Fourth of July 2020 left many traditions altered or completely ignored as firework shows were cancelled and neighborhood barbecues went unplanned. However, one tradition I was still able to keep up despite new regulations was baking cracknels.
The fact that we celebrate the Fourth of July, and not the 2nd, or 6th, or even 2nd of August is interesting in itself. July 2, 1776 is the actual day Congress declared independence. July 4 is the day they finalized the text. July 6 is the day the Declaration was first published in a newspaper (the Pennsylvania Evening Post). August 2, 1776 was the date it was signed.
But colonists then would still have celebrated on the fourth of July. Why? Because that was the date written, and then printed, on the Declaration of Independence.
Regardless of when you are making them, or which day you are celebrating, these cracknels are delicious. As an 18th century recipes, these treats are something the colonists themselves could have eaten in response to the Declaration of Independence.
This recipe was originally from Colonial Williamsburg’s recipe blog. (Note: the blog has been updated, and no longer includes this particular recipe. But they have other fantastic recipes found here!)
As CW’s introduction says, the term cookie was actually derived from a dutch word. Before “cookie” was popular, the sweet discs might be called cakes, or in this case, cracknels.
Colonial Williamsburg’s Modern Adaptation of Elizabeth Moxon’s recipe:
1 1/2 cups flour
1 cup sugar
4 Tbsp. butter
1 large egg
1 Tbsp. caraway seeds
Note: Mix the dough with your hands! No excuses, the recipe told you so:)
Pre-heat oven to 325 degrees and line cookie sheet(s) with parchment paper.
Combine flour, sugar and caraway seeds in a bowl until well mixed.
Cut in butter. Beat egg slightly and add to flour, sugar and butter mixture.
Work the dough with your hands until the mixture holds together. If you find that the heat of your hands is not bringing the mixture together, you can beat one more egg and add a little bit at a time and work until the dough holds together [For my doubled recipe, I used 3 eggs]. This mixture will be stiff, so it is important not to add any more moisture than necessary.
Taking a small portion of dough at a time, roll out to 1/8″ thick on a lightly floured surface. Cut out dough with a 2 1/4 inch biscuit cutter [or glass!] and place on a parchment lined cookie sheet 1/2-1″ apart. Dough does not spread during baking [it’s true!].
Bake 8-10 minutes or until lightly browned around the edges. Cookies will be soft to the touch.
Allow to cool slightly on the cookie sheet before removing to wire racks to cool completely. As the cookies cool they will become hard and crisp.
Yield: using a 2 1/4″ cookie cutter, about 7 dozen cookies.
Chewy and sweet, with the slight crunch of caraway seeds, the cracknels are very popular with my family. At first, I was doubtful that the caraway seeds would be an improvement. They might be a bit of an acquired taste, but now I wouldn’t want to leave them out.
This recipe is so easy and fun to make. You could definitely use it as a base for other add-ins if you wanted to go a more modern route. Thanks CW!
Declaration of Independence Facts. Declaration of Independence Activities and Lesson Plans for Educators. Important Dates to Remember. Learn About the Signers of the Declaration of Independence, Read the Declaration of Independence and Test Your Knowledge with our Declaration of Independence Quiz.
Everyone knows how to make apple pie right? Apples, cinnamon, and sugar mixed together and thrown into a piecrust. Maybe you add butter or flour, or nutmeg and lemon zest, but this classic recipe that we take for granted started out differently.
I found this pie recipe on Colonial Williamsburg’s website (which I’ll link to below). The first thing they pointed out is that apple pie is not American, despite what we may think, it’s actually British – interesting.
The pie crust recipe came from The American Frugal Housewife, by Mrs. Child, which was printed in 1833. I enjoyed the challenge of interpreting this recipe from its original form – most of the historical recipes I try have a modern version next to them that is easier to understand. In continuing with that, I have created my own modern version of the recipe that I will attach below if you would like to try it. Or just experiment with the 1830’s recipe!
The main differences between this apple pie and any modern apple pie you might be accustomed to are the spices and the method of construction. There is no cinnamon! Only sugar and whole cloves.
Then you must layer it. At no point does the recipe say to mix the fruit and seasonings together in a bowl. Instead, you lay a layer of peeled, cored, apple slices into the bottom of you pie crust. Then you dust sugar and some whole cloves over the apples. Put more apples on top, add more sugar and cloves, and repeat.
Once you have used up all the apples, lay the second pie crust over it, and press the edges together. Williamsburg’s beautiful picture of the pie included pie crust decor. So I cut a few leaves and long strips out of my crust scraps and created a small design on top.
The recipe doesn’t call for it, but I decided to beat an egg and spread it over the top. Upon further inspection of the photo, I realized that only the decorative crust pieces must have had egg wash to make them stand out. Oh well, it was too late.
The Pie Before Baking
I baked it at the recommended 450˚ for 10 minutes, then 350˚ for 40 minutes. It smelled wonderful.
I must admit I was a little suspicious of sprinkling whole cloves throughout my apple pie. But they were very easy to pick out. And having only the cloves and no cinnamon gave it a different flavor that definitely seemed historical 🙂 I loved the taste, and judging from how much of it was eaten, my family enjoyed it as well!
However, it would have been improved by salt. The recipe does not call for salt. And for the pie crust, I used unsalted butter. But it turns out that I should’ve used salted butter. Why? Because Mrs. Child talks about butter earlier in her book. She instructs her readers to “pack your butter in a clean, scalded firkin, cover it with strong brine…” and it will last indefinitely. A strong brine would certainly add salt to the butter.
I love how something as simple as apple pie has changed and developed over time. Next time you’re wishing for some homemade apple pie, try this easy recipe! (Even easier if you skip the pie crust for store-bought.)
Here’s my modern version of the crust recipe alongside the original!
Pastry (homemade or store bought) 8 Granny Smith applies ¼ – 1 cup granulated sugar or castor sugar 1 tsp. rose flower water (optional) 2 tsp. whole cloves Instructions Preheat the oven to 425°. Remove one piece of dough from refrigerator and let stand until soft.
Child, Lydia Maria. The American Frugal Housewife: Dedicated to Those Who Are Not Ashamed of Economy. 12th ed. Carlisle, MA: Applewood, 1985.
The third and final Colonial Williamsburg installation has arrived, filled with wood, chocolate, and guns! I need to point out here, just in case I haven’t already, that there is so much more to Williamsburg than what I’ve written. On this trip, we didn’t touch at least half of the buildings! And of course, there’s nothing like asking questions for yourself, savoring a scrumptious cup of chocolate, and not having a single modern building in sight.
The Cabinetmakers
Cabinentmakers furnish houses
60% of Virginian colonists’ furniture was made in Virginia
Colonial Williamsburg also boasts a joiner’s shop. And if you are not a woodworking expert (like me), you may wonder what the difference is between the various trades. So the lowdown is this: carpenters build the house, joiners finish the interior of the house, and cabinetmakers construct the furniture.
The furniture built by the cabinetmakers is not crude or basic, which you might expect as they are just colonies. Yes, the colonies did mainly export the abundance of raw materials they had, but there were master craftsmen there. However, of the furniture that was owned in Virginia, 60% was made there. Another 30% was imported, and the remaining 10% came from other colonies. Notice the small percentage there: the colonies weren’t always on the best terms. There were frequent squabbles over land borders.
Inside the shop, a beautiful grandfather clock stands to one side, with an intricately carved window-surround on the other. Pieces of elegant furniture line the walls. We are challenged to find the four hidden drawers inside a tall desk. Each is perfectly fitted into the wooden face. No special hardware is used on any drawers to help them slide in or out more easily.
Samples of table legs, joints, wood types, and more cover one of the workbenches. I picked up a piece of wood that was stained three different colors. The same wood looked shiny and red under a seal of seedlag (linseed oil) and wax, a cool, dark brown with oil and wax, and light brown with just wax. Different finishes were used depending on taste. Wax was always added as a final step to protect the wood.
Often, the wood was not stained, as we usually do now. The modern purpose of a stain can be to make a cheap wood look like its costlier counterpart. But back then, they had plenty of the nicer woods at their disposal. So why stain when you can use the real thing?
The Cabinetmakers
Furniture
Wood Samples
Chair Backs
The Workshop
Behind the Cabinetmakers
We were told multiple times in Williamsburg that 18th century tradesmen would have completed projects much faster than the interpreters do now. The colonists were committed, working long, hard days to finish their work. Adversely, an interpreter’s job is exactly that, to interpret. All told, they may only work 2 hours in a day on a piece.
The Carpenters’ Yard
Carpenters were responsible for constructing houses
House frames ready to be slid together on site (think barn raisings)
Saw pits used by two men to create planks
Unlike the other woodworkers, the carpenters are outside. They plan on building a workshop soon, since there is a lull in other projects currently. An interesting note is that they will be building a kitchen for their workspace. Evidence has been found for a kitchen and house in that specific location, but not a carpenters yard. But in the 18th century, structures were frequently repurposed, so it is historically accurate to use the kitchen for carpentry.
Surrounding the covered work area, the yard is full of shingles, and wood in its various forms. When shingles are made, each one must have a hole in it before it is nailed onto a building. Under the covering, there is a saw pit. These were used in more urban areas where a saw mill wasn’t convenient. Two men, one standing below, in the saw pit, and another above can saw logs into planks.
On the workbench several holes are drilled to be used for holdfasts. Holdfasts are a clever, simple way to secure a piece of wood to the bench while working on it. An L-shaped piece of metal is hammered into the hole, and the pressure from the hole keeps it tight. When the wood around a hole wears out, that hole is plugged and a new one is drilled.
Charlton’s Coffee House
18th century drinking chocolate is very different than the hot chocolate we have today
The coffee house was a gathering place similar to taverns
If you like chocolate at all, don’t miss the coffee house. When you enter, you are invited to take a seat and converse with a Mr. Robert Carter, who lives in town. Since it is a coffee house after all, you are offered a small mug of coffee, tea, or chocolate. Granted, I have not tried the coffee or tea, but I can personally vouch for the chocolate.
The chocolate is thick, rich treat, which we were informed is dairy-free and contains nutmeg, anise, vanilla, cloves, and orange, among other ingredients. It is absolutely delicious.
We all sipped away at our chocolate as Mr. Carter expounded on his duties in the town, and the quality of his twelve plantations, including the weighty topic of slaves. He also discussed that he felt it perfectly fit to educate his daughters as well as his sons, even though it was extra upon the other duties they were learning.
I listened to Mr. Carter answer some formidable questions with tact and insight while staying completely in-character. I was impressed. After a bit, we slipped out the door as we were running low on time.
The Gunsmith’s Shop
Gun barrels were rifled with a simple, ingenious machine
Bullet molds were made to only fit your gun
Barrels started out as a long, thick rectangle of metal
Tucked away in a far corner of the historic area, this one can be easy to miss. However, I thoroughly enjoyed myself. In the shop, only two of the guns had not been made there: those were 18th century pieces. The rest are hammered there in the shop. They start with a wooden blank that is vaguely in the shape of a gun, and a long, narrow chunk of metal for the barrel. Starting in the middle (so there is a cool end to hold), the metal is formed into a long tube, ready to be rifled.
I for one had no idea how gun barrels were rifled. Fortunately, about five minutes before we arrived, a gun barrel had just been finished. The interpreter let us look down the barrel, where you could see all the curls twisting down the interior. Then they demonstrated the ingenious machine used to carve the pattern.
In the pictures to the right, you can see the long rod that is inserted into the gun barrel. On the rod’s end is a small set of metal teeth that scrape against the inside of the gun. The swirls in the wooden cylinder mimic the pattern that will be transferred by forcing the rod to follow their turns as they are rotated.
Rifled guns were not usually for battles, as they required more time to reload. Also, they must be cleaned when powder builds up too much inside so that they don’t explode. Guns, or shotguns, on the other hand, were all-purpose, and used for battles and animals. They didn’t possess much accuracy, but were much faster to load and gave a spray of ammunition (shot).
When a rifle was made for you, you would also receive a bullet mold, which needed to be kept very safe. Oftentimes, a bullet mold would fit only your gun, and vice versa. In a time where everyone made their own bullets instead of buying them from a store, making sure you had ammunition that could fit your gun was very important.
Shuttle Ride and Visitor Center
Shuttle rides are free with admission
The Visitor Center has ticketing, large gift shops, and an introductory movie
Shuttles rotate around the historic area and visitor center, a helpful service when you’ve been walking all day, or if you want to minimize walking.
The visitor center has two large, interconnected gift shops. However, they don’t carry everything that is sold in the historic area. For example, the Prentis Store vends items handmade by interpreters which are not sold elsewhere.
Ticketing is located at the visitor center, along with costume rentals. There is a video about the historic area, but we forgot to watch it :).
Colonial Williamsburg has done a phenomenal job of presenting history in an accurate and engaging way. Going there was an amazing experience, and I recommend it to anyone who has the opportunity. In the meantime, they have a profusion of intriguing resources on their website and blog that I encourage you to check out.
In Colonial Williamsburg’s 301-acre Historic Area stand hundreds of restored, reconstructed, and historically furnished buildings. Costumed interpreters tell the stories of the men and women of the 18th-century city-black, white, and native American, slave, indentured, and free-and the challenges they faced. In this historic place, we help the future learn from the past.
A good day to you! I hope you had a pleasant weekend, perhaps with some gameday fun 🙂 This week is a continuation of my jaunt through Colonial Williamsburg. Now, there is a lot of content, so feel free to read through just the summaries if you’re short on time.
Colonial Garden
Gardens were grown year-round in Virginia
Leeks, turnips, lettuce, chard, and beets were common winter choices
Some plants are kept under closhes: glass domes used like mini-greenhouses
Though you might suspect that winter was the colonist’ break from the garden, it wasn’t; duties were just scaled back a little. In Virginia, the temperatures stay warm enough to allow several varieties of food to be grown during the cold season. Many cold-weather crops were tended to provide fresh ingredients for the diet. More delicate plants, such as lettuce, would be kept under personal glass domes when the weather was below freezing. Perhaps surprisingly, salads would’ve only been eaten by the upper classes at that time, and not on an everyday basis.
The Bruton Parish Church
The bell tower and congregation are still active today
Major 18th century figures such as Patrick Henryattended the church
The structure was partially built over a graveyard
The Bruton Parish Church is actually separate from Colonial Williamsburg, and they suggest a $1 donation for visiting. The church is still in use today, holding prayer services, along with a weekly Sunday service. We wove through a few grave sites, and then entered the bell tower. Little children were being given the chance to ring the bell if they wanted.
I noticed that there was a broken headstone inlaid in the floor. When I asked about it, I was informed that there was no body under that particular one. However, when the parish was restored the 20th century, unmarked graves were discovered. They were reinterred in a cement case with a funeral. But some gravestones were laid into the floor. The man told me that visitors are often cautious of walking of them. With a grin, he said that he always says that he’s never heard any complaints.
An organ is in the process of being made for the church. The previous organ had suffered from Virginia’s fluctuating, humid weather, and needed to be replaced. Interestingly, the organ has changed locations over the years. At first, it was set against the wall to the side, above the altar. Later, someone decided that it needed to be symmetrical, switching the instrument to be exactly in the center. This covered the round window, which had remained covered for about 80 years. When the old organ was removed, the window was opened for the 2018 holiday season. Now the window has been sealed again to prepare for the next organ’s arrival.
Along the aisle, with its enclosed pews, you’ll see names of people who sat there on the doors. Several notable figures are present, including James Monroe, Thomas Jefferson, George Washington, and John Marshall. Quite the list! Virginia was really a center for revolutionary ongoings as well.
The Weaver
8 spinners required to supply one operating loom
Weavers memorize the patterns for various fabrics
Cochineal beetles were used for red dyes then and now
Dyed Yarn
At Colonial Williamsburg, the weavers’ shop has two looms. However, some shops would only have had one, and the master weaver would be the one on the loom. The young interpreter told us that she had been apprenticed there for one year, beginning right out of high school. Williamsburg actually still hires people to go through the traditional training for trades. First, an apprenticeship, 4 years for girls, and 7 years for boys, starting when they were 14 years old. Now Williamsburg accepts apprentices of all ages.
The looms are threaded with thousands of strands. Apparently, grasping the basic concept of weaving only takes a couple hours. On the other hand, the process of threading the loom takes years of an apprenticeship. The thread itself was imported to the colonies, and Williamsburg doesn’t spin all their yarn now either. Since 8 spinners were needed to keep one weaver going, it was impractical to spin it all themselves.
From dying to weaving, the whole fiber process is represented at the weaver’s. Silk worm casings lie on the table, along with other materials used for dyes. One of the popular substances for getting red dye was cochineal beetles. These insects were crushed and yielded a beautiful color. Something to note though: they are still used in several items today, including red skittles!
Blacksmith
New tongs are created for different projects
Blacksmiths did a lot of repair work
Inside the blacksmith shop are 4 forges. Tools line the walls and tables. One forge is surrounded by tongs. Different sizes and shapes of tongs were required for varying projects, so new ones were often made. For his first few years in operation, a new blacksmith would need to craft new tongs very frequently. But once he had a stockpile of tongs for certain processes and projects that he worked on often, he would only have to construct another pair every once in a while. Sometimes, a pair would only be used one time, for a specialized task. However, the interpreter there had heard of a blacksmith who owned just a few tongs, but was constantly reforging them to meet his needs.
DOG Street Gastropub and M. Dubois Grocer
Located just outside of the Historic Area, the Gastropub was a great place to have a meal. With a great atmosphere, attentive service, and tasty food, we had an enjoyable lunch here.
The Grocer sells candy and other snacks, but they also have the Raleigh Tavern ginger cakes, which I had heard of before we visited.
Raleigh Tavern: Meet a Nation Builder
There is no script, just thousands of Jefferson’s letters to refer to
Jefferson quotes were seamlessly integrated into the conversation
The actor actually seemed like Thomas Jefferson!
When we sat down in the Raleigh Tavern’s crowded Apollo Room, I had significantly lower expectations than when I left. Williamsburg employs several people to portray specific figures from the time of the American Revolution. This presentation was by the young Thomas Jefferson, a.k.a. Kurt Benjamin Smith. After being introduced by an interpreter, Thomas Jefferson walked into the room. From the moment he arrived, he was completely in character.
He spoke about Jefferson’s belief that education was a right, of the oft-forgotten perspective of Jefferson being a traitor to his country of Britain, and that he wanted to free and educate slaves, but also desired to ship them back to Africa. He loved his mentors, George Wythe and William Small, commenting that we frequently forget the teachers, even though they are the ones who shape the student. And he reminded us that the Revolution was not a war over taxes, but over fundamental rights that were granted to every Brit in the Magna Carta hundreds of years prior.
You can tell that he has researched his character extraordinarily well. He was able to answer visitors’ questions thoroughly, and without hesitation. Repeatedly during the performance he referenced Jefferson quotes, and they seemed to perfectly fit into what he was saying, as if natural. Jefferson was know to be witty, and so was Smith. He gave Jefferson’s opinions on various topics in a way that was thought-provoking and inspiring. He left us with a request to let this not be just a nice, one-time conversation, but that we would go and take part in our country, civilly conversing with each other.
If you go to Colonial Williamsburg, make sure you see Young Thomas Jefferson! We agreed this was the highlight of our trip.
Wetherburn’s Tavern
Wetherburn’s was considered one of, if not the, nicest tavern in colonial Virginia
The building is furnished according to a detailed, room-by-room inventory
George Washington visited the tavern’s ballroom
Unlike most of the buildings, there are guided tours offered on the hour and half-hour at Wetherburn’s Tavern. The tavern boasted public and private rooms. The private rooms would be rented out for clubbing, smoking, gambling, and drinking. One story goes that two men bet land on whose raindrop would reach the bottom of the windowpane first. Gambling was pretty popular, to say the least.
Upstairs were the bedrooms where weary guests could sleep. In one room, there are only two beds, which is accurate. Many visitors would bring their own bedroll, which was basically a woolen blanket, and sleep on the floor. Adversely, the ones sleeping in beds might not necessarily be the luckier ones: you never knew what sorts of bugs were lurking there.
Farther down the hall is a room that was reserved for a Mr. Page. Instead of buying a house in town or staying with friends, Mr. Page just reserved a room in the tavern. But if someone was sleeping in the next room down, they would have to walk through Page’s room.
Women were allowed to sleep with their husbands at taverns, but downstairs, they didn’t really use the public rooms. Sometimes they would be in the private rooms, but the most likely reason for a woman to come to Wetherburn’s would be the balls. A large ballroom was added onto the tavern and balls were regularly held, along with extravagant dinners. George Washington even attended an event there once!
I hope you’ve enjoyed the tour of Williamsburg! Check out the links below for some fantastic resources. Till next week!
by Joe Straw Photography by Dave Doody Thomas Jefferson’s story is big. So big that Colonial Williamsburg needs two people to convey his full evolution from an upstart patriot to a statesman who helped mold America. For more than two decades, Bill Barker’s warm, far-reaching interpretation of the patriot and third President has made him a Historic Area institution.
An elite cadre of interpreters, Nation Builders portray real historic figures associated with 18th-century Williamsburg who made significant contributions to the American story. Meet a Nation Builder during your visit who helped shape their time, and whose legacy continues to influence and inspire American ideals.
View of the Capitol Building in Colonial Williamsburg
Hi everyone! Can you believe the first month of the year is almost over? It’s certainly gone by quickly! Well, before February arrives, I was extremely blessed to be able to visit Colonial Williamsburg this past weekend.
For years, a visit to Williamsburg was a dream of mine, and last year I finally went. Even though we had 2 1/2 days to explore, we still didn’t see it all. So as our membership tapered off, my mom and returned to use it before it expired.
Our first morning there it was cold and sunny. We parked at the visitor center (parking is free there), and walked the winding path to the Historic Area. The path brings you to a quiet street with pastures leading up to the Governor’s Palace. Fortunately, we had seen the Palace last year, as it was closed for maintenance, along with its kitchen. So we continued down the Palace Green to the George Wythe House.
The George Wythe House
Did you know that George Wythe was one of Thomas Jefferson’s mentors? Wythe was a very accomplished man. He taught many students one-on-one in his home, giving “pop quizzes” to students when he met them on the street. Then he was elected president of the College of William and Mary. As a signer of the Declaration of Independence among other things, he was a highly respected man.
The house named after him was built in the 1750’s and was actually given to him when he married. Wythe’s father-in-law stipulated that the property would remain with him unless he had no children, in which case the house would return to his wife’s family. Sadly, Wythe and his wife never did have children. In fact, Wythe planned to gift his estate to his grand-nephew, but was poisoned by him! Fortunately, Wythe lived long enough to revise his will.
The Wythe house is one of the 88 original structures in Colonial Williamsburg, and is full of colorful wall papers, mirrors, and glass-covered pictures. All of these things were signs of wealth in the 18th century.
What comes to mind when you think of New Jersey? If its stereotype of cement, factories, smoke, and chainlink fences appears, you’re not alone. I had an opportunity this past October, to discover that, although those gray places do exist, they’re by far not the only things this Mid-Alantic state has to offer.
You may also be wondering what or who ALHFAM is. They are the Association for Living History, Farm, and Agricultural Museums, and in October they put on a skills workshop for anyone whose interest was piqued (though I must say the majority of attendees were museum professionals). Upon registering, we were offered a selection of intriguing workshops, ranging from how to butcher a pig, to incorporating STEM into museum programming. For housing, we agreed on the option of sleeping at one of the host museums to save a few dollars!
With the prospect of new connections and unique skill acquisitions ahead, my mom and I set off south, making our way down through Connecticut and New York. Our destination lay right in the midst of Trenton, at the Old Barracks Museum. We arrived just after the first workshop had commenced (thanks a lot commuters!)
Meeting in an upstairs room of the historic barracks building, our presenter, Dr. Richard Hunter, began his Urban Archaeology Tour with an overview of the significance of Trenton and major changes it has undergone.
Starting with the building we sat in, he explained that it was originally constructed with a view of the river, on the edge of town, out of locally quarried stone. The barracks’ purpose was to serve as a soppy base for the frontiers during the French and Indian War as well as house traveling soldiers. This last duty was demanded by fed-up residents who were sick and tired of providing room and board to any military force passing through.
Now I mentioned that it was originally built with a water view. No, the trees haven’t blocked it all. The river has actually been filled in, so that its banks are now on the other side of a highway that sits near the Old Barracks. In many places around the city, it’s difficult to picture how 18th century citizens viewed the landscape.
One example of the phenomenon is Mill Hill Park, where the mill and its remnants can be hard to spot. Years ago, most of what is now the park was covered in water and acted as the mill pond. As you cross over a nearby bridge, you can spy the old foundation work of the mill, along with the bed of the Assunpink Creek it sat by.
As we moved on, our guide pointed out an old yellow house, called the Alexander Douglass House. This place has been moved around the town three times over the years, to the point that its historical integrity is sadly diminished. Its claim to fame is that George Washington used the building as his headquarters for the Second Battle of Trenton, and then held his council of war there before the Battle of Princeton. However, at this point, the Douglass House is not being used for much, and we didn’t go inside.
Just down the street, an old Quaker Meeting House sits next to the street, with a small burial ground attached. As one of the three historic buildings in the city, it was occupied by Redcoats and Hessians (German mercenaries) during the Revolution.
One thing about Trenton that I’d like to inject is that there are beautiful murals scattered over the city. They add a splash of color and interest to some of the duller streets. Elia Barga is one of the muralists, and painted a commemoration of the Revolution on a large canvas which was then hung on a structure in town.
Elia Barga’s Mural
Passing the Delaware & Raritan (D&R) Canal on our way to the Battle Monument, we stopped to learn about the unassuming waterway. Established in the 1830’s, the canal is actually still in use today! With a width of 13 feet, the canal has no lifts, but a few locks along its length. The canal acted as a thoroughfare for coal originally, but is now one of New Jersey’s water supplies. In addition, 60-plus miles of the canal and the strips of land on either side are now designated as the D&R Canal State Park, open for hiking, biking, and boating.
At the apex of a slight hill, and the convergence of five roads, sits an imposing monument to the Battles of Trenton. The Redcoats set up cannons on this location, and the Patriots used the multiple roads to cut off the Hessians’ escape. On top of the thick pillar, which was dedicated in the 1980s, stands George Washington. Though there used to be tours of the structure, including a ride on an ancient elevator to the top. No staff are stationed there now, and unfortunately, tours are difficult to hear because of traffic.
The Battle of Trenton occurred on December 26th, 1776, and was a turning point of the war. Prior to that, the Continental army had not been doing well. Some Patriots took oaths of loyalty to the crown, hoping to prevent punishment if the colonies lost. However, when the Whigs starting winning again, these oaths were soon thrown in the fire. Makes you wonder how loyal they really felt.
We made our way back towards the Old Barracks then, going by St. Mary’s Convent as well. This church was closed after the Declaration of Independence was announced: the congregation split and the structure was utilized at one point for soldiers’ quarters. And if you’re into random ties to famous figures, the church’s graveyard includes the body of Napoleon Bonaparte’s older brother’s mistress. Now that’s a stretch.
As we walked through the streets, Dr. Hunter pointed out a low spot in the city, where the stream Petty’s Run was located. In the 1880s and 90s a sewer system was put in place, erasing the original waterway.
Back behind the Old Barracks lies an unfinished park. Part of it is blockaded off, with plans to improve it still in place. But one section revolves around an archaeological dig that was completed on the site. The finds have been left uncovered, revealing the foundations of buildings from several eras. You can view the outline of the old plating mill, which became a blacksmith shop; there’s also a steel furnace that was one of five in the colonies in the 1750’s. A paper mill and houses complete the dig’s findings.
The Archaeological Dig
As you may have noticed, the anniversary of the first Battle of Trenton just passed. In commemoration, the city of Trenton holds Patriots’ Week every December. This year the festivities go through the 26th – 31st. Battle reenactments, a colonial ball, historic walking and bus tours, and much more are taking place across the city.
Throughout our two days in Trenton, I was continually surprised by the our experience. From sleeping in the Old Barracks’ beds, to eating a delicious meal from 1911 Smokehouse Bar-B-Que, to a scenic drive over to the Washington Crossing State Park. If you’ve never been to New Jersey, try it out!
I’d like to continue on with our New Jersey visit as there just wasn’t enough room the last time:). So here’s the details for our tour of the Old Barracks Museum. For those of you who missed my last post, my mom and I attended The Association for Living History, Farm, and Agricultural Museum’s (ALHFAM) Mid-Atlantic Skills Workshop in downtown Trenton, NJ. Quite the mouthful. While there, we were introduced to some places that definitely deserved a return visit.
One of the spots we spent the most time at was the the Old Barracks Museum. This u-shaped building was constructed with local stone in 1758 as housing for soldiers during the winters of the French and Indian War. Prior to its creation, the residents of Trenton, along with other major population centers, were required to host soldiers themselves.
But this new building was designed to hold 300 men in its 20 rooms. An officers’ house was added onto one side, providing much more spacious accommodations for the higher-ups. While participating in the workshops, we actually spent the night in one of the bunk rooms! As an aside, the top bunks are rather high, with no ladders. Getting up either requires some height, strength, or a window ledge. But we were told that there wouldn’t have been ladders there originally.
After we had spent the night, we took a workshop that included a tour of the Old Barracks. We began on one of the porches that run along the front of the building. Our guide gave us some pointers on how to make a site tour memorable, then proceeded to give us a background on the stone structure.
Then we filed into one of the squad rooms (not the one we slept in!), that was furnished with various period items. Straw ticks (mattresses) lay on the beds, while guns were lined up at the end of a bed. Coats, satchels, and hats we draped over bunks and pegs, with a small card table squeezed into the space as well.
There were three bunks with two beds apiece. Twelve to eighteen men would have shared the room! But compared to their quarters the rest of the year, the soldiers were living in luxury: walls, floor, ceiling, warmth, and good food were all included.
You might look at the wooden beds and think they appear a little short for our modern standards. However, lie down and they are pretty comparable to what we sleep in now. Our guide wanted to point out that people weren’t necessarily shorter then. Height is directly related to how well fed people have been over the generations. In 18th America, the population as a whole (going back to Britain as well) had access to the food they required. As an example, George Washington himself was 6’4″! If you’d like to learn more about this, check out my link at the bottom of the post.
Continuing on, we found ourselves in the officers’ quarters, moving through a more modern fire door to avoid the rain. Immediately, it becomes apparent that the officers were living in much better conditions than the soldiers. Each had a room to himself, along with a communal dining room.
Here our guide took a moment to remind us what it was like to be a colonial British subject before the American Revolution occurred. As British subjects, they would have considered themselves some of the freest people in the world. Discussing politics was completely permissible, newspapers with wildly varying ideas and opinions were published daily, and citizens ate meat no matter if they were rich or poor.
Colonists celebrated the king’s birthday how we celebrate the 4th of July now. They viewed themselves as happy, loyal, English citizens. Compared to France and Spain, England was definitely the superior nation of liberty.
Prior to the French and Indian War, the colonists lived in a state of salutary neglect. But the war caused the British Empire to go into debt, and they wanted the colonies to help pay it back. So they imposed taxes on the colonists. However, there was no representation for them in parliament.
An uproar of British subjects fighting for their rights of representation as citizens of the crown succeeded. Before the Declaration of Independence, there was no war for independence, but that document completely changed the course of the revolution. Now it was Whigs against Tories, and Continentals against Redcoats.
At its beginning, the Old Barracks were utilized by the English, who stayed there until around October/November of 1776. In 1777, the Barracks became a recruitment center and medical hospital for the Continentals. Medical treatments included small pox inoculations, which sickened the patient with a weak strain of the disease, protecting them from the deadly strain. Our guide reminded us that though some of their methods may seem primitive or horrific (e.g. bloodletting) to us now, we must remember that they were just doing the best they could with what they had. We do the same in the 21st century. Future generations may look back on chemo with disgust, but it’s the best we have at the moment. Making sure we don’t view the people of the past as just stupid is important.
Finishing the tour in one of the museum’s exhibit galleries, we were told the structure’s latter history. When the war was over, all the furniture was sold in 1783. The next year, the building was auctioned off for apartments. Then in 1792, the Barracks was cut in two, in order to allow Front Street to pass through the middle. This act also was symbolic, as it destroyed a building that was an emblem of the old empire’s power.
Later on, the Barracks hosted different crowds during its service as a boarding school, mayor’s residence, women’s society, and more. 1902 marked the year that the Daughters of the American Revolution purchased the building for historic purposes. In 1914, the state of New Jersey bought half of the structure. Eventually, the Barracks was restored, with a new mid-section, and opened as a museum.
Today, the Old Barracks Museum is a wonderful place to visit. Explore their detailed representations of what a bunk room would look like while in use, multiple exhibits, and living history interpreters, including a skilled tailor! The beautiful, stone and red-trimmed barracks are certainly a delightful destination.
