Barr Estate Gardens
New Ipswich Historical Society
Barr Estate gardens. Note clump of white birch as seen in earlier photos. The Barr Estate was located on Main and Academy across the street from the New Ipswich Historical Society.
On this day - April 25, 1898
25 APR 1898
Since April 6 I have been writing only the news of the day - the troubles between our country and Spain. I have almost forgotten the real intention of my journal and have made no entries about my daily occupations. The question of war has been so important and has filled my time when writing here that I skipped the ordinary daily life. However, the work that I have been doing recently is a decided improvement over the past few weeks and a great change since last year and the past winter. Perhaps it is just as well that I have not gone into detail of this state of transition. Mr. Dearth has revolutionized all my former methods and ways of working and has given me suggestion after suggestion of better ways of obtaining more satisfactory results. I have produced a great amount of work and have tried experiments and of things which I never ventured to tackle before. It is all landscape work - studies of effects, morning, noon, and night. I have tried a couple of thunder shower effects which are so frequent in the spring. The fruit trees are now in blossom - except the apple trees which come later. Trees in blossom are the hardest problem to paint in nature and I have not produced many with as good results as I have in other effects. Crécy is a splendid place after all as the whole valley with the numerous villages are easy to reach and affoard [sic] a variety that would be hard to equal elsewhere of this kind of pastoral scenery. I did not work much last season in the villages outside and now find much of the best material by going out. The town of Crécy in itself is not good for much except as a centre for the rest. The country near at hand is not as good either and as I have displayed more energy than the last season. In exploring I have found more than I can possibly do.
More war news. More vessels have been captured by both sides. Our fleet is off Havanna [sic] to establish the blockade. The Spanish fleet is still at Cape Verde. Much anxiety is felt for the American Liner Paris which has just left England with a cargo of war material and much gold. A declaration of war will come in a few days.
On this day - April 25, 1909
James Roger diary entry
25th (Sunday)
Frosty morning wind west, cloudy afternoon with showers in evening. Mr. Peacock preached on the renewing and awakening in Spirited & Plant Life. S.S. after 9 seniors 3 juniors. C.E. at 7pm topic African Missions. I led 11 present.
My father personally recalled the beauty of, ‘Jimmy Barr’s beautiful gardens” in the 1920’s. He said the gentry from all over, especially from Fitchburg, would come to the Barr estate for large parties and social get togethers.