LeDuc Estate in Hastings will opens its doors May 28

The Historic LeDuc Estate will open its doors for the fourth season May 28. The home will be open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday and from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday. It’s a special year for the estate, now owned by the city of Hastings and managed by the Dakota County Historical Society.

Antique dealer Carroll Simmons gave the house to the Minnesota Historical Society exactly 50 years ago July 16.

New to the estate this year are:

• A six-part lecture series sponsored by the Friends of LeDuc:

• The updated exhibit about George Daniels, the LeDuc hired man, a former slave who returned from the Civil War with General LeDuc;

• An exhibit of antique needlework tools June 19 through Oct. 26;

• The display of a new crazy quilt, with pieces contributed from people all over the country and assembled by Cindy Thury Smith, June 19 through Oct. 26;

• A needlework competition, “Modern Interpretations of Historic Designs,” a juried competition for needleworkers and crafter will be introduced June 1 on the LeDuc estate Web site at www.dakotahistory.org. Guidelines for those interested in competing will be listed, along with the 20 patterns for interpretation. The competition will continue for one year; winning entries will be displayed at the house next season; and

• An exhibit of pieces purchased by customers of Carroll Simmons. The exhibit will open July 1 and will be in place until the end of October. A catalog of the pieces will be available.

The 2008 lecture series includes:

• May 15: “Preservation is our Legacy,” by Bonnie McDonald, executive director, Preservation Alliance of Minnesota, to celebrate National Preservation Month.

• June 19: The “Needlework Antiquities” exhibit opens with the hanging of the crazy quilt and demonstrations of antique needleworking and the use of needleworking tools at 7 p.m.

• July 16 and 17: “We Remember Carroll Simmons.” Panelists who were friends, relatives, and clients of Simmons will serve as panelists at 7 p.m.

• Aug. 9: Hastings Needlework. Dr. Ann Braaten, University of North Dakota, will speak about her extensive research on the Hastings Needlework company that was established by the LeDuc daughters, and perhaps the first cottage industry in Hastings. There will be demonstrations of their embroidery work and other textile arts. Presentations will be at 10 a.m. and 1 p.m.

• Sept. 18: “People from Hastings in the Civil War.” Rod VanFleet and Shirley Dalaska share research at 7 p.m. regarding people from Hastings who served in the Civil War.

• Oct. 16: “How Art and History Tell a Story, and the Correlation Between the Two,” a lecture by artist and illustrator David Geister.

The lectures are free and open to the public.

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