Mattapoisett resident Elizabeth Hutchison has stepped in as the new Mattapoisett Museum and Carriage House curator as Bette Roberts retires from her 25-year tenure in February.

Hutchison moved to Mattapoisett from Rhode Island a year ago with her husband, Art, and two kids, Oliver and Oscar.

She has worn many hats in the historical world, including service at the South Street Seaport Museum in New York City, the Mystic Seaport in Connecticut and Old Sturbridge Village in Massachusetts.

She also is a certified teacher, having taught at the Wheeler School in Providence.

Here’s a short Q-and-A with Elizabeth Hutchison.

How did you get involved with history and museum work?

I’ve always loved history. My mom was a history teacher, and we always went to museums or historical places on family vacations too. Growing up in New York, we’d often visit the Franklin Delano Roosevelt estate along the Hudson River too.

What makes history so interesting to you?

I’ve always been curious about how people used to live. What was it like? What did they do? Some of that started from being fascinated, as a kid, watching and reading the “Little House on the Prairie” series. My mom’s teaching was also a big part.

What are your plans as the new curator?

The biggest thing now is to prepare for the summer. The museum opens up in July, and we always have a special exhibit and some programs throughout the season. Everything is in the planning stages now, so we don’t have an exhibit picked yet.

What are you looking forward to as the new curator?

For one, it’s a totally different thing from the Mystic Seaport or New York City. But so far, I’ve been amazingly impressed by the collection here. There are so many high quality items with great history and stories.

Bette officially retires at the start of February, so I’ll be on my own and really getting into the full swing of things. I’m really excited about being here. I think it will be a great community experience and we’ll have a lot of fun along the way.