David H. and Mary F. Tewksbury Family Association

     Windhaven is our “ancestral home.”  The homestead, owned by the family for more than 150 years, is located on a mountaintop in New Hampshire.  The original log cabin (which is now the parlor and family museum) was built in 1829.  The rest of the house was built on and around the cabin.  It was a New England custom to name homes, and this house was given the name “Windhaven.”  The old house shows its age but has stood strong for more than a century and a half.  The architectural style is known as “four-square.” 

     Many generations of the Tewksbury family have been born, lived, worked, and died at Windhaven.  Weddings were performed there.  Babies were born there (a room downstairs is sometimes referred to as “the birthing room”).  Some of our ancestors are buried across the road in the old cemetery.  The church that originally stood next to the cemetery was moved about half a mile to its current location.  Generations of family members are buried at Windhaven.  

     Windhaven was a working farm, for more than a century and a half, first by the previous owners and then by our family.  The barn, as is common in New England, is attached to the house.  Though not a “hardscrabble” farm, the rocky soil did not easily yield, but hard work provided what was needed.

     David Henry and Mary Frances (Langley) Tewksbury were not the first of the Tewksbury’s at Windhaven, but they are the best remembered.  Considered by most to be the progenitors of the family, they were married on July 18, 1866, Mary’s twentieth birthday.  Not long after their marriage, they decided to invite a few family members to come to Windhaven to celebrate Mary’s birthday.  That was the first of many family reunions.  They bought the place in 1876 from David’s father and moved into the house in 1877.

     In 1922, the annual family reunion, held on the Sunday closest to July 18, became an official annual event.  Since 1922 the only years there were no reunions were the war years 1942–1945.

PERSONAL FEELINGS AND EXPERIENCES.

     I cannot recall any year when I was young that we (my family and I) did not attend reunion.  I loved reunion and I loved Windhaven.  If I had a chance to go to Windhaven for any reason, I leaped at the opportunity.  As a kid, I looked forward to family reunion as much as Thanksgiving (at Aunt Pearle’s house in Jericho) and Christmas.  That is probably a major reason why I love family gatherings to this day.  As an adult, I still remember those times.  They contributed to the development of who I am today.  Windhaven was (and is) a special place made special because of family.

• My Dad (Neil Robertson) and I went there on several occasions for various reasons.  The time I remember best is when we tore out the old outhouse and built a new one – the one that is there now.  Dad picked me up after school on Friday and we went down to Windhaven.  Saturday, we worked all day and got the job done.  The quality of Dad’s work is evident in the fact that the outhouse is still there and is in good shape after more than sixty years.
• Another time, Dad and I went down on Friday.  There were a few small jobs that needed to be done, but I think he just wanted to be there.  Saturday morning after breakfast, he wanted to bring in some kindling.  We went to where someone had piled a bunch of branches in the meadow.  With an armload each, we started back to the house.  Suddenly, Dad’s armload flew into the air, and he RAN to the house.  (The only time that I ever saw him run.)  When I caught up with him, he told me there had been a snake in amongst the sticks.  I knew he didn’t like snakes but never realized the extent of his dislike!  That afternoon, on the way home, he stopped somewhere and traded cars.  When we got home, Mom was quite surprised!  We never talked about the snake episode. 
• One year, Dad took Pearle and me, along with our lawn mower, down on the Tuesday before reunion.  I was to mow the lawns and the cemetery.  I think I was thirteen or fourteen.  (Pearle is six years younger than I am.)  We had food, the lawnmower, and the gas can.  The next day Pearle and I were to walk to town, get gas, and start mowing.  When we got back, however, I couldn’t get the mower to start.  I had no idea what to do and we had no way to call Dad, so we had fun playing games and just hanging out.  On Thursday, Irva Avery, her husband Jim, and two of her sons showed up with two more lawn mowers.  They had come to mow the lawns as well.  They soon had my mower running and with three mowers, we made short work of the project, including the cemetery.
• Another year, Dad took me and my brother Dick down on Wednesday to help paint the house.  Phil Turner and his kids arrived with ten gallons of paint and brushes.  We spent all day Thursday painting, but the siding was so dry that it soaked up the paint and we only had enough paint for two sides of the house.

     Those are a few of the many memories I have of Windhaven.  Many of my best memories, as stated above, revolve around family reunion.  It was such a special time!  As stated above, family reunion meant as much to me as Christmas!  Part of what makes the memories special, of course is the people.

WHAT ABOUT NOW?

     Today, the house is in rough shape, although the descendants have worked to keep it sound.  The antique furniture that remains is well-worn but is no longer polished or cared for as was the case in the past.  Many of the antiques that belonged at Windhaven have been taken over the years – mostly without permission.  

     The wallpaper is peeling and the plaster is cracked.  The only heat comes from wood burning stoves, but there is very little firewood on hand.  Some firewood is cut and stacked each year, but there are no longer two or three full cords in the barn.  A handful of workers have fixed the foundations and restored the barn.  Several other jobs have been done by the dedicated few, but where are the others?

     There are hundreds of persons – descendants – for whom Windhaven is their ancestral home, but many of them lack knowledge, understanding, or consideration for the history or the heritage.  

     As stated above, a handful of people have worked hard to preserve the place, shoring up the foundation, painting, restoring the barn, performing many other chores, but a majority of the hundreds of descendants seem to be too busy, or perhaps they are simply disinterested.

     Many of the descendants are unable or unwilling to invest labor and funds to maintain the place.  Most of the maintenance, as previously stated, is taken care of by the same handful of people.  Expenses such as taxes and insurance are covered through annual dues which vary year over year based on how much money is needed.

     It’s the twenty-first century and I have no doubt that some of our younger family members are put off by the simplicity of Windhaven.  There is no running water, wi-fi, central heating, or air conditioning.  Some folks probably dislike those last few miles and the approach over narrow, unpaved roads.  What can be done?

SOLUTIONS?

     First and foremost, I believe, is the need to attract more relatives which might generate more interest in Windhaven.  A greater number of interested relatives would possibly generate more income to provide for the needs of the place.  At the least, we would like to see more people at Family Reunion.  How do we do that?  What does that two-pronged approach look like?

     A preacher got up in front of his congregation and announced that he had good news and bad news.  “The good news is that we have all the money we need for the church and its programs!  The bad news is that the money is in your pocketbooks and checkbooks!”

     There are numerous methods of fund raising available today.  Our family has tried a few simple approaches, such as the “50/50 raffle” each year at Family Reunion.  Of necessity, the annual dues change year over year in order to raise the necessary funds to cover taxes, insurance, etc.

     A current approach, especially in America, is called “crowdfunding.”  There are various internet programs for this.  A quick search on the internet immediately yields half a dozen.  People, as I understand it, place an announcement and in some way tie it to a bank account.  Then anyone can donate to the cause.  I understand that this is a legitimate means of locating funds for many legitimate causes.  

     Another, very good means of funding is to name Windhaven in your will or as a beneficiary on your life insurance.  Many churches receive part of their income from persons who name the church as beneficiary in their will or insurance.

AND FINALLY . . . (Purely personal)

     I believe that respect is very important.  My generation grew up being taught to respect authority and tradition.  Windhaven has been ours for over 150 years.  Veterans of many wars rest in the cemetery.  The years of love and calling Windhaven “home” deserve our respect.  More attention needs to be paid to the tradition and history of the place.  Let us show our love for the place and our respect for the tradition.