I love history and I love gardens. A recreated 1780s farm in the Yorktown Victory Center was a great place to learn about both.
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Yorktown, founded in 1691, was a busy 18th-century tobacco port; the town is best remembered as the site of the Battle of Yorktown, which effectively ended the Revolutionary War.
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After the war, most Virginians lived and worked on small farms that usually included a wooden house with one or two rooms, a detached kitchen, a tobacco barn and fenced crop fields. Most small planters owned one to three slaves who worked alongside the family in the fields and gardens.
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A Tidewater Virginia farm provides a glimpse of home life after the Revolution.
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A Tidewater Virginia farm provides a glimpse of home life after the Revolution.
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I wish I could have such towers to support my beans.
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Herbs were used for cooking and medicinal purposes:
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The previous post of this series is here: Gardens Of The First Colonies. Part 1 - Jamestown .
I was excited to learn that one of the commenters of that post, Linda at Scentsibilities Herbal Adventures , had a relative among the first colonists of Jamestown! This is her comment: "Tatyana - great pictures, I haven't been to Jamestown in about 20 years during a family vacation. My great, great (forget how many greats..) grandfather was one of those original Jamestown settlers from England. I've always been amazed how any of them survived (although many didn't) that first winter. They were certainly not prepared! It's a fascinating piece of history. And yes, I'm impressed you brought a group of 5th graders. Can't wait to here about the rest of your trip East, Linda".
I am going to share this with 5th-graders who were on that tour! As for my chaperone job, I have to say that the main job was done by four heroic teaches and a chaplain who led the group of 49 students.
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Credits: Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation
Copyright 2010 TatyanaS
Hi Tatyana. I am so enjoying your tour of Jamestown, Yorktown and the colonial life. I am fascinated by historical places and this would be such a great place to visit.
ReplyDeleteI look at how they lived and wondered if I would have survived all of that hard work in everyday life as they lived. LOL! NOT! All of their vegetables are hilled up. That is a thinker. Did the two cuteys love the whole visit.
So neat, the only thing pretty for them was their gardens ! We are so spoiled today in our big houses compared to the tiny homes they had , thanks! Gina
ReplyDeleteBeautiful pictures of a beautiful recreated settlement. Thank you for taking us along!
ReplyDeleteThe trip sounds wonderful. I love educational field trips. My favorite pictures are those of the split rail fences. Carla
ReplyDeleteYou were within 10 miles from where I live Tatyana! I went in the fall a couple of years ago, but looks like a spring trip would of been the better way to go. :)
ReplyDeleteGreat article Tatyana. That talk about herbs must have been so interesing.
ReplyDeleteI love visiting Jamestown ... the history is rich & the beauty of preservation is awesome.
ReplyDeleteGreat write & pictures.
Have a lovely weekend.
TTFN ~ Marydon
I felt like I was right there visiting too. I've never been to the settlements but would love to go back to that time I think. But no computers? Hmmm, have to think on that one...
ReplyDeleteLoved these shots!
ReplyDeleteGreat tour - and I spied buckets!
ReplyDeleteOh, Tatyana, I love your third and fourth photos! Brilliant! I shuddered a bit with the mention of slaves... oh, the shame we inherit. First our ancestors rob the land from the native inhabitants to plant more tobacco, then they forced people robbed of their freedom and dignity to work for them... that shadow always chills me to the bone. I know this is the story the world over and it greatly saddens me. The Native Americans taught the settlers a great deal about herbs and healing too. I love those old fences. Great shot of the fowl!
ReplyDeleteCarol, Please remember that slavery has been around since the beginning of time, and it still exists today. The shame isn't from our forefathers, it's from Human history.
DeleteAre you still here? ?????? This is my hometown. Great photos!
ReplyDeleteOhhh Tatyana. What a consistently good photographer and blogger you are. I can always count on you to touch my heart. I love colonial gardens and would like to recreate one.
ReplyDeleteWhen we do get to the US (about every five years) we always visit some place historic, where they garden historically.
ReplyDeleteSome I remember particularly
Plymouth Plantation!
Doylestown.
That huge folk museum by Lake Champlain.
John Quincy Adam's place.
Amish Farms in Pennsylvania.
Got lovely photos of some of them. I always photograph the info boards so I can re-visit and concentrate on the blurb later.
Wow...just like Colonial Williamsburg. Lots of fun.
ReplyDeleteLoved seeing these historic gardens! Thanks so much for letting us tag along with you--you've inspired my daughter and I to plan a trip to our local living history museums to see what they have growing and how they're doing it.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the tour, Tatyana! I love history, too.
ReplyDeleteThey had to plan a lot more than we do, that's for sure.
What a neat trip to be able to go on! I can imagine the kids really learned a lot seeing this all in person. I really love seeing what our country looked like long ago. The gardens are amazing. I'd love to have those teepees for my peas as well.
ReplyDeleteBoth of my kids took a daytrip there in 4th grade...it's part of the curriculum. They leave early and get back in the afternoon...it's a 2 hr. drive from my house. I used to live there (about 10 min. away) when I was first married, and my daughter goes to college in the area. Lots to see and do in the Tidewater, VA area. So glad you were able to experience the history.
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