Picture it. No Santa. No Christmas tree. No big-ticket Christmas present. No little Susie or Bobby up to their eyes in wrapping paper, as their parents snap a photo of every gift they unwrap. To die-hard Christmas fans today, this sounds like a nightmare. Where is the wonder and joy? Where is the standing in … Continue reading When Christmas Wasn’t for Kids
Month: December 2017
Photos: The GWF’s Delightful December
The George Washington Foundation wishes everyone a joyous holiday season! Enjoy these from our month of festive happenings and decorations at George Washington’s Ferry Farm and Historic Kenmore. There will still be time to see Kenmore and Ferry Farm adorned for the season and delight in each site’s annual display of dollhouses, miniatures, and gingerbread creations … Continue reading Photos: The GWF’s Delightful December
The Wine Bottle: Ubiquitous and Informative
Ah, the humble wine bottle. There are few historical archaeological sites without them and Ferry Farm is no exception. Our current mending project has produced about a dozen wine bottles from one Washington house cellar feature alone. Readily identifiable because their form has changed little in the past 250 years, these beauties are sometimes overlooked … Continue reading The Wine Bottle: Ubiquitous and Informative
Video: 4th Annual Wee Christmas Dollhouse & Miniatures Exhibit
In this festive holiday video, Curator Meghan Budinger tells us about this year's Wee Christmas Dollhouse & Miniatures Exhibit at Historic Kenmore, which runs until December 30. To learn more about this exhibit, click here.
Photos: “Antiques” Hunt!
Several weeks ago, staff from George Washington's Ferry Farm went hunting for objects to go into the reconstructed Washington house, which will be fully furnished with reproduction pieces to allow our visitors to sit on the chairs, open drawers, and pick up the plates on the table. Finding accurate, well-made reproductions of pieces from the … Continue reading Photos: “Antiques” Hunt!
Video: 31st Annual Gingerbread House Contest & Exhibit
In this festive holiday video, we see all the "Historic Sites in Virginia" gingerbread houses entered in this year's contest. To see the list of winners, click here. The exhibit runs until December 30. Click here to learn more about visiting George Washington's boyhood home this holiday season.
Washington, Smallpox, and the Fight for Independence
Living in Colonial America, disease and illness were defining challenges and perpetual threats of human existence. At the time, there was no concept of infection or germ-theory, no vaccines, no really effective treatments for infectious disease and few public health measures that could reliably curb epidemics.[1] For colonial Americans, it was not a matter of … Continue reading Washington, Smallpox, and the Fight for Independence
When Washington Wanted to Know the Weather
Winter is coming. For the next three months or so, we face cold temperatures, blustery winds, chilly rains, occasional snow and ice storms, and regular frosts. Living in the 21st century, accurate foreknowledge of unpleasant or dangerous weather is available at our fingertips. It was decidedly different in the 18th century. Just like we are … Continue reading When Washington Wanted to Know the Weather
Lives & Legacies 