Archaeologists tend to have strong feelings about ceramics. Ceramics can play a major role in interpreting a site, as their materials often reflect their function. This can be helpful when determining how a site was used. For instance, finding an abundance of redwares and stonewares could indicate a primarily utilitarian site like what would have … Continue reading Where is Whieldon? Survey Says: Probably Not on Your Table
Author: ferryfarmandkenmore
Horsing Around: Archeological Finds at Ferry Farm
Think about a portrait or painting of George Washington. What is a common element in the paintings? His uniform, yes, he is indeed painted quite a bit in his impressive military uniform. But how about a horse? George is often painted riding beautiful horses with a quiet dignity and noble appearance we expect from the … Continue reading Horsing Around: Archeological Finds at Ferry Farm
2024 Dig Preview!
Spring is in the air. The weather is warming up, flowers are blooming, bees are buzzing, and of course the dig season is about to start here at Ferry Farm, George Washington’s Boyhood Home. As part of the 2023 dig season, our team revisited the site of a colonial-era kitchen that had experienced a particularly … Continue reading 2024 Dig Preview!
Stop Collaborate and Listen TD is Back with a Brand New Edition
A quick refresher from part one of the TD marked pipe saga - Clay tobacco pipes with the mark TD are a ubiquitous item at historical archaeology sites dating from the mid-18th through the 20th century. While at one point the mark represented a specific maker, it later became a mark synonymous with clay tobacco … Continue reading Stop Collaborate and Listen TD is Back with a Brand New Edition
You Down with Old TD? Yeah, You Know Me!
TD Marked Tobacco Pipes That Is! Clay tobacco pipes are a hallmark of historical archaeology. Grandma smoked, the enslaved smoked, the elite smoked, children smoked, just about everyone smoked. Smoking was one of America’s favorite pastimes, and there are plenty of pipes left in the archaeological record to prove it. Tobacco pipes were not only … Continue reading You Down with Old TD? Yeah, You Know Me!
Seeing The Big Picture: How Excavated Ceramics Informed The George Washington Foundation’s Acquisition of Complete Pieces for Display
The archaeology and curatorial departments for The George Washington Foundation have long worked together to furnish the reproduced Washington house with historically accurate items that resemble as closely as possible the ones that George and his family would have lived with daily. These pieces are not originals, which means visitors touring the house can handle … Continue reading Seeing The Big Picture: How Excavated Ceramics Informed The George Washington Foundation’s Acquisition of Complete Pieces for Display
Happy Birthday, Mr. President!
Not every president gets their birthday celebrated every year with a federal holiday, but George Washington, a favorite of his countrymen and the first president, has had that privilege since 1879. But one year was a little different from the others: 1932. It marked Washington’s 200th birthday, and the United States was going to make … Continue reading Happy Birthday, Mr. President!
An Image Captured: The Development of Photography through Lewis Family Descendants
One of my favorite historical objects in the collection are photographs. Not particularly for artistic reasons, but as a documentation of a moment, a time, a person, a world that no longer exists. During the Victorian era (1837-1901), there were extraordinary developments in the field of photography. In a span of forty years, photographs went … Continue reading An Image Captured: The Development of Photography through Lewis Family Descendants
Family Ties: An American Princess
The George Washington Foundation believes the Washington and Lewis families' story is worth protecting for future generations. We are in contact with many descendants of the Washingtons and Lewises who have assisted the foundation in presenting the families' legacies by adding to our collections and archives. We decided to explore the ancestors and descendants interesting … Continue reading Family Ties: An American Princess
Spilling the Tea: The Boston Tea Party at 250
Author’s Note: This blog contains hyperlinks to primary documents related to the event. Figure 1: 250th Logo (Boston Tea Party Ships and Museum) Intro This year marks the 250th anniversary of the Boston Tea Party (Figure 1). Hailed as a defining moment in the quest for American independence and an act of patriotism, the event has … Continue reading Spilling the Tea: The Boston Tea Party at 250
Lives & Legacies 