Lives and Legacies

Tag: Celebrations

  • 250 Years of Celebration

    250 Years of Celebration

    The George Washington Foundation has been abuzz with anticipation for the upcoming Semiquincentennial, or 250th birthday of our United States!

    In all this excitement I thought it would be a compelling trip down memory lane to uncover how the nation celebrated July 4th through the years, and how our sites, Ferry Farm and Historic Kenmore, joined in on the festivities.

    A banner from the Market Square Fair of 1976, HFFI image collection.

    July 4th, 1826: 50 Years Old

    1826 marked the 50th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. Nationwide, celebrations were small and consisted of mostly military parades and private dinners. Charlottesville, Virginia and Quincy, Massachusetts had sad news to report, though. Both Thomas Jefferson and John Adams passed away that day within hours of one another.[1]

    In Fredericksburg, Virginia, the celebration echoed the others—a military salute in the morning and a large dinner at Sligo, a mansion located on the south side of town.[2]

    A man named Samuel Gordon owned Kenmore at the time.[3] Their family had recently experienced some happiness when the future owners William and Eliza Gordon married on May 8th of that year. Although we do not know what their family plans were on the 4th, we can assume that it was a pleasant day.

    Across the river, the Mercer family owned Ferry Farm and rented the property out to tenants. Although we have no known depictions of what it looked like in 1826, seven years later the artist John Gadsby Chapman would paint the foundations of the Washington house, reclaimed by nature.[4] That year in September, the Mercers listed Ferry Farm for sale.

     “View from the Old Mansion House of the Washington Family Near Fredericksburg, Virginia” (1833) by John Gadsby Chapman.  Mount Vernon Ladies Association.

    July 4th, 1876: 100 Years Old

    Our 100th anniversary also coincided with the first year that the US was the host of a World’s Fair– the Centennial Exposition. Tourists from across the 38 states flocked to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to celebrate year-round.[5]

    Because the country was celebrating together in Philadelphia, many local celebrations were relaxed, Fredericksburg included. Social organization the Knights of Pythias hosted a large picnic on Scotts Island, today beneath the Chatham Bridge. The Virginia Herald called it “a festive day of rare delight, nothing occurring to… disturb the era of good feeling”.[6]

    Unfortunately, both Ferry Farm and Kenmore have a gap in their history on this date, both left marred by the Civil War. Kenmore was bloodstained due to its use as a hospital and Ferry Farm was barren after the union camp burnt what few dwellings were left for firewood. Although our nation was trying to move on a decade later, plenty of scars remained.

    View of Ferry Farm circa 1881. National Parks Service.

    July 4th, 1926: 150 Years Old

    The roaring 20s were in full swing and once again Philadelphia was the place to be! Another World’s Fair, 50 years after the first, was held to celebrate the Sesquicentennial.

    Locally, it seems almost nothing was organized to mark the day, aside from a few baseball games. During what ended up being a rainy weekend, the people of Fredericksburg kept it lowkey.[8]

    Ferry Farm remained in private hands as a functioning modern farm, as it had for most of its history after the Washingtons. [9] The farmer James Colbert, although there were no recorded celebrations on the land that day, was at least aware that he lived and worked where George Washington grew up. People could come and view some of the unearthed foundations and standing buildings on the grounds, although only a few are now dated to the 18th century.

    Aerial view of Fredericksburg showing Ferry Farm in the lower left side, 1927. Fredericksburg Area Museum Collection.

    At Kenmore, however, we can begin to say with certainty how the day was marked; the Kenmore Association had finally acquired the house and successfully preserved it! Many people stopped in that weekend to tour the house and see where they were in their restoration process.

    During the rest of the year, Kenmore even had some involvement on the national level of celebration! To bring nation-wide attention to the historic site there was an exhibit in the Hall of States Virginia space at the World’s Fair. It showcased a scale replica of the house’s portico. This display was well received, winning second place in exhibits.

    Left: Kenmore’s exhibit at the Philadelphia Exposition, GWF Collection. Right: Kenmore’s medal of award, GWF Collection.

    July 4th, 1976: 200 Years Old

    We’re now reaching the point that some of our readers can recall, the nation’s bicentennial in 1976. Instead of one large exposition, the American Revolution Bicentennial Administration was founded to spread the commemoration across the country.[10]

    American Revolution Bicentennial Logo, Wikimedia Commons.

    Fredericksburg was no exception, festivities were planned for the whole year leading up to the fourth, and a massive weekend celebration took place across town. A parade stretched down Princess Anne Street and many organizations, clubs, and local figures marched in it. Historic sites like Kenmore were open all day for tours, showcasing local history intertwining with the nation’s.[11]

    Left: The Bicentennial Parade on Princess Anne Street, the Free Lance -Star. Right: Russell Bastedo, former director of the Kenmore Association, posing next to a Kenmore cake, Central Rappahannock Heritage Center collection.

    After the parade, folks headed down to the city dock where the Historic Fredericksburg Foundation and the Fredericksburg Bicentennial Commission hosted a carnival.

    Newspaper advertisement for the city dock carnival, The Free Lance-Star.

    Visitors could try their hand at throwing a coin (in this case, a washer) across the river onto Ferry Farm’s shore, like George Washington was said to have done as a boy [12] If our team of archaeologists started digging in the river, I suspect they would find quite a few of those washers today!

    July 4th, 2026: 250 Years Old

    This year is perhaps one of the most celebrated milestones yet, since the excitement seems to increase with each passing decade. We are all coming together to commemorate the birth of our United States once more, and this time much of the focus is on elevating voices that have previously been ignored and celebrating histories that were once forgotten. We’ve come a long way from the private and solemn affairs of 200 years ago!

    America 250 logo.

    I’m happy to say that, finally, Ferry Farm will get its place in the sun on this holiday. Our foundation’s Fourth of July celebration will be taking place on Saturday, July 4th at the boyhood home of George Washington, the land that shaped who he became. For those of you reading this today, we hope to see you there. For those of you reading this in the future, let’s do it all again for 2076!

    Sarah Alden, Manager of Visitor Services and Interpretation

    [1] (National Archives Foundation, 2025)

    [2] (The Fiftieth Anniversary of American Independence, 1826)

    [3] Mutual Assurance Society, plat for policy 4239, November or December 1822, to Samuel Gordon; plat for policy 6126, 31 December 1829, to Samuel Gordon; plat for policy 6126, 31 December 1829, to Samuel Gordon; and plat for policy 9313, 15 November 1836, to Samuel Gordon; Virginia State Library, Richmond, Virginia; reproduced in Troup, pp. 146-151.

    [4] (Chapman)

    [5] (National Archives Foundation, 2025)

    [6] (The Fourth of July, 1876, 1876)

    [8] (The Daily Star, 1926)

    [9] (Warren, 1999)

    [10] (National Archives Foundation, 2025)

    [11] (Nichols, 1976)

    [12] (Nichols, 1976)

    Special thanks to the team at Historic Fredericksburg Foundation, The Virginiana Room at the Fredericksburg Library, and Central Rappahannock Heritage Center for providing access to their collections and assisting in the research process.

     

  • 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 compiled a list of scary stories, supernatural stories, ghost stories, folklore, and legends that were either written in or set in Colonial America.  This era provided a perfect setting for the development of American horror. Europe had ancient castles, ruins of abandoned abbeys, and moody wind-swept moors to inspire centuries of writers and storytellers.  America had isolated settlers, a strict, religiously controlled society, and an untamed wilderness where any evil could lurk. It was fertile ground for witches, devils, the supernatural, cryptids, and folklore. 

    Witches and the Devil

    The earliest stories date back to the start of America when Puritan communities were on constant guard for the devil, who was a very real and imminent threat.

    In his book Memorable Providences Relating to Witchcrafts and Possessions (1689), Cotton Mather tells stories about incidents involving witches, from the haunting of the children of Boston mason John Goodwin to the murder of Mr. Philip Smith to Mary Johnson and her dealings with the devil at Hartford. 

    Cotton Mather, Puritan minister, author, and no doubt a blast at parties. Columbia University

    Witch hysteria came to America while fading out across much of Europe, with the deadliest event being the notorious Salem Witch Trials in 1692/1693.   

    The Mather family (Father: Increase, Son: Cotton) again intervened after the trials to defend the judges’ actions, review the cases, and add further accounts of documented supernatural incidents. Cotton’s book Wonders of the Invisible World (1693) looks at the cases that eventually led to convictions and death and defends them by giving accounts of similar trials heard by Judge Sir Matthew Hale.

    Increase Mather, father of Cotton, a Puritan minister, Harvard graduate who is not mad just very disappointed in you celebrating Halloween. The University of Virginia

    Increase Mather’s An Essay for the Recording of Illustrious Providences (1694) provides a remarkable account of accidents, apparitions, and unaccountable phenomena.  Mather retells the tale of a woman being molested by spirits, a maid possessed by evil, and even a house haunted by a demon. 

    Lithobolia: or, the Stone-Throwing Devil (1698), written by Richard Chamberlayne, is a tale that is considered an early example of supernatural horror writing and what many say is the first documented incident of witchcraft in America. The story centers around incidents of witchcraft, demonic voices, and poltergeist activity that take place at a tavern in New Hampshire in 1682.  Increase Mather mentions the story in Illustrious Providence when documenting the spread of witchcraft before the Salem trials.

    The beginning of American supernatural horror

    Wieland: or, The Transformation: An American Tale (1798) by Charles Brockden Brown is often considered the first American “Gothic” novel.  Gothic means a story characterized by an atmosphere of fear, supernatural occurrences, and often a return of horrible past events and their effects on the present.

    Wieland takes place in Colonial America between the French and Indian War and the American Revolution.  It is a psychological horror story that involves religious fanaticism, family, the supernatural, mental illness, deception, and murder. 

    American Legends

    One of the most well-known legends often told at Halloween is Washington Irving’s The Legend of Sleepy Hollow (1820). Set in Sleepy Hollow, New York, in 1790, it involves pedagogue Ichabod Crane in his competition for the affections of Katrina Van Tassel.  After hearing the legend of the Headless Horseman at a harvest party, Crane makes his way home only to be confronted by the dead Hessian mercenary. 

    Ichabod Crane being chased by the Headless Horseman. Historic Hudson Valley

    Another legend from Irving’s book Tales of a Traveller (1824) is that of Captain William Kidd. Captain Kidd was a Scottish privateer who lived in New York City. The governor of New York, Massachusetts Bay, and New Hampshire commissioned him to hunt down pirates and enemy French ships in the Indian Ocean.  Unfortunately, by the time he made it back to America, the political views had shifted, and he was arrested for piracy in Boston and shipped to England to stand trial.  There, in 1701, he was found guilty, hung not once but twice as the rope broke the first time, then gibbeted and displayed over the River Thames.  Kidd supposedly haunts many places around New York City, his beloved adopted city.

    Captain William Kidd gibbeted on London Dock. The Pirates Own Book

    Another of Irving’s tales, The Devil and Tom Walker, takes place in Massachusetts, where Captain Kidd supposedly buried some of his treasure.  In 1727, Tom Walker, the elderly miser, meets “Old Scratch” at the swamp while walking in an abandoned Wampanoag fortress.  “Old Scratch” offers Walker the riches in the swamp buried by Kidd for a price (his soul).  Then, it explores everything that happens when someone realizes their immortal soul no longer belongs to them and when it comes time to pay the price.

    The Devil and Tom Walker. The Cleveland Museum of Art

    Even George Washington is mentioned in one ghost story by Nathaniel Hawthorne in his book In Colonial Days when discussing the legends of Old Province House. Howe’s Masquerade follows Governor Howe as he throws a costume party on the eve of the siege of Boston (April 19, 1775)—guests dressed in rags representing Washington and his generals.  Howe and their guests are confronted with a ghostly funeral march of Puritan governors, illustrating the death knell of royal authority and a bad omen for the British in the upcoming battle.

    Old Province House, Boston. The Memorial History of Boston

    American Cryptids

    W.F. Mayer’s In the Pines (1859) explores the beginnings of the Jersey Devil. Deborah Leeds’s thirteenth child was born in 1736 in the Pine Barrens in New Jersey. Soon after birth, the child suddenly turned into a horrible wyvern-like creature with a goat’s head, leathery bat-like wings, horns, small arms with clawed hands, legs with cloven hooves, and a forked or pointed tail.

    The Jersey Devil has haunted the Pine Barrens since being spotted in 1820, 1841, 1909, 1925, 1937, 1951, and as late as 1960.

    The Jersey Devil as seen in 1904

    So, sit back with some Halloween candy and enjoy some scary colonial stories on this fine autumn evening. 

    Heather Baldus

    Collection Manager

  • “The Spirit of ’76”: Lafayette’s Visits Fredericksburg on His American Tour

    In 1824, the United States was approaching its national jubilee—50 years of independence. President James Monroe, looking to create a wave of patriotism and celebration, invited the last surviving General of the American Revolutionary War, an American hero and icon, to take a grand tour of the country revitalizing the “spirit of 1776.” That American hero was…a French aristocrat with a painfully long name of Marie-Joseph Paul Yves Roch Gilbert du Motier de La Fayette, the Marquis de Lafayette.

    1824 portrait of Lafayette by Ary Scheffer is currently in the U.S. House of Representatives

    I won’t go into General Lafayette’s exploits, heroism, and leadership during his time in the Continental Army, but the young man was impressive and quickly became an adopted countryman.

    Lafayette being heroic at the Battle of Brandywine, artist Charles Henry Jeens

    However, we will talk about his American tour, particularly his stop in Fredericksburg.

    Lafayette arrived in New York on August 15, 1824, after setting sail on a merchant packet Cadmus from Le Havre with much disapproval from Louis XVIII, the King of France.  But royal condemnation from Louis XVI (Louis XVIII’s elder brother) hadn’t stopped him from setting sail for America in 1777, and it didn’t stop him in 1824.

    Lafayette arrived in Fredericksburg on the evening of November 20th. He was first received at the parade grounds by two companies of Riflemen, the Washington Guards, and the whole Marine Band from Washington. Then they all commenced in a long column toward town, gaining excited townspeople on horses as they continued down Hanover Street toward Caroline.    (Merchant, 1824) (Levasseur, 1829)

    Cover page of the book by Rufus B. Merchant documenting Lafayette visit, 1825

    The procession made it to the Town Hall, which was festooned with evergreens and flowers. There, it was met by a battalion of little boys called Lafayette Cadets, dressed in sharp white uniforms with red trim. After a quick welcome speech from the mayor, the general was led into the Hall, where he was greeted by a group of garlanded young girls singing his praises. 

    Fredericksburg’s Town Hall, 1814-1816

    The general was then whisked off to his accommodations provided by Mr. James Ross to enjoy refreshments and a “handsome” dinner. At nine o’clock, Lafayette, the Mayor, and Colonel Mercer were taken to the Farmer’s Hotel (west corner of Caroline and Hanover Streets) to partake in a grand welcome ball for a few hours until he retired, presumably exhausted from the day’s activities. (Merchant, 1824) (Crookshanks, 2018)

    On Sunday, the general, his son, and Mr. La Vasseur visited the Freemasons at the Fredericksburg Lodge, No. 4. In addition to observing the solemn and profound ceremonies, Lafayette was elected an honorary member in the Old Lodge Room.  (Masonic Lodge No. 4, 2024)

    Masonic punch bowl used during the reception for the General
    Masonic Lodge No. 4, about a hundred years after Lafayette’s visit.

    The assemblage of Masonic Brethren, civil authorities, military officers, Lafayette, and company was escorted to St. George’s Episcopal Church to enjoy an excellent discourse delivered by the Reverend Edward C. McGuire, also a Mason. 

    Interior of St. George’s Episcopal Church
    St. George’s Episcopal Church, Established 1720

    The general then spent the evening in the company of Washington relatives at Captain Robert Lewis’s, then retired to his lodging early at 9 o’clock.  As Monday morning arrived, Lafayette was paraded to the town hall in a chariotee drawn by four white horses, where he was greeted by a crowd of ladies who occupied his time until he was led away for a sumptuous dinner at Mr. Gray’s Tavern.  After a few hours of delicious food, songs, and speeches, the general was loaded into a carriage for the final time as he continued his journey to Washington. (Dovetail Cultural Resource Group, 2006)  

    Foundation of Mr. Gray’s tavern (Indian Queen Tavern) located on the current Marriott Hotel site.

    Lafayette’s time in Fredericksburg might have been short this trip, but it gave the city a last chance to thank and honor a valued friend who had been a champion for America and helped fight for this country’s freedom.

    The city will again celebrate General Lafayette’s visit with a Commemoration Weekend on November 23rd and 24th. The weekend will open with a recreation of Lafayette’s arrival at the Old Town Hall, including period music and costumed participants. A reception line with the General will follow it. There will also be a Lafayette Ball on Saturday night, where participants can dress in their finest Regency garb and dance the night away (until 9 p.m.) with the General and President Monroe. 

    Additional Saturday events include tours of the historic Masonic Lodge No. 4.  Learn about the history of George Washington’s Mother Lodge and the fraternity’s importance to the general and see rare artifacts like the original punch bowl used during Lafayette’s visit.  For more information and tour hours, visit the Masonic Lodge No. 4 website. 

    Sunday will start with recreating Lafayette’s Masonic welcome, with historical speeches and a unique ceremony. There will be additional Lodge tours from 1 to 4 p.m. At noon, a historic church service at St. George’s Episcopal Church will be reminiscent of that performed by Rev Edward McGuire. Lastly, back at the Masonic Lodge from 2 to 3 p.m., historian Chris Ruli will give a lecture discussing his forthcoming book, “Brother Lafayette,” which examines the Marquis’ connection to the ancient fraternity.

    Finally, if you have some extra time on the weekend, stop by the Fredericksburg Area Museum and see their exhibit “Lafayette’s World: Revolutionary Ideals and the Limits of Freedom,” which explores Lafayette’s ideas on freedom, democracy, and abolitionism. 

    If you can’t attend the weekend events but still want to see exclusive artifacts related to Lafayette’s visit, including the extraordinary punch bowl of Masonic Lodge No. 4, stop by the Kenmore Visitor’s Center, check out our new exhibit, take a tour of the house and learn all about Fielding and Betty Lewis. 

    Friend of the Family – Lafayette’s Visit to America, Kenmore Visitor’s Center

    Heather Baldus

    Collections Manager

  • 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 a big deal about it. 

    In honor of the upcoming birthday, we decided to look at some of the memorabilia in our collection created to celebrate and educate the American public.   

    George Washington Bicentennial Commission

    The planning for this celebration started early when Calvin Coolidge signed a joint resolution that established a commission to oversee the bicentennial ceremonies on Dec 2, 1924.  The resolution was to mark the occasion of the birthday across the country and increase the understanding of Washington. (George Washington Bicentennial Commission, 1932)  Under the direction of Representative Sol Bloom, an experienced entertainment promoter who got his start at the 1893 World’s Colombian Exposition, the committee initiated thousands of events, released educational resources for students, and had plays written in honor of Washington. (Larson, 2004)

    Handbook of the George Washington Appreciation Course for Teachers and Students
    “Washington Takes the Risk”, including George Washington, Fielding Lewis, and Betty Washington Lewis

    The commission additionally worked with over 250,000 local commissions to organize special events at not only a federal level but a state and city too. (The Washington Post, 1932) Special volunteers and prominent local people were often given commemorative metals as thanks for their service.  We have one from the state of New York.  It is a circular bronze medal attached to a blue and white ribbon.  The back of the medal states, “1779 / Planned Sullivan / Clinton Campaign 1782 / Newburgh Temple Hill / Refused a crown / 1789 April 30th / New York City / Inaugurated first / President of the / United States.” 

    The medal is encased in a paper envelope with “New York State / George Washington Bicentennial Commission / In appreciation of / Services generously / Rendered to the / Commission / During / 1932” written on the front along with the signature Charles Tobin, chairman representing New York state on the Bicentennial Commission. 

    New York State George Washington Bicentennial Commission, 1932
    New York State George Washington Bicentennial Commission Medal, 1932
    New York State George Washington Bicentennial Commission Medal, 1932

    Historical Context Help: The Sullivan-Clinton campaign was ordered by George Washington in response to the 1778 attacks by the Iroquois and British in central New York.  Newburgh Temple Hill was a Continental Army encampment near Washington’s headquarters, where he gave a speech to quell the mass of soldiers who were getting ready to mutiny and attack Congress to get their promised back pay and pensions. Finally, in 1789, George was sworn in as President at Federal Hall in New York City.

    Calling All Philatelists

    Washington Post, Jan 2, 1932

    The U.S. Post Office became involved in the commemoration of George with the release of a dozen stamps celebrating his life.   The stamps were incredibly popular, and when they were first released for sale in D.C., there was a crowd of 50,000 people waiting to get their set of stamps. (The Washington Post, 1932)

    Commemoration celebrating George Washington’s visit to Kenmore on April 8, 1791, as part of the birthday celebrations. Note the stamps.
    Commemoration of George Washington’s birth at Wakefield. Note the stamps.

    Marketing George

    Private companies even got in on Washington-mania by releasing all types of souvenirs like postcards, pins, coins, bottles, calendars, cigar box covers, books and pamphlets, hat stands, billheads, stationary, cartes-de-visite, playing cards, and puzzles. (Subseries 5.8. Washington’s Birthday, Bicentennial Souvenirs, 1931-1932 , 2024)

    We have two bottles created for the Bicentennial celebration.  The green water bottle has a likeness of George with “Washington/Bicentennial” underneath the image and 1732 and 1932 written on the sides.  The water bottle was produced by the Hemingway Glass Company in Muncie, Indiana. 

    Bicentennial glass bottle, Hemingway Glass Co., 1932
    Bicentennial glass bottle, Hemingway Glass Co., 1932

    The clear pear-shaped bottle is embossed on one side with a cherry tree and the dates “1732 and 1932”.  On the other, with a profile of Washington.  It was created by the Owens-Illinois Glass Co. of Huntington, West Virginia.

    Bicentennial bottle with George Washington profile. Owens-Illinois Glass Co., 1932.
    Bicentennial bottle with cherry tree. Owens-Illinois Glass Co., 1932

    Plates were another big commemorative item.  We have three plates issued by Crown Ducal, with the same scene of “Washington and his Mother” based on the print of the same name.  On the back with the Crown Ducal crest, it says, “George Washington Bicentenary Memorial Plates / 1732-1932 / First in War / First in Peace / First in the hearts of his countrymen”.  Crown Ducal released a series of twelve plates documenting Washington’s life.  Of course, we are a little biased and like the one with his mother, Mary Ball Washington, the best.

    Some companies even brought in Mrs. Martha Washington, like this set of plates from the Capital Souvenir Company.  These are two round commemorative plates depicting George and Martha Washington, both with an elaborate floral gilded border.

    George and Martha plate set, Capital Souvenir Company, 1932.
    George and Martha plate set, Capital Souvenir Company, 1932.

    Fun Bicentennial Fact:  On the eve of the birthday, Sears Roebuck was awarded a commission by the U.S. government to create a full-scale replica of Mount Vernon at the Exposition Coloniale Internationale in Paris.  The agreed-upon price was around $75,000, and every detail of the home was reproduced from brass hardware, mantelpieces, and even cabinets.  After the exposition, the house was bought by an American doctor working in Paris, and it was relocated to Vaucresson (a western suburb of Paris).  It still stands today as a private residence and was even on the market in 2012 for 27 million dollars.     

    George Washington’s Mount Vernon in Paris, France,1932
    George’s Mount Vernon in Vaucresson, France today

    Sears Roebuck also built the exact replica in Prospect Park, Brooklyn, NYC for the Bicentennial Commission. However, the house was not taken care of and boarded up and abandoned until it was eventually torn down. (The Brooklyn Daily Eagle, 1933) 

    Sears’ role in the reconstruction of Mount Vernon led to interest in their kit homes.  In 1932, they offered a house in their catalog, loosely based on Mount Vernon.  This model was oddly called “The Jefferson”.

    Sears Roebuck house kit “The Jefferson” which strangely resembles Mount Vernon.

    While we may not have as many George souvenirs, we are still putting on a big birthday party to celebrate George Washington and his time at Ferry Farm. 

    The party is on Monday, February 19th from 10am – 3 pm.  While enjoying the grounds of Ferry Farm, you can take a selfie with “George Washington,” participate in our annual stone-throwing contest, play colonial games, and eat birthday cupcakes (while supplies last).

    Additionally, guests can enjoy several educational stations, take an abbreviated Washington House tour, and talk with archaeologists, historians, and other experts to learn about Ferry Farm and the Washington Family.

    Heather Baldus

    Collections Manager

    References

    George Washington Bicentennial Commission. (1932). History of the George Washington Bicentennial Celebration. Washington D.C.

    Larson, E. (2004). The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair That Changed America. New York City: Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group.

    Subseries 5.8. Washington’s Birthday, Bicentennial Souvenirs, 1931-1932 . (2024). Retrieved from The George Washington Presidential Library at Mount Vernon: https://archives.mountvernon.org/repositories/3/archival_objects/14635

    The Brooklyn Daily Eagle. (1933, June 14). Fate in Doubt On Park Replica of Mt. Vernon. The Brooklyn Daily Eagle, p. 5.

    The Washington Post. (1932, January 2). 50,000 Stand In Line to Get New Stamps. The Washington Post, p. 1.

    The Washington Post. (1932, January 5). Bicentennial Stamps Profit. The Washington Post, p. 6.

  • What’s on your Thanksgiving table?

    Thanksgiving is next week, and families and friends across the United States will gather again to celebrate the past year’s blessings. 

    Days for giving thanks have been proclaimed throughout history for many reasons – most often to celebrate a bountiful summer or fall harvest, the end of a war, or even the beginning of a new nation. George Washington proclaimed a one-time day of Thanksgiving on Thursday, November 26, 1789, “to be devoted by the People of these States to the service of that great and glorious Being, … for the civil and religious liberty with which we are blessed, and the means we have of acquiring and diffusing useful knowledge; and in general for all the great and various favors which he hath been pleased to confer upon us.”.

    The 1769 Thanksgiving Day Proclamation by George Washington

    Individual states have proclaimed specific Thanksgiving days throughout the nation’s early years. Still, it wasn’t until 1863 when President Abraham Lincoln issued a proclamation designating the last Thursday of November “as a day of Thanksgiving” to be observed by all “fellow citizens in every part of the United States.” The nation was still suffering through the Civil War. Lincoln included a remembrance of “all those who have become widows, orphans, mourners or sufferers in the lamentable civil strife in which we are unavoidably engaged, and fervently implore the interposition of the Almighty Hand to heal the wounds of the nation and to restore it as soon as may be consistent with the Divine purposes to the full enjoyment of peace, harmony, tranquillity, and Union.”

    1863 Thanksgiving Day Proclamation by President Abraham Lincoln

    As the traditional vision of Thanksgiving is based upon the 1621 New England harvest feast shared by the Pilgrims of Plymouth, Massachusetts, and their new friends, the Wampanoag tribe, the November holiday is associated with an abundance and display of fall harvest foods. A table laden with a wide spread of traditional foodstuffs is the norm, but what’s underneath all that food is what I’m interested in!

    Jennie Brownscombe’s 1925 very idealized version of the first Thanksgiving

    Our best china! Sometimes, it’s Grandma’s china, brought out of the basement, dusted, and cleaned off for the occasion. Other times, it’s our wedding china, if you are of that generation that still wants or received wedding china. Other times, it’s unique dishes made and decorated for the occasion (think turkey-shaped plates!). Dinner plates, salad and butter plates, serving platters and bowls, condiment vessels, punch bowls, sauceboats for the gravy, dessert plates, tea, and coffee services, crustal wine glasses – the variety can be tremendous, and the different table wares are utilized to display and serve specific foods and finished dishes.

    Turkey Plate if that’s your thing.
    Turkey shaped gravy boat and cranberry sauce dish…an absolute necessity on a Thanksgiving table

    Mary Washington, as a member of the gentry class in Colonial Virginia, would have been well-versed in setting a stylish dinner table for family and guests. Formal dining habits during the 18th century slowly evolved to dinners consisting of multiple courses of food prepared and served in a more elaborate and complicated fashion. Cookbooks of the age detailed the possible menus for different seasons and even produced drawings of how each course’s dishes were laid out on the table. Elizabeth Rafferty’s 1769 The Experienced English Housekeeper includes a copperplate drawing illustrating one such arrangement for the second course of a dinner. Hours could be spent looking up how some of her dishes were prepared, such as “Pistacha Cream,” “Potted Lampreys,” or “Transparent Pudding Covered With a Silver Web.”

    Second course dinner layout from The Experienced English Housekeeper, 1769

    Fragments of highly specialized ceramics excavated at Ferry Farm, the plantation Mary called home for much of her life, speak to her efforts to set a stylish table for guests. Numerous highly decorated (molded or painted) creamware vessels, including sauceboats, plates, platters, oval and round serving bowls, condiment bowls, casters, serving spoons, and tea wares, are in our collection and speak to the refinement of her table. Porcelain was the most desirous of tablewares, but its sheer expense was prohibitive for Mary except for limited items, such as teawares. Creamware, however, was within her budget and was extremely fashionable during the third quarter of the eighteenth century in English society.

    Mary also had a fancy white salt-glazed stoneware fruit dish in her collection. This dish, and possibly an accompanying pierced bowl, would serve local and non-local produce such as grapes, figs, oranges, pineapples, apples, peaches, and pears. Fresh fruit, especially during off-season times, was expensive as it had to be shipped in from warmer climates. However, its presence on the table indicated a measure of wealth and, consequently, status within the gentry lifestyle. Mary needed to maintain her gentry status for herself, but more importantly, for her children and their future success in the stratified society in which they lived.

    Dish, 1760-1775 in Kenmore Collection
    Fragments of a white salt-glazed fruit dish excavated at Ferry Farm

    So, what’s on your table this Thanksgiving?

    Judy Jobrack

    Archaeology Field Director

  • Cooking up holiday treats: Gingerbread and Flip

    This year at our annual Twelfth-Night celebrations, visitors could enter the kitchen for a short lecture and demonstration. The archaeology and curatorial teams gave the talks to explain two important food items that play a part in Kenmore’s history and the holiday, gingerbread and flip.

    Our first demonstration was done by Emma Schlauder, Research Archaeologist at the Foundation. She used a traditional recipe based on Mary Washington’s gingerbread. This is the recipe that the Kenmore Association and the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) would use in partnering with Hills Brothers Company to create the Dromedary Gingerbread Mix. The mix was sold in the gift shop and shipped around the country, raising money for the restoration of Kenmore.[1] 

    Emma Schlauder giving a presentation on gingerbread.

    Mary Washington’s Gingerbread Recipe

    3 cups all-purpose flour

    2 tablespoons ground ginger

    1 teaspoon cream of tartar

    1 teaspoon baking soda

    1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

    ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg

    ⅛ teaspoon ground mace

    1 large orange

    ½ cup (1 stick) lightly salted butter, at room temperature

    ½ cup light brown sugar, firmly packed

    1 cup molasses

    ½ cup warm milk

    1 wineglass (2 ounces) brandy or coffee

    3 large eggs, beaten

    Gingerbread is a term applied to a wide-ranging selection of baked goods with combinations of spices such as ginger, cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg and sweetened with honey, sugar, or molasses.[2]

    Ingredients and spices for gingerbread

    Emma’s gingerbread used the traditional American sweetener, molasses.[3]  Molasses was a commonly used sweetener in early American cooking until the increase of domestic sugar production. Molasses was cheap and a by-product of the refined white sugar produced for the wealthy.[4]

    After including all ingredients, it was mixed to create a runny batter. The batter was put into a cast-iron Dutch oven and hung over the fire to cook. Cooking and baking over the hearth was time-consuming and potentially dangerous. It was done with heavy cast-iron pots and pans, often hung over the fire by an iron bar in the back of the oven.[5]  Luckily for us, Emma had taken precautions for cooking over the open hearth and was able to bake the runny batter into a dense gingery cake. The cake was enjoyed by many and was determined to be a must-have for the season.

    Gingerbread cooking over the fire

    Flip

    Our next presentation was done by Mara Kaktins, our Archaeologist & Lab Manager, and explored the history and ingredients of a unique drink called flip that would have fit in quite well with the festive celebrations.

    The first known mention of flip is from a 17th-century play called “Love for Love” by William Congreve when a character mentions sailors, stating, “We’re merry folks, we sailors: we han’t much to care for. Thus, we live at sea; eat biscuit, and drink flip.”[6]  The play does not provide us with a recipe or ingredients for the drink.

    Flip –Universal Etymological English Dictionary

    Flip is mentioned in the Universal Etymological English Dictionary, first published in 1721. This definition offers more information about what the drink contains by stating, “Flip, a sort of Sailors Drink, made of Ale, Brandy and Sugar.”[7] Full recipes can be found in The Cook’s Oracle, published in 1822; How to Mix Drinks: Or The Bon-vivant’s Companion, published in 1862; and The Curiosity of Ale and Beer: An Entertaining History, published in 1889. These recipes contain spices and ingredients like eggs, rum, sugar, and orange juice.[8][9][10]

    Ingredients to make flip: Rum, Whiskey, Sugar, Nutmeg, Orange Juice, Eggs

    However, two things make flip different from other holiday drinks like eggnog. First, there is no cream used in the mixture[11] , and second, flip is traditionally mixed by pouring the drink between two different vessels to make sure all the eggs are combined with the alcohol and then plunging a hot iron into the drink to create froth.[12] [13] 

    Instructions state, “To make a quart of Flip: Put the Ale on the fire to warm, – and beat up three or four Eggs with four ounces of moist Sugar, a teaspoonful of grated Nutmeg or Ginger, and a quarters of good old Rum or Brandy. When the Ale is near boil, put it into one pitcher, and the Rum and Eggs, &c. into another; – turn it from one pitcher to another till it is as smooth as cream.”[14] After the mixture is properly combined, it is poured into a cup or tankard and finished off by plunging a hot iron which further mulled and froths the drink and gives it a slightly burnt taste.[15]

    Mara Kaktins finishing off a glass of flip with the hot poker

    This drink was mixed many times throughout the Twelfth night and was sampled by the staff. Unlike the gingerbread, the reviews for this frothy drink weren’t all that positive. Our modern palates might not be used to the amount of alcohol colonists use to consume. Sadly, while this drink was a hit during George’s festive season, traditional eggnog would be the best bet for the holidays. 

    These two demonstrations were quite a hit, with a sold-out crowd attending the show. With such a positive response, the archaeology and curatorial departments are looking for more ways to introduce living history to visitors. After gingerbread and flip, the possibilities are endless.       

    Heather Baldus, Collections Manager

    [1] Bryn, Ann. American Cake. Rodale Books, 2016, pg 26.

    [2] Goldstein, Darra. The Oxford Companion to Sugar and Sweets. Oxford University Press, 2015. pg 632

    [3] Bryn, Ann. American Cake. Rodale Books, 2016, pg 24.

    [4] Ibid, pg 12.

    [5] Ibid, pg 16.

    [6] Scene V, The Literature Network, http://www.online-literature.com/congreve/love-for-love/44/

    [7] Bailey, Nathan. Universal Etymological English Dictionary. London, T. Osborne, 1763

    [8] Kitchiner, William. The Cook’s Oracle and Housekeeper’s Manual. New York, J. & J. Harper, 1830

    [9] Thomas, Jerry. How to Mix Drinks: Or The Bon-vivant’s Companion. New York, Dick & Fitzgerald Publishers, 1862

    [10] Bickerdyke, John. The Curiosities of Ale and Beer: An Entertaining History. London, Swan Sonnenschein & Co., 1889

    [11] Garret, Dylan. The New York Flip, Wine Enthusiast, https://www.winemag.com/recipe/new-york-flip/

    [12] Thomas, Jerry. How to Mix Drinks: Or The Bon-vivant’s Companion. New York, Dick & Fitzgerald Publishers, 1862

    [13] Curtis, Wayne. And a bottle of rum: A history of the new world in ten cocktails. New York, Broadway Books, 2007

    [14] Kitchiner, William. The Cook’s Oracle and Housekeeper’s Manual. New York, J. & J. Harper, 1830

    [15] Curtis, Wayne. And a bottle of rum: A history of the new world in ten cocktails. New York, Broadway Books, 2007

  • Summertime Fun: Colonial June Fair

    Ask someone to list traditional summertime activities, and they will probably mention picnics, family reunions, beach vacations, mountain getaways, and baseball games. Their list is likely to include going to the fair as well.  The fair as a summer pastime is a long tradition and, like many American traditions, can be traced back to the age of Washington.

    In 1738, Augustine Washington moved his wife Mary and their five children, including six-year-old George, to Ferry Farm on the Rappahannock River opposite Fredericksburg, Virginia.  Coincidentally, in the same year, the colony’s General Assembly authorized two fairs to be held each year in Fredericksburg.[1]  This act built on an earlier ordinance passed in 1705, allowing for ‘markets and fairs’ as a necessary and civilizing element of early Virginian society.

    Although other cities held fairs, Fredericksburg was one of the few that had a fair in June.  Sometimes called June Fair, it was one of the oldest and largest in the colony.  June Fair and other fairs were “first and foremost a market ‘for the sale and vending of all manner of cattle, victuals, provisions, goods, wares, and merchandizes.’ Prizes, ‘or bounties,’ were sometimes offered for the best stock and poultry”.[2]

    Although this painting depicts a busy London agricultural market in the early 1700s, a similar hustle and bustle likely filled Fredericksburg during June Fair.  Covent Garden (1726) by Pieter Angillis, 1685–1734, Flemish, active in Britain (from ca. 1715), Oil on copper. Pubic domain. Credit: Yale Center for British Art, Paul Mellon Collection.

    Fairs were about more than agriculture, however. The importance of a summer fair was its ability to gather people from all over the surrounding counties to a single central location to conduct business and government and offer social interactions and entertainment.  In an agricultural colony such as Virginia, homes and plantations were very distant. People hardly saw anyone besides their immediate neighbors and family members for much of the year.  Most colonial Virginians traveled no more than fifty miles from home in their lifetimes. This made for an isolated existence focused on the constant attendance of crops. However, during natural seasonal breaks, farmers traveled to a town to sell those crops at the fair.

    Fairs were not just for farmers to sell. Court sessions, also known as ‘Public Times,’ often coincided with fairs. Soon merchants and entertainers saw the opportunity in the large numbers of people gathered together at the fair. Many people got paid or, more likely, an increase in credit and ready money made the fair a natural time to celebrate, entertain, gamble, and socialize.

    Among the amusements common to colonial-era fairs, “contests for prizes . . . in cudgeling, wrestling, manual-exercises, foot-racing, dancing, singing, violin-playing, greased-pig-chasing, etc. Prizes were offered to the most beautiful maid.  In towns large enough to warrant their attention, companies of actors sometimes arranged to give plays during fairs. Such plays, however, were held at the local playhouse or theatre, and not on the market square, where the fair usually took place”.[3]

    For example, in 1752, an acting troupe known as “THE Company of COMEDIANS, from the new Theatre at Williamsburg, propose[d] … to proceed to Fredericksburg, to play during the Continuance of June Fair.” The troupe hoped “That all Gentlemen and Ladies, who are Lovers of Theatrical Entertainments, will favour us with their Company.”[4]

    Advertisement in The Virginia Gazette announcing the appearance of the Company of Comedians at June Fair in 1752.

    The fair brought people together to conduct more than agricultural business.  Indeed, “the fair was also a place where men met to make and pay debts. Land, houses, storehouses, and personal property were offered for sale at fairs — privately and by public auction”.[5]

    During June Fair in 1751, 19-year-old George Washington auctioned off two of his lots in Fredericksburg.  His announcement of the sale in The Virginia Gazette offered the lots, “where Mr. Doncastle and Mr. Black lately kept Tavern, next June Fair, to the highest Bidder, for Cash or Bills. Eight Months Credit will be allow’d on giving Security, as usual” and was signed “George Washington.”[6]

    Announcement placed in The Virginia Gazette by George Washington announcing his intention to auction off two lots of his land in Fredericksburg at June Fair in 1751.

    A decade later, at June Fair in 1760, George’s account ledger shows him paying Fielding Lewis £40.  Furthermore, just a few days before paying his debt to brother-in-law Fielding, George also race, both popular fair activities. [7]

    Indeed, “the most popular attractions of the fairs in Virginia and Maryland were the horse-races . . . held at race-tracks near the town. Purses were subscribed, and many gentlemen, who had no interest in the other activities, would attend the races”.[8]

    Gambling at the fair, mainly in the form of lotteries, even supported more noble pursuits.  At June Fair in 1769, a lottery was undertaken to raise £450 for building a new church and for purchasing an organ for that church.  The drawing was to take place on “the 7th day of JUNE next (being the first day of the Fredericksburg fair) at the town-house” and was supervised and supported by a host of the town’s luminaries including Charles Dick, Hugh Mercer, Charles Washington (George’s brother), George Weedon, and Fielding Lewis. [9]

    June Fair was a community event attended by Virginians from across the colony and brought George Washington back to his boyhood home on more than one occasion.  At the fair, Virginians sold farm goods and land, settled debts and tried court cases, enjoyed a play, and gambled on the horses.  June Fair, much like today’s summer pastimes, was a moment in the year to enjoy the summer weather and the company of neighbors, friends, and family before returning to isolated plantations and farms and the unending work of plowing, planting, and harvesting.

    Come and join our 18th-century colonial fair on Saturday, June 11, from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. There will be magic, medicine, music, and more with Dr. Balthasar’s Marvelous Miracle Medicine Show, music by Colonial Fare, colonial games, and craft activities for the kids. Admission includes access to the grounds, performances, activities, and walk-through tours of the Kenmore House. Tickets are $5 for ages five and up, and under  five are free.

    Zac Cunningham, School Programs Educator, Hampton Roads Naval Museum at Naval History and Heritage Command


    Joe Ziarko, Actor Interpreter at Colonial Williamsburg Foundation


    [1] Eighteenth Century Fairs. Colonial Williamsburg Digital Library https://research.colonialwilliamsburg.org/DigitalLibrary/view/index.cfm?doc=ResearchReports%5CRR0069.xml, pg 35. Accessed 6 June 2022

    [2] Ibid, pg 18

    [3] Ibid, pg 19

    [4] The Virginia Gazette, April 30 1752.

    [5] Eighteenth Century Fairs. Colonial Williamsburg Digital Library https://research.colonialwilliamsburg.org/DigitalLibrary/view/index.cfm?doc=ResearchReports%5CRR0069.xml, pg 18. Accessed 6 June 2022

    [6] The Virginia Gazette, 1751.

    [7] Cash Accounts, May 1760.National Archives and Records Administration https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Washington/02-06-02-0226. Accessed 6 June 2022

    [8] Eighteenth Century Fairs. Colonial Williamsburg Digital Library https://research.colonialwilliamsburg.org/DigitalLibrary/view/index.cfm?doc=ResearchReports%5CRR0069.xml, pg 19. Accessed 6 June 2022

    [9] The Virginia Gazette, 1751.

  • 1925 Dedication Day: A (Block) Party from the Past

    Spring is a busy time of year for historic house museums, as we see an influx of school groups, vacationers, and families taking advantage of the beautiful weather. This spring is an especially exciting year at Historic Kenmore since we are preparing to celebrate our centennial anniversary! As discussed in our previous blog post, it is thanks to the efforts of Emily White Fleming, her daughter Annie Fleming Smith, and the Washington Lewis DAR chapter, that Kenmore was saved from development in 1922. In honor of the centennial, we have installed a new exhibit in the Crowninshield Building Visitor Center that explores Kenmore’s preservation history. One image currently on display is a photograph from May 9, 1925, Kenmore’s dedication day.

    Dedication Day 1925

    On May 9, 1925, a dedication was held to celebrate Kenmore opening to the public. People flocked to Washington Avenue for the day’s festivities. According to the Richmond News Leader, “automobiles from all parts of the state and from other states” brought people to Fredericksburg, and “every train was crowded.”[i] Articles advertising the event can be found in local papers ranging from The Evening Star (Washington, D.C.) to the Gloucester Gazette and Northern Neck News, as well as in larger publications like The New York Times. In large block print, the Times declares: “BETTY WASHINGTON’S HOME HAS BEEN SAVED; Women of Fredericksburg, Va., Will Dedicate Kenmore on May 9.”[ii] Dedication day activities included a large parade, costume contest, and brass tunes played by the United States Marine Band. Fredericksburg school children danced the minuet; students from the Virginia State Teachers College hosted a maypole dance, and the mayor and governor gave remarks. The widespread publicity that Kenmore’s reopening received was a reflection of Americans’ growing interest in the historic preservation movement of the day. Notably, many of these early twentieth-century preservation efforts were led almost entirely by women.

    As part of our centennial celebrations (and reminiscent of Kenmore’s original dedication day), we will host a Centennial Block Party at Kenmore on Saturday, April 9th, from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm. This community event will feature tours of the house, games, crafts, stories in the garden, and more! Many of the activity tables will highlight different elements of the house that, thanks to twentieth-century preservation efforts, we are still able to appreciate today.

    Stucco Ceilings:

    Stucco Ceiling at Kenmore

    Referred to in Lewis family letters simply as “The Stucco Man,” not much is known about the craftsperson who created Kenmore’s beautiful stucco ceilings. “The Stucco Man” is responsible for the three elaborate plasterwork ceilings and two over-mantel inlays at Kenmore. In 1882, Kenmore resident William Key Howard, Jr. lay on his back atop scaffolding to clean and repair extensive damage to the original plasterwork ceilings. At our plaster activity table, visitors can try their hand at making their own “plaster” impressions or, like Howard, tracing the intricate ceiling patterns. (Scaffolding not included!)

    Flocked Wallpaper

    Flocked wallpaper in Drawing Room at Kenmore

    Vibrant green flocked wallpaper covers the walls of Kenmore’s drawing room. “Flocked” wallpaper was supposed to imitate the look of expensive damask or velvet hangings. The raised velvet-like texture was created by adhering small powdered textile particles called “flock” to the wallpaper.[iii]  At our wallpaper activity table, visitors can design their own wallpaper swatch using stamps and stencils to mimic eighteenth-century block printing techniques.

    In addition to these and other activities, throughout the event, visitors can engage with historic interpreters, curators, and archaeologists to learn more about preservation history, the Lewis and Washington families, and the enslaved men and women who lived and worked at Kenmore.

    Kenmore has a long history with many different stories to tell, and it is thanks to the twentieth-century preservation movement that we still have the physical spaces in which to bring these stories to life. Peopling these spaces is important, and our goal is to continue to preserve, uncover, and interpret the histories of all those who have passed through Kenmore. While the historic preservation field has grown and evolved since Kenmore’s dedication day in 1925, we hope that our community block party will spark a similar interest in preservation efforts and will encourage visitors to reflect on why historic preservation still matters today. What places in your own community have special meaning to you? What stories would you choose to preserve and protect for future generations?

    Ann Waters

    Manager of Interpretation and Visitor Services

    [i] ”Kenmore” is presented to U.S. as shrine. (1925, May 9). The Richmond News Leader, Number 8690 Page 1.

    [ii] Betty Washington’s home has been saved: Women of Fredericksburg, Va., Will Dedicate Kenmore on May 9. (1925, May 3). The New York Times, Section XX, Page 6. https://www.nytimes.com/1925/05/03/archives/betty-washingtons-home-has-been-saved-women-of-fredericksburg-va.html

    [iii] Victoria and Albert Museum. (n.d.). Flock Wallpaper. https://www.vam.ac.uk/articles/flock-wallpaper

  • Happy Birthday, George!

    We are excited to be celebrating George Washington’s 290th birthday (although it’s the day before his actual birth date) on President’s Day! On February 22, 1732, George was born in Westmoreland County, Virginia. Some interesting facts are associated with his birth-date and the subsequent birthday celebrations he would have as an adult. For instance, did you know that he technically has two birthdays? It’s true! Under the Julian calendar, his birth date would have been February 11, 1731. This means that his birthday was actually earlier in the month until the calendar switched to the Gregorian calendar in 1752. The Gregorian calendar added 11 days and one year to his date of birth!

    Just when did his birthday become so popular to celebrate? The earliest known date of his birthday being recognized (beyond his family) was actually during the American Revolution. It was the winter of 1778, and the soldiers were desperate to keep warm at their headquarters in Valley Forge, Pennsylvania. General Henry Knox planned the event. Clearly, General Knox did more than coordinate the movement of cannons from Canada to Boston; he apparently could also list “party planner” upon his resume.

    General Henry Knox aka “Party Planner”. Source: Wikimedia Commons

    The festivities of this inaugural birthday bash included a parade from an artillery band consisting of drums and fifes. Around this time, George was also becoming known as the “Father of his Country,” replacing King George III at every chance. For instance, the King’s birthday would no longer be listed in the Almanac. Instead, you would find the birth-date of George Washington. However, that doesn’t quite answer the question of when his birthday became an annual event on a broader scale.

    For that, we turn to everyone’s favorite statesman, whose most significant accomplishment was never being elected President of the United States despite the number of times he ran for that office. The one, the only…Henry Clay. Senator Clay was part of a joint Congressional committee that wanted to recognize the centennial of George’s birth. They decided to do this by giving themselves the day off and adjourning Congress on February 22, 1832. While not the celebration you might have imagined, it did get the ball rolling for an expanded holiday that we celebrate today.

    Senator Henry Clay. Source: Wikimedia Commons

    As the years went by, cities, states, and even Congress realized they had to do more to commemorate George’s contribution to the Nation. In 1862, yes, in the midst of the Civil War, the Senate began to read Washington’s Farewell Address each year on his birthday. In 1879, Congress made the date a federal holiday for federal employees ONLY IN DC. Though this caused confusion among those employees as some were paid for that holiday and others were not… This discrepancy was amended in 1885 when the holiday became a paid one for all DC federal workers.

    Almost 100 years after the Senate began their annual tradition of reading the Farewell Address on February 22, Congress passed the Monday Holiday law to make federal holidays more uniform. So instead of celebrating George’s birthday on February 22, it was recognized on the third Monday of the month. There are two interesting things about this law when applied to George’s birthday. First, because of February’s shortened number of days, there is no possible way for the federally observed holiday to fall on his actual birthday. Second, the holiday we all know as “President’s Day” doesn’t actually exist. It has yet to be formally changed by Congress or the President from being first recognized as “Washington’s Birthday,” which is pretty fascinating!

    If you’re looking for a fun way to celebrate George’s birthday this year, I encourage you to check out our event at Ferry Farm. For the event, we are offering tours of the reconstructed Washington House, new (and returning) crafts, a chance to meet real archeologists and learn about what they’ve found at the site, the opportunity to see if you can throw a stone as far as George supposedly could, and obviously, we’re having cupcakes because it’s a birthday party!

    This year’s event will be held on Monday, February 21, from 10 am to 3 pm, and tickets can be purchased by visiting our website. Tickets are $5 per adult (age 18+) and FREE for children (17 & unders). We encourage you to purchase your tickets in advance.

    -Amy N. Durbin, Director of Education

  • What in the World is Twelfth Night?: A Visit with the Ghost of Twelfth Night Past

    Usually, at this time of year preparations are well underway for our annual Twelfth Night at Kenmore: A Dramatic Performance.  The play takes place in January 1776, during the first Christmas season celebrated at Kenmore. Unfortunately, this year’s celebration of Twelfth Night at Kenmore is canceled due to winter weather.  However, if you are familiar with the performance, or have read some of our past blog posts, you might already know a thing or two about this once popular Christmastide holiday. While traces of Twelfth Night still exist today, the celebration is much diminished, if not entirely eclipsed, by Christmas and New Year’s. Why is this, exactly? When did we stop celebrating Twelfth Night?

    There is no single, short answer as to why Twelfth Night celebrations fell out of fashion. Rather, attitudes surrounding the Christmas season changed throughout history, and old traditions were often absorbed or re-imagined into something new. A very brief look into the history of the season sheds some light on why today’s Christmas traditions rose in popularity, while Twelfth Night celebrations became part of Christmas Past.

    Historic Kenmore on the eve of Twelfth Night. Credit: GWF Photo

    Many Christmas and Twelfth Night traditions are rooted in holidays celebrating the winter solstice. For example, Saturnalia, a holiday honoring the Roman god Saturn, took place in mid-December. During Saturnalia, the normal social order was temporarily overturned. Romans closed schools and businesses, held grand feasts, and in some families, a king or “Lord of Misrule” was chosen to rule over the household’s festivities.[1] In Scandinavia, people celebrated the winter solstice during the Nordic festival, Yule. Festivities included bonfires (or yule logs), evergreen decorations, and feasts. It wasn’t until the 4th century that the Roman church officially observed December 25th as Jesus’s birth date. Historians speculate that church officials chose this date precisely because so many popular winter celebrations occurred around that same time.[2]

    Saturnalia by Antoine Callet. Credit: Wikipedia

    If we fast forward in time, we see how some of these winter rituals were absorbed into the festivities of Twelfth Night. But first- what exactly is Twelfth Night? Typically celebrated on either January 5th or 6th, Twelfth Night, or Epiphany, is a Christian holiday that marks the end of the Twelve Days of Christmas and commemorates the Magi’s visit to Jesus. During the colonial era, the holiday season kicked off on December 25th and culminated on Twelfth Night. The twelve days after Christmas were full of games, music, dancing, feasts, and visiting with family and friends. Families often celebrated the season with a Twelfth Night Cake. Recipes called for a dried bean and pea to be baked into an elaborately decorated fruit filled cake. The man who found the bean was declared King for the night, while the woman who found the pea was declared Queen.

    Illustration of a Twelfth Night party by Robert Seymour. The woman on the far left serves pieces of a large Twelfth Cake. Credit: The Project Gutenberg

    Of course, there has always been debate surrounding how the Christmas season should be celebrated, and practices varied from place to place and person to person. In the 17th century, New England Puritans (echoing sentiments from Cromwellian England) viewed Christmastime celebrations as rowdy, excessive, and downright bacchanalian. Massachusetts went as far as to outlaw celebrations between 1659 and 1691.[3]

    The Twelfth Night party’s “King” and “Queen” sit on chairs overlooking the crowd. Dancing, drinking, and mumming (costumed acting) are in full swing. Puritans disapproved of these festive antics. Credit: Wikipedia

    During the 19th century, Queen Victoria influenced a shift in popular opinion towards a more family-focused Christmas season. In 1850, Godey’s Lady’s Book, a popular American magazine, published an image of the royal family gathered around a Christmas tree. While German immigrants had already introduced the Christmas tree tradition to America, this image fascinated the English and American public alike, and it further popularized the practice. In the American version of the print, editors removed Victoria’s tiara and Albert’s royal sash, and the group came to embody the ideal American family at Christmas.[4]

    Godey’s Lady’s Book illustration. Credit: Wikimedia Commons

    These changing ideals shaped the Christmas season during the Victorian era, and combined with rapid industrialization and commercialization, they sparked the beginning of a number of now familiar traditions. For example, improvements in mass printing technology popularized the practice of sending Christmas cards. In 1843, Charles Dickens published A Christmas Carol, a tale promoting charity, good will, and the virtues of a domestic family Christmas. Thomas Nast, who made popular the modern image of Santa Claus, published his first Santa cartoons in the 1863 edition of Harper’s Weekly.

    You might be asking, where then, does this leave the Twelve Days of Christmas and our Twelfth Night celebrations? As we’ve seen, changing ideals during the 19th century promoted a holiday season focused on children and family. Modern industry and commercialization further bolstered shopping and gift giving habits, and a twelve day holiday certainly didn’t fit within the parameters of the new industrialized era. The once twelve day celebration now culminated on one, and it was celebrated with visits from Santa and gifts for children, rather than with feasts and parties for adults.

    However, some Twelfth Night traditions live on during the modern Christmas season, albeit under new guises. Between Christmas and New Year’s, people may decorate their homes with greenery, raise a toast with a glass of wassail, or host extravagant parties with family and friends. If you visit New Orleans during the carnival season (beginning with Epiphany and ending on Mardi Gras) you might celebrate by eating “King Cake,” where the lucky person who finds the plastic baby figurine inside their piece of cake is crowned “king” for the day! That sounds a little familiar, doesn’t it?

    Ann Waters

    Manager of Interpretation and Visitor Services

    [1]“Saturnalia,” HISTORY, A&E Television Networks, Last modified December 18, 2020, Accessed December 22, 2021, https://www.history.com/topics/ancient-rome/saturnalia

    [2] Stephen Nissenbaum, The Battle for Christmas (New York: Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group, 2010), 4.

    [3] Bruce David Forbes,“Christmas,” In America’s Favorite Holidays: Candid Histories, 1st ed. (University of California Press, 2015), 28.http://www.jstor.org/stable/10.1525/j.ctv1wxrr3.5

    [4] Ibid., 34.