We don’t give a lot of thought to our silverware, a part of our daily life our ancestors didn’t take for granted A quick history of spoons and status in colonial era Dutch and English New York, at Philipsburg Manor, Sleepy Hollow, New York
Daily Life of the American Colonies: The Role of the Tavern in Society
I’m no stranger to taverns, and if I lived in the days of colonial America, it’s a safe bet I’d be found in one of the colonial inns that still dot the east coast. In fact, you still can when I have a chance. In the century or so leading up to the Revolution, colonial taverns […]
Daily Life of the 19th Century: The Cooper Shop at Old Sturbridge Village
I’m from the midwest, where for the most part, people are friendly. Outgoing even. If you meet a person outside in the dead of winter, you’re likely to find yourself standing out in the cold, talking about how cold it is. While visiting the Spencer-Peirce-Little Farm Manor House in Newbury, Massachusetts, I found myself in a […]
Daily Life of the 19th Century: Clothes on the Line
Some things we took for granted, and among them was drying clothes on a clothes line. Certainly not the speediest method, but there’s a charm to the process that isn’t matched by a dryer. Time didn’t seem as pressing back then. People had patience. Our lives weren’t timed in fifteen minute increments. When you hang […]
Old Sheldon Church ruins: A quiet retreat in the South Carolina lowcountry
The old Sheldon Church, in northern Beaufort County, South Carolina doesn’t have much luck when it comes war. The proper name for this venerable set of old ruins is Prince William’s Parish Church. With a name like that, one would think it would give faithful service. This seemed not to be the case however, as the British burned […]
