Basket of the area. And wheat here is like what tobacco was to the east of us. This 1820s American Farm was originally located about an hours drive north of here in what is now northern Rockingham County. When it was first built it was still augusta count. The main part of the house was constructed in 1773 from a german immigrant which is the typical story, coming down from pennsylvania, which is why the museum wanted the property because the family story was shared by others at the same time. Were in the parlor in this rather fancy it is fancy for a farmer. This was added by the original owner as grandson in 1820. But it is an older house. By the time this house looked like this, and by the time this parlor that we can see behind me look the like this in 1820, the frontier was quite far west. In fact it was basically in missouri. That would be the frontier, out to the mississippi. But when the main part of the house was built across the hall from us in 1773, it would depend from what
Could have forecasted at that time the problem that the whole country and definitely the valley would face some 40 years later. There were a lot of community. For example, when the main part of the house was built, this is a nice log house, that would be a community event. You might have four corner men responsible for the notching of the logs and everything else. But the entire community would take part. Much like a modern barn raising amongst the ommish and other folks because they would catch up on news and do some courting and get together and socialize. So the community was definitely much more involved in things like that and these folks are lutheran and they went to the local Lutheran Church, raiders Lutheran Church in Rockingham County and that would form their Community Events through the church. But they would also be form projects maybe when someone was bringing in a crop, folks would share that you know, share some of the duties in return for help from that family for some
And hear historical interpreters describe daily life. We visit two farmhouses and a schoolhouse to hear how life changed over the course of the century and learn how National Politics impacted this area before the civil war. This is the second of a twopart series. Joe i am the director of marketing here in stanton, virginia. We are a Living History Museum with a mission focus on education. Our objective here is teach people how a unique folk culture was created through blending of european, african, and Indigenous Peoples cultures. Today we are going to be on the american side and will be looking at two farms and the early american schoolhouse. My name is stephen gallagher. My title here is interpreter those of us who are in costume, interpreting exhibits are referred to as interpreters. And i work on the 1820s farm. These folks were farmers, primarily wheat farmers. Like most folks in the valley, mixed grain and livestock, and they raised beef cattle for sale. They made butter and che
You know, you wouldnt want to have your chimney catch on fire. So the cooks was done outside. Youll see chests in there filled with we have one filled with tools an just other odds and ends. Youll see a crosscut saw on the wall which would have been an essential tool to have. Here on the settlement. The large logs that we have set up over there arebad, to demone how someone would split wood. By aprocess of using either an iron wedge or a big wooden wedge and they have made it would have looked like a giant wooden hammer. They are actually pretty heft beyond and they are called beatles, which means to strike or to hit. So you would use the beetle, drive it into the iron wedge, would which eventually split the log by length. And you could keep continue splitting it and splitting it to where you could get sizes big enough for a splitrail fence or the shakes or the shingles on the house. So it was an easier way of splitting your wood up. Weve got chunking in between. So and i believe it i
Tract, which was given to lord fairfax and the borden track south of that. But huge holdings. And then those members of the aristocrats that owned those lands were to settle it within a certain number of people within a certain number of years. So there was a lot of finangling of land and difficulties in people acquiring title. But meeting with the surveyor and finding a vacant piece of land and coming back with the guide and seeing if that property was available for purchase. And then prices of course varied depending on whether it was good bottom land or upland or whatever. But there were problems many times in acquiring final title. There were overlapping claims an you read about somebody might improve a piece of property and then some years later find it is claimed by somebody else. That was not infrequent. At that time, in the 18th century, north of us, what is Rockingham County and north, would have had a larger number of folks from germany, which this area which is now augusta c