Charles Washburn married Sallie Cleaveland in New York City on May 11, 1865. He was serving as the American Minister to Paraguay at the time. Their long distance courtship is one of several Washburn Family love stories guests will hear on Saturday, February 14.

Looking for a unique evening out for Valentine’s Day? The Washburn-Norlands Living History Center in Livermore will present a Valentine’s Day dinner and history program called “Keepers of the Hearth: A Conversation Between the Washburn Ladies” on Saturday, February 14. Participants will enjoy a delicious heritage dinner and an entertaining living history program in a setting like no other in Maine.

The evening will begin at 5:30 p.m. with a tour of the 1867 Washburn Family mansion. This will be followed at 6 p.m. by a three-course dinner of squash soup, chicken with roasted potatoes and glazed carrots, biscuits and dessert, served in the Farmer’s Cottage. A vegetarian option is available.

After dinner, guests will convene in the mansion’s 19th-century parlor, where Patty Washburn and her daughters, Martha and Caroline (portrayed by Norlands’ staffers Willi Irish, Jeannette MacDonald and Robin Hakala in period costume) will share family stories of courtship, love, marriage and the challenges of tending to hearth and home, especially when their successful husbands were often away tending to business and politics. With special guest Hempstead Washburne (Norlands Education Coordinator Nicol Miller) and Jerry Ellis on the Washburn piano, the ladies will conclude the evening by singing romantic songs of the period.

Tickets are $23 per person. Seating in this historic venue is limited, so tickets must be purchased by February 10. For more information or to buy tickets, call 897-4366 or email norlands@norlands.org. Norlands is located at 290 Norlands Road in Livermore. For more information, see www.NORLANDS.org.