In the summer of 1770, George Washington came to Fredericksburg for an extended stay. His time here would seem familiar to anyone who has gone back to their childhood hometown. While in town he visited his mother, went to the tavern to play cards with old friends, and stayed with his sister and brother-in-law. But … Continue reading “Dined at the Barbicue”: Washington Goes Picnicking
Foodways
Video: The Colonial Kitchen – Drinking Chocolate
In this video, we taste three different chocolate drinks from across the centuries and discover what ingredients went in them to make each taste so differently. Read about "Sweet-Toothed Colonials and Their Chocolate" here.
Sweet-Toothed Colonials & Their Chocolate
Ahhh Chocolate! Now is the time of year when we consume even more than usual, often from heart-shaped boxes gifted by an admirer. Probably one of the most universally loved foods, the average American consumes roughly 11 pounds of the stuff a year! It is hard to imagine a world without chocolate and this love … Continue reading Sweet-Toothed Colonials & Their Chocolate
Video: Historic Kenmore’s Dining Room Table
Curator Meghan Budinger shows us some of the beautiful and fascinating historic tableware on display in Kenmore's dining room. Learn more about Kenmore's decorative arts on "The Rooms at Kenmore" blog at http://kenmore.org/wordpress/.
Photos: 29th Annual Gingerbread House Contest at Ferry Farm
It's a long-standing holiday tradition! Adults and children alike will enjoy the sights and smells of the festive creations displayed at George Washington’s Ferry Farm! This year's theme is "George Washington Slept Here" and a list of contest winners can be seen here (PDF). Visitors may vote for their favorite and this 'people's choice' winner will be … Continue reading Photos: 29th Annual Gingerbread House Contest at Ferry Farm
Video – Experimental Archaeology: Stone Tool Making
Archaeologists at Ferry Farm regularly find evidence of 'expedient' tool making by Native Americans. These quickly-made tools were created for a single, immediate job and, once used, just discarded. In this video, we break off a flake of obsidian and use it to fillet a fish. See the other videos in our Experimental Archaeology series: glue-making, … Continue reading Video – Experimental Archaeology: Stone Tool Making
Thanksgiving in George Washington’s Virginia?
As thanksgiving approaches we turn our thoughts to tradition, family, and feast. Thanksgiving traditions call to mind family around a table full of food, a roast turkey with cranberry sauce, or maybe even a romanticized recreation of New England meal from the 17th century. But what is the history behind that tradition? What would people … Continue reading Thanksgiving in George Washington’s Virginia?
Video: The Colonial Kitchen – An Orange Fool
In this video, we make a rare colonial-era treat known as "An Orange Fool" recently featured in a written blog post about where colonial Americans got their fresh fruit from. You can find the blog post and the "Orange Fool" recipe here.
Video: The Science of History – Experimental Archaeology & Earth Oven Cooking
Archaeologists sometimes recreate technology from the past to understand how people lived. This is called experimental archaeology. In this video, we recreate an earth oven and cook catfish in it. Watch our other experimental archaeology videos: episode one and episode two.
Where Did the Fruit Come From?
In our age of weekly farmers’ markets, drive-thru smoothie shops, and 24/7 grocery stores, it can be hard to truly understand the importance of fruit to the average colonial Virginian. They, however, would have been well aware of how rare it was and of what it meant to have it. Indeed, they were so aware … Continue reading Where Did the Fruit Come From?
Lives & Legacies 