Bedford Rotary Work Party at the Job Lane House and Barn

By Jeannette Pothier, Job Lane House Museum

Job Lane July 2012-1 — Bedford’s Job Lane House (c) The Bedford Citizen

The Bedford Rotary Club has long held the Job Lane House and Barn in its sights.

The barn was raised on June 26, 1993, as a cooperative venture of the Bedford Rotary Club and the Friends of the Job Lane House, Inc. (Friends) under a license from the Town of Bedford. When the barn was built, about 30 amps of electricity were put in; over the years, the circuit breaker would trip when electric kettles and other appliances were used.

Job Lane July 2012-2 — *The new trench (c) The Bedford Citizen*

On Saturday the Rotary Club held a work party to dig a trench from the Job Lane house to the barn. Thanks to Nat Brown’s amazing Ditch Witch, wires for additional electrical service will be run underground through the new trench to afford better electrical service for the barn and retain a proper colonial atmosphere on the property.

Several Rotarians including President Peter Colgan, Bob Cassidy, Mark Cieplinski, Victor Tom, Sze-Wen Kuo, Suzanna Natti, Diana Jarvis, Britton Wilson and his son Ben came to help.

Once the trench was dug, the Rotarians turned to clearing the Garden Shed and the Kitchen Shed; and cutting limbs on the old oak tree to give air and light to the garden underneath. They fixed a few rocks along North Road, and cleaned the pavers in front of the barn doors. Don Corey moved the rhubarb plants which were in line with the trench, and Bedford Garden Club member Bridget Clayton worked with the group that cleared the brush under the old oak tree.

Job Lane July 2012-3 — *Ben Wilson watches as Rotary President Peter Colgan and Victor Tom create the opening thru through which the new wiring will run. (c) The Bedford Citizen*

Was it a good day? Yes, it was. Was it fun? Yes it was. Was it a party? Yes, it was as a Rotarian-style party. The Friends of the Job Lane House send their most ardent thanks to the Rotary Club of Bedford.

The Job Lane House and Barn are open for tours from 2 to 4 pm on the 2^nd and 4^th Sunday of each month, from May through October. The public is invited to enjoy the house and the story of Job and Martha Lane, and then take a moment to smell the herbs and flowers in the Lillian Dutton Herb Garden that is maintained by the Bedford Garden Club.

Click for additional information and directions to Bedford’s Job Lane House and Barn.