Staff at Jewett House

This photograph was taken in 1931, at the time after Dr. Theodore Jewett Eastman’s death, when the house was bequeathed to Historic New England. Pictured are left to right, Katy Galvin, her sister Mary Galvin, and an unknown man, possibly John Lyons, a general maintenance person for the Jewett family.

In a 1935 Lewiston Journal article, the reporter wrote: “There was one doll especially beloved by [Jewett], and friends tell us that after Sarah’s death, the older sister, Mary, had fashioned each year, a new dress for this doll. When Miss Mary died, one of the faithful maids, Mary or Katy, attended to having this doll buried with the mistress.”

While the division of labor between the Galvin sisters is uncertain, references are made to Katy Galvin as cook: …”The garden is in full bloom, it is already rose-time here though it was lilac time… and the strawberries are so ripe that Katy provides them at each meal.” Letter to Sara Norton, after 1899.