Summer Research Fellow at Vaughan Woods & Historic Homestead
Job Title: Summer Research Fellow
Stipend: $2,500
Description
Vaughan Woods & Historic Homestead is pleased to offer the Gerald T. Mahoney Research Fellowship, available either on-site or remotely for the summer of 2022 dependent upon the candidate. The Mahoney Fellow will complete a research project on a topic of their choice related to the organization’s mission. Topics should be relevant to the history of Hallowell and/ or the Homestead and the Vaughan family and attempt to inform present-day societal movements or concerns. Topics that emphasis agriculture, garden landscape, local indigenous peoples’ history, and the museum’s connection to Jamaican slavery will be prioritized in 2022. A remote fellowship that would allow a researcher to access Vaughan papers at offsite archival facilities outside of Maine, such as The American Philosophical Society in Philadelphia, the Massachusetts Historical Society in Boston, or college/university archives containing applicable papers is encouraged. International applicants in Britain and Jamaica who are in proximity to relevant archive facilities are also encouraged.
The chosen candidate will work with museum staff and local historians/resource people in the museum collection and at relevant archives to complete the project. The work will be utilized by staff and volunteers as an interpretive resource and should be heavily documented. At the conclusion of the fellowship, a completed research paper or interpretive exhibit must be submitted. A public presentation of the research findings is also required. Remote fellows will be in regular contact with museum staff via online video conferencing and may present their findings in an online presentation if travel is impractical.
The position comes with a $2,500 stipend and will take place over a 6-8 week period in the summer, with start and end dates agreed upon in advance. Housing is available for on-site fellows or for use by remote fellows if/when they are able to be on-site. Accommodations are offered at Vaughan Homestead’s Guest House, which is adjacent to the historic property, offers a sweeping view of the Kennebec River and is within walking distance of downtown Hallowell, one of Maine’s most iconic small villages! Nestled on the banks of the Kennebec River, historic Hallowell is a picturesque community offering a vibrant main street and active culture and arts scene.
Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, Vaughan Woods & Historic Homestead is a nature preserve and non-traditional house museum. Built in 1794, it was home to the same family for over 200 years. Diana Vaughan Gibson and her husband George created the Vaughan Homestead Foundation, now Vaughan Woods & Historic Homestead, to oversee both Diana’s ancestral home, the 1794 Vaughan Homestead, and the adjacent 197-acre nature preserve, Vaughan Woods, which was created by her grandfather at the turn of the 20th century. Their vision was to preserve and interpret the property for its historical, educational and environmental values. The 501(c) (3) non-profit organization became operational upon Diana and George’s deaths in 2002 and seeks to make both the Homestead and Woods useful and accessible to the people of Hallowell and the surrounding area. Today, year-round programming for the public and area schools and groups takes place in and around the Homestead.
How To Apply:
Completed applications are due by June 1, 2022 to and must include a resume, contact information for two references, and a cover letter outlining your interest in the fellowship and detailing your proposed research area or topic. Successful applicants will articulate potential research questions and indicate the collections they plan to consult. This opportunity is available on an annual basis.
Requirements
Open to graduate students pursuing degrees in the humanities or in history, preservation, or museum studies. Recent graduates interested in pursuing a higher degree in these areas will also be considered.