Featured Artwork: From the Manse in Heath

Ethel Paine Moors courtesy of
the Robert Treat Paine Estate
(Stonehurst) in Waltham, MA.

"Painted circa 1930. Painted from the yard of Mrs. John F. Moors, beautiful place in Heath, showing the west view of hills through the tall straight boles of the majestic maples in her yard. Bought by Mrs. John F. Moors of Heath and 150 Fisher Avenue, Brookline, Mass."

Editor's Note:

Woodward is pretty consistent in his use of naming buyers by their marital status... Mrs. P.H.B. Frelinghuysen, Mrs. Henry Moore (even after she was a widow), and Mrs. Moors is no exception. Like Mrs. Ada Small Moore, Mrs. Ethel Paine Moors was a force in her own right and we prefer giving these women their due. This is not a knock at Woodward. He was following the custom of the times.

Doing some research on our update of Mrs. Moors niece Edith Storer Rhoades and her husband Winfred Rhoades scrapbook page, we did a Google search on a piece of information. Google's AI, Gemini, responded with a question for context because the name we searched was pretty common. We gave Gemini some more context using Mrs. Moors name and this was what Gemini said about her: "Mrs. Moors spent her summers at a beautiful historic estate known as The Manse on Bassett Road in Heath. She used her wealth and summers there to turn Heath into a vibrant hub for artists, progressive political figures, and civil rights thinkers."

more on this artwork in the scrapbook

Additional Notes

This chalk drawing, Summer Shadows is
believed to be "The Manse" in Heath (MA) Center

"Mrs. John F. Moors of Heath, and 150 Fisher Avenue, Brookline, Mass--owns a very early and small canvas of the Heath beech tree, and a 27" x 30" done from her Heath yard of tall maple boles with mountain view in between."

In 1890, thirteen years before the New York Stock Exchange was where it stands now, John F. Moors and Charles Cabot established a small investment firm in Boston's financial district. Its mission then: handle the personal investments of the two founders and their friends. Through time, that mission has expanded. Today, Moors & Cabot manages the assets of thousands of investors from our Boston headquarters and branch offices throughout the country.

Mr. and Mrs. John F. Moors had a summer home in Heath, Mass. It was called "The Manse." Prior to the Civil War the Manse was an important and famous stopping place in the underground railroad in which fugitive slaves could travel to the north. They were housed in the cellar of the Manse.

The Serenity Prayer

Mrs. Ethal Paine Moors, a descendent of signer of the Declaration of Independence Thomas Paine, and her financier, banker, broker, husband John Farwell Moors, owned a home in Heath, MA, referred to as The Manse. It was their summer home.

Mrs. Moors were good friends with the White sisters, Flora and Mary, as well as, sisters Winfred and Edith Storer Rhoades. All of which were friends of Woodward. In fact, the White sisters often accompanied RSW on his painting excursions to picnic and spend the day with him. Also in Mrs. Moors circle is theologian and best selling social commentator of the age, Reinhold Neibuhr. Neibuhr is also widely credited with being the author of the Serenity Prayer. It just so happens also that Woodward has two of Neibuhr's books in his studio that he underlined and made notes.

Mrs. Moors is a fascinating woman with quite a story. Just the sort of person RSW would enjoy the pleasure of knowing. He would host her at his Hiram Studio for dinner as she would host him on numerous occasions at her home in Heath. We suggest you read her wonderful profile by the Curator of the Stonehurst, Robert Treat Paine Estate, Ann Clifford for more information on her.

Woodward would paint another painting in 1932 from the Moors Heath home. Beginning in August, he would travel and spend days working on it but it would not be until November before it was finish. Unfortunately, we do not know the name of that painting.

THE SERENITY PRAYER:
God grant me the SERENITY,
to accept the things I cannot change,
COURAGE to change the things I can
and the WISDOM to know the difference.