Saturday, August 15, 2015

Sophia, W. S. Libbey Descendant, Visits Narcissus


Sophia is pictured here holding one of the forty, restored, ornate leaded stained
glass windows from the 1912 Portland-Lewiston Interurban (PLI) No. 14,
Narcissus. Sophia's great, great, great, grandfather, W. S. Libbey, built the PLI.
PWM photo

     We had a surprise visitor at the Seashore Trolley Museum on Tuesday, August 4, 2015.  Sophia Beck, with her father Roman. Sophia is 8 years old. She and her father stopped by the Museum to see the Portland-Lewiston Interurban No. 14, Narcissus. Sophia's father wanted Sophia to learn, firsthand, about her family connection, through her mother and grandmother, to the Narcissus and the PLI.

W. S. Libbey - Sophia's great, great, great grandfather.
image from the collection of O. R. Cummings

     Sophia's great, great, great-grandfather, W. S. Libbey, was the man who conceived of and oversaw the construction of the PLI from 1910 until early 1914. The PLI became known as the fastest, quietest, and most luxurious transportation available at the time. The Narcissus operated on the PLI from 1914 through 1933. The Narcissus was built in Laconia, NH in 1912.

Sophia is holding an original, unrestored, ornate, leaded stained glass
clerestory window from PLI No. 10, Arbutus, in its Santo Domingo mahogany
frame. W.S. Libbey named the original six, high-speed, luxury interurbans
after flowers. (Mayflowers were Libbey's favorites, hence the "Arbutus".) (1)
(1) - Taken from W. S. Libbey: the Man and His Mill by The Libbey 
Grandchildren. PWM photo

Sophia and her father are holding one of the large, restored "eyebrows"
from the Narcissus. The eyebrow has 51 individual pieces of stained glass.
All forty leaded stained glass windows were meticulously restored by
Deb Caron Plourde at Sundancer Stained Glass in Saco, ME.
PWM photo

A variety of stained glass windows. PWM photo
Clerestory frames were restored by Museum volunteer/member Tom Hughes.
Eyebrow frames are being worked on by Museum volunteer/member Lary
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
We continue the restoration work on the 1912, Narcissus, the only surviving high-speed, luxury interurban coach of the Portland-Lewiston Interurban. 

Click Here: Narcissus Restoration-Related Posts

Being more than a century old, the stately, "Elegant Ride," Narcissus, is a gem.  This shimmering precious stone of Maine transportation history is brilliantly resplendent as it emanates so many elements of history, including; time, places, people, and events, that it was coupled to, that when just a smattering of its seemingly innumerable stories are shared, the contents captivates, fascinates, then generates, interest to learn more 🙋. The majestic Narcissus is listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

Please consider joining the epic journey to complete the Narcissus Project by making a donation today!

Click Here: Donation Options

The restoration of this majestic icon of Maine's electric railway history is but one in a series of captivating stories containing an abundance of incredible coalition of narratives.

Click Here: History-Related Posts - Narcissus and Portland-Lewiston Interurban

     The Narcissus is featured in the national Gold Award-winning novel, Teddy Roosevelt, Millie, and the Elegant Ride. The "Elegant Ride" is the Narcissus. Theodore Roosevelt was a passenger on the Narcissus on August 18, 1914, between Lewiston and Portland, Maine, while campaigning for the Progressive Party candidates.

Click Here: Bookstores and Businesses promoting the Narcissus Project

Independent book publisher, Phil Morse, holding
the Gold Book Award Winner plaque for
 the Middle Reader category for The Eric
Hoffer Book Award. Congratulations to
award-winning Maine author,
Jean M. Flahive

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