Bellingham Historical Commission to Display Donated Miniature House at Taft Museum
Shown, Dennis and Dianne Slopak from Connecticut, with the replica of Dianne’s grandparents’ Bellingham house as it was in 1960. The Slopaks recently donated the house to the Bellingham Historical Commission, which will display the dollhouse as an exhibit at the Ernest A. Taft Historical Museum when it reopens in the near future.
Dianne and Dennis Slopak donated to the Bellingham Historical Commission a miniature exact replica doll house of Dianne’s grandparent’s house, located at 156 Mechanic Street (Rt 140) in Bellingham that will be on display at the Ernest A. Taft Jr. Historical Museum when it reopens in a few months. This miniature house depicts what life was like in the 1960s at a typical family holiday. Dianne built the doll house with her husband’s assistance. They took great care to furnish the house as authentically as possible.
As she was growing up, Dianne spent a lot of time with her grandparents, Alcide (John) and Anna Bruneau. The Bruneaus purchased the house, built in the 1820s, in the 1930s. Her grandparents lived on the Garelick farm in Franklin until they purchased this house. The Bruneaus were good friends with the Patrick family, whose farm in Bellingham was nearby.
After the house was sold to a relative it underwent extensive renovations. The house as it is today is altered at the back, but the front retains the original footprint.
The historical museum is still undergoing extensive renovations, and the Historical Commission hopes to reopen the building before summer. The Historical Commission looks forward to sharing the historical treasures of Bellingham in the near future, including this generous donation from the Slopak family.
