Tag Archives: 18th century

Revolutionary Museum finale…. a farm, some fowl, and a few gag worthy recipes.

March 1, 2020 Rivergirl 19 Comments

The end of our living history tour was a typical Yorktown, Virginia farm of 18th century.

It re-creates the life of Edward Moss, and you can read a little about it here.

The house was simple, but comfortable enough for the time…

Or so Edward told us.

There was a separate building for cooking… where they were currently following old recipes and baking pies.

Apparently you used to be able to sample the food, but the health department put the kibosh on that and now you can only drool.

And although the pie smelled great, I can’t say I’d be too eager to try any of these recipes.

Calf’s head surprise…?

No.

Transmogrified pigeon?

Yeah… I’ll pass on that as well.

I did get a kick out of this spice jar stopper though.

As promised….

Some chickens.

Because no matter where I go, I tend to find fowl.

There was candle making.

And slave quarters.

Complete with….

You guessed it.

Shoes.

There was a tobacco drying shed, because back then tobacco equaled money.

And if you’ve never had occasion to be in one?

Trust me… it smells wonderful.

A few more buildings…

A lot more fencing…. and we were done.

Well…

After I said goodbye to the resident ducks.

I do love me some waterfowl.

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Yorktown re-creation… in which we explore outdoors.

February 29, 2020 Rivergirl 16 Comments

The second half of the American Revolutionary War Museum in Yorktown, Virginia is the interactive outdoor exhibit re-creation.

First up…. the soldier’s encampment.

It’s one thing to read about these things and see them in your mind’s eye….. quite another when you can physically touch and experience them first hand.

See those little tents? 4-6 men slept in there….. and let me tell you, it wouldn’t have been comfortable for one.

Meals, such as they were… were cooked here.

And the fire was kept burning 24/7.

There were few doctors as we think of them today, and the surgical tent more than likely contained a barber with a bag of torture implements like these. Please note the large bottle of laudanum in the back. I’d be chugging that like iced tea, thank you very much.

Though if you were bitten by a mad dog?

They had you covered.

The General’s tent was a bit larger….

And served as his office as well.

The laundromat was a bit primitive.

Though you did get a discount if you brought your own soap.

And the entire camp was ringed with wooden spikes to repel attackers.

As well as providing excellent selfie backgrounds.

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Colonial Williamsburg… Shield’s and Wetherburn’s Taverns

February 2, 2020 Rivergirl 18 Comments

Now don’t get excited food people, these taverns were for touring not eating.

Shield’s Tavern was closed, but had something the husband wanted to photograph.

Men. I can’t explain them….

But the gardens out back were lovely.

And I enjoyed a stroll among the well tended shrubbery.

I think Edward Scissorhands would approve.

There were vegetable gardens…

And wreaths…

I even saw an old ball and chain gate closure.

And then down the road, we found Wetherburn’s Tavern.

Where we had a guide give us the history and a tour.

Taverns back in the day were far different from what you might think. Rooms were rented for private parties, balls were held in the great rooms, owners lived behind the kitchen and the upstairs served as a hotel.

Which rooms you rented depended on your social standing.

Up to 12 men bunked in here.

I like cozy, but not that cozy.

Middle class families might sleep 8 in this room.

A private room? You had serious money.

Business deals were struck and government policies were made in rooms like these.

While the tavern keepers cranked out the meals in here….

That’s one high tech rotisserie right there.

Many taverns had their own smokehouses and livestock.

Which prompted a 30 minute conversation from my husband about being raised on a dairy farm.

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An appropriate wreath was decorating their door as well.

We may not have seen any beer…. but it was still a tavern.

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Colonial Williamsburg…. the Apothecary Shop, the Capitol and the Gaol.

February 1, 2020 Rivergirl 16 Comments

Still strolling Duke of Gloucester Street, we found the apothecary shop and it’s mistress in the middle of recounting some 18th century cures.

Trust me when I say you should be glad you weren’t sick in the 18th century.

Many towns and villages didn’t have doctors and these pseudo pharmacists were as close to modern medicine as many people could get.

There were some interesting drawings….

And a back room were the cures were administered. Though why that fellow in the corner needs a hat, I’m sure I don’t know…

Next up was the reconstructed Capitol building.

The birthplace of American government if you will.

The flag flying at the entrance meant it was open for tours…

So we settled in to wait for the guide.

With the husband admiring the rather odd gutterless drainage system.

Which was really more of a moat.

If you’re interested, the history of the Capitol is here. I’ll spare you the retelling and just post a few interior shots.

Local representatives met here, first to report to the crown….and then to form a new government.

The speaker had a throne… make of that what you will.

Here are the rooms our founding fathers formed the basis of the country we know today.

One can only imagine how they’d react to our current state of affairs.

I’d say that’s pretty close.

There was also a court where grievances and victims of crimes were given justice.

To me, the nicest part of the tour was when our guide proudly told us that he had helped officiate over the swearing in of 250 new American citizens on that day…. a 300 year old tradition lovingly continued on site.