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 … Continue reading What in the World is Twelfth Night?: A Visit with the Ghost of Twelfth Night Past
Historic House Museums
Dig These Dishes! We Recreate an 18th Century Table Setting Using Only Artifacts.
On a typical day at George Washington’s Boyhood Home at Ferry Farm, visitors experiencing the house tour are ushered into the main hall upon which a dining table is set out before them with 18th-century reproductions of plates, glassware, wine bottles, and serving dishes. This setting creates an interactive experience for our visitors, transporting them … Continue reading Dig These Dishes! We Recreate an 18th Century Table Setting Using Only Artifacts.
A Day in the Life of a Historic Interpreter at Ferry Farm [Video]
In this video, we meet historic interpreter Gary Haynes and follow him during his workday at George Washington's Ferry Farm. https://youtu.be/Pq8vSn6p2TQ
National Parks, National Historic Landmarks, and the National Register of Historic Places, Oh My!
Throughout my time as a museum professional, I have worked at several different museums each with different classifications, rules, and operating procedures. Before entering the museum world, I used to think that most museums operated in a similar way. However, that could not be further from the truth. One of the most common questions I … Continue reading National Parks, National Historic Landmarks, and the National Register of Historic Places, Oh My!
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.
The Unlikely Curator: What a Rodent’s Nest Reveals about Historic Kenmore
Rodents are usually seen as one of a museum’s greatest enemies. They damage valuable artifacts and buildings, leave a mess wherever they go, and frighten unsuspecting visitors. Like most museums, Historic Kenmore does its best to make sure no pests make their home in the 18th century plantation house. But, before it became a museum … Continue reading The Unlikely Curator: What a Rodent’s Nest Reveals about Historic Kenmore
An Unlikely Curator: Inside a Historic Rodent’s Nest [Video]
In this video, we pick apart a rodent's nest discovered by archaeologists investigating Historic Kenmore’s walls and floors for architectural artifacts. Like most museums, we take extensive pest prevention measures today but, back when it was an actual home, Kenmore was not always rodent-free. This nest revealed some fascinating history and told us a bit … Continue reading An Unlikely Curator: Inside a Historic Rodent’s Nest [Video]
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.
George Washington’s Ferry Farm: An Aerial View [Video]
Aerial footage shot Joe Brooks of EagleOne Aerial Photography: https://www.facebook.com/EagleOnePhotos. To learn more about George Washington's Ferry Farm, visit http://ferryfarm.org/.
Lives & Legacies 