Greenfield Village Open-Air Museum

Table of Contents with Links

2010-05-12T08:03:00.001-07:00

There are many posts in this blog. Virtually every structure inside of Greenfield Village is here and can be accessed with just a click of the mouse. Each post is filled with historical information about each structure with numerous photos (nearly every one taken by me) included.
Also, if you scroll down a bit, you will see that I also have included in this table of contents links to not only the structures but to the rides, special events, as well as miscellaneous information such as the various maps through time, the inner workings/behind the scenes, the reason why Henry Ford began this museum in the first place, and much, much more.

Make sure you check back to your favorite buildings – I am updating and adding to the text as I find more information. I also switch and/or add to the photographs as well.

Enjoy!

Table of Contents

Structures

Ackley Covered Bridge

Adams Family Home

Adams Family Home Mourning Presentation

A & S Machine Shop aka Armington & Sims Shop & Foundry

Bagley Avenue Workshop

Sir John Bennett Sweet Shop

Blacksmith Shop

Luther Burbank Birthplace

Luther Burbank Office

Cape Cod Windmill)

Carousel (Herschell-Spillman)

George Washington Carver Cabin

Chapman Family Home

Cider Mill (Martinsville Cider Mill))

The Clinton Inn ( The Eagle Tavern)

Cohen Millinery Shop

Cotswold Cottage

Cotswold Cottage Dovecote

Cotswold Forge

Daggett Farmhouse

The Eagle Tavern (The Clinton Inn)

Edison's Fort Meyer, Florida Laboratory

Edison Homestead

Edison Illuminating Company

Edison Menlo Park Laboratory

Edison Menlo Park Glass House

Edison's Menlo Park Machine Shop

Thomas Edison's Menlo Park Office and Library

Edison Menlo Park Woodworking Shop

Fairfield Rice Mill) (Pottery Shop)

Farris Windmill (formerly known as Cape Cod Windmill)

Firestone Farm

Firestone Farm: Yard, Barn, and Other Outbuildings

Ford Motor Company

Henry Ford Theater

Ford Home

William Ford Barn

Stephen Foster Memorial) (Sounds of America Gallery )

Robert Frost House

Giddings Family Home (Secretary Pearson House)

Glass Shop

Grimm Jewelry Store

Gunsolly Carding Mill (Plymouth Carding Mill)

Hanks Silk Mill

Hearse Shed / Deluge Fire House / (back to) Hearse Shed

Heinz House

Hermitage Slave Quarters

Dr. Howard's Office

J.R. Jones General Store

Sarah Jordan Boarding House

Lincoln Courthouse aka Logan County Courthouse

Loranger Gristmill

Martha-Mary Chapel

Mattox Family Home

William Holmes McGuffey Birthplace

William Holmes McGuffey School

McGuffey Smokehouse

Miller School

Phoenixville Post Office (and Apothecary)

Plymouth Carding Mill (Gunsolly Carding Mill)

Plympton Family Home

Pottery Shop

Printing Office and Tin Shop

Railroad Turntable

Richart Wagon Shop

Roundhouse (Detroit, Toledo, & Milwaukee)

Scotch Settlement School

Shoe Shop (Whittier Tollhouse & Shoeshop)

Slave Houses)

Smiths Creek Depot

Sounds of America Gallery (formerly known as Stephen Foster House, Stephen Foster Birthplace and Stephen Foster Memorial)

Soybean Experimental Laboratory

Spofford Saw Mill

Charles Steinmetz Cabin

Stony Creek Sawmill

Susquehanna Plantation

Swiss Chalet

Tintype Studio

Town Hall

Tripp Saw Mill

Weaving Shop

Noah Webster Home

Whittier Tollhouse & Shoeshop a.k.a Rocks Village Tollhouse and Shoe Shop

Workshop & Guild Beer Hall (originally known as Lapeer Foundry, Lapeer Machine Shop, McDonald and Sons Carriage and Repair Shop, Carriage Repair Shop)

Wright Cycle Shop

Wright Brothers Home

Wright Brothers Summer Kitchen & Outhouse

Rides and Other Things To Do

Horse-Drawn Rides

Owl Night Lunch Wagon

Steam Locomotive Train Rides

Steamboat "Suwanee"

Holidays and Special Events

Christmas at Greenfield Village: Holiday Homes Tour

Christmas at Greenfield Village: Holiday Nights

Civil War Remembrance Weekend - Takes Place Every Memorial Weekend

Hallowe'en at Greenfield Village

Miscellaneous Information

Why I Created This Blog

"History is Bunk!" - What Henry Ford Really Meant, and the Beginning of Greenfield Village

Greenfield-The Early American Village

Original Buildings in the Village for the October 1929 Grand Opening But Are There No Longer

1933 - A New Beginning for Greenfield Village

The End of One Era, and On To the Next...

Maps Through Time: The Ever-changing Lay Out of Greenfield Village

Behind the Scenes at Greenfield Village

Springtime at Greenfield Village

In the Good Old Summertime at Greenfield Village

'Tis Autumn in Greenfield Village

Wintertime at Greenfield Village

Sarah Jordan Boarding House Catches Fire

Statue of Thomas Alva Edison

Dining at the Eagle Tavern and other Areas at Greenfield Village

Updates

Structures No Longer Inside of Greenfield Village

West Orange Building 11

1930 - Original Building No Longer in Greenfield Village

1932 - Original Buildings No Longer in Greenfield Village

1933 - Original Buildings No Longer in Greenfield Village

Dining at the Eagle Tavern and other Areas at Greenfield Village

2010-05-12T08:02:00.003-07:00

The following post was written by Nicole from Dining in Detroit, a blog dedicated to...well...the fine food one can find in the Detroit area. She has done a wonderful job in writing about a subject one rarely thinks about when visiting Greenfield Village: eating!

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The Henry Ford Museum and Greenfield Village is a phenomenal collection of local historical artifacts, a treasure trove of Detroit's automotive history (and by extension, America's industrial history), as well as an elaborate piece of preserved Americana: "American's Greatest History Attraction." But did you know that the food service program in both the Museum and the Village (including the Village's full-service restaurant, Eagle Tavern) is one of the most passionately and progressively locally-sourced menus in metro Detroit?

'Tis true. When Director of Food Services and Catering Jesse Eisenhuth took over the operations just a few short months ago, he saw that there was already quite a bit being sourced locally, but there was opportunity for so much more. "We try to do as much as we possibly can," he says. "Our ice cream comes from Melting Moments in Lansing. We use Guernsey [from Northville] milk. Even our bottled water is from Absopure [based in Plymouth]. I've been looking at every single item we use here to see if there's some way we can use a product made locally instead."

For him it's not just about supporting the local economy - it's about staying true to the educational component and historical accuracy that Greenfield Village strives for. Simply put, in the mid-1800s (the era in which the Village is set) food and beverage products would have been made locally utilizing produce and livestock grown and raised on nearby farms that would change with the seasons. Sustainability is not just about good business sense and being ecologically-conscious; it's a matter of authenticity.

This new practice being implemented across the board by Eisenhuth even extends to the beverages. "We're historically accurate with everything else here; why not drinks?" he points out. In that spirit, they carry a selection of "Spiritous Liquors" in the Eagle Tavern and bar from Michigan's New Holland Distillery, which include whiskey, gin, two kinds of rum, and a "Michigan grain spirit" (called such because "vodka" would have been unknown at this time, except maybe as moonshine). New Holland's spirits were also chosen because the labels have a look more suited to the 1850 era (versus something like the cheeky 1920s-era pin-up girl on the Valentine Vodka label, superior though the product may be). Beers (called "malt beverages" on the menu) are custom-made from Detroit's Motor City Brewing Works with labels exclusive to the Henry Ford, and are bottled in such a way as to appear more era-appropriate (though bottled beer would not have existed back then). "With everything we do we consider 'how can we position this properly to have it here?' We're not going to the extreme of carrying Bud Light. We're still keeping our look and feeling [with these beers]."

The cocktails are another example of this practice. Classic cocktails are prepared in classic ways, like the Mint Julep which is really a simple preparation of simple syrup, muddled mint and bourbon or brandy. "It's also part of the educational process, which is part of our identity here," Eisenhuth explains. "We can make the drink however someone wants it - with more syrup or with rum instead - but how we make them here is historically accurate." The drink recipes have been changed to be more local and era-appropriate; for the Mint Julep, the Greenfield Village Herb Associates grow their own mint that is used in the drink. They make their own simple syrup (as they would have done in 1850), as well as their own aromatic bitters using a recipe from the Jerry Thomas Bartenders Guide published in 1862. "The drinks wouldn't have been fancy back then," Eisenhuth notes. "They would have only had two or three ingredients just to mask the flavor of the alcohol." (Hence the use of bitters, which do that job rather well. And let that serve as a warning to you.) If you still question their commitment to the authenticity here, then know this: currently they are planting Orange Pippin trees, which is a specific kind of apple, in the Village so that in time they can make the historic bitters recipe really as it was made.

One more time: they're growing apple trees in order to make more historically accurate bitters. Lots of bars are making their own bitters nowadays, but how many can claim that?

Drinks are also served with a macaroni straw. Why? Because plastic hadn't been invented yet (though a metal straw would have been more common then). "You can taste history here," says Eisenhuth. "There's something here for everyone, including the adult kid."

Granted this level of detail is impossible to carry out to absolute authenticity, or there would be a whole lot of things unavailable to visitors which would make for a whole lot of unhappy customers (if you've ever tried to get between me and my morning coffee, amplify that by dozens of caffeine-deprived middle-aged mothers wrangling hundreds of screaming children EVERY SINGLE DAY), but in those cases there is still a concentrated effort at carrying local products so long as they are cost-effective. Most products that the Henry Ford carries are from within 150 miles of the museum (and are mostly from Michigan though occasionally do extend into northern Ohio); most places are considered to be "local" if they stay within 200 miles.

In addition to sourcing locally, the Henry Ford is also committed to sustainability in greening initiatives as well.

Compostable products are from Michigan Greensafe Products in Detroit (including "plastic" drinking cups made from corn). They bale and recycle their own cardboard. They use filtafry to filter and recycle all of their fryer oil and have started to recycle paper, plastic bottles and cans. Even down to their condiments they show an eco-conscious sensibility, carrying ketchup and mustard in large pump containers with biodegradable condiment cups instead of the ecologically disastrous plastic packets. And once again, this environmental awareness is dual-purpose: in 1850 recycling went without saying, so much so that it didn't need its own name, and there was no such thing as non-biodegradable.

It just goes to show that everything old is made new again. As eco-consciousness, sustainability, sourcing locally, even classic craft cocktailing have become the hottest "new" trends in food, fashion and industry, what's really happening is that society's mindset is shifting away from Bigger Faster Stronger to Smaller Older Slower, rejecting the incessant expansion brought about by industrialization and embracing the idea of a "simpler time," so far removed from our current culture that it seems foreign and exotic. By getting back to the idea of having a small community in which you know your farmer and who makes your artisanal products like breads and cheeses, where you grow your own herbs and can your own fruits and create your own compost pile of biodegradable materials to supply nutrients to the soil in which you'll grown your own garden, we haven't stumbled across a new concept - we've rediscovered a very, very old one.

It seems only fitting then that a place like the Henry Ford would take the concept very seriously.

From the restaurants to the cafeterias to the food stands, the Henry Ford Museum and Greenfield Village offer the most local, sustainable, and historically accurate dining experience you're likely to find pretty much anywhere for a historical attraction of this magnitude, or even just as far as your everyday restaurant is concerned. Eagle Tavern and A Taste of History Restaurant are open daily 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. through October 15, or whenever Greenfield Village is open.

If you're interested in learning more about the places that the Henry Ford sources their products, here is a list of just some of their providers:

Fresh-ground pork - Ernst Farm, Ann Arbor , MI

Chicken breasts and products - Eat Local, Eat Natural, Ann Arbor , MI and KBD Detroit , MI

Hot dogs and brats - Dearborn Sausage Co., Dearborn, MI

Milk pints and dipping ice cream, Guernsey Farms Dairy, Northville, MI

Custard is - CF Burger, Detroit, MI
Ice cream novelties (cookie sandwiches and moment bars) - Melting Moments, Lansing , MI

Bottled water - Absopure, Plymouth , MI

Pies - Achatz Handmade Pie Co., Chesterfield Township , MI (some pies also made from scratch in-house)

Early Joe cider and vinegar products - Almar Orchards, Flushing , MI

Bread, bagels, Danish, etc. - ASB Distributors, Lincoln Park , MI (they distribute local products)

Dinners rolls - Avalon Bakery, Detroit , MI

Coffee - Becharas Brothers Coffee, Highland Park , MI

Corn chips and tortillas - Casa Hacienda, Detroit , MI

In-season produce produce - Jon Goetz Farm, Riga , MI .

Cotton candy mix, popcorn kernel, popcorn seasonings - Detroit Popcorn Co., Redford, MI

Ketel Corn - Kettle Corn of Michigan,Wyandotte , MI

Soda and assorted Faygo products, Detroit , MI

Slush Puppie 100% Juice Slushie, Northville , MI

Eggs - Grazing Fields, Charlotte, MI

Pasta - Mamma Mucci, Canton , MI

Peanut Butter - Naturally Nutty, Traverse City , MI

Old-fashioned candy - Shernni’s Candy, Washington , MI

Dried cherries - Tabone Orchards, Traverse City, MI

Assorted cheese - Traffic Jam and Snug, Detroit , MI

Flour and corn meal - Westwind Milling, Argentine, MI

If you would like to know more about the Eagle Tavern itself, please click HERE

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Maps Through Time: The Ever-changing Lay Out of Greenfield Village

2010-05-12T08:02:00.001-07:00

From its inception over 80 years ago through today, Greenfield Village has gone through numerous layouts, which is no easy task considering that it is actual buildings - historic buildings - that are being moved. I'm sure with each change there were complaints. Well, of course, unless it was Mr. Ford's idea. No one disagreed with the Big Guy. But, even with the last major restructuring in 2003 their were disgruntled customers. My opinion is as long as it's kept historically accurate, I don't mind.

What I thought I'd do here was to show, through original six maps from six different decades, the ever-growing and ever-changing history of Greenfield Village. To see the graphics larger, please click onto the photo.

Our first map takes us back to October 29, 1929 - that very first rainy day that Henry Ford opened up his Greenfield Village to special guests. Here was Mr. Ford's original vision:

Twelve years later, in 1941, one can see just how much the Village grew:

And then, in 1957, the Village added even more structures:

In 1970, Greenfield Village looked like this:

The following two pages shows the 1983 vision:

And, finally, we have what the Village looked like in 1995:

Finally, here is a map of the most current lay out of Greenfield Village.

I find it interesting to compare all the maps to see when and how Greenfield Village changed over the years.
Which era do you like the best?

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Table of Contents with Links

2010-05-06T08:53:00.000-07:00

Table of Contents

Structures

Ackley Covered Bridge

Adams Family Home

Adams Family Home Mourning Presentation

A & S Machine Shop aka Armington & Sims Shop & Foundry

Bagley Avenue Workshop

Sir John Bennett Sweet Shop

Blacksmith Shop

Luther Burbank Birthplace

Luther Burbank Office

Cape Cod Windmill)

Carousel (Herschell-Spillman)

George Washington Carver Cabin

Chapman Family Home

Cider Mill (Martinsville Cider Mill))

The Clinton Inn ( The Eagle Tavern)

Cohen Millinery Shop

Cotswold Cottage

Cotswold Cottage Dovecote

Cotswold Forge

Daggett Farmhouse

The Eagle Tavern (The Clinton Inn)

Edison's Fort Meyer, Florida Laboratory

Edison Homestead

Edison Illuminating Company

Edison Menlo Park Laboratory

Edison Menlo Park Glass House

Edison's Menlo Park Machine Shop

Thomas Edison's Menlo Park Office and Library

Edison Menlo Park Woodworking Shop

Fairfield Rice Mill) (Pottery Shop)

Farris Windmill (formerly known as Cape Cod Windmill)

Firestone Farm

Firestone Farm: Yard, Barn, and Other Outbuildings

Ford Motor Company

Henry Ford Theater

Ford Home

William Ford Barn

Stephen Foster Memorial) (Sounds of America Gallery )

Robert Frost House

Giddings Family Home (Secretary Pearson House)

Glass Shop

Grimm Jewelry Store

Gunsolly Carding Mill (Plymouth Carding Mill)

Hanks Silk Mill

Hearse Shed / Deluge Fire House / (back to) Hearse Shed

Heinz House

Hermitage Slave Quarters

Dr. Howard's Office

J.R. Jones General Store

Sarah Jordan Boarding House

Lincoln Courthouse aka Logan County Courthouse

Loranger Gristmill

Martha-Mary Chapel

Mattox Family Home

William Holmes McGuffey Birthplace

William Holmes McGuffey School

McGuffey Smokehouse

Miller School

Phoenixville Post Office

Plymouth Carding Mill (Gunsolly Carding Mill)

Plympton Family Home

Pottery Shop

Printing Office and Tin Shop

Railroad Turntable

Richart Wagon Shop

Roundhouse (Detroit, Toledo, & Milwaukee)

Scotch Settlement School

Shoe Shop (Whittier Tollhouse & Shoeshop)

Slave Houses)

Smiths Creek Depot

Sounds of America Gallery (formerly known as Stephen Foster House, Stephen Foster Birthplace and Stephen Foster Memorial)

Soybean Experimental Laboratory

Spofford Saw Mill

Charles Steinmetz Cabin

Stony Creek Sawmill

Susquehanna Plantation

Swiss Chalet

Tintype Studio

Town Hall

Tripp Saw Mill

Weaving Shop

Noah Webster Home

Whittier Tollhouse & Shoeshop a.k.a Rocks Village Tollhouse and Shoe Shop

Workshop & Guild Beer Hall (originally known as Lapeer Foundry, Lapeer Machine Shop, McDonald and Sons Carriage and Repair Shop, Carriage Repair Shop)

Wright Cycle Shop

Wright Brothers Home

Wright Brothers Summer Kitchen & Outhouse

Rides and Other Things To Do

Horse-Drawn Rides

Owl Night Lunch Wagon

Steam Locomotive Train Rides

Steamboat "Suwanee"

Holidays and Special Events

Christmas at Greenfield Village: Holiday Homes Tour

Christmas at Greenfield Village: Holiday Nights

Civil War Remembrance Weekend - Takes Place Every Memorial Weekend

Hallowe'en at Greenfield Village

Miscellaneous Information

Why I Created This Blog

"History is Bunk!" - What Henry Ford Really Meant, and the Beginning of Greenfield Village

Greenfield-The Early American Village

Original Buildings in the Village for the October 1929 Grand Opening But Are There No Longer

1933 - A New Beginning for Greenfield Village

The End of One Era, and On To the Next...

Behind the Scenes at Greenfield Village

Springtime at Greenfield Village

In the Good Old Summertime at Greenfield Village

'Tis Autumn in Greenfield Village

Sarah Jordan Boarding House Catches Fire

Statue of Thomas Alva Edison

Updates

Structures No Longer Inside of Greenfield Village

West Orange Building 11

1930 - Original Building No Longer in Greenfield Village

1932 - Original Buildings No Longer in Greenfield Village

1933 - Original Buildings No Longer in Greenfield Village

Updates

2010-04-21T16:04:00.000-07:00

I have been continuing my research on the structures of Greenfield Village - albeit a bit more slowly than I would like - and have found some fascinating facts and stories that seemingly bring the old buildings to life.
Here are some of the postings that have been updated and I have added to since I originally wrote the information:

Dr. Howard's Office

Ackley Covered Bridge

The Clinton Inn aka The Eagle Tavern

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Horse-Drawn Rides

2010-03-19T13:48:00.000-07:00

One of the nicest "activities" to do at Greenfield Village is to take a guided tour around the open-air museum in one of the omnibuses on hand.

Omnibuses were most often large, enclosed horse-drawn vehicles used for public transportation and for general utilities in 19th century cities.

However, Greenfield Village uses a smaller style omnibus that was sometimes referred to as an 'opera' or 'private' bus. These smaller 'buses had comfortable, roomy seating, easily accommodating four to six passengers. It made an ideal carriage for family shopping excursions during the day, and a convenient carry-all for evening when, perhaps, several members of the family went to supper or to the opera. Because of their rear door entry it was usually backed up to a curb for entry and exit.

The drivers of the omnibuses at Greenfield Village are a wonderful source of information, telling historical facts about many of the numerous structures you will see on your horse-drawn 'journey.' There are numerous stopping points throughout the Village where the visitor can exit as they like or continue their ride.
The drivers will also introduce the visitor to the horses pulling the carriage and will explain the type of horse they, are as well as the animals' age and how long they have been at the Village.

The drivers are more than willing to answer to the best of their ability any questions the visitor may have. I, myself, wondered what it took to become an omnibus driver. Well, besides knowing how to handle the horses - dominating the animals and knowing when to discipline them - I was told their test was very similar to that of an automobile driving test: they must know how to drive the horse and carriage forward (of course), but, as part of their final test the driver must be able to back up in a straight line without hitting any curbs, turn into a parking space, and trot the horses with and without a riding crop, (among other things). All in all, the drivers train a total of about 50 hours before they are tested. And only if they ace the test are they allowed to actually drive the omnibus for visitors.

From what I've been told, although these are original omnibuses, they have been reconfigured so often that they lost whatever historical value they may have held.
I plan to return one day soon to delve deeper and hopefully learn more about the individual omnibuses being used in the Village

I put the photos in groups by omnibus - - - enjoy...

Note the rear entry and exit door in the picture above.
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I did find a little about this 'bus: it was built between 1890 to 1905 by Brewster and Company in New York. The body is suspended on two elliptical springs in the front and in the rear. There is a whip socket on the right side of the driver's seat, and the brakes are operated by a hand lever, also from the driver's seat.

I took this photo as we rode past the Sarah Jordan Boarding House from the inside of the above omnibus.

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From what I have been told, the above 'bus was originally a hearse. Sure does look like one!

I must say, my favorite part of my ride when on one of the Village omnibuses is when we cross over the Ackley Covered Bridge. As the 'bus enters the darkness of the bridge, the clatter made by the wheels and the clip-clopping of the horse's hooves upon the uneven boards reverberates off the wood walls of the ancient structure, and one can just imagine exactly what it was like - in sight and sound - back in the 19th century when both bridge and carriage were common. It literally sends one back to another time.

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Wintertime at Greenfield Village

2010-01-16T21:50:00.001-08:00

Since Greenfield Village is closed during the winter, I cannot go there to take pictures. So, here is the next best thing: one of The Henry Ford's photographers took quite a few photos of the Village during the winter months and posted the shots on youtube.
Click the link to see them.
Other than that, the three photos below are all I have of the Village during the snow season:

I took this picture in December 1994

I did not take this photo. It was taken by a friend of mine who works at Greenfield Village

Like the one directly above, I did not take this photo - a worker from the village was kind enough to allow me to use this picture.

One day I hope to have the opportunity to visit the Village while it has a covering of snow to get some decent scenic shots.
Until then...

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Christmas at Greenfield Village: Holiday Homes Tour

2009-10-30T20:42:00.001-07:00

Enjoying a warm by the sitting room fireplace in Firestone Farm

Just as nice but not nearly as popular as the Holiday Nights event, the Holiday Homes Tour at Greenfield Village was always a wonderful opportunity for the fan of history and of Christmas to visit the Village in a much more subdued manner, having the opportunity of seeing and studying the celebrations of Christmas past more intently during the daylight hours.

The Birthplace of Henry Ford

Christmas 1876 at the Ford Home

Although during the daytime Holiday Home Tours were are no outdoor vendors hawking their wares or ice-skaters as during Holiday Nights, the homes nevertheless were beautifully decorated in the era of which they represented, and the ability to ask questions in a much more relaxed atmosphere, without throngs of people waiting their turn gave the visitor the chance to learn about Christmas past more in depth than during the evening Holiday Nights.

Sarah Jordan's Boarding House is decorated for an 1870's Christmas

The Firestone Farm is ready for Christmas - inside and out!

Firestone Farm during the mid-1880's Christmas Season proved to be very festive indeed!

The Adams Home's Christmas Tree

It was also during the day visits that one was able to stay longer in each home and truly get the feel of what Christmas actually was like, without having the long lines behind you waiting their turn. If you were lucky and visited when the afternoon skies were dark and dreary, the oil lamps and candles were usually lit and would give an even cozier experience.
All of the same structures that were open during Holiday Nights were also open during the Holiday Homes Tour. In fact, there was a beautifully decorated home - the Firestone Farm - that one who only visited during the daytime Holiday Homes Tour was able to see, for it was closed during Holiday Nights.

Food was of the utmost importance in an 1860's Christmas celebration, as you can see here at the Susquehanna Plantation (above).
Going back to the 1820's at the Noah Webster Home (below) we can see that even then the most festive part of the Christmas Season was food.

On a personal note, I have visited the Village for both the Holiday Nights and Holiday Homes Tour multiple times each Christmas Season and it had always been a wonderful experience - different enough to attend each.

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But...

Sadie treats the visitors in Firestone Farm to period Christmas music on the 19th century pump organ. This is something that does not happen during the evening Holiday Nights since the Firestone Farm is only open during the daytime hours.

...I was informed in 2009 that beginning in 2010 the Holiday Homes Tour would no longer take place, for it was said they simply could not afford to remain open with so few patrons visiting during the day. As was written in a response to a letter I wrote expressing my disappointment in their decision:

While I understand your being upset with the fact that we will close the Village earlier for daytime hours next year, we find ourselves, like all companies in this economic climate, faced with tough decisions in order to maintain our budget and stay viable.
I understand your enjoyment of the village in December, but reducing those expenses means we don’t have to stop having new exhibits in the Museum, don’t have to cut any of our summer programs in the Village and, hopefully, don’t have to cut staff.

The letter writer went on to explain that they will have new events for the upcoming year in hopes of increasing the amount of visitors.

The Civil War soldiers play a period game of the 1860's era. It's a much more relaxed atmosphere during the daytime Holiday Homes Tour

My opinion: Although I understand the state of the economy at this time, I must vehemently disagree with the closing of the Village during the daytime hours during the month of December, thus doing away with the wonderful Holiday Homes Tour. It was always a wonderful opportunity for visitors to experience Christmas Past much more intimately than the Holiday Nights event. I believe if the daytime event was advertised and promoted more, the visitor traffic would increase dramatically.
Here's hoping that the future will find the Village once again open throughout the month of December.

A few visitors warm up at the fire near the McGuffey School. No, they were not part of any presentation - these folks enjoy visiting Greenfield Village at Christmas time while wearing their period clothing

The Wright Brothers home & shop along festive Main Street

Inside the Wright Home, decorated as it was Christmas 1903

A Christmas scene in front of the Adams House

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On a final note here is a snippet from youtube on decorating your home in a 19th century style:
Christmas Decorating

Christmas at Greenfield Village: Holiday Nights

2009-10-18T19:46:00.001-07:00

Walking in a winter wonderland

(Forty photos -more or less- accompany this article.
I hope you enjoy it!)

~ Before we get into the current Holiday Nights event, I'd like to give the reader a little history of Christmas celebrations at Greenfield Village~

The celebration of Christmas has been a highlight of Greenfield Village for many years, and the Village has always taken the opportunity to show visitors just how the Christmas Holiday was celebrated in years past.
And for this lover of history and Christmas, the season is just not Christmas without attending at least twice a season.
We shall discuss here some of the various ways Greenfield Village presented Christmas in years past and how it presents it today.

It's Christmastime in Greenfield Village! Let the festivities begin!

Unfortunately, I have very little on how the Village celebrated Christmas before the 1980's. Since I had not gone there during the Christmas Season before 1983, the only information I have to go on is from the old souvenir books I have acquired, and they only have a few pictures - taffy pulling, crafts of Christmas such as wreath making, wood toy carving, and cedar & holly roping, and a dining room exhibition set up inside the museum called "Home for Christmas," that included a pseudo Victorian dining room with mannequins standing near a table. I have also seen photographs of the Village homes decorated - outside and in - in more of a country style rather than in an accurate historical manner.
As near as I have been able to find, Greenfield Village began to raise the bar of celebrating Christmas in the late 1970's or early 1980's when the Eagle Tavern began serving Christmas dinners during the holidays. My future wife and I attended our first Eagle Tavern Christmas dinner in 1983.

Sing-a-longs on the horse-drawn wagon rides are always a treat!

We waited inside the visitor's center, which, at that time, welcomed patrons inside the building and allowed everyone to sit by the roaring fire burning in the fireplace while the sounds of a hammered dulcimer playing period Christmas music - sometimes live and sometimes recorded - could be heard. We were then taken by horse and carriage to the Tavern where we were served a magnificent repast of traditional mid-19th century Christmas fare. During the course of the meal, musicians roamed the dining area, stopping at each table to perform Christmas music.

A Christmas scene at the Logan County Courthouse

Sometimes a sing-a-long would ensue, creating quite the festive atmosphere. Actors portraying Calvin Wood the proprietor and his wife would also roam the room, giving 19th century etiquette lessons and regaling us all with stage coach Christmas and winter stories of long ago.
Once the evening ended, the guests would then take a lantern guided tour back to the visitor center.
The Eagle Tavern, by the way, still has the Christmas meals and traditional entertainment.

It was around 2001 when the decision to open up the Village in the evening for a special Christmas extravaganza first took place. Initially known as "The 12 Nights of Christmas," the name was changed a few years later to "Holiday Nights" when they increased the number of evenings the event would take place.
Whatever the name, this is the one time of year where visitors can wander the open-air museum at night, stepping into the world of the Victorian Christmas that folks from the 21st century rarely have the chance to experience.

Can you ride side-saddle?

Since this is, perhaps, Greenfield Villages' shining celebration, I will describe in some detail my personal experiences of how these evenings play out:

Our first stop upon walking through the entrance gate is the home of Henry Ford, where the scent of fresh-baked bread and pie fills the air as we enter the home. I enjoy watching the presenters cook on the old wood stove while they explain about the Christmas food preparation.

One can see the 19th century nighttime world through our ancestors eyes - no electric lighting!

The house is decorated as if it were 1876, and the first thing one notices is the eye-catching American centennial decorations that adorn the Christmas tree.

A Festive Ford Living Room

From there we visit the Wright Brothers home. Again, the house is ready for Christmas, only in this house it is Christmas 1903. On one particular evening that we were there - December 23, 2008 - the presenter let it be known that it was the 105th anniversary of the Wright's return from Kitty Hawk. "On this very night, Wilbur and Orville walked through that same door (see photo below) filled with the news of their first airplane flight."

It gives one chills.
Shown in the parlor is an original period photograph taken over a hundred years ago of that very same parlor all decked out in its holiday splendor the way the Wright family decorated it.

The curators of Greenfield Village have done a remarkable job replicating the photo - it's almost as if you were there when the photo was taken.

From the Wright Home we walk through the busy Main Street part of the Village

- Currier & Ives come to life -
where there is no shortage of food and treats, with vendors selling roast beef, chestnuts,

hot chocolate & cider, and other Christmas goodies that are set alongside the road, just like in the old days.

And townsfolk of the past spring to life, such as the chimney sweep, covered in the soot of the village chimney's. There are also peddlers of lanterns, Christmas greens, and newspapers.

These young farm girls are selling their greenery

The Dodworth Saxhorn Band plays carols on their period instruments in the middle of the hustle and bustle.

We then find ourselves sauntering into the Porches & Parlors section of the open-air museum, and our first stop here is the Adams House, where they are celebrating Christmas of the 1870's.

This is perhaps one of my favorite homes during the Holiday Nights, for it's where one can truly get the feel for just how dark the nighttime homes were for the Victorians, as the only light comes from the oil lamps throughout the kitchen and dining room.

A festively decorated table in the Adams dining room

The aroma of a spicy Christmas drink similar to Wassail fills the darkened rooms, giving the visitor a true sense of the way the Victorians lived on a December's evening.

From one parlor looking to another parlor

The rooms are draped in greenery, and the decorated Christmas Tree in the back parlor has a Noah's Ark scene (built in Germany in the 1830's) underneath.

This home is a wonderful example of a Christmas celebration of an average middle-class Michigan family of the mid-to-late 19th century.

Now, let's cross the road to the McGuffey Schoolhouse, where a contingent of Civil War soldiers have set up winter quarters.

The re-enactors do a super job presenting what life was like for the northern soldiers stationed in Virginia on a cold Christmas night.

Lit only by candles and warmed by the fireplace, the reenactors bring to life the homesickness the Civil War soldier felt so far from home.

They speak to the public and help us to understand just what the guys went through all those years ago.

Christmas treats in the Edison Home

The home of Thomas Edison's grandparents is our next stop, and it is 1915 in this house. An old Edison phonograph plays tinny Christmas music, while a beautifully decorated feather tree stands atop the table set for Christmas dinner.

Note the feather tree on the table

The living room area is strung with greenery and includes a kissing ball - a popular decoration from the Colonial period through the early 20th century. Treats cooked earlier on the wood stove are now laid out on the side tables in the dining area.

Over at the Cotswold Cottage it is the time of World War II, and the American soldiers stationed in England are doing their best to have a Merry Christmas so far from their loved ones across the ocean.

The mistress of the house and her children are there, stringing popcorn to help give the guys the best Christmas they can. WWII re-enactor soldiers are placed throughout, telling stories of how the locals in England would take the Americans into their homes for the holidays.

The 1822 home of Noah Webster is next, and it is decorated, inside and out, as it might have been in Mr. Webster's time.

But instead of concentrating on December the 25th, this home shows New Year's traditions, which seemed to be a more family oriented holiday than it has become in our modern age.

The New Year's feast is set up in the dining room, waiting for the visitors with calling cards to come a-courting the Webster daughters,

and the musical instruments wait to be played in the parlor.

The Susquehanna House shows a Christmas from 1860 on a slave owner's plantation in Maryland. The home is decked out beautifully and the "owners" are preparing for a New Year's Day wedding. Again, the sights and smells of foods from long ago permeate the air as the family prepares for the big day.

It seems that in the 19th century New Year's was typically celebrated with food and games rather than drink as we do in our modern day.

The next couple of houses ~ Giddings and Daggett ~

"Welcome to our home. Is Mr. Daggett expecting you?"

Both of these 18th century homes show how certain religious denominations did not celebrate the Christmas Holiday during the colonial period of American history. Many folks often wonder why the Village presents the non-celebrants during this festive time of year when it is supposed to be Holiday Nights. Well, remember that this is a historic museum and part of their job is to show history as it was, including those who did not celebrate Christmas.

One can see just how dark it was in the saltbox-style Daggett home.

Not that Giddings nor the Daggetts were anti-religious, mind you; they felt one should not celebrate Jesus Christs' birth without knowing the actual date of His birth. But, if one listens to what the presenters have to say, very interesting stories of the times abound. I love entering the darkened great hall of the Daggett saltbox house, where it is 1760, and the room is lit only by a fireplace, a lantern, and a rush light.

Though it would be difficult for someone in our day to live like the Daggett's did in 1760, it sure is beautiful to experience as a visitor

And the kitchen is no brighter but, because of it's lay out it is the warmer of the two rooms. We were told that the Daggetts would have spent many a winter's night sleeping in the kitchen because of it's warmth.

Knitting in the warmest room of the Daggett Home - the kitchen

It's in this structure where one can not only imagine, but literally see and feel how it would have been to live here during a colonial winter's night. The docents enhance our senses by bringing to life the period of the 1860's America with their stories of what it truly was like for the Daggetts in the 1760's, no matter what holiday was being celebrated.

This colonial structure from the 18th century warmly welcomes visitors...but not for a Christmas celebration

Across the road we travel to the more prosperous Giddings Family home...

The Giddings family home is from the same era as the Daggetts, but there wealth was greater, and the style of the structure shows this. An interesting addition in 2010 was showing a 'chocolateer,' - one who makes chocolate. And to do this, they opened up, for the first time in my memory, the kitchen of the Giddings home to visitors to show how this colonial treat was made 250 years ago.

The 'Chocolateer' works his craft in Giddings House Kitchen

But, like the Daggetts, Giddings did not celebrate the Christmas Holiday. Instead, tales of Mummers and the lost art of mumming are told.

Lighting and writing apparatus in the Giddings Home

Mummers are/were (usually) men who dress(ed) up in costumes and masks and travel house to house, putting on skits for the owners, singing songs, and bestowing blessings upon the owner as well in hopes of receiving money or food, or perhaps a bowl of hot wassail for their efforts. If the butler or owner closed the door on them, the mummers would try to find their way inside of the home and take for themselves the meat and drink they desired.

Mummers at Greenfield Village

Many times a mummer was a neighbor, but because they wore masks and disguised their voices, the homeowner did not know who these people actually were.
The following is a verse that was typical of the times of Giddings and Daggett:

Come butler come fill us a bowl of your best
and I pray that your soul in heaven may rest
But if you do bring us a bowl of the small
may the devil take butler bowl and all

A wonderful learning experience from nearly 250 years ago.

There is a special surprise for the little ones in the Porches and Parlors section of the Village: Santa Claus stands atop of the balcony of the Robert Frost home, shouting "hello!" to all the children crowded around by name (just how does he do that??). The man in the red suit always brings a few of his real live reindeer for everyone to see.

And then there is the live music performed by Picks and Sticks inside the "Sounds of America (Stephen Foster) " house.

Over the Ackley Covered Bridge and on the way toward the Sarah Jordan Boarding House we travel, stopping by the gazebo to listen to more carolers,

then on to the other side of the Village where there is an ice skating pond - a real ice-skating pond - and patrons (along with talented presenters) can skate to their heart's content.

Horses and carriages, along with Model T's, are available for free tours of the Village. And brass bands, wandering minstrels, vocal quartets, a colonial fife and drum group, a dulcimer player,

a lone fife player, and other musicians are posted throughout the entire Village, entertaining the visitors with the sounds of Christmas.
The evening ends with a sing-a-long on the Village Green followed by a fireworks display.

I cannot say enough good about Holiday Nights. When folks who do not care for the modern commercialized Christmas Season tell me that attending Holiday Nights puts them in the 'spirit,' well, that just about says it all.
It brings Christmas home...

~ Click HERE to see a short clip of Holiday Nights on You Tube ~
~ Click HERE to read about the now defunct Holiday Home Tour - the daytime Christmas at Greenfield Village celebration that is no longer held ~
~ Click HERE to purchase tickets through Greenfield Village/The Henry Ford

Hallowe'en at Greenfield Village

2009-10-02T10:59:00.000-07:00

Walking around Greenfield Village at night can be, in itself, kind of creepy, with all the old 18th and 19th century homes, but add to that the Hallowe'en touch and it becomes scary fun. Wow! does the Village do a spectacular (or is it "spook" tacular?) job for this holiday!

"TO THE COVERED BRIDGE!!!"
Hallowe'en at Greenfield Village, like nearly everything else they do, is a historically fun time. No, patrons do not enter the houses, for they are historic structures and therefore are closed up. Instead, throughout the Village, they have different scenarios taking place. For instance, over at the Edison's Menlo Park Machine Shop, a mad scientist scene unfolds as colonial-dressed characters shout to the crowd to beware of the 'missing monster' who escaped from the laboratory and ran "toward the covered bridge!"
You may catch a glimpse of the scientist's monstrous creation peeking through the windows of the shop - keep your eyes peeled.
As for the Ackley Covered Bridge, it is misty and very dark on the inside - but not too dark to overly-frighten the kids - and the sounds of horses hooves can be heard. However, even in the early evening before darkness descends the bridge can be eerily cool.

In another scenario, a mournful bride stands atop a balcony at the Robert Frost House, moaning in her hideously scary voice for her missing beau.
Then there is the forest that leads visitors to "Sleepy Hollow" to find the headless horseman riding around on his horse looking for his head.

Off in the Ford Farm field one will encounter the Grim Reaper, sharpening his blade while pointing to his next victim.

In other areas one can visit a graveyard with a freshly dug grave and its caretaker, see the "ghosts" of Henry Ford and the Wright Brothers, pirates in the lagoon, ghost story-telling...

and then there are the goody stops along the lighted pumpkin-carved pathway where one can meet a knight in shining armor, the Spider Queen, and even Little Bo Peep (the little girls love this one!), handing out treats to the little ones.

Nearly all the children, and even some of their parents, dress up in costume.
It is fun-scary - just scary enough for the younger ones to hold tightly to their parent's hand, but not so scary to be too afraid to continue on.
Hallowe'en in Greenfield Village is a very popular event, and considering that trick or treating seems to be losing favor, this gives the younger set (and their parents) the opportunity to celebrate 'All Hallow's Eve' in a historic environment.
Another very fine holiday event done in a traditional way by Greenfield Village.

OPINION: I would love to see the Village have an adult-themed event scarier than the one for children - maybe taking place later in the evening, say, 10:00, and really give the older folks a good fright.

For anyone interested in learning the history of Hallowe'en, here is a link to the History Channel's web site:
http://www.history.com/content/halloween/real-story-of-halloween

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'Tis Autumn in Greenfield Village

2009-09-30T10:28:00.001-07:00

Summertime may be an exciting time at Greenfield Village, but I believe that it's in the Autumn time of year that the Village truly shines, for that's when the traditions we hold so dear come to the forefront.
Let's begin the tour with the sights: witness smoke pouring out of the chimneys of the farms and homes as you stroll under the trees with leaves of red, orange, yellow, and even brown and green - colors that one may not find in their own neighborhoods that seem to add that fall flavor as you stroll through the streets of the past.

Most of the structures throughout the Village are open during the fall season, however, once again the main presentations concentrate on the two farms, Firestone (19th century), and Daggett (18th century), as they prepare for the winter months ahead. And, believe me when I say that the presenters at these two farms do it right!
We'll begin with Daggett - - - -
To give a bit of background here, I shall quote from Senior Manager of Creative Programs Jim Johnson, as I feel I cannot explain any better than what Mr. Johnson has written (this comes from The Henry Ford blog http://blog.thehenryford.org/)
(all photos, by the way, are were taken by me):

The Daggetts would have stored away a variety of root vegetables in stone-lined pits that would have prevented hard freezing for turnips, potatoes, beets and other similar vegetables. The earth is a great insulator, especially a small hillside. These outside “root cellars,” dug deep enough and lined with stone, provided the protection needed. The stone lining not only insulates, but keeps the items stored away cleaner. The wooden cover/door with added straw insulation made access throughout the winter possible. A heavy layer of snow would further help to keep the storage area from freezing. This would normally be in addition to the cellar of the house, also used for food storage.

Cabbages would have been pulled roots and all and also stored in similar ways. Pumpkins and other winter squash would have been kept in house cellars or possibly garrets (attics), to prevent freezing, allowing them to be used well into the winter months. Several other root vegetables like parsnips and salsify would have just been kept in the frozen ground of the garden and dug out as needed.

By this time of year, beans and peas would have been dried and stored away in sacks in cool dry locations. Dried peas and beans used in soups, stews, and baked bean dishes were simply left to fully mature on their vines or stalks in the field. Once completely dry, they were pulled by the roots and loaded into a cart or wagon and hauled back to the barn. In some cases, the partially dried plants were attached to long poles set-up in the field, once fully dried, the “bean” poles were hauled back to the barn to await further processing. This allowed a nice compact way to store them.

Much like threshing grain, beans and peas were laid out on a flat surface, usually on a tarp, and hit with a wooden flail (two lengths of wood connected by a leather lace). The wooden flail would break apart the pods and loosen up the dried beans or peas. Once loose from pods, the beans and peas were carefully scooped up and then cleaned by a process called winnowing. Using the breeze, the bean and peas were flipped up and down in a large shallow basket. The dust and lighter debris would blow away leaving the beans or peas behind. Once clean, they would be stored away in barrels or clean sacks.Dried green beans were re-constituted and added to soups or stews in the winter and early spring when nothing green was available.

With careful planning, all these sorts of vegetables would carry over the family’s needs until the new summer produce became available again. It’s no wonder that the first early greens from the garden were so looked forward to after a winter of starchy root vegetables. As you visit the Daggett farm throughout the fall, you will see the staff harvesting and storing away a variety of garden produce.

Drying plants for winter use hang over the kitchen fireplace

Fruit, especially apples, was another important food item carefully preserved for the winter. The Daggetts had very limited technology when it came to “canning” as we know it today. Fruit jams or preserves were kept in small crocks or glass jars and sealed with bees wax, spirit soaked parchment, or animal bladders that when tightly drawn over the jar opening, would dry and seal off the jar (they were reusable). Lots of fruit was dried by slicing and lying out in baskets or on wooden racks. Fresh fruit was carefully packed in barrels whole to keep in a cool spot.

Upon my own visitation to the Daggett farm I have also witnessed the spinning of wool into yarn as well as the usage of roots and berries for the colorful dyeing process.
The large walking (or great) wheel was used in the spinning process, and it's here where one can watch as the un-carded wool is carded by use of carding paddles before actually being spun into yarn. As this process is done, the presenter explains every step.
Outside in the yard a large vat of water is boiled over a fire pit. This is part of the process of having spun wool dyed to a variety of colors. The women of the family would hunt through fields and woods for flowers, leaves, and bark to dye their wool, crushing walnut shells for brown, goldenrod blossoms for yellow, and roots of the madder plant for red.

Plants, roots, and nuts crushed to make dye

The ingredients were boiled in water until the liquid becomes the desired shade, then skeins of yarn were simmered in the vat of dye.

The Walking (or Great) Wheel at Daggett farm

The finished product, ready to be made into socks, hat, scarf, or some other cold weather item

Inside the house, in the great hall of the Daggett house, sits a loom, an exact replica of one built in the 18th century. The very talented presenters often demonstrate the process of using this fly-shuttle loom where around a foot of fabric an hour can be produced.

A hundred years later, at the Firestone Farm, the fall harvest is in full swing as well. Once again, I will present here the words of Senior Manager of Creative Programs Jim Johnson, as he has written it best:

The Firestones would have used many similar techniques (as the Daggetts) to insure their vegetable needs for the winter. Pits and root cellars still played an important role. Sauerkraut from cabbage was an important fall job at the Firestone Farm. A well-made crock of kraut could last the family well into the spring. Simply a combination of salt and shredded cabbage, sauerkraut was a winter staple for many German-American families.

Storage for the winter months in the cellar of Firestone Farm

By the 1850s, the “fruit” canning jar with sealable lids had been perfected and by the period of the 1880s, the Firestones would have made full use of this technology and would have put up a dazzling array of pickles, jellies, jams, sauces, etc.

The Firestone orchard is filled with a number of 19^th-century and earlier apple varieties, and visitors will be able to see a wide selection of red, green, brown, yellow, and speckled apples on the trees. Names like Rambo, Baldwin, Belmont, Roxbury Russet, and Hubbardston Nonesuch can be found there. They all have different characteristics, flavors, and ultimately were used in different ways, either for sale, or for the family’s own use. Those not carefully packed away will be made into apple butter, apple sauce, pies, dowdies, dumplings, fritters, and cider. Both the Firestone and Daggett kitchens will overflow with apples in the fall.

Apple Butter making at Firestone farm

Both the Firestones and Daggetts made cider. The sweet cider we all seek out in the fall was actually only available for a short time when the apples were plentiful. Cider actually refers to the fermented slightly alcoholic drink stored in barrels for use throughout the winter. Cider vinegar, and apple jack brandy was also made from the juice of the crushed apples. The Firestone staff demonstrates the use of a small “home” cider press. We do know that Samuel Daggett pressed cider with a larger animal powered machine, and sold cider to the surrounding community.

Other fruits that were commonly grown and used in a variety of ways were pears (fermented pear juice is known as “perry”), peaches, cherries, quince, and grapes. Wine making from grapes was commonly done, especially among German communities. Though not actually a fruit, hops are grown in the Daggett garden, and brewing of small beer was also a fall activity.

The harvest of the field crops at Firestone Farm has been underway since July as the wheat ripened. The fall is when the field corn was harvested and by the end of September or early October, the corn at Firestone Farm will be standing in neat shocks. Firestone Farm pre-dates the era of the silo, when corn stalks were chopped up and made into a slightly fermented feed known as silage. So instead, corn stalks were chopped and fed as fodder.

Gathering the stalks into shocks had an important purpose. The inside stalks, sheltered from the elements, and retained their nutritional value for quite some time and the actual shock made a handy manageable portion for the farmer to haul from the field for his cattle. The corn was either picked before shocking, or at the time the shock was pulled from the field. Corn then had to be husked, and then thrown into the corn crib for further drying. Firestone barn has an enormous corn crib running the entire side of the barn shed. Once dry it could be shelled, then either fed as shelled corn, or ground into feed or meal. The variety we grow at Firestone Farm is called “Reid’s Yellow Dent” and was primarily grown as a feed corn. Hard “flint” corns were best for meal, and the softer “gourd seed” type of corn was also used for animal feed, or for making hominy and grits. Corn harvest related work will take place throughout the ladder part of September at Firestone Farm.

Inside the house, the cozy warmth of the fireplace roars as the women of the farm prepare the dinnertime (afternoon) meal, and I can tell you first hand just how wonderful the smells of the Firestone farm kitchen can be! The coziness of the home surrounds one while visiting during the dreary, cool fall days, for besides the roaring fire one may find the oil lamps lit as well.
And there are few things more homier than this!

Elsewhere in the Village a farmer's market is set up where one can purchase local grains and baking mixes, produce, honey, apples, and much more.

At times (mostly in previous years) one can/could find a number of different activities occurring throughout the Village including corn shucking, threshing, the process of winnowing, and numerous others.
Spending the time at the two main farms is a thrilling, learning experience which we enjoy immensely. However, there was a time when the Village would have a full fall-harvest weekend, with so many different activities going on besides what I mentioned in the paragraph above: live music, hayrides, and hot cider & doughnuts. A real old-time shindig! And a wonderful opportunity to teach young and old - in a fun way - about harvest time in America 19th century.

My advice? Carry on in the historical way that Greenfield Village used to do - bring the full fall harvest weekend back. The Food Tasting Weekends are a great first step. Maybe opening up the cider mill and have cider and doughnuts can accent this weekend as well. With all one can experience inside the Village, these suggestions would make for a much better and have much more of a total family immersion fall experience than one could get visiting a cider mill! It would be far more fun and cheaper, too!

In the 1990's Greenfield Village had musicians performing old-time music during the Fall Harvest Weekend.
Maybe one day they will bring this event back...

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In the Good Old Summertime at Greenfield Village

2009-09-23T10:36:00.000-07:00

Summertime and the livin' is easy...

There aren't too many places one can enjoy summers of days gone by like they can at Greenfield Village. The atmosphere alone will allow the visitor to time-travel to a summer from a hundred years or more into the past. And, if the opportunity arises to visit the Village during a balmy weekday - away from the weekend crowds - one can immerse themselves even deeper into another time and place.
A visit to the 1880's Firestone Farm is always a good place to begin. This is where the visitor can see that the heat and humidity of summer does not - can-not - prevent the daily chores from being done. To fully appreciate how our ancestors lived without air-conditioning is to see the women of the house prepare and cook a hearty meal on a wood-burning stove: weeding and picking the vegetables from the kitchen garden, slicing and dicing them on the kitchen table, heading to the cellar for meat, retrieving water from the hand-pump near the dairy shed, all the while keeping the stove in the kitchen good and hot.
No, that's not pretend sweat you see above their brow.

And, depending on the day of the week, you'll also see the ladies washing clothes, ironing, mending, doing dishes, feeding the chickens, cleaning...on top of the chore of meal making.
And let's not forget the most important job they have: to speak with the visitors!

That's not to say the men had it any easier: taking care of the livestock, tilling, plowing, harvesting, raking, digging, spreading manure collected from the livestock, repairing fences and equipment...

Over at the 18th century Daggett Farmhouse one will also see the ladies of the house hard at work: cooking meals made from scratch over an open hearth, spinning wool into yarn on the large walking wheel, and, my particular favorite, allowing visitors to dip their own beeswax candles.

My daughter and I have dipped nearly a dozen between us over the summer season and wait until fall and especially the Christmas Season to light them.
Late summer will find the Daggett House workers using the giant loom to make rugs.

The Susquehanna Plantation gives the appearance of living in the 1860's and, again, food is being prepared over an open hearth while the story of the Carroll family is told.

The Village has hired actors to perform vignettes in numerous locations throughout the historic structures: an African-American man and woman explain their lives as slaves at the Susquehanna plantation. They also put on a wonderful skit of "Br'er Rabbit";

see how the proprietor deals with a "difficult customer" at the J.R. Jones General Store;

19th century school days are relived in the Scotch Settlement School;

Huckleberry Finn tells his own tales with Tom Sawyer and Becky Thatcher; Thomas Edison, over at the The Menlo Park Laboratory, tells of how he and his men worked on their inventions; and, at the Wright Brothers Home, Orville and Wilbur, along with their sister Katherine, speak of that day in December when man, for the first time, flew an airplane.
There are also the Village Singers performing tunes mainly from the turn of the 20th century.

Along Main Street, which has more of a decidedly early 20th century feel, the sounds of the Herschell-Spillman Carousel can be heard for quite a ways...

...and the La-De-Dahs, Greenfield Village's own 1860's baseball team, play a rousing game of 1860's baseball against numerous other period teams from the Detroit area down in the Walnut Grove area.

One of the highlights of the entire summer at Greenfield Village is the 4th of July Celebration Spectacular - -
...armed with chairs, a blanket, and a cooler with sandwiches for a picnic, the mass of eight thousand plus patriots swarm into the Village at the six o'clock hour to find there "spot" on the grassy area in and around Walnut Grove where a massive stage is set up for the evenings concert performance by the Detroit Symphony Orchestra.
But, before the DSO takes the stage, people-watching during the festival atmosphere ensues: men riding the old-time high bicycles, strolling singers with Captain Banjo, and tents for food and drink with vendors yelling out their wares. The 1st Michigan Colonial Fife and Drum Corps march up and down the sidewalk, performing Revolutionary War music.
The DSO will then take the stage and, after a two-hour performance, completes their show with what is now a standard at most 4th of July musical celebrations - Tchaikovsky's 1812 Overture. Of course, real cannons are used for the BOOMS at the end of the piece. To complete the evening, a beautiful fireworks display, accompanied by the DSO, gives everyone for miles around that very American thrill.
Unfortunately, cameras are not allowed for this particular extravaganza, so I have no shots to show.

I visit Greenfield Village quite often throughout the year, but the summertime seems to bring out more excitement than the other seasons. I especially enjoy the presenters bringing to life the everyday lives of our ancestors - rural and urban.

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Sounds of America Gallery (formerly known as Stephen Foster House, Stephen Foster Birthplace and Stephen Foster Memorial)

2009-08-16T16:54:00.000-07:00

(I must apologize to the readers of this blog. For some reason I over-looked this building while putting this blog together. When I am able to afford an actual site, it will surely be placed in its rightful order)

From what I understand, this structure, built in Lawrenceville (now part of Pittsburgh), Pennsylvania, in 1830, was purchased by Henry Ford in 1934 and placed inside Greenfield Village a year later. It was during this time when Ford was truly providing a safe 'haven' for the country's historic houses as many, including what was thought to be Stephen Foster's birthplace, were in terrible shape or were in dilapidated areas. Houses like this probably would not have lasted another decade where they originally stood.

The large hallway that separates the house in two. This is facing the front door.

Stephen Foster was probably the foremost composer of popular music of the 19th century. His tunes, including "Camptown Races," "Old Folks at Home (aka Way Down Upon the Swanee River)," "My Old Kentucky Home," "Hard Times Come Again No More" and so many others were the soundtrack of the mid-Victorian era, much as the songs of Lennon and McCartney from The Beatles were to the 1960's generation.
Interestingly, just as with the Susquehanna House in later years, this structure's history and how it came to the Village is quite a story (the following is from the book "The Public Image of Henry Ford - An American Folk Hero and His Company" by David Lewis):
In 1934, Ford bought a house in which Stephen Collins Foster allegedly had lived. As the industrialist was preparing to move the dwelling to Dearborn, the mayor of Pittsburgh declared that Ford had bought the wrong house. His statement was seconded by Foster's biographer, John Tasker Howard, who, while conceding the land on which the house stood was owned by Foster's father, pointed out that there was "little documentary evidence" to support the claim that the homestead was ever occupied by Stephen Foster himself. Ford's agents, the biographer suggested "had been misled and failed to exercise due caution in examining evidence" (which consisted mostly of the recollections of elderly Pittsburghers who, themselves, could only repeat what their parents had told them about the house). To judge for himself, Ford, who perhaps was pleased with the furor, made two well-publicized trips to Pittsburgh, expressed his faith in the house, and ordered it removed to Dearborn. On July 4, 1935, the house - in the presence of 70 of Foster's descendants - was formally added to the Greenfield Village collection. One of Foster's granddaughters lit "a perpetual monument of fire" in a stove inside the house and a sign, "The Birthplace of Stephen Foster," was hung above the front door."
The book goes on to say that after Ford's death the trustees of Greenfield Village wanted to clear up the controversy of whether Foster was actually born in this house or not due to the insistance of other Foster relatives, so a professional historian was hired to do the determination. The historian's conclusion was that Foster's actual birthplace was torn down in 1865 and that Ford's agents either ignored or did not understand the available evidence at the time. The house, as of 1953, was then known as the Stephen Foster Memorial.

But, the controversy didn't end, and through the 1960's other historians offered their 'professional' opinions. After continued research they decided Mr. Ford and his agents were, in fact, correct and the Village, in 1971, renamed it, once again, the Stephen Foster Birthplace.
In the 1990's (as far as I can figure), after another bout of research, the historians one more time agreed that this was not the birthplace of Stephen Foster, doubting, in fact, that he ever lived in this house. But, it was on the property belonging to his father.

So, rather than just have it as a restored 'mistake,' the Village, in 2003, decided to incorporate the music and the musical instruments of the era of Stephen Foster into a house-sized showcase. It does work, as far as this goes. But, I do miss seeing it in the way Greenfield Village had it decorated: the wide hall stretching from front to back (which is still present), and the rooms set up as a home would have been during Foster's time.

However, because there is some association of this home to the famed composer - even if not necessarily accurate - I will list, in addition to the songs listed above, a number of his biggest 'hits' (as far as sheet music in the mid-19th century can be considered):
Beautiful Dreamer
O Susannah
Bring My Brother Back To Me
If You've Only Got A Moustache
Gentle Annie
Merry Merry Month of May
I Dream of Jeannie With the Light Brown Hair
Nothing But A Plain Old Soldier
Nelly Bly
We Are Coming Father Abraham
Old Dog Tray
The Glendy Burke
Katy Bell
Massa's In De Cold Ground
Laura Lee
Willie Has Gone To The War
Some Folks Do
Ring De Banjo
Better Times Are Comin'

As you can see by this smidgen of what Stephen Foster wrote, his songs truly were the soundtrack of not only his generation but of future generations to come, and that has so far seen no end.
Even if this is not his birth home, Stephen Foster deserves any memorial that he receives, even under unusual circumstances.

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Civil War Remembrance Weekend - Takes Place Every Memorial Weekend

2009-05-28T13:53:00.000-07:00

Every Memorial Day weekend the folks at Greenfield Village pull out all the stops to pay homage to our American heroes who fought (and are still fighting) in the armed forces. They do this by reenacting the battles and the homefront of the war from which Memorial Day actually has its roots, the Civil War.

To give a brief history of Memorial Day:
Memorial Day, originally called Decoration Day, is a day of remembrance for those who have died in our nation's service. There are many stories as to its actual beginnings, with over two dozen cities and towns laying claim to being the birthplace of Memorial Day. There is also evidence that organized women's groups in the South were decorating graves before the end of the Civil War: a hymn published in 1867, "Kneel Where Our Loves are Sleeping" by Nella L. Sweet carried the dedication "To The Ladies of the South who are Decorating the Graves of the Confederate Dead." (There is also evidence that these ladies also decorated the graves of the northern dead as well). While Waterloo N.Y. was officially declared the birthplace of Memorial Day by President Lyndon Johnson in May 1966, it's difficult to prove conclusively the origins of the day. It is more likely that it had many separate beginnings; each of those towns and every planned or spontaneous gathering of people to honor the war dead in the 1860's tapped into the general human need to honor our dead, each contributed honorably to the growing movement that culminated in Gen Logan giving his official proclamation in 1868. It is not important who was the very first, what is important is that Memorial Day was established. Memorial Day is not about division. It is about reconciliation; it is about coming together to honor those who gave their all. Memorial Day was officially proclaimed on 5 May 1868 by General John Logan, national commander of the Grand Army of the Republic, and was first observed on 30 May 1868, when flowers were placed on the graves of Union and Confederate soldiers at Arlington National Cemetery.
(Taken from the web site "Memorial Day History" - http://www.usmemorialday.org/backgrnd.html)

Greenfield Village continues the tradition of decorating the graves of our fallen soldiers by the laying of wreaths by women, dressed in Civil War era mourning attire, at the Garden of the Leavened Heart in front of the Martha-Mary Chapel.

And this is, perhaps, the most touching part of the entire three day weekend for the visitors. It is solely a tribute to our Nation's veterans, and those in attendance who served in the armed forces are asked to walk out onto the Village Green to be acknowledged as a group. It is truly a heart-felt scene - much more so than, say, a local parade with clowns, decorated bikes, fire engines, and local politicians. This is strictly for all American military veterans - past and present.
Simply awesome.

Soldier's Camp

But, this is only part of the tribute. The whole Village plays a role in the holiday, and is turned into an 1860's town come alive by way of over 500 Civil War era reenactors, both military and civilian, camped out on the streets around the historic buildings situated there. On the east side of the Village Green, members of the cavalry, artillery, and infantry of both the north and south can be found in their respective camps, marching, drilling, and teaching the public about the life of a CW soldier. One can peak inside of a soldier's dog tent, learn the details about the muskets, hear the commands of an army from the mid-19th century, learn about eating hard tack, and, of course, watch a battle between the two sides.

Just before the battle mother...

There are times when the military will present different scenarios of camp life, sometimes showing the disciplining of a "drunken" soldier, for instance. Also, camp entertainment, with fiddles, guitars, and bones, can be heard at various locations.

Training "new recruits"

Young patrons to the Village can "sign up" for the military at the Phoenixville Post Office and then learn how to march & drill and the manual of arms.
As for the actual reenactors in their authentic uniforms, it is truly an impressive sight to see the line of blue and/or gray along the street, ready for battle.

Women on the home front had to earn money while their men were off fighting. Here, a laundress and her helper earn pennies washing and mending clothing.

On the other side of the Village is the civilian encampment, where the visitor can see first hand how folks of the 1860's lived on the homefront. Now, it must be explained here that people at 'home' during this war did not live in tents, nor were there hundreds of camp followers all camped together. What is being shown is the way life was if these reenactors were able to use a house. Because the houses inside Greenfield Village are museums all in themselves, the living historians are, understandably not able to use the structures, so the visitor must imagine the tents as wood-framed homes.
It is in the civilian camp where the visitor will find cooking over an open fire, the women writing letters to their boys fighting in a far-off land, parlor games to keep the families left behind entertained, and the many differing occupations of the time.
One will also find the Christian Commission, Soldiers Aid Societies, and a Temperance Society. In other words, a typical group of people living in a 19th century village.

Patrons are always welcome to step up to the camps

The patrons visiting Greenfield Village are always welcome to step up to the camps to observe and ask questions.

Aside from the reenactors, Greenfield Village provides entertainment by various musicians such as Camp Chase Fife & Drum and the Dodworth Saxhorn Band.

Camp Chase Fife & Drum

A period fashion show always draws a large audience, and the "Off to Prison Camp" at the Smiths Creek Depot gives an accurate presentation of life on the home front, with the women preparing packages for their men while the soldiers bring prisoners of war through the depot..

Preparing packages and letters for their men off fighting

A mourning presentation at Adams Family Home shows how folks dealt with death during the Victorian era, and the Susquehanna Plantation gives visitors an idea of what it was like when a regiment took over a plantation home in the south.
There is so much to see and do on this weekend that the number of visitors to this event continue to rise, and I do not believe there is a bigger weekend for Greenfield Village.
With the 150 anniversary of the Civil War at hand, this Remembrance Weekend can only grow in size and scope.

The Battle Begins...

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Behind the Scenes at Greenfield Village

2009-05-07T09:23:00.000-07:00

Until I began frequenting the Benson-Ford Research Center, located on the grounds of The Henry Ford (where one can search for historical records and photographs of everything Greenfield Village), I had not given a second thought as to what went into the displays and presentations at the open-air museum.
Much of what you are about to read in this chapter comes directly from the training manuals given to the presenters.

Period-dressed presenters eating dinner at the Daggett Farm

First off is the Mission Statement of The Henry Ford: "The Henry Ford provides unique educational experiences based on authentic objects, stories, and lives from America's traditions of ingenuity, resourcefulness and innovation. Our purpose is to inspire people to learn from these traditions to help shape a better future."

Authentic. This is the key word. Nothing is placed randomly inside the structures at the Village. The curators carefully consider every object before allowing it to become part of the site. It's this type of vigilance that maintains the appropriate period appearance for each and every building. Every object tells part of the story. Nothing is there by accident, and nothing is there that doesn't support the overall story.

Everything is strategically placed inside the parlor at Firestone Farm.

Of course, there are some things beyond the control of even the most ardent historian: airplanes flying overhead, the bright lights of the local motel and other modern buildings just outside the gates of the Village, the emergency siren system on the first Saturday of every month...
But, none of these contemporary backdrops detracts from the overall experience. One is surrounded by period buildings, vehicles, and presenters, and, because of the overall scenario, the signs of the modern world become non-existent.

A colonial girl inside the Giddings House

The presenters here play a major part in the whole feeling of Greenfield Village. Through the wearing of period clothing they themselves give ambiance just by their outward appearance. For instance, stepping into the Daggett Farmhouse - an 18th century saltbox originally from Connecticut - and seeing a presenter in accurate period clothing spinning on the period walking wheel gives a desired effect to the visitor of possibly stepping through a portal through time, whereas a modern dress curator would not have nearly the same effect whatsoever.

Likewise at Firestone Farm, where period dressed presenters abound in greater numbers than any other structure inside the Village. Seeing modern people make supper from scratch means little to most folks, but, put those same presenters in period clothing doing the exact same task, well, now everyone is interested. And, there are numerous homes in the Village that apply this stepping into the past procedure including the Edison Homestead, the Ford Home, and, at times, the McGuffey Birthplace, Scotch Settlement School, and Susquehanna Plantation.

The women of the Adams House work together to make their dinner

The workers who portray our "ancestors" have a set of rules they must follow. For instance, they must report to work fully dressed in the period clothing that is supplied to them by the Clothing and Textile production staff. Hair must be in place for the era they are portraying. No make up, lip gloss, or nail polish of any kind is to be worn. Jewelry, aside from an emergency bracelet or a wedding ring, must be period appropriate and approved by the clothing staff. This means no earrings for the males and no wristwatches of any kind. Even undergarments are provided for the period dressed presenter: "Undergarments such as bustles and/or petticoats that have been assigned to you provide certain period silhouettes and must be worn."
Although the presenter may not portray an actual named or historical character from the past while working in the homes, their appearance, actions, and manner of speaking attempt to evoke the past. The presenters are trained in thought and detail to give the visitor the impression that they have stepped into the past.

The kitchen was the busiest room in virtually every 19th century home, including the one in which Henry Ford was born.

They are taught to think about their lives as an 18th or 19th century person. However, except for the servers and hosts at the The Eagle Tavern, you will not find presenters practicing 1st person - speaking and acting as if they are from the past and not acknowledging the present - as is done in other open-air museums such as Plimouth Plantation or Colonial Williamsburg.

The only building that presenters speak in 1st person inside of Greenfield Village is the Eagle Tavern

Greenfield Village applies what I like to call 2nd person: the presenter is dressed in period clothing, doing period work, and carries themselves in a period manner but speaks to the public using modern language and terms, explaining the 'what,' 'how,' and 'why' of the chore at hand. This allows the visitor to learn of everyday life long-past in a fun and fascinating manner and gives the opportunity for questions.
By the way, it's at homes such as Firestone and Daggett that one can see how life was lived by each season of the year: plowing and planting in the spring (Springtime at Greenfield Village), summer chores, fall harvests, and preparing for winter. Each day of the week also follows the daily chores of times past: Monday wash day, Wednesday baking day, Sunday a more relaxed day to do needlepoint, &c.

Monday is wash day at Firestone Farm

At the J.R. Jones General Store, by the way, the presenters will ask the visitors what they are looking to purchase. Of course, nothing is actually for sale, but the docent will explain many of the items in hopes of "making a sale."

Although the actual antique items in the general store cannot really be sold, the proprietor will make the attempt

As for the rest of the homes that do not have period dress docents they will either have volunteers in the modern blue vests giving the tours, or a self-guided tour of the home with the rooms plexi-glassed off.
A few exceptions that the powers that be have made are the scenarios put on by professional actors portraying famous people in history. This has been done at the Wright Bros. and at Menlo Park.

The Wright brothers with their sister put on a historical play to visitors explaining their adventures at Kitty Hawk in 1903. This is one of only a few presentation done in this manner.

It's always surprised me that they do not use a period dress docent at the Sarah Jordan Boarding House - I believe that could add quite a bit to the atmosphere, especially if they use a 1st to 2nd person female presenter.

Because of the large variety of buildings, because of Greenfield Village's promise of authenticity, and because of the mission to teach accurately the daily life of those from America's past, one can visit the Village frequently throughout the year and never fail to learn something new.

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Springtime at Greenfield Village

2009-04-17T11:29:00.001-07:00

As a member of The Henry Ford, I visit Greenfield Village a few times a month. Sometimes I'll head there in the morning just to walk around for a couple hours to clear my head before heading off to work in the afternoon. I must say, I never return home without learning something new. And, because the events are broken down according to the season of the year, there are always opportunities to learn even more about life as lived. For instance, come mid-April, when the Village re-opens after being closed for the winter, one can enter the season of springtime of long ago. It's this time of year when the visitor can see just how folks of the 18th and 19th centuries awakened from their 'long winter's nap' and prepared their homes and land for the coming season.
At Firestone Farm, for example, one will see that the wall hangings in the sitting room have been taken down for cleaning; the walls are wiped, and the rugs are beaten to rid them of months of dust and dirt.

From ceiling to floor, each room is torn apart and given a thorough cleaning.
The food the presenters cook in the coal burning stove is what had been in the cellar since the previous fall.

Outside on the surrounding farmland, spring plowing is at hand. Not by tractor, mind you, but by horse and man power. If you recall from the second chapter of this blog ("History is Bunk!" - What Henry Ford Really Meant, and the Beginning of Greenfield Village), harrowing the land was one of the reasons Henry Ford began his Village:
"When I went to our American history books to learn how our forefathers harrowed the land, I discovered that the historians knew nothing about harrows. Yet our country depended more on harrows than on guns or great speeches."

(from a placard in the Soybean Experimental Laboratory)

(a weed puller in use)

For someone like me and my family who live in the city, this gives us the chance to see plowing and harrowing done first-hand in the way of our fore-fathers, as well as planting of the crops. Learning what folks in the later 19th century grew in their kitchen garden is also explained.
What's nice is that the 'planting season' is not just for a weekend, but throughout the spring months of April and May. And the men (and women) in the field explain in interesting detail what they are doing and the purpose for the equipment they use.

At the Ford Home farm the presenters perform the task of sheep-shearing. As you can see by the photographs, this was no easy task.

And while visiting the colonial era Daggett Farmhouse one can see how they sorted, washed, carded and spun the wool from the shorn sheep. The women here are experts spinners and to see them work the great (or walking) wheel is to see a craft that had faded long ago return to life.

The presenters do a great job in their explanations of the springtime chores at each of the homes mentioned above (and a few others) and are always willing to answer any questions.
For many of us, it's just not spring until we go to the spring chore season at Greenfield Village.

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Sarah Jordan Boarding House Catches Fire

2009-04-09T19:40:00.000-07:00

This posting is about a near historic tragedy concerning this very important boarding house. If you would like to read about this historic home's history, please click HERE, otherwise read on to find how we very nearly lost a very important piece of not only American history but world history as well.
The following is an article that I wrote for the February 2009 newsletter of the Civil War unit I belong to. I did not include the names of the workers as I would like to get their permission first.

On Monday January 5, a fire broke out at the Sarah Jordan Boarding House in Greenfield Village and caused heavy damage to the duplex. Many of the original artifacts have been lost, although most were saved. The cause is suspected to be from some roof /gutter construction. All of us who love visiting the Village – whether as re-enactors or as patrons - have been greatly saddened by this awful occurrence. But, there is a bright side to this as well; fortunately, this 1870 duplex was not burned beyond repair – it will be restored back to its original glory.

A friend of mine who is a presenter at the Village wrote a stirring account of the night of the fire. She explained how she and the others were preparing the Village homes for the winter break when they received a desperate call from a co-worker who saw flames coming from the Sarah Jordan house. She witnessed the firetrucks and police cars hurrying to the fire. I should like to present what she wrote at this point in a ‘Reader’s Digest condensed version’ here:

“From the Firestone Farm we looked way down the fire lane to the front of the village and saw a lot of people running towards the other end. (Another Village presenter) called me and told me what was going on and said there was a fire at Sarah Jordan Boardinghouse. I asked if there were flames and damage. She said yes, and they were actually having to tear parts of the house off.

I don't think I was prepared for what we saw when we got there. We turned the corner by the carousel, and the whole lane in front of Menlo Park was full of fire trucks, ambulances, Henry Ford security vehicles, and more trucks. There were at least 10 firefighters working on the house. They were tearing off siding and parts of the porch. There were managers, supervisors, and various other people there. Some were standing with tears streaming down their faces. It was hard to watch; seeing something like that literally breaks your heart. We stood there for a long time, just watching more and more damage being done to the house.
They then told us they'd need help getting the artifacts out of the house, and anyone who could stay would be appreciated. There was a gaping hole, so nothing could be kept inside. It was so amazing to see how many people selflessly gave up whatever plans they may have had to help out when needed. It was hours till all the insurance pictures were taken, and the house was deemed safe by the fire dept.

It was determined that we would get in lines like the old fashioned bucket brigades and take everything one by one out of the house and put it in big trucks. Some would stand outside of the house, and some would head down to the Guild Beer Hall where the artifacts were going to be stored. We headed to the beer hall. By this time, it was about 8 pm, and the fire started around 4:30. There were about 50 people giving up their time to pitch in where needed, no questions asked. How cool to be a part of a big team that believes so much in this institution when it goes through something like this!

Tables were being set up in the beer hall to lay everything out on. First it was everything from the downstairs (of Sarah Jordan’s), so it wasn't damaged much at all. Still, the smell of smoke was overwhelming. Soon we started seeing things with soot and smoke damage. We were to bag everything that was damaged or wet. They would be frozen to stop any further damage before they could be assessed. Every single item that was in that house was brought out, including every hair pin, picture, newspaper, as well as the dressers, bed frames, and big pieces of furniture. Once the truck was unloaded, it would head back to the house, and we would start spreading everything out safely on the tables. Someone would yell, "truck's here!" and we would start over again. This went on for hours. The last truck load was the hardest to see - it had all the items from the room where the blaze started; priceless pieces of history literally gone up in smoke. I should say, however, that many people were surprised by the little damage that was done. The Dearborn Fire Department was amazing in the work they did. They were tossing small artifacts onto the beds and out of the fire to save as many things as they could. It was so cool that they cared about our village like that. One happy thing to mention is that the Lincoln chairs were saved! They are a set of chairs that was sold in a yard sale the Lincolns had before they left Springfield for Washington D.C. and were stored in the Boardinghouse. Someone knew enough to tell the firefighters to get them out asap. Yay!About 10 pm, the last truck had come and our job was done. We were cold, smelled like smoke, and were covered in soot, but I know there was no place we'd rather be. The conservation and exhibits team looked at the tables full of artifacts and knew they had quite a job in front of them! To sum it all up, I'm so thankful no one was hurt, and that the building wasn't completely lost. As hard as it was to see what happened, I'm glad I was able to be a part of this experience that I soon won't forget. Another co-worker summed it up perfectly, ‘History was made and we were all there to help, though sadness lingered throughout.’ "

As you can see, it was quite a dramatic night for all of the workers of Greenfield Village. What they all did to help save one of the most important structures in history – one of the two first buildings ever to be lit by electricity – and its contents was nothing short of heroic, and they deserve our praise and thanks for their efforts on that very frightening night.

GOOD NEWS: The Sarah Jordan Boarding House has been repaired and restored to its former glory and was re-opened in time for the 2009 4th of July celebrations. The only change that I have noticed is the S J highlighted in the wallpaper of an upstairs bedroom is no longer there. Otherwise, to the untrained eye the house looks the same as it did before.

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Future Blogs / Chapters

2009-03-18T12:20:00.000-07:00

With the Detroit, Toledo, and Milwaukee Roundhouse chapter completed, this blog, as far as I know, now includes every structure that stands (or stood) inside of Greenfield Village.
But, that doesn't mean I am done with it - not by any means. My plans are to continue to up-date the information on the structures as more info becomes available.
I also plan to add or switch photographs in other "chapters" when I am able to take better shots. As I wrote all of this out, I found that there are many great pictures awaiting to be taken!

What will follow from here for future chapters will be on the different events that take place inside of the Village, including the Holiday Nights at Christmastime, Hallowe'en, the Civil War Remembrance weekend, and other specialties.
I will also be writing about what takes place behind the scenes - the whys and wherefores that makes Greenfield Village more authentic in every historical sense and puts it far and away above other open-air museums.
Stay tuned...

A scene right out of the past - Dodworth Saxhorn Band

Detroit, Toledo, & Milwaukee Roundhouse

2009-03-18T08:20:00.000-07:00

In June of 2000, the Detroit, Toledo, & Milwaukee Roundhouse officially opened.
Originally located in Marshall, Michigan, the structure is the only working educational roundhouse in the midwest region, and one of only seven working roundhouses in the United States.

The original DT&M Roundhouse was built in 1884 and was demolished in 1989. The reconstructed roundhouse has been restored to look as it did in 1920 and includes many of the structural elements of the original. Visitors can watch from above as skilled mechanics service and repair the locomotives using 19th and early 20th century equipment and tools.

That being said, this roundhouse is also the primary facility for the inspection, care, repair, and storage of a number of historic locomotives. The trains at the Village, on an average, require one day of service for every day of operation.

Notice the caboose restoration taking place

In the old days, virtually all of the roundhouse workers were male and they would learn their skills through on the job training.
Not all roundhouses were round. Smaller roundhouses, like the DT&M, were built in a semi-circular pattern around a turntable. The DT&M Roundhouse is built around the Pere Marquette Railroad Turntable

One of the most unique features about the inside of this roundhouse is the ability for the visitor to have the opportunity to actually enter the inspection pit where one can stand beneath a fifty ton locomotive.

Ever stand underneath a fifty ton locomotive?

The "Railroad Junction" - as it's called in Greenfield Village - is now complete by way of the turntable, the Steam Locomotive Train Rides, the Smiths Creek Depot, and now the roundhouse.

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Firestone Farm: Yard, Barn, and Other Outbuildings

2009-02-14T03:50:00.000-08:00

The Firestone Farm is a real working farm, and the presenters can be found working the land seasonally, just as it was done in the 19th century: tilling, harrowing, planting, and doing all of the other chores typical of the era. It is a living history re-creation of life on a farm of the 1880's in Eastern (Columbiana) Ohio, and the presenters who work the farm have done a marvelous job in their presentation of this life.
At the end of this posting, click the link to see how hog butchering was done in the 1880's.Numerous livestock call the farm home, including draft horses, cattle, pigs, chickens, and the aforementioned sheep. Some roam about the barnyard freely, while the larger animals are fenced in.
But, one can get close to them as they walk into the barn out back. Beware, however: the odors of a country farm are prominent!
The barn is known as a Pennsylvania-German bank barn, one of the most common barns built before 1880. They are known as bank barns because one side of the barn is built into the side of a hill, allowing wagons to be driven into the upper floor while the animals were kept in the lower level.

This bank barn, built in 1830, was efficient because large amounts of grain and hay could be processed and stored in the upper level and tossed down to the lower level as needed for cattle feed.
It was moved to Dearborn, Michigan and restored in Greenfield Village in 1983.

The visitor is welcome to stroll through both levels of the barn, taking in the sites (and smells!) of rural life gone by.

Springtime at Firestone Farm is the time for plowing the fields. The workers always take the time to answer any questions visitors may have. As you can see, the farm yard covers quite a bit of ground.

Just off to the side of the house is the dairy barn.

Yes, it is also the place where the presenters get there water, just as the Firestones did 150 years ago.

Here a presenter explains how churned butter is put inside the dairy barn to set before it can be used in cooking.

And behind the main house is the necessary, better known today as the outhouse.

The chicken coupe was a necessity of any farm, and many homes as well.

Eggs were collected daily by the women and younger children of the family.

Visitors can also see some of the seasonal cooking crafts, such as apple butter making.
In the fall, the presenters actually butcher the hogs as was done in the later 19th century. Here is an excellent film clip from youtube on the process, filmed at Firestone:
Hog Butchering at Firestone Farm
The Firestone Farm and barn truly make for an authentic living history experience. One can spend hours watching and speaking to the presenters. This is probably my favorite area of Greenfield Village.

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Firestone Farm

2009-02-10T18:29:00.000-08:00

(This particular chapter is mainly about the house the Firestones lived in. The barn and other outbuildings are in the next chapter (scroll to the bottom for the link). I must also 'warn' the reader that there are quite a few pictures of the Firestone Farm in this chapter of the blog. I hope you enjoy them!)

The Firestone Farm was originally built by Peter Firestone in 1828 in Columbiana, Ohio (just a few miles from the Pennsylvania border), and is now a gem among gems inside Greenfield Village. Among the family members living there in the latter half of the 19th century was young Harvey Firestone, the grandson of Peter, who would later gain fame and fortune in the tire industry and became a close friend of Henry Ford.

During the 19th and into the 20th century, the Firestones raised a large flock of sheep, with wool being their 'cash crop,' but they also harvested oats, hay, corn, and wheat. In 1965, nearly thirty years after Harvey's death, his descendants and the local historical society restored the house and opened it to the public for tours, but because of the farm's remote location, it failed to attract many visitors.
In 1983, Harvey's two surviving sons, both in their 70's, gave the house and barn, together with furnishings and a sizable endowment for maintenance, to Greenfield Village as a way to keep the memory of their father.

Disassembling the buildings and reconstructing them some two hundred miles away took over two years. During the dis-assembly and reconstruction, however, the crew made a very interesting discovery: a note tucked beneath a staircase, signed, dated, and hidden by none other than 14 year old Harvey himself, inadvertently revealed the date of the 1882 restoration!

The Firestone Farm, as it stands now in Greenfield Village, is a living history re-creation of life on a farm of the 1880's in Eastern Ohio, and has been restored to look as it did in 1882, when Harvey's parents remodeled the house to give it a more modern look. The wallpaper and furnishings throughout the house show what was considered stylish during the Victorian era. The next four pictures show the 'best room' - the parlor - showing the phenomenal job the curators did:

The parlor was used mainly to entertain special guests. Henry Ford and Thomas Edison visited and, no doubt, sat in this parlor.

The goal of Greenfield Village is to have the visitor, upon entering the farm, feel as if they had stepped back in time. In the house, barn, and fields, there is always work to be done. But, the workers here do not take on the roles of the Firestone family members.

~Sadie at the Organ~
She did a wonderful job performing a period tune for us!

They, instead, try to give the patrons an immersion experience, back to the 1880's, which seems to begin from the moment the visitor steps onto the gravel walkway leading to the house. Creating this immersion experience is the ultimate way to use the site to its fullest advantage.

The curators went to the extreme to perfect this 'experience.' Their methodology was to decide, as accurately as possible, what the Firestone family would have had or would have done.

The curators focused on the people from 1880's eastern Ohio, then 1880's midwest, then 1880's north, etc., until they were satisfied that they had re-created life as once lived.

The Dining room, below, is just off the kitchen.

Upon entering the side door, the patron will see all presenters in period clothing. These docents may not portray an actual person from the past, but their appearance, actions, and manner of speaking will evoke the past. They bring the 1880's to life in such a way that, although it is not in a 1st person presentation (as the presenters do at Colonial Williamsburg), the sights, sounds, smells, and sensations of Firestone Farm truly give the visitor that time-travel experience - more than any other building in the Village. The patron is able to watch and ask questions while the presenters do the daily activities and chores. Upon repeated visits, one can see many of the chores change throughout the year: spring planting and cleaning, summer chores with crops and livestock, and autumn harvesting as well as winter preparations.

Visitors can even sit down in a Victorian chair in the sitting room and relax by looking at pictures through a stereoscope......or warm themselves beside the fire in the fireplace.

Having a warm by the fire at Christmas Time

A true 'Immersion experience.'The kitchen is the center of activity year-round, and the presenters show this well.

Period correct meals are prepared each day on a coal-burning stove - expect to be told to "be careful, the stove is hot" as you enter the room.

The recipes, clothing, furnishings, and kerosene lamps are all typical of farm life in the American midwest during the 1880's.

Yes, the presenters eat what they cook!

Monday is laundry day on the farm, and the presenters at Firestone wash their clothes like they did in the later Victorian era, using lye soap, water heated over a fire or on the stove, and a washboard. The clean clothes are hung outside on a clothesline to dry.

On Sundays I have seen the female docents work on needlepoint or another craft.

Not a Greenfield Village presenter, but my wife, here, is relaxed and feels right at home while she is crocheting at the Farm during the Civil War Remembrance

In keeping with the tradition of the farm, usually around the Christmas season some of the Firestone Farm hogs are butchered. This was an exciting time for farm families for it provided meat and lard for the coming year. Visitors can see the Farm staff scraping the bristles from the carcass, removing the entrails and carving the carcass into chops, hams, bacon, etc. This will take place in the cellar and kitchen. They will then cure the meat with salts, sugars, and brine solutions.

And one can find how they converted hog fat into lard for cooking or making soap.
The butchered meat and lard will be used in their presentations throughout the coming year.
In the cellar the patron will find the curing meat hanging from the ceiling.

Also, in the cellar, much of the 'messiest' work is done, such as soap carving.

This is also where the coal for the stoves are kept.

The second floor is, unfortunately, closed to the public, due to, I believe, the fire marshall of Dearborn being concerned of a fire exit.

But, I have been lucky enough to visit this rarely seen by the general public area. It is every bit as beautifully decorated as the first floor.
Here, a statue of a deer sits on a hall shelf.

Below are a couple pictures of the master bedroom where Harvey's parents slept:

And next we have some shots of Harvey's room

And we can't forget grandma's bedroom

and grandma's private sitting room...

...all presented as it once was in the 1880's.
The folks at Greenfield Village and Firestone Farm take pride in accurately depicting life as it was once lived. The experience at the Farm is perhaps the finest example of living history I have witnessed yet. And the presenters here do an amazing job in their presentation. They interact wonderfully and patiently with the constant flow of visitors entering throughout the day.
Actually, I believe that in the way the Firestone Farm is presented would be exactly what Henry Ford would want, for he said back in the 1920's: "History as it is taught in the schools deals largely with...wars, major political controversies, territorial extensions and the like. When I went to our American history books to learn how our forefathers harrowed the land, I discovered that the historians knew nothing about harrows. Yet our country depended more on harrows than on guns or great speeches. I thought a history which excluded harrows and all the rest of daily life is bunk and I think so yet."
Yes, they do harrowing here - - - -

If you see no other building inside the Village, this is one that should not be missed. As stated in the Daggett Farmhouse chapter, historical presenting at its finest!
(To learn of the Firestone barn, yard, and other outbuildings, please click HERE)

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Pere Marquette Railroad Turntable

2009-01-31T11:55:00.000-08:00

A significant addition to the Greenfield Village railroad system, this 1901 Armstrong turntable from Petoskey, Michigan allows locomotives and railroad cars to be turned around to run in the opposite direction. It was built by the Detroit Bridge and Iron Works, but is balanced so well that one person using muscle-power alone can turn a load weighing up to 140 tons.

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Daggett Farmhouse (formerly known as Saltbox House, Connecticut Saltbox House, Wells House, and Dana Wells House)

2009-01-27T14:16:00.000-08:00

From its inception through the 1940's, Greenfield Village consistently expanded itself in size and scope with the continual addition of historic structures. But, once Doctor Howard's office was placed there, a span of over 20 years went by before another old house found its way into the open-air museum (not including the Herschell-Spillman Carousel).
It was in 1977 that antiquarian, Mary Dana Wells donated a saltbox house, complete with most of the colonial furnishings she collected, as well as an endowment fund to maintain it, to the Edison Institute to be placed in Greenfield Village. The old home was originally brought to Mrs. Wells attention by way of a Mr. George Watson, an employee/architect of Old Sturbridge Village, located in Massachusetts. That open-air museum could not use a 1750 saltbox due to it not being appropriate to their 1790 to 1840 span of collections.
Mrs. Wells had much of the '19th century updates' removed in her own restoration project and found the original unbalanced facade, and it was this 18th century design that prompted Mrs. Wells to purchase the house.

Built in the mid-18th century, restoration specialists Watson and Donald Graham watched carefully as the Edison Institute crew painstakingly dismantled the house and reconstructed the numbered pieces at the far-end of the Village. It was ready for public viewing by the 1978 season. With this wonderful New England addition in its new location situated near the Plympton House, Giddings House, the Farris Windmill, and the English Cotswold Cottage and Forge, the colonial section of the Village was now complete.
Before the reconstruction inside Greenfield Village, this saltbox structure was accustomed to moving, for when Mrs. Wells was told of the Andover, Connecticut dwelling in 1951, she had it disassembled and moved 35 miles to Union, Connecticut. Once in its new location and restored, the house served as Wells' home for the next 26 years, until she could no longer keep it in its pristine colonial condition. That is when Mrs. Wells decided to donate this great example of a New England saltbox house to Greenfield Village.

"Welcome, friends, to the Daggett Home. Sit thee down beside the fire."
Notice the tight, winding staircase inside the entrance way

At the time this dwelling was originally built, Andover, Connecticut was known as Coventry, and it was in this village that by 1750 - around the time he married his wife, Anna Bushnell - Samuel Daggett built the saltbox structure. Daggett was a housewright by trade and built this particular home on Shoddy Hill Road, atop 80 acres of land, half of which had been deeded to him by his father. Daggett also framed almost every other house in the surrounding area, as his account book at the Connecticut Historical Society attests.

Note the unique style of the gable roofing in this side view

The saltbox style was a very popular style of architecture in colonial Connecticut. This form gets its name from the similarity in shape to the small chests used for storing salt at that time. The most distinctive feature is the asymmetrical gable roof, which has a short roof plane in the front and a long roof plane in the rear, extending over a lean-to. English settlers created the saltbox form by adapting a medieval house form to meet the different needs and climate of North America. The design was perfect for the harsh New England climate.
The main room of the house - the "hall" - was an all-purpose room with a large fireplace where most of the cooking, eating, and living would occur. A small, steep staircase would access the upper room, or chamber, used for sleeping and storage.

The Great Hall

Across from the fireplace

Looking toward the kitchen

Hearth cooking: Just as it was done nearly 300 years ago

This certainly isn't fast food!

The above five photographs were taken in the "hall" of the Daggett Home.
Yes, they eat what they cook!

The parlor - or "best" room - was located on the opposite side of the chimney from the hall. This was a more formal and private room that had its own fireplace, and often included the master bedroom and was used for formal entertaining.

The above three pictures are of the Daggett's parlor.

The third room was a long kitchen built along the back wall in the lean-to, and this, too, included a fireplace.

The following two photos are of the Daggett kitchen where food is still prepared much in the same way as it was in Samuel and Anna's time

Besides a kitchen, this rear room could be divided up into a pantry, buttery, and sometimes an additional bedroom. With cooking moved to the kitchen, the hall could be used for other activities such as weaving.

What I will present in this next grouping of photographs are some rare images of the bedrooms on the 2nd floor. The general public is not allowed access to this part of the home for this is now used mainly for storage, therefore the pictures are only glimpses. However, it is a fascinating look at the bedrooms of a mid-18th century saltbox house.

The room in the photo above was called, according to a 2nd floor map that I have, a Parlor Chamber. A parlor chamber was considered the master bedroom and would keep the most elegant bedroom furniture. I must say, however, that whomever drew up the map might have been a bit confused, for the parlor chamber, by definition, was always the largest bedroom (chamber) in the home, and this room is almost half the size as the room listed as the Hall Chamber (see photo below):

There is a small hall connecting the parlor chamber to the hall chamber

From the connecting hall one will step directly into the larger Hall Chamber (or possibly the Parlor Chamber?).
It is in this other chamber where the furniture of Mrs. Wells, of whom donated the home to Greenfield Village, is kept, numbered and wrapped.
In the previous smaller room we were in is also used for storage of other pieces of furniture which are not part of the Wells collection:

The stairs going back to the main floor can be difficult to maneuver, which is why, I am sure, the general public is not allowed up to the 2nd floor.

The stairs can be almost treacherous...

...as you can see!

I would love to one day see Greenfield Village set the 2nd floor up in the way it might have been nearly 300 years ago and keep it for viewing on special occasions.

Back down to the main floor we can visualize what life was like for Samuel and Anna Daggett:

Uh oh! Looks like Mrs. Daggett is letting her husband know she did not appreciate his visiting with friends while she and the children worked at home!

Besides building houses, Samuel Daggett worked the family farm and grew many different crops and raised several types of animals on his farm, for his family's use or to sell or trade for other things the family needed. From his account book, we know that Samuel Daggett grew wheat, corn, barley, oats and tobacco; made cider from the apples in his orchard; and raised cattle, sheep, pigs and chickens. One would think that would be enough to keep the man plenty busy, but, in order to provide for his family, Daggett also had additional sources of income, including making furniture; he made chairs, spinning wheels and even coffins.
Surprisingly, we find that he pulled aching teeth for his neighbors, a skill he learned from his father.

The home life and daily activities of Anna and the Children were closely connected to the work that Samuel Daggett did. On farms in the colonial era, each family member played an important role in producing food, clothing and household goods for the family. Anna Daggett ran the home and cared for the family. Anna prepared and preserved food; spun yarn; made clothing, towels and sheets; gave the children their earliest lessons in reading and writing; and fed animals like chickens and pigs.

The Daggett daughters, Asenath and Tabitha, learned the skills of "housewifery" from their mother. They prepared yarn by carding and spinning; made clothing, soap and candles; tended the garden; and prepared food. The son, Isaiah, helped his mother and sisters with some of the chores around the house, and learned farming and other skills from his father
Like other families in this area of Connecticut, the Daggetts used, sold, or traded items they made for those they needed.

On a spring, summer, or fall day, a Daggett presenter can be found working in the garden

A small idea of colonial life: neighbors of the Daggetts saw each other most frequently at church on Sundays, which allowed them to socialize as well as attend religious services. People also got together to help one another with building a house, spinning yarn or harvesting crops. Sometimes just men or just women got together with each other, but most gatherings included some element of fun. These events helped build a sense of community.
The Daggetts and their neighbors walked much of the time, but had other means of travel as well. They walked to visit their neighbors or to attend church. Farmers also used horses or oxen for transportation. Sometimes they might rent them from a neighbor if they didn't have their own. When traveling alone, a farmer might ride on horseback, but if he was transporting goods he might use a pair of oxen pulling a cart.
New England colonists sometimes held a day of thanksgiving, but Christmas was not celebrated. In keeping with their beliefs, New England Congregationalists did not celebrate religious holy days.

Spinning wool into yarn by way of a walking - or 'great' - wheel.
The wool is dyed there in the yard of the Daggett House.

Greenfield Village now uses the house in a very effective manner. Employing living history, the docents are dressed in accurate period clothing of the mid-1700's, and they work the house seasonally as if they truly lived there 250 years ago. However, rather than portray a 1st person presentation, such as Plymouth Plantation, these presenters remain in 3rd person, teaching the visitor the everyday life of colonial New England by various means, including the preparation and cooking over a hearth of daily meals, dyeing wool and spinning said wool into yarn by use of a great (or walking) spinning wheel, weaving, gardening, chopping wood, and more. And the knowledgeable presenters are ready and willing to accept patron's questions.

In addition, during the summer months patrons can, for a fee, hand-dip their own beeswax candles, something we do every year and burn our souvenirs during the Christmas Season. Colonial women dipped candles as part of their domestic work. Every Colonial home was the producer of all things needful to life, including candles. Candlemaking was not a hobby then — it was a labor assigned to the housewife. And a backbreaking, smelly, greasy task it was. For a long time, candles were made only of animal fat, and housewives collected every scrap after butchering and cooking of meats was completed. These precious fats were hoarded carefully, protected in covered crocks. At candlemaking time, the fat was melted down and the dipping process began.
Fortunately for early American women with the wherewithal to get them, there were other candlemaking materials available to them, besides ones available in Europe. New England gave them bayberries, which have a heavenly scent — quite a change from the stinky animal-fat candles. Bayberries were introduced to the Colonial women by their Native American neighbors, who also showed them how to get the wax out of the berries. another source of candle wax was beeswax, and many farm families raised bees, primarily for their honey and their pollination work, but also to get the sweet-smelling beeswax. Lucky was the Colonial farmer with a hive or two of bees!
~ (The above information about candle dipping came from an on line source by M. J. Abadie, but it is the same information that the presenters at Daggett also tell) ~

I asked this presenter to give our candles a single dip for a 'colonial photo op.'

The Daggett Farmhouse is one of my absolute favorites in all of Greenfield Village, and I never fail to learn something each and everytime I visit the place.
Historical presenting at its finest.

Now, to bring this home to 'life' even more so for the reader of this post, below are photos in which show the tombstones of Samuel and Anna Daggett in the Old Andover Cemetery in Connecticut.


The tombstone of Anna Daggett:	Birth: 1734 Death: Jan. 28, 1832 Inscription: relict of Samuel; age 98 (From "Find A Grave")


The tombstone of Samuel Daggett:	Birth: 1723 Death: Aug. 24, 1798 Rev. War Veteran. Age 75 (From "Find A Grave")

(By the way, if you are interested in reading more on everyday life during America's colonial period, you might enjoy a post I wrote from my "Passion for the Past" blog. Click HERE)

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Herschell-Spillman Carousel

2009-01-26T10:32:00.000-08:00

At one time, Greenfield Village created a wonderful little Victorian-style amusement park they called Suwanee Park that included an ice cream parlor, an arcade building that had original fully-restored and operating game machines, most of which were once used in the old amusement parks on the east coast, and the merry-go-round known originally as the Herschell-Spillman Carousel.
Built in 1913 in New York and put into an amusement park in Liberty Lake, Washington, this sights and sounds reminder of days gone by still whirls to the music of an ornate bandwagon. Since it was brought to Greenfield Village in 1973, thousands of children (and adults) have chosen to mount one of the exquisitely carved animals, chariots, or one of the other collection of the carousel's menagerie, most original to this carousel.

What was nice about this Victorian park setting was that it was a good area for taking a rest on a bench, or have a picnic on the lawn, feed the fish in the pond, or watch the steamboat chug by. This was one of the stopping points for the train ride as well.
Why the powers-that-be got rid of the park in 2003 and put the carousel and ice cream parlor on main street I'll never know. It was not the smartest move - Suwanee Park was a pleasurable spot for the patron to relax in an old-fashioned setting.

But, for now main street is where the carousel remains. Maybe one day they will rebuild Suwanee Park. One can hope.
It is also a good thing that the Village has continued to run the carousel for the patrons to ride upon.

Stay tuned for more photos...

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Steam Locomotive Train Rides

2009-01-26T06:50:00.000-08:00

From 1969 through the early 1970's, major maintenance of existing facilities inside the Village, including the addition of new facilities and a new progressive way of presenting and educating the public, took precedence. Greenfield Village became the recipient of a $20 million dollar capital improvement and endowment grant from the Ford Foundation and the Ford Motor Company fund, and this gave them the opportunity for such improvements.

One of the improvements included the construction of a perimeter railroad. Completed by the 1974 season, several steam locomotives are now operated in Greenfield Village, including the popular Torch Lake. Built in 1873, Torch Lake is the oldest continuously running locomotive in the United States, encircling the Village daily from April though September. There are numerous stops throughout its perimeter run where the passengers can load or disembark at the pointed locations.

Also, many years before the planning stages of such a ride Henry Ford wanted an American style William Mason locomotive from the post-Civil War period for his museum. Mason's engines were famous for their superior performance and technical design, but no original examples could be found. In 1932, Ford created a replica using parts from a number of different locomotives. He named it after his friend Thomas Edison.

After spending many years inside the museum, the Edison, like the Torch Lake and other steam engines, it now gives patrons an old-fashioned thrill as they chug around the perimeter of Greenfield Village, listening to the conductor as he recites a well-rehearsed tour.

The train rides generally last about 45 minutes and is always a thrill to not only the children but to the adults as well. I have always felt that it would be neat to have period train cars in the spring and autumn time of the year to give visitors a real experience of what train travel was like in the old days. I'm sure there are no plans for that to happen, but even so the train ride around the Village is always a pleasure.

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Dr. Howard's Office

2009-01-15T18:33:00.000-08:00

This simple Greek Revival structure began as a one-room schoolhouse, built in 1839 in the rural town of Tekonsha, Michigan. It was warmer than most as it was built with 'nogging' - that is, rough bricks placed between the interior and exterior wooden walls to provide insulation, as well as protection against fire and infestation from rodents.

In 1840, the Howard family, including 17 year old Alonson, migrated to Tekonsha from upstate New York and established a farm they called Windfall that was located just behind the schoolhouse, hence the original name of the school - Windfall School. Folks that remembered Howard recalled a gruff, outspoken individual who got into medical practice because of his friendship with the Pottawatomies of the nearby Indian reservation. They taught him the use of herbs and roots in treating illnesses, and he learned to concoct many of the remedies himself. After he had practiced "doctorin'" in this fashion for several years, he earned money to actually go to school to study medicine. In this manner, Dr. Alonson B. Howard, in 1851, was one of the first to attend and receive his medical degree from the new medical school at the University of Michigan. As a practicing physician, he enjoyed the high respect of the patients he served. But, this medical degree did not divorce this pioneer physician from the Indian cures for illness; he combined everything he knew to treat his patients.

From those that remembered him, a physical description of the man comes to light: he was large yet not fat, his hair was sandy and he had blue eyes. He was almost never seen without his clay pipe, even on one of the very few occasions he sat for a tintype, where it remained in his pocket. His young neice, Rita, loved to watch him mix his powders and medicines and said that his hands would just fly. For such a ponderous man, he was amazingly quick in movement.

It was in 1855, when Tekonsha built a new school, that Dr. Howard, already owning the farm, bought this particular building - the old schoolhouse - as well.

He remodeled it and created a reception room, a laboratory, and a personal office. While most doctors of the 19th century worked out of their homes, Dr. Howard had his own doctor's office.

Known as "Doc" Howard, he became a very respected doctor in Tekonsha and the surrounding communities. Besides seeing patients in his office, he made housecalls on horseback, on his white horse he called 'Mel,' short for Melchizedek. The good doctor could be seen throughout much of south central Michigan, riding atop Mel, saddlebags bouncing off the sides of the horse. He would also ride the train circuit, treating patients between Marshall, Battle Creek, Kalamazoo, and Coldwater, as well as other towns north and south of Tekonsha, and even Jackson to the east. By arrangement the engineer of the Michigan Central Railroad would begin blowing his whistle after leaving the Burlington Station three miles away, and then watch the country road where the tracks crossed a quarter mile south of the doctor's home. If the engineer saw a white horse racing toward the crossing, he pulled the train to a stop. Doc Howard would jump from the horse, his bag in hand, give the animal a resounding slap on the rear and yell, "Go home, Mel, go home!" As the physician climbed aboard the train the horse would turn around and trot off toward home.
The doctor eventually built a hitching post a quarter mile long along his property and it was not unusual to see horse-drawn vehicles hitched along its entire length while patients waited to see him.

Patients waiting to see Doc Howard

Howard treated everything from a toothache to consumption and all ailments in between, and would perform surgery if needed. He charged a standard twenty five cents for a normal housecall, but staying the night with a patient would cost two dollars. He also accepted grain or tallow, or even labor on his farm for pay.
The cost of medicine was included in the fee. There are numerous entries of financial transactions: 12 cents for pulling a tooth, 25 cents for filling a tooth, $2 for sitting all night with a patient, which he did frequently.
One night, in November of 1853, he saw to a woman about to give birth. He drank black coffee, catnapped, ate heartily at meal time, and played checkers with the father-to-be while he waited for the moment to arrive. After 44 hours, a baby son was born to Sylvia and Jake Newton. Mr. Newton was charged $5 for the delivery, ultimately paying the bill with a slab of pork and a dozen fat hens.
Rural medicine in Michigan during the mid-19th century!

Sometimes his patient approach was such that it would surely shock a psychiatrist of today. Stories are numerous from the old-timers who remember Doc Howard and his bluntness with his patients. For instance, his neice, little Rita, recalled being in his office one afternoon with him when he got his first look at a patient coming into his inner office. He said very positively, "God-dee Almighty, lady! You're on your way to Glory!"

Another time, while examining a patient he knew when she was a young girl, he asked her, "Fanny, are you married?" As she replied in the negative he popped, "Well, you oughta be! There's nothing the matter with you. Go find a good man and marry him!"

As gruff as he was with adults, he was quite the opposite with children. He had such a way with the little ones that they liked and remembered him fondly, with much affection and respect.

It is unfortunate that his life ended sadly. He had been a very active and energetic man all his life. When he was 61, he was attacked by the same disease that killed his parents, known in those days as "softening of the brain." Today, that disease is known as hardening of the artieries. He knew there was no hope and accepted his fate.
Shortly after his death in 1883, his wife, Cynthia, sent the medical instruments to their son in Arkansas, who was also a physician. Mrs. Howard promptly padlocked the building, which her husband had used as his office for 28 years, and it remained untouched and exactly as he left it until 1956 when the great grandson of Howard donated it and its contents to Greenfield Village.

The original furnishings, financial records, equipment, patent medicines, and medicinal formula books are still contained within the building inside the Village. Wooden kegs, which he himself painted and labeled for his herbal remedies and most extracts, still remain and stock the homeopathic laboratory.
The photographs herein show the office not only as it looks in its restored condition today, but pretty much as it looked in the 19th century.

It is a living testament to Dr. Howard and all 19th century physicians.

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Heinz House

2009-01-13T09:28:00.000-08:00

It was in the early 1860's in this Sharpsburg, Pennsylvania brick house, built in 1854, that Henry John (H.J.) Heinz (b. 1844), the son of a German immigrant brickmaker, produced the first of his more than "57 Varieties" of ketchup. Using horseradish grown in the family's truck garden along the Allegheny River the boy grated and bottled it in vinegar in his mother's new basement kitchen. This was not his first business venture: at eight, H.J. begun peddling the surplus from his parent's garden at their earlier Sharpsburg residence, toting it around to neighbors' kitchen doors in handbaskets. He did so well that he soon had to transport the produce in a wheelbarrow. After moving to this location, his parents gave him three-quarters of an acre of land to farm on his own. By 12, he enlarged the plot to over three acres, and at 16 he had employed several women to help bottle his horseradish. At this time, his clients included local merchants and so he bought a horse and cart for deliveries, of which were made three times a week.

In 1869 he went into partnership with L.C. Nobel to manufacture horseradish for distribution for the Pittsburgh market. By this time, H.J.'s parents moved to a more spacious house, the new partners installed their factory in this former Heinz residence, and they remained here until 1875 when they moved their operation to a factory building in Pittsburgh.

In 1904, H.J. had this house in which he had launched his career towed on a barge to his main plant. There, packed with Heinz memorabilia, it served as a company museum until 1953, when the H.J. Heinz Company presented it and its furnishings to Greenfield Village.
(The above information was taken from the book, "Henry's Attic" by Ford R. Bryan)

The desk, chairs, and advertising materials on display in this home belonged to the Heinz family.

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Statue of Thomas Alva Edison

2009-01-13T08:15:00.000-08:00

Henry Ford commissioned James Earle Fraser, one of America's most distinguished sculptors, to produce a bronze statue of his hero, Thomas Edison in 1930. But, a bronze shortage and the war years delayed completion until 1949. Edison sat for the statue during the last several months of his life.
Since its placement inside the Village, it has been moved numerous times and currently sits just off main street, near the tintype studio, with the Menlo Park Laboratory behind and to the left.

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The End of One Era, and On To the Next...

2009-01-09T10:36:00.000-08:00

By 1946 Henry Ford had gathered nearly 90 historic and reproductions of historic structures depicting America's 17th, 18th, 19th, and early 20th centuries, as well as a massive museum building filled to the brim with the artifacts of everyday Americans.
On May 26, 1946, assisted by grandson Henry II and accompanied by his wife, Clara, Ford took one last spin through the Village in his Quadricycle, the vehicle that made everything possible. On April 7, 1947, Henry Ford died in his Fair Lane home. While his body lay in state at Lovett Hall, more than 100,000 people filed past in tribute.
It was also in 1947 that Ed Cutler, Ford's Chief Architect, retired.

Greenfield Village and the Henry Ford Museum fell into a period of transition.

"For about three weeks I continually walked around and around the museum from one end to the other. Of course, I came in in February and there were no people in the museum.
So my first question that propounded itself was, what am I going to do? Where do I begin? Where do I start?" - - - Hayward S. Ablewhite, new Director of the museum appointed by the Edison Institute Board of Trustees in 1949.

In the two years between Ford's death and Ablewhite, very little happened to the institute. The staff operated as it always did, attempting to continue as they felt Mr. Ford would have wanted. Mrs. Ford became quite upset if she felt any changes made were contrary to her husband's ideas. Clara Ford passed away in September of 1950.

With the arrival of new staff and, thus, new methods, the old ways that lingered after Henry Ford's death gradually faded. An exciting period of new programs and collection refinement lay ahead.

To jump ahead a bit, in 1951, the Village opened to the public year round. Visitors could now enjoy the atmosphere of an old-time village during all four season. This practice was ended due to finances in the 1980's (as far as I've been told).

And in 1952, an eight foot high serpentine brick wall was built by the Ford Motor Company to separate the Ford test track from the Village road.

Finally, in 1953, the Ford Homestead opened to the public as part of the Ford Motor Company's 50th anniversary celebrations.

And Greenfield Village continued to expand - - - -

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Ford Motor Company (formerly known as the Mack Avenue Ford Plant)

2009-01-09T06:30:00.000-08:00

Henry Ford and Ed Cutler joined forces in 1945 to construct one last replica building - a one-quarter-scale reproduction of Ford's first factory, the Ford Mack Avenue plant, located at 697 Mack Avenue in Detroit.
It was in the original, from 1903 - the year the Ford Motor Company began - to 1906, that the early Ford cars were assembled. All component parts were manufactured elsewhere and brought to the plant on horse-drawn hayracks. Men worked on four cars at a time and hoped to assemble fifteen cars a day.
It wasn't until 1908 - the same year of the first Model T - that Ford perfected (not invent, as many believe) the assembly line.
Early Ford autos made at the original plant were the Model A Runabout from 1903, and the 1905 Model F Runabout. It was also during this early period that Ford began to build the Piquette Avenue Plant, which is still standing on its original site and in the restoration process.
At one point, the replica Mack Plant in Greenfield Village contained some of the original machinery and tools from the original building, but is now a theater showing films of the early assembly plant.

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Henry Ford Theater (formerly known as the Edsel Ford Workshop)

2009-01-09T06:18:00.000-08:00

Mr. Ford had hoped his son Edsel would share his passion for tools and tinkering, so he built him a workshop on the second floor of the garage of their Edison Avenue home in Detroit.

It was unfortunate that the only child of Henry and Clara Ford died of cancer on May 26, 1943. The passing of one of the Edison Institute's (now known collectively as The Henry Ford) three founding members dealt a serious blow to the future of the museum; Edsel gave considerable support to what he considered to be his father's project, and it was thought that Henry expected his son to take over after his own death.
Within the year of his son's death, Henry built a memorial to him in the Village, based on that second floor garage workshop.

This structure was dedicated on December 24, 1944.

Ford Home (formerly known as Henry Ford Birthplace)

2009-01-01T06:50:00.000-08:00

The last historic building Henry Ford had personally moved to Greenfield Village before his death was the first one he preserved: his family homestead. It was in this house, on July 30, 1863, in which Henry Ford, the first of William and Mary's six children, was born.
As a youth, he spent many hours at a workbench set up in a bedroom where he devised a set of handmade tools and became, by the age of 15, the community watch repairman. He showed more of an interest in machinery than agriculture and left the farm at age 16 to pursue his fortunes as a machinist in Detroit.

In 1919, highway officials decided to extend Greenfield Road south through the Ford farm. Unfortunately, the homestead was directly in the proposed road's path. The family's decision to move the house and the outbuildings prompted Ford's first restoration project.
So, that same year, Mr. Ford began the preservation of his birthplace, a simple two-story clapboard farmhouse built in 1861 on the dividing line of Springwells and Dearborn Townships in Michigan by his father William. He obtained every piece of original furniture, pictures, and equipment that could be found.

Those that were unavailable he replaced with similar objects of the same period, such as the Victorian sofa and chairs in the parlor.

His goal was to have the house look exactly as he remembered it from the time period of his mother's death, 1876, when he was just 13, and spared nothing in doing so. A fine example of his meticulous restoration was the search for the dining room stove the home originally had; he sent his men out scouring the countryside for 18 months until the exact stove he needed was found.

The elusive dining room stove

Every antique shop between Detroit and Cincinnati was combed, looking for the exact shade of red carpeting for the stairs, while workers began digging at the homestead's original site - thought to be the first archeological dig in the restoration of a historic house - to help with the research. Everything that was found, nails, pieces of dishes, and anything else, was brought to Ford, and he would show them to his brothers and sisters to ensure accuracy. In this way, Ford was able to reproduce exact replicas from the original artifacts.

I have not read why Ford hadn't moved the home to Greenfield Village before 1944, but, evidently, the restored farmhouse's chances of survival in a developing area and the need for 24 hour security protection from vandals worried him. Because of the proximity of the dwelling to the Village did not require one of architect Ed Cutler's disassemblies, it was simply cut in two and hauled over by truck, with some of the outbuildings already in place. Unfortunately, however, available space did not permit the transferring of all of the barns and sheds. But, once reassembled inside the Village, the completed homestead, with the white picket fence and outbuildings were arranged in their original positions.

Standing in the sitting room

The completion of this project gave Ford quite a present the day before his 81st birthday - July 29, 1944.

The following three pictures are of the Ford kitchen
where the sights and smells of a time long gone
still live on.

The home now has presenters in period clothing, cooking on the wood stove in the kitchen, working on a punch needle rug with the push-punch process using wool and burlap, or as information givers.The home is a seasonal home, meaning that you will see tasks of the season being presented here, such as sheep shearing in the springtime, and a period correct Christmas tree during the Christmas season.

Sheep Shearing in the springtime

It is a particular favorite of mine and I enjoy the visits each time I'm there. Another excellent example of living history presented wonderfully!

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Edison Illuminating Company

2008-12-31T15:27:00.000-08:00

The Edison Illuminating Company Station "A" was one of the first establishment to provide electricity to the homes and businesses of the City of Detroit, from its opening in 1886 until 1900. Coal burning boilers drove steam engines which were connected to dynamos on the second floor.

It was in this power plant that Henry Ford, who worked here from 1891 to 1899, made $40 a month as an engineer.
While working here, Ford spent his spare time working on his idea for a gasoline-powered car - the eventual 'Quadricycle'.
When a Beck engine broke down, Ford repaired it by rebuilding the cross-head and putting on additional supports to keep it from twisting and breaking.

Because of this successful job, he was made machinist for the company and, on November 16, 1893, he was made Chief Engineer.
While acting in that capacity, he was chosen to attend the company's annual convention in 1896 in New York, where he first met Thomas Edison.

Built as a one quarter scale replica in Greenfield Village in 1944, some of the original equipment to be found from the original building are two Armington and Sims engines, the original Jumbo Dynamo from the New York building, and the Beck engine which Henry Ford repaired.
According to a reader of this blog, RP Mayer, this building was originally known as the Substation when placed in this Village in 1944. "The substation is actually another name for the Edison Illuminating Company’s Station A, which still exists in the village. If you look at the old map, this is the same location as the present building."

For more information on Edison at Greenfield Village, please click the links below:
Edison Fort Meyers Laboratory
Edison Homestead
Edison Illuminating Company
Edison Menlo Park Laboratory
Edison Menlo Park Glass House
Edison Menlo Park Machine Shop
Edison Menlo Park Woodworking Shop
Edison Menlo Park Office and Library

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Miller School

2008-12-31T08:15:00.000-08:00

This wood frame building is a replica of the Miller School, of which Henry Ford attended from 1872 to 1874. The original stood in Springwells Township on Chicago Road (now Michigan Avenue or US 12) - more than two miles from his home - where Ford's instructor at the Scotch Settlement School, John Brainard Chapman, was transferred. Mr. Ford changed schools at the same time to remain with his favorite teacher.
It was here that Ford and his classmates constructed a steam turbine, a waterwheel, and a forge to make castings.
And the time period this school represents were of the days of paddles, dunce caps, and wood stoves.
This replica is actually a copy of the second Miller School. The first was a log cabin built in the 1830's. I am not sure when the building that Ford attended was built, but all accounts say it was torn down around the turn of the 20th century.
This replica was built inside of Greenfield Village in 1943.
Unfortunately, the school is not open to the general public, but teachers can request its usage for field trips to teach to their students in the old fashioned way - without the paddling, I'm sure!

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Mattox Family Home (formerly known as Mattox House)

2008-12-31T07:17:00.000-08:00

The Mattox house was originally thought to have been constructed during the pre-Civil War days on the Cottenham Plantation near Ways, Georgia, but was found to have been built in the late re-construction era of the 1880's. It was the home of several generations of the Mattoxes, an African-American family.

Unfortunately, most of the information I have of this home is no longer correct since the discovery of its true age. What I do have shows how this family lived during the early part of the 20th century:
Amos Mattox worked many jobs during the Great Depression to take care of his family. He was a farmer, a barber, a shoemaker, and a preacher. It was this type of resourcefulness and hard work that made it possible for the family to own and maintain this house and the land it set upon.
Amos' wife, Grace, also worked, but her work helped to provide for the less fortunate in her neighborhood.
The Mattoxes were not a well-to-do family, and this home is typical of the many southern rural families of the era. The interior of this structure shows that very well. The walls, for instance, are lined with newspapers for insulation against the cool Georgia nights and winters. The furnishings are just as children of Amos and Grace remembered and reflects reflects their parent's tastes and interests.
The home was brought to Greenfield Village in 1943.

The Mattox home is a fine representation of how a poorer southern black family lived in the earlier part of the 20th century, and shows how any obstacle can be overcome, no matter the situation.

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Cider Mill (formerly known as Martinsville Cider Mill)

2008-12-17T19:11:00.000-08:00

This cider mill is a replicated 19th century mill that was constructed inside of Greenfield Village in 1942 to conform with the 19th century cider making machinery Henry Ford had in his collection. Demonstrations of pressing apples into cider took place here every fall for many years up until recently.

Sweet and hard cider, as well as cider vinegar, were important orchard byproducts essential to the economy of rural communities. In the 1800's, farmers could haul their apples to cider mills like this one to have them ground and pressed into cider. The cider making equipment in this building came from a mill in Martinsville, Michigan.
Cider was the most popular drink of the 19th century.

A country scene: The train and the cider mill

George Washington Carver Cabin (formerly known as George Washington Carver Memorial and Carver Memorial)

2008-12-14T08:09:00.000-08:00

In the spring of 1942, workers completed a memorial to another man for whom Henry Ford had tremendous respect and admiration - agricultural chemist George Washington Carver. The small log structure the workers built was based on Carver's own memories of his Diamond Grove, Missouri plantation birthplace. Carver, who was born into slavery around 1860, visited Ford in July of 1942 and spent a few days in the cabin.
It would only be six months later that Carver would pass away.
Dr. Carver was well-known for his experiments with the peanut, sweet potatoes, soybeans. and pecans, and he advocated and taught crop rotation which helped the poor farmers, who previously farmed only cotton, to grow a variety of crops. In doing this, Carver vastly improved the economy of the southern states.
The Carver Memorial was a part of the group of buildings that recognized the progress of black Americans from slavery through world recognition.

Once again, I apologize for the lack of inside photos. I will have some posted as soon as I take them.

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Susquehanna Plantation (formerly known as Susquehanna House)

2008-12-09T08:26:00.000-08:00

(The pictures herein reflect the home as it is presented now, showing life here in the 1850's and 1860's)

Welcome to the Carroll Home!

The Susquehanna Plantation from Maryland has a long and interesting history to it - not just in itself but while inside of Greenfield Village as well.

The house was tagged to be razed by the U.S. Navy. As quoted from a 2005 Baltimore Sun newspaper article: The Navy was taking over what had been the crossroads of Cedar Point; eviction notices were tacked to front doors, with some owners given 30 days to leave.
Samuel Young, who lived in Michigan, had bought Susquehanna at the behest of his late wife, a St. Mary's County native, King said. When they were told to leave, Young offered the home to Henry Ford. Young apparently told Ford of the property's connection to Christopher Rousby (an affluent colonial tax collector of the 17th century) and life in Maryland a century before the American Revolution. The house could be Ford's for free. All he had to do was come and get it.
Included in the package, by the way, was a tombstone belonging to Christopher Rousby as well as his bones buried beneath!

When Ford's architect Ed Cutler arrived to inspect it, the building was intact but run down. Inside he had to wade through 18 inches of grain to take measurements. After viewing the drawings and photographs that Cutler brought back, Ford decided to acquire the home. The building was moved in March 1942 and erected by that following August. An interesting fact here is that it is situated exactly in the same position and direction in Greenfield Village as it had been in Maryland.

Originally built on the bluffs of the Patuxent River in the Tidewater region of Maryland, initially it was thought that the house was constructed around 1650. So, for years, presenters in colonial clothing at the Village told the story of the house, Rousby, and of Rousby's death at the hands of a cousin of Lord Baltimore, and showed off the tombstone/grave situated behind the home.
This was how the presentation of this house had been told up until the late 1980's when historians realized that this was not Christopher Rousby's house.
As the Sun article explains: ...historians became suspicious of claims that the house dated from the late 1600s. In the 1980s, a group from St. Mary's County told museum officials that there were only two buildings from before 1700 standing in Maryland -- one in Anne Arundel County and one on the Eastern Shore.

This alerted the staff at Greenfield Village that something was amiss.

Again, from the Sun: Soon the staff realized there were major flaws in the story of Susquehanna. After doing tree-ring dating on the beams of the house and doing archaeological work on the home's Maryland site, it was determined the house wasn't so old. It likely dates to the 1830s. That meant it couldn't be Rousby's house. He had been dead more than 150 years when it was built.

The Village staff knew they had to make changes.

Two photos of the kitchen / warming room in the Susquehanna House

The tombstone was removed and put into storage and the bones were exhumed to be examined by a mortuary scientist, who found that the collection of bones were from three different people! And none were even Caucasian males! The museum received permission from the local court to have the bones cremated. They did and held a funeral as well, with the ashes reburied at Susquehanna.
In 2002, a Rousby historian from Maryland named Joan Kocen was able to have the tombstone returned to its home state where she has it packed carefully away until she decides what she can do with it. No one has any idea of what became of Rousby's body.

Now, how did this mix up originally occur? The Sun article states that: The tombstone, clearly dating to the 1680s, was automatically linked to the house. Oral histories perpetuated the error. The Carroll family (Henry and Elizabeth), who built the house in the 19th century, knew how old it was, but their descendants either had died or moved, leaving no link to the past. Meanwhile, a prominent historical architect of the early 20th century, Henry Chandlee Forman, helped solidify the myth when he dated the house to 1654.

Instead, the historians of Greenfield Village un-earthed the true history of the Susquehanna House.

The following two photos are of the middle dining room

Henry and Elizabeth Carroll and their family built this house in the mid-1830's, where it sat upon 700 acres, and enjoyed a prosperous life, including hosting extravagant parties. They had five children.
Their 75 slaves, however, did not enjoy the same good life; they slept in 13 small, wood shacks with dirt floors and were made to work brutal hours in the fields, especially during harvest time.
The Carroll family was one of the wealthiest in St. Mary's County - the slaves alone, according to the 1860 census, were valued at $49,000. Among the slaves were skilled craftsmen, including blacksmiths, carpenters, coopers, shoemakers, and seamstresses.

The front parlor

The Carrolls fed themselves and their slaves from the abundant crops grown on their land: wheat, corn, oats, as well as hay and tobacco.
Farm animals, including pigs, sheep, chickens, oxen, horses, and mules were also part of the plantation.

Inside of Greenfield Village, the Susquehanna House is always open for visitors where period dressed presenters show cooking and crafts as they might have done in the mid-19th century. At Christmas, preparations for a New Year's Day wedding take place.

"Slaves" tell of their lives at the Susquehanna Plantation - an excellent presentation detailing the horrors of slavery.

This structure has quite the colorful history, one that may never had happened had Henry Ford known the real truth behind the home. It just might have been torn down and lost to history, like so many others. And the way the folks at Greenfield Village utilize this house in the many different presentations gives a wonderful history lesson of plantation life in the mid-19th century.
I believe Mr. Ford would be proud.

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1942 - Original Building No Longer in Greenfield Village: West Orange Building 11

2008-12-09T08:20:00.000-08:00

I am sorry to say this historic structure had been removed from the Village during its 2002/03 "renovation" and returned to West Orange, New Jersey (this info comes from the Wren's Cottage site http://www.wrenscottage.com/gvm/index.php).

This was the place where Thomas Edison and his staff researched and manufactured wax cylinder records for the phonograph. It was originally located in West Orange.

I apologize that I have no photos of the building. Please see the above Wren's Cottage site for a photograph.

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