Interviewee: Ned Harrington, 1 of 2
Date of birth/age at interview: April 12, 1920/84
Interviewers: Sally Jagoe, Jean Fowler
Interview date: April 9, 2004
Interview location: Harrington residence
Interview length: 45 minutes
Time span discussed: 1859 to 1950s
Summary: This interview covers the history of the house on Ned’s property, a review of the Hillside Orphanage, the orphans, and the animal farm there. Ned mentions a long list of Carversville residents and characters before and during his time in the village. Also discussed are the Carversville Day starting in the 1980s, Quaker family relationships, the Pillings family, and the Carversville Christian Church. The interview provides a good flavor of life in the country in the late 1940s and 1950s. This is a valuable recollection from this long time local historian and New Hope Gazette columnist. It will be especially appreciated by Carversville residents and others who are interested in this historic area.
Time markers:
00:00 – how he came to Carversville, bought house, fixed it up (tape quality poor)
01:50 – house in Carversville (tape quality improves)
03:31 – 1948 moves into remodeled house; handy man story
04:37 – dog story
05:36 – Ned’s soil analysis business
06:52 – water analysis opportunity
07:52 – flood of 1955 changed his life, water analysis demand
08:45 – garden work, uncovering historic Carversville steps
09:32 – orphanage history recalled, 1859 to 1873, Excelsior Normal Institute, Elizabeth Stover
11:27 – William Evans converts Institute building to a resort 1874
12:50 – resort folds 1894; Robbins family buys until 1922
14:41 – buildings sold to Christian church for Northern Christian Orphanage, Depression economics closes it
15:29 – house built 1762, enlarged 1859
16:00 – goats on the farm
17:12 – donkeys added to mix
18:16 – sheep join the flock
19:20 – house repair leads to meeting Carversville characters and personalities
21:28 – who is married to whom; all families connected, especially Quakers; his cousins include Livezeys and Tinsmans
23:07 – windmill story
26:06 – local veterinarian, bad reputation
27:28 – neighbors George and Dorothy Shaw; the parsonage house; Presbyterian church
30:00 – chiropractor Dr. Haney: must see in the morning, drank lunch
32:26 – Aaron Overpeck, tinsmith and chatterbox
33:23 – Walter Livezey running Stover grist mill, argument at the mill
34:47 – Charles Hargens: great artist, established Boys Scout troop
36:00 – Harry and Agnes Foster, Agnes teacher at Plumstead’s Cold Hill School
37:06 – orphan’s reunion at Carversville Day 1980s
40:21 – Christian Church (now United Church of Christ) founded orphanage
41:26 – historic steps of Carversville
42:41 – Dominie Johnson, orphanage superintendent, miserable person
Ned Harrington interview 2.
New Harrington video.
Ned Harrington interview MAM.
