As you drive down the road, sometimes, there are enough signs to make your head spin. It can be tempting to just drive by these stark white cast iron road markers with black text when you see them. Even so, sometimes you can’t help but let a word or a phrase catch your eye, sparking … Continue reading Pull Over!! The Virginia Highway Historical Markers of The George Washington Foundation
Author: ferryfarmandkenmore
Recreation and Racism: Fredericksburg’s Reception of Black Servicemen during WWII
As the United States and historic sites across the country, including the George Washington Foundation, prepare to commemorate the nation’s 250th anniversary next year, it might be easy for the eightieth anniversary of the end of World War II to become an afterthought. After all, the interpretation of Historic Kenmore focuses on the Revolutionary era; … Continue reading Recreation and Racism: Fredericksburg’s Reception of Black Servicemen during WWII
The Women of Silver: 18th-century English Silversmiths
We have a lot of silver in our collections, ranging from candlesticks to teapots to spoons. With all the silver, I have become familiar with eighteenth-century silversmith marks, but I have never explored the artisans behind the marks. I was pleasantly surprised to find at least four women silversmiths represented through various pieces. These four … Continue reading The Women of Silver: 18th-century English Silversmiths
“To Bigotry, No Sanction…:” Jewish Identity in Early America and Relations to Washington
Figure 1: Washington’s words to the Newport congregation (George Washington Institute for Religious Freedom) The quote, “To Bigotry, No Sanction, To Persecution No Assistance” appears in a 1790 letter written by George Washington to the Hebrew Congregation in Newport, RI (Fig 1). Of all the words Washington committed to paper, these rank amongst the most … Continue reading “To Bigotry, No Sanction…:” Jewish Identity in Early America and Relations to Washington
The Last of Washington’s Horse Chestnut Trees?
There once stood a large horse chestnut tree on the corner of Fauquier and Charles Street in Fredericksburg. It was noted as one of the thirteen legendary Washington horse chestnut trees planted by George himself. By the 1930s, it was becoming clear that the tree needed some help, so the Daughters of the American Revolution … Continue reading The Last of Washington’s Horse Chestnut Trees?
Above Ground Archaeology – Cool Finds Revealed During Restoration
While the house at Historic Kenmore has been faithfully restored to its circa 1775 appearance, the road to that final result was a pretty dirty one. As in plaster dust, paint fumes, and all manner of dirt and debris. Back in the late 1980s and early 1990s, the first forays into the research for and … Continue reading Above Ground Archaeology – Cool Finds Revealed During Restoration
Archaeology Is Not For The Faint Of Heart – But We Love It Anyway
A lot of people have told me that they want or wanted to become archaeologists. I always find this flattering. Yours truly was only in my single digits when I declared the same to my family and anyone who would listen. After reading every National Geographic magazine I could get my hands on, ‘excavating’ abandoned … Continue reading Archaeology Is Not For The Faint Of Heart – But We Love It Anyway
Colonial Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark
We have reached the best time of the year. The summer heat has broken, the leaves are crispy, and the best holiday, Halloween, is coming up quickly. We all know Halloween was not celebrated in Colonial America, but that doesn’t mean we can’t incorporate a bit of Colonial America into Halloween. To celebrate, I have … Continue reading Colonial Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark
That’s A Wrap! Ferry Farm’s Dig Season Recap
October just happens to be Virginia Archaeology Month, and what better way to celebrate than to recap this summer’s excavation at George Washington’s Boyhood Home at Ferry Farm. You might remember from our dig preview, that this year’s dig (FF-44) focused on the continued exploration of the 18th-century kitchen site located just northeast of the … Continue reading That’s A Wrap! Ferry Farm’s Dig Season Recap
Behind the Glass at Ferry Farm’s Archaeology Lab
The observer stands behind glass and watches. The one being watched picks up the object with her bare hands turns it carefully to see every angle, then sets it down to record data into her computer. Then she washes her hands, unwraps another object – and eats it! Visitors to George Washington’s Ferry Farm can … Continue reading Behind the Glass at Ferry Farm’s Archaeology Lab
Lives & Legacies 