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5 people are interested
Visitor Services Volunteer
ORGANIZATION: Longfellow House-Washington's Headquarters NHS
Please visit the new page to apply.
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5 people are interested
Summary of Position
Longfellow House-Washington’s Headquarters NHS preserves the home of Henry W. Longfellow, one of the world’s foremost 19 th century poets. Additionally, the house served as General George Washington’s first headquarters of the American Revolution, from 1775-1776.
This position is a great way to get experience working with visitors at a National Park. The volunteer will assist with the daily operation of the site and engage with people from all over the world. Training for various duties will be provided. Ideal candidates work well under pressure, in busy environments and can provide a warm welcome to each visitor. Must be able to work unsupervised.
Duties- Staffs NPS visitor center with minimal supervision, orienting visitors to the site’s offerings.
- Accurately uses daily log to keep track of site visitation and statistics.
- Answers the phone in a professional manner.
- Operates cash register accurately to make sales.
- Engages in self-directed study to increase content knowledge about the site operations, history, and programs offered throughout the season.
- Observes all rules, procedures and safety guidelines. Tracks volunteer hours accurately.
- Additional opportunities: staffing Family Sunday events, setting up for summer concerts and poetry readings, roving the grounds/garden and informally talking to visitors about site’s history.
- Wears the NPS volunteer uniform in clean and professional manner.
- Looking for a detail oriented person, who can multitask efficiently, including answering phones, operating cash register and signing people up for tours without supervision.
- Comfortable with speaking informally with visitors of all ages, backgrounds, and nationalities. Previous experience working at a museum or similar institution a plus.
- Must be available for a shift during open hours (Wed. -Sundays, 10 am-5 pm, May-October)
This is an unpaid, temporary position.
More opportunities with Longfellow House-Washington's Headquarters NHS
No additional volunteer opportunities at this time.
About Longfellow House-Washington's Headquarters NHS
Location:
105 Brattle Street, Cambridge, MA 02138, US
Mission Statement
The mission of Longfellow House-Washington's Headquarters National Historic Site is to preserve and interpret the historically and culturally significant buildings, grounds, and collections which reflect the values and ideals of its occupants. As home and headquarters to General George Washington during the Siege of Boston (1775-1776), and home to poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow and family (1837-1950), and one of the country’s finest examples of mid-Georgian architecture, the site offers insight into the many themes related to the country’s birth and evolving national identity. "The Past and Present here unite Beneath Time’s flowing tide, Like footprints hidden by a brook, But seen on either side. " From: A Gleam of Sunshine Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, 1846
Description
Longfellow House-Washington's Headquarters National Historic Site was home to one of America’s foremost writers and scholars. Henry Wadsworth Longfellow lived at 105 Brattle Street, Cambridge, for most of his literary career, from 1837 until his death in 1882. The site is also closely associated with George Washington, who made the house his headquarters between 1775-1776, while serving as Commander-in-Chief of the Continental Army during the American Revolution. In addition, John Vassall and Andrew Craigie, among the largest landowners in eighteenth and early nineteenth-century Cambridge, invested much of their wealth in this property during their respective periods of residence. The house, built in 1759 by Caribbean plantation owner and Loyalist Major John Vassall, is an outstanding example of mid-Georgian (mid-eighteenth century) architecture in the United States.
The structures, collections and grounds of Longfellow House-Washington's Headquarters National Historic Site retain a high degree of historical integrity, making documentation and interpretation possible to a level of detail rarely realized in historic house museums. The house has also come to symbolize the embodiment of our colonial heritage and the foundation and flowering of our nation.
CAUSE AREAS
WHEN
WHERE
105 Brattle StreetCambridge, MA 02138
DATE POSTED
February 5, 2019
SKILLS
- Office Reception
- Transactions
- People Skills
- Verbal / Written Communication
- Customer Service
GOOD FOR
- Teens
REQUIREMENTS
- At least 2 hours a week, Wednesday-Sunday