Tate House Presents…Behind the Best Rooms:Exploring the Lives of  Domestic Servants in 18th Century New England

As one of Stroudwater’s most prosperous 18th-century households, the Tate family relied on domestic servants for their comfort and to assert social status. This lecture combines evidence garnered from family history and the building’s architecture with records of other elite families within the Tates’ social circle and throughout wider New England to build a picture of service in a prosperous 18 th century Maine home.

Tate family legend has given us a single, tantalizing mention of an enslaved Black servant named Bette. The role of servants and circumstances that contributed to a life of servitude will be discussed including the underappreciated, yet significant contribution of Black servants to America’s domestic service history. This talk will explore specific spaces within and around Tate House used by servants, creating a richer picture of individual household dynamics in one of Maine’s most iconic historic homes.

An Outdoor Illustrated Lecture by Aimee Keithan, Ph.D.in the beautiful backyard of the 1755 Tate House overlooking the Stroudwater River and our Historic Garden

7:00 PM Saturday Sept 19  (rain date Sept 20)

Check-in beginning at 6:30 PM in the front yard of Tate House

1270 Westbrook Street, Portland

$15/person  $25/couple

Social Distancing and Face Coverings Required

All seating is reserved and limited to 50 people

Registration and Pre-payment ONLY

info@tatehouse.org or 207-774-6177

Open until Tickets are Sold Out

If you are not currently a Tate House Museum member,

 join today and enjoy FREE entry to this not-to-be-missed event!