This Spring, Pennfield’s 8th grade English class embarked on a unique writing journey. Erin Musich, 8th grade English teacher, teamed up with the Executive Director of Linden Place to reimagine the historic mansion’s Writers’ Residency Program for middle school students.
Each year, Linden Place in Bristol invites creative writers to interpret the history of the museum through their work. Inspired by Theodora Colt’s use of Linden Place as a gathering place for abolitionist writers including Ralph Waldo Emerson, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, and John Greenleaf Whittier, the program offered Pennfield students an opportunity to explore local history through their own writing.
The project began with a winter field trip to Linden Place, where docent Lynn Smith brought the mansion’s history to life through stories of its former inhabitants. Students then chose the people, stories, and details that inspired them and transformed those ideas into original pieces. With the freedom to choose their own genres and styles, students wrote poems, short stories, screenplays, and diary entries, incorporating both fictional and nonfictional elements.
Back in the classroom, students participated in workshops where they brainstormed, wrote, revised, and edited both independently and with feedback from their classmates. Some dove deeply into historical research, while others used Linden Place primarily as the setting for their own stories.
The project culminated with students presenting their work to parents and members of the Linden Place community in Pennfield’s library. Several pieces were also selected for publication in an anthology produced by Linden Place.
More than a writing assignment, the project gave students the opportunity to work with primary sources, explore local history, write for an authentic audience, practice public speaking, and see themselves as writers beyond the classroom. Most importantly, the experience opened the door for creativity and encouraged students to think of writing not simply as an assignment for a teacher, but as a way to tell stories and connect with the world around them.
