Welcome!

Welcome to the inaugural post of the Gibson House Museum's official blog. I'm Katie, a docent at the museum since May 2014. My background is in American Revolutionary history, so when I started working at this Victorian-era house museum, I had a lot of catching up to do. I was excited to delve into a new era of Boston's history, but I never imagined what a rich and complex history it was. The Gibson House was occupied by three generations of the Gibson family, from 1860 to 1954, so I didn't just have to research the Victorian era, but later time periods as well. This museum requires an understanding not only of the family’s history, but also of architectural history, material culture, and preservation history, just to name a few areas. During the months I've been working here, I've learned an astonishing amount about all of these topics, but I've still only scratched the surface.

The most rewarding part of working at the Gibson House is our visitors. The people who visit the museum are interested, astute, and ever-inquisitive. Their questions and comments push me to learn more every time I give a tour. Sometimes I get a group that I know would spend all day in the museum with me if they could. So I wanted to start a blog where I could share the stories and information that I can't always share on tours. This blog is the result of my inquiries into the many stories associated with the Gibson House and Back Bay neighborhood. 

If you haven't visited the museum, or want to refresh your memory, please visit our website, www.thegibsonhouse.org, which includes a brief history of the house. And keep checking in with the blog, I’ll be posting something new every couple of weeks!

by: Katie Schinabeck, Former Museum Guide