Ireland: A Magical Day Tour in Cavan

One of the highlights of our visit to County Cavan, Ireland was our tour day with Ross Walsh of Breifne Tours. Actually, Ross is Breifne Tours and he was an absolute delight to travel with. He listened to what we wanted and made it happen. He is no longer working for himself but you should be able to find someone else similar to give you this sort of tour.

Ross picked us up at the Farnham Estate outside Cavan City at the agreed upon time and our adventure began. Before we left the United States, Ross sent us a brochure with possible places that we might want to visit. We did actually visit a few of them but the main reason we wanted to have a guided tour was so that we could go to the townland that was the home to Kathy’s ancestors.



Ross brought us to what was the post office in this tiny little townland and then to the church where the family or at least relatives would have worshipped. We got out and walked around the cemetery and got the feel of what this townland was like. In all honesty, it probably hasn’t changed a whole lot since her ancestor left to come to America.



Our next stop was Cloughoughter Castle. It is located on an island in Lough Oughter. It was most likely built in the 11th century by William de Lacy who was the Lord of Meath. It was, however, the stronghold of the O’Reilly’s (O’Raghallaigh) who were the lords of East Breifne. It is best remembered as the place where Irish general Owen Roe O’Neill died in 1649 and was the last Irish Garrison to surrender to Cromwell in 1653.

It is a very photogenic location, unfortunately, the weather decided not to cooperate and our photos are not as spectacular as they should be. You do need to be able to walk on the uneven ground since you park a little distance away and walk in. If you like to see historic ruins this will fit the bill nicely.



We headed off to see a thatched roof cottage. We told Ross we would like to see one or at least Kathy wanted to see one. I have seen my share of thatched cottages in England. He took us to an art cooperative which is located in as pretty a cottage as anyone could wish for. Another item off the bucket list.



St Keiran’s Well was our next stop. It is one of the holiest wells in Ireland and dates back to pagan times. It is a steep climb up to the actual shrine, we felt a bit like mountain goats. I did get some of the water to bless myself since it seemed like the right thing to do.

By this time I was getting peckish so we headed to Kells to see the remains of the abbey and to have a bit of lunch. Be aware that meals and even meal stops are not scheduled and I laughingly told Ross he had a cast-iron bladder.



The Abbey at Kells was where the famous Book of Kells was created. Not much is left but the round tower is visible from a distance and it is located within the grounds of a Church of Ireland Church.



We went into the Herdfort Arms Hotel to the Therese Café and had a simple Carvery lunch cafeteria style. I had a bowl of great soup with a grainy roll and Pavlova for dessert, this army travels on its stomach!!



Our next stop was a folly. It is a great lighthouse which when you consider how far away the ocean is, makes you realize why it is a folly. We had seen it as we drove through Kells headed for the Farnham Estate and were curious to see it.



Knowing that Kathy’s Irish Cavan family name was Sheridan, Ross took us the ancestral family home of General Richard Sheridan. It is rather ramshackle these days but Kathy was delighted and even chose to risk her life by going inside. Since this is private property that wasn’t the best idea but what the heck, it is not like we were ever coming back here!!



Ross next suggested that we go to see some of the ancient court tombs. Trust me when I tell you, we would never have found the one he took us to, it is definitely on a less than B Road. Fascinating stuff but again, you need to be able to go over fences and walk on very uneven ground, not for the faint of heart.




Our last stop of the day was at twilight at the magnificent Abbey ruin at Drumlane. We spent quite a while walking through the ruins but we were equally as fascinated by the rather unique cows that were pastured along the trail we walked to get into the ruin.



By now we were quite exhausted, it had been a long day jam-packed with all the things we wanted to do and a few that Ross thought we should see and it was one of the most perfect days I have ever spent in Ireland.

Ross is no longer operating his tour company so you will need to find another tour company but I am sure he is not the only one available. 

Viewing Shakespeare at the Blackfriars Playhouse Staunton, Va.

#blackfriarstheatre

The American Shakespeare Center is located in Stanton, Va. right next door to the Stonewall Jackson Hotel. They have been around for 25 years and have brought some amazing performances both to the stage at the Blackfriars Playhouse and on the road. The playhouse itself opened its doors in 2001 and is a replica of the original Blackfriars Playhouse from the time of William Shakespeare.

No trip to Staunton is complete without a visit to the playhouse and if you have the time. Try to arrange to take the playhouse tour. In 2014 the cost is $7 for adults and the tour takes about an hour. Our tour was conducted by Lia an ASC Education Artist. In the winter it takes place at 2 p.m. be sure to check their website for times and dates.

The tour begins outdoors in front of the building where you will learn about the history of this playhouse and also about the original. We learned about the history of the ASC and also what it took to get where they are. Among the many interesting facts we learned was that if you hear an actor saying “prithee” it means they have forgotten their next line and someone will feed it to them.

Back indoors you will be introduced to the current productions and cast. There are two companies, one that plays at the playhouse and one that goes on the road. Then comes the best part, you get to tour through the back of the house. The tour includes the costume department and props. You then get to walk out onto the stage and take as many pictures as you would like. Since this is not allowed during productions, it is the only way to get photos.



It is a very informative and enjoyable way to spend an hour and while you are there be sure to check out the gift shop and get tickets to a show if possible. I highly recommend a visit to the American Shakespeare Theater. 

Flashback Thursday: The Rising Sun Tavern Fredericksburg

#risingsuntavern

The Rising Sun Tavern in Fredericksburg, Va. 
is a surprisingly entertaining stop. You can’t eat here so plan your lunch at a different time. The house was originally built by George Washington’s brother Charles in 1760. He lived here for 20 years before moving to Charlestown, West Virginia. It was the second family who owned it who turned it into a tavern.

You must tour the tavern with a guide. The good news is the tours are continuous so you can join in at any time and just continue on to pick up anything you might have missed. This is one of the funniest and interesting tours we have ever taken. We learned all about what it would have been like in a tavern in 1790 or so. Our costumed tour guide tells us that she would wear a mob cap to keep her brain from freezing

We begin our tour in the office. None of the furniture in the building is original, it is only of the period. The innkeeper is also the postmaster. In this time period, the sender didn’t pay for the mail, the receiver did. The postmaster would have opened it to see how important it was, so much for privacy. 

Common men slept with their boots on, gentlemen took them off, or rather a convenient wench or bootjack removed them. The staff would then take the boots to clean. The boots were identical, the right boot was placed standing up and the left boot upside down, thus getting off on the right foot in the morning. Your boots were returned to you when you paid your bill.

Our next stop is the taproom where no self-respecting woman of this period was allowed to venture. Women had their own separate ladies retiring room. Not much fun to be had there, there was a bible, the Book of Common Prayer, and a woman’s necessary chair (men had to use the privy). In the taproom the men could play draughts or checkers. It became known as the bar room because the alcohol and glasses were kept behind bars to prevent breakage.

Beyond visiting the building itself and seeing the guest rooms, which I have to admit were quite an eye-opener. If you were rich you got to have your own room, most people were not rich and they slept in a common room and it was pretty darn common.

Many of the terms we use today have their origins in the tavern. Patrons were given a free chew of tobacco with their meals and told "don’t bite off more than you can chew." Mind your P’s & Q’s meant keep track of your pints and quarts. A two-fisted drinker was drinking from a stirrup cup with two handles and drinking like a fish meant whoever saw the fish on the bottom of the drink bought the next round. 

These and many more entertaining facts will keep smiling throughout your entire tour of The Rising Sun Tavern. 

For more reading about visiting Fredericksburg, Va these other posts may be of interest. 

Mary Washington House

Ferry Farm

Chatham Manor 

Vienna: The Hofburg Palace

The Hofburg Palace is the former home of the Austrian Royal Family. The oldest part of the building dates from the 16th century. There are several different parts of the palace that can be visited. The Chapel is home to the Vienna Boys Choir . To see them perform you need special tickets and these should be procured in advance.

The Hofburg is open every day and the cost of admission is 12.90 Euros with audio guide. For another 3 Euros, you can take a guided tour.

Kaiserappartments

The Royal Apartments are dedicated to the memory of Emperor Franz Josef and his wife, the Empress Elizabeth "Sisi". Their portraits by the famed artist Franz Xavier Winterhalter are in the Grand Salon. Sisi is gorgeous in a white ball gown with stars in her hair and Franz Josef is dressed in a red and white military uniform. 

Another Winterhalter portrait of Sisi in located in the Emperor's study which is informal with her very long hair hanging loose and this is said to be the emperor's favorite picture of his wife. Since she spent a great deal of time away from him, it must have been cold comfort. 

We had a headphone tour of the apartments which was quite interesting. As you begin the tour there is a large genealogy chart so that you can try to figure out who some of the people are. The rooms are of impressive size and the decorations are luxurious but there is an underlying sadness here for a time that has past and will never return.

One of the early rooms has lots of informal childhood pictures that give a pretty good idea of the kind of life the imperial children led. Some of their toys have been preserved. In Sisi's room, her exercise equipment is still there waiting for her and we learned that she perhaps was one of the early anorexics. She was obsessed with keeping her figure and almost never ate. This caused problems at dinner parties where guests were not allowed to eat after the empress or emperor had finished, guests soon learned to eat before they came to a dinner party at the palace.

We got to walk through their personal rooms as well as the formal rooms and the dining room was especially attractive, set up for a small family dinner.

Silberkammer

To really have any understanding of the immense wealth of the Hofburg family you need to walk through the Imperial Silver and China Collection. This can be done on a combination ticket with the Imperial Apartments and it is also included on the headphone tour. Case after case of the most phenomenal Meissen, Sevres, a completely gilt set by the Vienna Porcelain, a dessert set by Minton, an Imari set, and a set of dishes in a pattern called Miramare which Maximilian had commissioned for his ill-fated court in Mexico will overwhelm your senses.

A whole wall is dedicated to copper dessert molds, a room full of exquisite table linens, cases of silver and gold service pieces and the magnificent Milan table piece, which is huge. There is the Sevres porcelain that was a gift to Empress Maria Theresa from Louis XV and the outstanding Vermeil set which has service for 140 people. 

On a more normal note an entire pantry filled with blue transferware and pink lusterware which was beautiful, practical and much more to my taste. It's easy to get glutted here on the sheer extravagance of it all. Who would have thought that you could say "enough of the gold already"?

The photos used in this article are not my own, I can't seem to locate mine but rest assured I have visited this location. 

London: My Favorite City

I love London. Anyone who knows me knows that it is my favorite city in the world. I have written about all of our adventures or at least some of them. These pictures are from January 2012 so if they seem a bit monotone that is why. Let's face it, January is pretty gray no matter where you are and London is no exception.

St Martin in the Field Church

Nelson Column in Trafalgar Square

Iconic London tour buses

A rather grainy Big Ben



Al and I posing outside the Crypt restaurant at St Martin in the Field

Virginia: Fun Facts about Mary Washington and Her House Fredericksburg, Va

Fredericksburg, Va. has a strong connection to the Washington family. The Mary Washington House was the home of George Washington's mother for many years. 

Fun Facts about Mary Washington: 

Mary Ball was not a woman who faded into the background even as a young woman.  She has been called the Belle of Epping Forest by some biographers, after her father's home but in reality, she was probably not a belle at all. 

She married Augustine Washington who was much older than herself and he left her a widow with 5 children when she was only 35. 

Even though George inherited Ferry Farm, Mary stayed there running the farm for 29 years. 

George nagged her into moving to the home he bought her in Fredericksburg. Her daughter Betty Fielding had made her home in Fredricksburg. 

Mary never remarried because she was financially independent and didn't have to. She was a woman who loved her independence. 

#marywashingtonhouse

When she moved from Ferry Farm she brought six slaves with her. She willed the slaves to family members when she died. 

The Mary Washington House can only be visited on a guided tour.  The sundial in the garden belonged to her and came from Ferry Farm. It is made of Acquia stone.   

Mary died in 1789 and her daughter Betty auctioned off her possessions. The auction list has helped to identify some of her possessions. 

Some of the items in the house belonged to Mary Washington and everything else is of the period. 

The house was turned into a school and remained so for almost 100 years. 

In 1889 the house almost dismantled and taken to the Chicago World's Fair, it was saved and later opened as a museum.

She gave George her blessing in the bedroom after he was elected President. 

Fredericksburg is the home of the University of Mary Washington. 

Reasons to Choose McHenry County Illinois for Vacation

Visit Hebron, Alden & Harvard:

Small Illinois Towns Known

for Antiques, Basketball, Milk

McHENRY COUNTY, ILL. - Tucked away in the northwest corner of McHenry County, just a few miles south of the Wisconsin state line, are three interesting little towns well worth visiting for a relaxing weekend road trip.

HEBRON, ILL.

First settled by farmers in 1836, Hebron was named by the first white woman settler in the area. Friends and neighbors would gather at her house on Sundays to share a meal and sing. One of their favorites was the hymn "Old Hebron", and they decided it would be a good name for their community. Today, the population is 1,215.

BASKETBALL: Near the center of town is a water tower painted to look like a basketball.  That's because in 1952, the Hebron-Alden High School basketball team of strapping young farm boys beat out the competition from much larger Illinois schools to win the state basketball championship. Back then, the high school's total enrollment was only 98, and all the schools in Illinois played in one tournament, no matter how big or small they were. It was quite an accomplishment; you can ask just about anyone in town, and they'll tell you all about it!

ANTIQUES: Today, in an era when antique shops are becoming few and far between, Hebron has an "Antique & Specialty District" with several antique shops in a two-block stretch, including Abundance Antiques & Design, Grampy's Antique & Resale Shops, Lloyd & Leota's Antiques & Restoration and Prairie Avenue Antiques & Tack Exchange.

FOOD: Hebron has good eats, too.  In the shadow of the watertower is The Dari, dishing up soft-serve cones, sundaes and shakes, plus burgers, hot dogs and sandwiches from March through November. Check out the "little lending library" and innovative straw-bale garden. Harts Saloon bakes brick oven pizza, and Hoops Sports Bar & Grill serves handmade burgers and celebrates the town's basketball heritage. On the north edge of town is Crandall's, known for decades for their "World-Famous All-You-Can-Eat Broasted Chicken" plus a Friday fish fry and Sunday brunch (closed Mondays).

FARM MARKETS: Von Bergen's Country Market is just east of Hebron, growing and selling veggies, fruit, sweet corn, tomatoes, pumpkins and fall decorations from July through November since 1965. There's a children's play area and farm animals to visit, and Von Bergen's hosts an antique tractor and plow day in September. www.vonbergens.com.  Royal Oak Farm Orchard is northwest of Hebron, with thousands of apple trees, plus raspberries, honey, cider, pie, playground, petting zoo, wagon rides, carousel, full-service restaurant, gift shop and the nation's only "apple maze". You can pick your own apples from August into November or buy pre-picked fruit.www.royaloakfarmorchard.com.   

ALDEN, ILL.

Alden, between Hebron and Harvard, is so small, there aren't any population statistics.  But, it has two interesting stores, kitty-corner from each other smack-dab in the center of town at the four-way stop. Both are called Alden Resale, and carry liquidated and nearly-new contemporary furniture, along with some antiques. The "big store" has 6,000 square feet of mostly furniture, while the "small store" is stocked with smaller furniture, dishes and collectibles. Open daily. www.aldenresale.net.

HARVARD, ILL.

Harvard was named for --you guessed it!-- Harvard, Mass. The town got its start in 1856 with a train depot and hotel, when the Chicago & Northwestern Railroad extended service from Cary, Ill., to Janesville, Wis. It eventually became the epicenter of a large empire of dairy farms.  By WW II, those farms, along with seven dairy plants, were producing more milk than anywhere else in the nation, and Harvard became known as "Dairy Capital of the World". The area is still dairy country, and the population is about 9,500. The Metra commuter train from Chicago stops at the train depot, within walking distance of many points of interest. www.MetraRail.com

MILK DAYS: In June Harvard celebrates the dairy industry with the 75^th Annual Milk Days Festival, featuring dairy cows, antique tractors, dairy princesses, carnival rides, contests, demonstrations, food, fireworks and a parade on the main street, which is whitewashed and re-named the "Milky Way" www.MilkDays.com.  

FARM MARKETS: Just outside Harvard is Twin Garden Farms, growing and selling Mirai sweet corn, a special variety of corn that is so sweet and tender, you can eat it raw, right off the cob. It's sold at area farmer's markets and on the farm daily during growing season, usually late July through September. They also sell seeds online. www.twingardenfarms.com. 

Northwest of town at Ben's Christmas Tree Farm, you can cut your own fresh tree and enjoy horse-drawn wagon rides from Thanksgiving weekend through the weekend before Christmas. www.benstreefarm.com.

SHOPPING & ART: Just a few blocks off the main street is an enormous, beautiful ivy-covered circa 1883 brick building with a roof full of skylights. Once home to the Starline Factory, which manufactured farming equipment, today it's been re-purposed to house a retail store, art gallery, artists' studios, a pub, an event center and several small offices. 

Steel Heart Ltd. began nearly 20 years ago as the dream of a young Polish couple who design, build and import steel and stone garden accessories: gazebos, arbors, trellis, armillaries, tables, benches, chandeliers, fences, gates, lanterns and more. Today they sell their creations at wholesale prices to the public and select local businesses. www.steelheartltd.com. 

Starline Gallery & Studios showcases the works of more than 25 area artists and hosts Fourth Friday Art Shows with refreshments and music from 6 to 9 p.m. on the fourth Friday of each month. The Stanchion Pub serves lunch and dinner Thursdays through Saturdays. Sunlight streams through the skylights in the spacious event center for weddings, banquets and private parties for up to 500.www.starlinefactory.com.   

FOOD: Harvard is large enough to have lots of restaurants, but three merit special mention. Just off State Line Road north of town is Big Foot Inn, named for a Potawatomie chief and serving lunch and dinner daily. Since 1946, it's been featuring a Friday fish fry, Saturday prime rib and Sunday brunch. South of town, Heritage House is known for German specialties such as sauerbraten, schnitzel and strudel, plus steaks and seafood, serving dinner Wednesday-Sunday, plus Sunday lunch.

In downtown Harvard since 1943, Swiss Maid Bakery makes scrumptious cookies, pies, cakes, pastries, muffins and more. It began when the Stricker family immigrated to Chicago and opened a bakery in the 1920's; today the fifth generation continues the tradition. The doors are open from early morning to 6 pm, Tuesday-Saturday.

ACCOMMODATIONS: Harvard has three bed and breakfasts. Crane Hollow B&B is a contemporary house overlooking a small lake on 40 acres, with two guest rooms. www.cranehollow.com. Morning Glory B&B is a renovated century-old farmhouse on five acres, with two guest rooms. 815-943-5764.Ravenstone Castle B&B is a contemporary castle complete with towers, turrets and gargoyles, built by a family out of their love for attending Renaissance fairs. It has three guest rooms and also hosts teas and special events. www.ravenstonecastle.com.

PLAN A McHENRY COUNTY GETAWAY

McHenry County is just an hour's drive northwest of Chicago, bordered on the north by Wisconsin, and on the south by I-90. The Fox River winds down from the Chain of Lakes through the towns on the eastern side of the county, while country roads meander the western side. For visitor information, including links to attractions and lodging and dining options throughout McHenry County, go to  www.VisitMcHenryCounty.com or phone 815-893-6280. Follow on Twitter and Facebook.

Germany: Residenz Palace Munich Opulence taken to another level

The Residenz Palace in Munich is a complex of immense size. It was begun in the 14th century and it has been added to over the centuries. It was home to generations of the Wittelsbach family as Dukes, Electors and Kings of Bavaria. In addition to the two museums, the Residenz houses a theatre, a church, gardens and more.

You may begin your visit in the Treasury Museum which has about a thousand years of treasure. Among the vast amount of treasures is the crown of Anne of Bohemia who was the 1st wife of King Richard II of England. An unbelievable St George and the Dragon which is enameled gold covered with emeralds, rubies, diamonds, and pearls will catch your eye as will a 14th-century Jewish ceremonial wedding ring and a bowl designed by Hans Holbein that was in the Tower of London until 1649.



Anne of Bohemia's Crown

A large, carved wooden rosary with beads about the size of a Faberge egg with the mysteries carved inside is just one of the magnificent items on display. The mantle of the Kings of Bavaria, a whole room of religious items including ivory crucifixes, gold chalices, lots of enamel and lots of gems continues the theme. A garter from the English Order of the Garter that belonged to the winter king, Prince Rupert's father and also the ceremonial crown of the kings of Bavaria made in France in 1806 are also on display.


Crown of the Kings of Bavaria

#residenzpalace

One whole room is filled with crowns, orbs, scepters and two cases packed with medals encrusted with every imaginable gem. And this was just the treasury. By now you will be suffering from treasure overload. I would suggest that if you want to retain any sanity you take a break and have lunch or go shopping or do something besides a museum because the Residenz itself can be quite overwhelming.


The Residenz Palace has more than 100 rooms, including a magnificent throne room, an ancestral gallery of pictures, rooms of porcelain, silver and magnificent furniture. Depending on your interest, this can take hours to see in total. One of the first things that you encounter is a magnificent hall of mirrors. It is done with off-white and gold trim, beautiful and gaudy at the same time. Because the palace was built over such a long period of time you will see many different architectural styles represented here.

It is really hard to believe looking at the Palace today, that it was extensively bombed during World War II. Most of Munich was destroyed by allied bombing. The reconstruction work on the Palace began almost immediately and great efforts were made to be sure that not only the building was rebuilt but that the treasures were replaced in the location they would have been before the war.



Visiting a palace museum of this size takes quite a while and can seem endless. This is almost too much of a good thing, almost but not quite.

Allow half a day for touring the Residenz Museum and Treasury.

This article is written from personal experience but the photos are not my own.

Flashback Thursday: Visiting the Stonewall Jackson Shrine

We were on the road having left Fredericksburg
heading to our next stop in Richmond, when I saw the sign for the Stonewall Jackson Shrine. How could I pass that up? I had no idea what it was, but a shrine to a general had to be worth a detour. It actually is quite a detour, maybe 4 or 5 miles of back roads from where I saw the sign on.

We pulled up the long driveway and stopped to read the signs that were posted around the roundabout. I hadn’t really been aware of what an important stop this would turn out to be. The Stonewall Jackson Shrine is the farmhouse where the famous Confederate General died. It is owned by the National Park Service, which I always love because it keeps things more natural.

A graduate of West Point, Thomas Jackson was teaching at the Virginia Military Institute at the beginning of the Civil War. He was made a brigadier general after the first battle at Manassas. It was here that he earned his nickname when General Bee declared, “There is Jackson standing like a stone wall.”

His prowess as a general made his fame grow to mythic proportion on both sides. He was loved and feared in equal parts by his men and his enemies. It was one of those horrible turns of fate that saw him be shot by friendly fire on May 2, 1863, at the Battle of Chancellorsville. It was as it turned out a major turning point in the war. Hearing of his wound Robert E  Lee stated: "He has lost his left arm, but I have lost my right arm." 

It was not a fatal wound, and he was taken from the battlefield to a safe place to recuperate. His left arm had to be amputated and his severed limb was taken to be buried at the family cemetery of his chaplain, B. Tucker Lacy. Ultimately, it was pneumonia that took his life.

#stonewalljacksonshrine

He had been taken to Guinea Station, and the farmhouse where he died was part of Thomas Chandler's plantation. It was an office building that had been used as a doctor's office by one of the sons of the house. This building was chosen over the main house because it was private and quiet and he would be able to rest after the long, hard ambulance ride. It is hard to even imagine today what a horror that ride must have been. His left arm had been amputated at the battlefield hospital, and it was 27 miles in a wagon over rutty dirt roads to the house. That alone would have killed a normal man. He survived for six excruciating days.

About 45 percent of the interior of the house is original. It is very poignant to see the bed and the original blanket that covered the general. His wife, Mary Anna, and his baby daughter, Julia, arrived on May 7th. The tiny house must have been bursting at the seems with the doctor, the staff, and the family. There are only four or five rooms on the two floors, but still, this is one of the most emotional places we visited on this trip. He was an amazing man and his death was a death blow to the Confederacy. He was also a highly religious man whose last words reflect the duality of his personality.

"A few moments before he died, he cried out in his delirium, 'Order A.P. Hill to prepare for action! Pass the infantry to the front rapidly! Tell Major Hawks'—then stopped, leaving the sentence unfinished. Presently a smile of ineffable sweetness spread itself over his pale face, and he said quietly, and with an expression, as if of relief, 'Let us cross over the river, and rest under the shade of the trees.'"

Later in our trip, we visited the house he and his wife shared in Lexington while he was a teacher. I wish I had known more about him and his life before I visited the place he died.

Visiting Historic Deerfield, Mass.

Historic Deerfield Village is located in central Massachusetts. It is a historic location but it is not isolated from the present in any way, they live side by side. Interspersed with the historic homes in the village are private residences that are currently being lived in.


Start your visit to Historic Deerfield at Hall's Tavern, it is the Visitor Center. Tickets, when I visited, were $14 for adults and a 10 percent discount is offered for AAA members. A bracelet is provided which allows you entrance to the houses and museums that are open at the time of your visit. However, if an event is going on, not all the houses may be open and no discount is offered.

The homes in Historic Deerfield Village are not open to the public from the beginning of January through mid-April. The Flynt Center of Early New England Life is open Saturdays and Sunday.

#historicdeerfield

Several different tours are offered daily. The introductory tour begins at 10:30 a.m. and lasts about an hour departing from the Visitors Center. Other tours are included with your entrance so be sure to check what is being offered on the day that you visit. The website offers some suggestions. ou can get a map at the visitor center to help you decide which houses you want to visit. Some houses are open on a guided tour and you will need to time these correctly to maximize your visit to the village.

The Stebbins were prosperous farmers. Their house reflects their position in the community. The house was built in 1799 by Asa Stebbins. The Stebbins Family had already been in Deerfield for several generations at this point but the original family home like many other wooden homes of the era had burned down. This house was built of brick and was the first of its kind in Deerfield. This is a docent-led tour and you will learn a lot about this family.

A good second stop is the Sheldon House. It is offered on a self-guided tour. This home housed an extended family and has two kitchens to provide a son to live in the same home as his parents with his bride.



Ministers were important in a New England Village and the Ashley House will provide a good look at the type of home that the Puritan Church provided for their minister. This home dates to 1734. This home was rescued by the Flynts and it is offered on a guided tour which is very informative.

I like to spend the night at the Deerfield Inn and also to dine there. It is a lovely place with plenty of charm. Don't miss the museum store either, it is chock full of goodies.

Flashback Thursday: Chatham Manor Fredericksburg, Va.

Chatham Manor has witnessed some very historic events in its more than 200-year history. 

Chatham Manor was built between 1768 and 1771 in the Georgian style by William Fitzhugh. FitzHugh was a friend of George Washington and entertained him and many others on his thriving plantation. During his time there was a racetrack where he could pit his bloodied horse against those of the other wealthy planters in the area. Fitzhugh’s daughter Molly would later marry George Washington’s step-grandson George Washington Parke Custis. Their daughter would later marry Robert E Lee.

#chathammanor

In 1806 Major Churchill Jones purchased the house and his family retained ownership for the next 66 years. At the time of the Civil War, it belonged to James Horace Lacy. As a plantation and slave owner, his sympathies lay with the Confederacy and he joined as a staff officer. His wife and children remained at home until they were forced to leave by the Union army. They established their headquarters here in 1862.  Chatham Manor has the distinction of having been visited both by George Washington and Abraham Lincoln.

In November 1862 the assault on Fredericksburg by river was launched from below Chatham. Today you can see an example of what the bridge looked like on the property. The resulting Union defeat turned Chatham Manor into a hospital. At one point both Clara Barton and Walt Whitman were working with the wounded at Chatham. 

Later in the war, the house was used as housing and when firewood grew scarce, the paneling was pulled from the walls and burned. When the war ended, the house had bare walls covered with graffiti and bloodstained floors and the grounds had been used as a burial ground. The gardens no longer existed and the Lacys, who were no longer able to maintain it, left in 1872.

In the 1920's Daniel and Helen DeVore took on the task of restoring Chatham Manor. We owe the present condition of the property to their loving care. The property’s last owner John Lee Pratt opened it to the public and in 1975, willed it to the National Park Service.

Today as with many Park Service homes, there is very little furniture. What you get to see are the bones of what is a beautiful house. Jane was our Ranger and she took us through the house and told us the story of its history. More time is spent on its Civil War period than on the Colonial period but there are many more famous people visiting here during that time. What we do find out is the entrance area door is original.  

 We enter through the rear door of the house, the front is the door that faces the river. We walked through the garden to get to the back door, even in October there was plenty of color still left. Take the time to walk the grounds especially the front toward the river, the views are beautiful.