THE GREAT CHAIN AND THE AUSTEN TOWNSEND LEGACY [THE ALICE AUSTEN HOUSE (AAH) WAS ONCE HOME TO TWO ORIGINAL LINKS OF THE ...

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THE GREAT CHAIN AND THE AUSTEN TOWNSEND LEGACY [THE ALICE AUSTEN HOUSE (AAH) WAS ONCE HOME TO TWO ORIGINAL LINKS OF THE GREAT CHAIN?AN IRON BARRIER STRETCHED ACROSS THE HUDSON RIVER DURING THE REVOLUTIONARY. THESE HISTORIC LINKS WERE FORGED BY STERLING IRON WORKS, OWNED BY PETER TOWNSEND, THE GREAT-GRANDFATHER OF ALICE AUSTEN?S GRANDMOTHER. THE AUSTEN FAMILY PROUDLY DISPLAYED THE LINKS ABOVE THE FIREPLACE IN WHAT IS NOW THE MUSEUM?S EDUCATIONAL HISTORIC EXHIBIT SPACE, REFLECTING THEIR DEEP PATRIOTIC HERITAGE. TRAGICALLY, ALICE AUSTEN LOST HER FORTUNE IN THE STOCK MARKET CRASH OF 1929 AND WAS FORCED TO SELL MANY OF HER BELOVED POSSESSIONS, INCLUDING THE GREAT CHAIN LINK. FOR DECADES, THE LINK WAS BELIEVED LOST TO HISTORY?UNTIL IT WAS RECENTLY REDISCOVERED IN THE COLLECTIONS OF BOSCOBEL HOUSE IN UPSTATE NEW YORK. AS PART OF THE UPCOMING 250TH ANNIVERSARY OF AMERICAN INDEPENDENCE, THE ALICE AUSTEN HOUSE WILL HOST A SPECIAL EXHIBITION FEATURING THE RETURN OF THIS HISTORIC ARTIFACT ON LOAN. THE EXHIBITION EDUCATION AND PUBLIC LECTURES.]