In this video, curator Meghan Budinger updates us on the latest arrivals in the final steps of furnishing the Washington house replica at George Washington's Ferry Farm and of re-furnishing Historic Kenmore. https://youtu.be/4Dqb6jE9SVA
18th century furnishings
The Seven Easy Pieces of Furniture – Episode 3: Blanket Chest Lid [Video]
In this final video of this series, Fredericksburg, Virginia-based furniture maker Steve Dietrich demonstrates the methods he used to make the lid for a blanket chest in the reconstructed Washington house at Ferry Farm. Watch other videos and read more about rebuilding the Washington house here.
Washington House Blues
The summer of 2019 was an especially hot one here in Virginia, but we managed to add some cool crispness to the Washington house interior. It came in the form of some new textiles for the “best bed” in the Hall Back Room, in a refreshing blue and white color scheme. As we’ve previously discussed … Continue reading Washington House Blues
The Seven Easy Pieces of Furniture – Episode 2: Blanket Chest [Video]
In this video, Fredericksburg, Virginia-based furniture maker Steve Dietrich discusses two of the techniques he used to create a blanket chest for the reconstructed Washington house at Ferry Farm. Watch other videos and read more about rebuilding the Washington house here.
The Furniture Makers: Tom Snyder and Astrid Smith [Video]
In this video, we visit with Tom Snyder and Astrid Smith of Williamsburg Art Conservation to see how they upholstered the leather bottom chairs in the hall of the Washington house replica. Watch other videos and read more about rebuilding the Washington house here.
All About Mary’s New “Old” Desk
Another new piece of furniture has arrived at the Washington house at George Washington’s Ferry Farm! Introducing the “Old Desk,” as listed in the "Parlour" on Augustine Washington’s 1743 probate inventory. This desk was copied from an original piece in the collections of the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation that dates to ca. 1710-1730, making it one … Continue reading All About Mary’s New “Old” Desk
All About Sugar Cones
In a post several months ago, we discussed a piece of furniture listed in Augustine Washington’s 1743 probate inventory that gave us some interesting insight into the daily life of the Washington family – the sugar box. Recently, our reproduction sugar box arrived and is now on display in the Parlor, just as the probate … Continue reading All About Sugar Cones
Our Best Guess about Mary Washington’s Best Bed
In July, we were very excited to see the culmination of at least a year’s worth of research and work when the “best bed” was installed in the Hall Back Room (the master bedchamber) of the Washington House. Between its imposing size (it nearly touches the ceiling) and it’s bright blue bed curtains in a … Continue reading Our Best Guess about Mary Washington’s Best Bed
The Furniture Makers: Harrison Higgins [Video]
The replica Washington house is open at George Washington's Ferry Farm but furnishing is still ongoing. We traveled to Richmond to visit furniture maker Harrison Higgins and he told us about the furniture that he and his crew have made for the Washington house. Watch other videos and read more about rebuilding the Washington house … Continue reading The Furniture Makers: Harrison Higgins [Video]
Video: The Seven Easy Pieces of Furniture – Episode 1: Low Post Beds
In this video, Fredericksburg, Virginia-based furniture maker Steve Dietrich discusses some of the techniques he used to create four low post beds for the reconstructed Washington house at George Washington's Ferry Farm. Watch other videos and read more about rebuilding the Washington house here.
Lives & Legacies 