WesScholar

Title

Bill Barrows

Authors

Arielle Berrick, Wesleyan University
Rachel Miller-Howard, Wesleyan University

Document Type

Other

Publication Date

Fall 2009

Abstract

Bill Barrows is a professional antiques dealer. He was born and raised in Portland, CT, where he resides today. He is a fourth generation Portlander. Bill’s father started the antiques business, Thomas Barrows & Son. Bill lives in a historic house on Main Street, Middletown with his wife Ann.

This recording captures the stories of a longstanding Portland resident. Bill describes his antiques business, his childhood, his relationship to the quarries, his family history, and Middletown and Portland in the ‘50s and ‘60s. Note: Bill’s natural storytelling abilities, his sense of humor, the sounds of his home, his detailed description of household treasures, his love for American material culture. We took an informal approach to interviewing, preferring to have a conversation in lieu of a formalized script.

Comments

The interviews were prepared for radio broadcast on WESU. The radio broadcast can be downloaded on this page. The transcript of that broadcast as well as additional materials are available below as Additional Files.

Recommended Citation

Berrick, Arielle and Miller-Howard, Rachel, "Bill Barrows" (2009). Oral Histories and the Portland Brownstone Quarries. Paper 1.
http://wesscholar.wesleyan.edu/eng_274_2009/1