said, the backyard and patio area is simply unreal.”

The Gaudets, said Drinkwater, have been “absolutely amazing” during the transition.

Not only did the Gaudets invite the Drinkwaters for dinner, but they gave their guests good advice.

“We’ve been texting with them fairly regularly,” said Allen. “They’ve left some big boots on the House property, but we’ll do our best to fill them.”

He concluded by saying that he and Emily are now indebted to Metropolis for suggesting that they apply for the caretaking position.