During the late 1800s and early 1900s, the Sippican Hotel was a cornerstone of what became known as the Golden Age of Marion, Massachusetts. At its peak, the Sippican Hotel represented the finest elegance and style in the time of high culture in Marion’s history. David K. Pierce, Vice President of the Sippican Historical Society, will give a lecture about the Sippican Hotel on Thursday, August 3 at the New Bedford Whaling Museum beginning at 7:00 pm. A reception precedes the lecture at 6:00 pm. This event is free and open to the public. Register by calling 508-997-0046 or go to www.whalingmuseum.org.
Marion, Massachusetts, once known as Sippican after the area’s original Native American inhabitants, rose in social and cultural prominence in the late 19th century as a destination resort community. The Golden Age of Marion began after the Civil War, when it evolved from a sleepy seaside village to a summer gathering place for artists, writers, actors, musicians, and other intellectual leaders and celebrities such as President Grover Cleveland, Henry James, and artist Charles Dana Gibson, among many others.
Pierce’s lecture, “The Sippican Hotel During the Golden Age of Marion,” is associated with a current exhibition at the Whaling Museum titled “Celebrating Sippican: Marion in the Golden Age.”