Postcards were a staple of vacations. Collected and sent back to friends and family so they could be part of your adventures. Many of us can remember trying to pick up postcards on the first day of vacation to get them in the mail quickly so they would arrive back home before you. Postcards were … Continue reading Wish You Were Here: Historical Documentation Through Postcards
artifacts
Meet the Crew 2025
We are heading into the final stretch of this year’s exploration of the 18th-century kitchen at George Washington’s Ferry Farm, and it definitely hasn't disappointed! The finds are getting bigger and better as we continue excavating deeper into the cellar and expand our look into the surrounding area. We have made a ton of progress … Continue reading Meet the Crew 2025
“We encampt here on the banks of the Rappahannock. Oh, it is beautiful country.”
A Personal Look At Civil War Soldiers As Told Through Artifacts Ferry Farm is most well-known as the Boyhood home of George Washington. While our primary emphasis of interpretation and research has focused on young George and his family’s life on this farm, Ferry Farm has many other stories to tell. The American Civil War … Continue reading “We encampt here on the banks of the Rappahannock. Oh, it is beautiful country.”
It’s That Time of Year Again: 2025 Dig Preview
It’s the most wonderful time of the year! There’ll be dirt out for screening, ceramics for cleaning, and lots of good cheer…. Okay, sorry, that might be a little too far. But it is a super exciting part of the year here at Ferry Farm, George Washington’s Boyhood Home. We have officially started this summer’s … Continue reading It’s That Time of Year Again: 2025 Dig Preview
Lovely Linoleum and Other Historic Floor Coverings – Two Hot Takes
Linum ("Flax") and oleum ("oil") - Fashionable and Affordable As a Historic Preservation student at the University of Mary Washington, I’ve grown to appreciate almost all aspects of materiality. Over the past four years, my education has taught me to look closely at the built environment around me. Two years ago, I stumbled across a … Continue reading Lovely Linoleum and Other Historic Floor Coverings – Two Hot Takes
One Man’s Trash is Another Man’s TPQ: Modern Materials in Archaeological Excavations
Archaeology is trash. There, I said it. Before you call Mr. Jones and have me thrown in a pit of snakes, let me explain. Generally speaking, archaeology focuses on understanding the past through the items that people left behind, i.e., their trash. Most of the things we find are left around because they were broken … Continue reading One Man’s Trash is Another Man’s TPQ: Modern Materials in Archaeological Excavations
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
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
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
Lives & Legacies 