Colonial Gardening

 

Colonial Gardening

 

 

 Colonial gardens of 17th and 18th century America were as varied as the gardeners themselves and the locations in which they lived. While some gardens followed no plan, others were intricately laid out. Some gardens had plants designated to specific areas, while others were planted in a seemingly haphazard manner mixing tall plants with short ones, flowers with vegetables, and herbs mixed in amongst them all. Garden beds, varying in size and shape according to what was grown in them, were often raised by building up the soil and placing tree saplings on the ground around them. The purpose of raising the beds was to improve drainage, which garnered much attention. Walkways were usually made of tamped soil, gravel, clamshells, or brick, and were just wide enough for one person to walk through and weed the beds. The main walkways were, however, wider because they led to an outbuilding, namely the privy, located at the farthest end of the garden.

 Dutch gardens in New York, as well as those of merchants and townsmen of Virginia, were laid out in symmetrical patterns, yet were simple, functional, and well-balanced. Natural landscaping was seen as something that needed to be tamed and trimmed, not recreated, and resulted in gardens that resembled those of their homelands. Gardens were located near the kitchen house with walkways leading to many of the other outbuildings. The walkways were laid out geometrically in patterns such as basket weave, running bond, and herringbone and designed with either right angles or acute angles. Planting beds were “raised up” by boards allowing for good drainage, ease in planting, tending, and weeding.

 Fences were required by law as early as 1631. Legislation in 1646 set the minimum height of the fence at four and one-half feet and “close down to the bottom”. In 1705, the General Assembly enacted legislation to protect gardens from stray horses, mares, cattle, hogs, sheep, and goats. The fence had to be sturdy enough and so close that “none of the creatures aforesaid can creep through”. Post and rail fences, as well as picket fences, were typical for private gardens. The outlying borders of the fields were generally enclosed with a “worm” or “snake” fence, later known as the “Virginia rail”.

 Early colonists acquired seeds and plants by bringing them from their homelands, or through extensive exchanges across the Atlantic with friends and family. As a result, the majority of fruit trees, vegetables, herbs, and flowering bulbs came from Europe. Some plants such as the tomato and potato, although native to the Americas, came back to the colonies via these exchanges. These plants offered a sense of familiarity in an otherwise unfamiliar territory. Vegetables grown in the kitchen garden would have included leeks, onions, garlic, melons, English gourds, radishes, cabbages, and artichokes. Other vegetables that were needed in larger quantities like corn, beans, and pumpkins, were grown in the larger, outlying fields. Many vegetables and herbs served culinary, as well as, medicinal purposes while flowers were not only edible, but served as dyes and perfumes.

In summary, colonial gardens of the Dutch, merchants, and townsmen were simple, functional, symmetrical, and well-balanced in design while others were simply functional. Common features include raised beds, walkways, and an enclosure in the form of a “nature fence” or a wood fence to keep out stray livestock. Placement of these gardens was generally near the kitchen where they grew an assortment of vegetables, herbs, and flowers.

 

 

 

Taken from Colonial Gardening by Deb Browning

 

Tall Case Clocks

 

  Originally, tall case clocks were little more than wall or hang-up clocks. The transition to a tall case clock occurred in England from 1670 to 1700. It is likely that a hood was added to keep dust and dirt from the movement; later a case was added to hide the pendulum and weights. The craft of making tall case clocks in America began in Massachusetts and Pennsylvania and later in Connecticut; Connecticut became the birthplace of mass-produced clocks about 1840. Except in rare instances, the clockmaker did not make the cases for his clocks. Cases were usually made by a cabinetmaker on order from the clockmaker or from the purchaser of the movements. Each area developed its own regional style; one can distinguish between clocks made in Philadelphia, New York, or Boston. Generally speaking, case styles reflected the furniture styles of the period. Cases with flat tops, no feet, and square brass dials are of the William and Mary style. Between 1715 and 1725 arches appeared on the dial and hoods were arched to conform. The ogee foot appeared, and the style developed into that known as Queen Anne. The Chippendale style developed around 1760, broken arches became popular on the hoods and some fretwork was used, brass or wood finials appeared, and ogee feet became standard. (OG -- ogee -- is a molding found in both architecture and furniture.) Around 1780, the Hepple- white style appeared. The cases of this period often feature inlay work. Dials of tall case clocks are another way to date clocks. The earliest ones (1600 to about 1740) were about 10" square and made of brass with spandrels of pierced brass; usually a silvered chapter ring contained the numbers. With the advent of the arched dial, a moon phase often appeared in the lunette, which had carried the clockmaker's name. The painted dial appeared around 1780 along with Arabic numerals. Movements of tall case clocks were most often made of brass and ran for eight days. Some brass movements were of the pull-up variety, however, and ran for 30 hours.  Excerpt taken from:  A Brief History of American Clockmaking by Mo Klein  www.EarlyAmericanHome.netwww.EarlyAmericanHome.blogspot.com 

 

 

The Blanket Chest

 

 

The blanket chest is used in much the same way today as it was in early America.

Whether antique or reproduction, a blanket chest can be a useful addition to a bedroom.

Placed at the end of a bed, it can store blankets for added warmth on cold nights.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



 

The Blanket Chest

 

 

Blanket chests were very popular during the 17^th thru 19^th centuries. Over the years, drawers were added to the basic form, increasing the height, and gradually a different piece of furniture evolved called the mule chest. The drawers in a mule chest were used to store slippers called "mules" by the colonists.
The first colonists had no closets in which to store their clothing, blankets, and household linens. Attics were not readily accessible, and cellars were apt to be damp. Thus, the chest came into use.
In its simplest form, the chest was a large wooden box with a hinged lid. Although it functioned primarily as a receptacle for clothes and valuables, it also served as an additional seating place, for chairs were a luxury in most homes. Frequently chests were used for the storage of linens and things, especially those a bride brought to her husband. This is known as the dowry. From this evolved the name "hope" chest, now commonly used.
Early ships' records show the chests to have been the sole items of furniture accompanying many settlers. It is not surprising, therefore, that the chests built by seventeenth-century joiners in this country were copied from English pieces designed in the prevailing Jacobean style popular in London at that time. As early as 1660, craftsmen in Massachusetts and Connecticut were fashioning paneled and carved oak chests, constructed of wide stiles and rails. These had floating panels with elaborately carved intaglio decorations. Instead of a paneled top in the English fashion, the Colonial chest had a plain pine board top. This unadorned top surface was ideal for seating and did not need cushions thereby making it more functional.
In their crude fashion, these chests were the counterpart of the elaborate coffers, and caskets owned throughout Europe by wealthy families. Many households would not do without one of these blanket chests as few homes had a source of heat within the bedroom. On chilly nights it was convenient to merely go to the end of the bed and extract more bed covers to keep warm on those chilly nights. During warm seasons the blanket chest stored bed covers in a convenient location.
In colonial America blanket chests were constructed of various species of lumber ranging from inexpensive pines used for "country" type furniture to more expensive hardwoods such as walnut, cherry, and imported mahogany. The latter were used for more formal pieces of furniture that only the very wealthy could afford. Some of these chests were lined or constructed of pleasant smelling aromatic red cedar that repels insects. Pennsylvania Dutch chests were often hand painted with traditional decorative motifs.

The finish consists of six coats of hand-rubbed low luster tung oil finish, with a final coat of carnauba wax. The hardware consists of a high quality brass-plated, full-mortise chest lock, and friction scissor chest hinges that conveniently hold the top open.
This chest is certain to become a future antique, due to its traditional construction techniques, use of high quality materials, and timeless beauty.

Information taken from:  www.wwch.org   www.EarlyAmericanHome.net 

Thanksgiving

 

 

Thanksgiving

 

The arrival of the Pilgrims and Puritans brought new Thanksgiving traditions to the American scene. Today’s national Thanksgiving celebration is a blend of two traditions: the New England custom of rejoicing after a successful harvest, based on ancient English harvest festivals; and the Puritan Thanksgiving, a solemn religious observance combining prayer and feasting.

Florida, Texas, Maine and Virginia each declare itself the site of the First Thanksgiving and historical documents support the various claims. Spanish explorers and other English Colonists celebrated religious services of thanksgiving years before Mayflower arrived. However, few people knew about these events until the 20^th century. They were isolated celebrations, forgotten long before the establishment of the American holiday, and they played no role in the evolution of Thanksgiving. But as James W. Baker states in his book, Thanksgiving: The Biography of an American Holiday, "despite disagreements over the details" the 3-day event in Plymouth in the fall of 1621 was "the historical birth of the American Thanksgiving holiday."

So how did the Pilgrims and Wampanoag come to be identified with the First Thanksgiving?

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HARVEST HOME OR THANKSGIVING?
In a letter from “E.W.” (Edward Winslow) to a friend in England, he says: “And God be praised, we had a good increase…. Our harvest being gotten in, our governor sent four men on fowling that so we might after a special manner rejoice together….” Winslow continues, “These things I thought good to let you understand… that you might on our behalf give God thanks who hath dealt so favourably with us.”
In 1622, without his approval, Winslow’s letter was printed in a pamphlet that historians commonly call Mourt’s Relation. This published description of the First Thanksgiving was lost during the Colonial period. It was rediscovered in Philadelphia around 1820. Antiquarian Alexander Young included the entire text in his Chronicles of the Pilgrim Fathers (1841). Reverend Young saw a similarity between his contemporary American Thanksgiving and the 1621 Harvest Feast. In the footnotes that accompanied Winslow’s letter, Young writes, “This was the first Thanksgiving, the harvest festival of New England. On this occasion they no doubt feasted on the wild turkey as well as venison.”

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PURITAN HOLIDAY
The American Thanksgiving also has its origin in the faith practices of Puritan New England, where strict Calvinist doctrine sanctioned only the Sabbath, fast days and thanksgivings as religious holidays or “holy days.” To the Puritans, a true “thanksgiving” was a day of prayer and pious humiliation, thanking God for His special Providence. Auspicious events, such as the sudden ending of war, drought or pestilence, might inspire a thanksgiving proclamation. It was like having an extra Sabbath during the week. Fasts and thanksgivings never fell on a Sunday. In the early 1600s, they were not annual events. Simultaneously instituted in Plymouth, Connecticut and Massachusetts, Thanksgiving became a regular event by the middle of the 17^th century and it was proclaimed each autumn by the individual Colonies.
W.S.L. Jewett, "A Thanksgiving Dinner Among Their Descendants," Harper's Weekly, 30 November 1867. Collection of Plimoth Plantation.
The holiday changed as the dogmatic Puritans of the 17^th century evolved into the 18^th century’s more cosmopolitan Yankees. By the 1700s, the emotional significance of the New England family united around a dinner table overshadowed the civil and religious importance of Thanksgiving. Carried by Yankee emigrants moving westward and the popular press, New England’s holiday traditions would spread to the rest of the nation.

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NATIONAL FEAST
The Continental Congress proclaimed the first national Thanksgiving in 1777. A somber event, it specifically recommended “that servile labor and such recreations (although at other times innocent) may be unbecoming the purpose of this appointment [and should] be omitted on so solemn an occasion.”
Presidents Washington, Adams and Monroe proclaimed national Thanksgivings, but the custom fell out of use by 1815, after which the celebration of the holiday was limited to individual state observances. By the 1850s, almost every state and territory celebrated Thanksgiving.
Sarah Josepha Hale (1788-1879). Many people felt that this family holiday should be a national celebration, especially Sarah Josepha Hale, the influential editor of the popular women’s magazine Godey’s Lady’s Book. In 1827, she began a campaign to reinstate the holiday after the model of the first Presidents. She publicly petitioned several Presidents to make it an annual event. Sarah Josepha Hale’s efforts finally succeeded in 1863, when she was able to convince President Lincoln that a national Thanksgiving might serve to unite a war-torn country. The President declared two national Thanksgivings that year, one for August 6 celebrating the victory at Gettysburg and a second for the last Thursday in November.
Neither Lincoln nor his successors, however, made the holiday a fixed annual event. A President still had to proclaim Thanksgiving each year, and the last Thursday in November became the customary date. In a controversial move, Franklin Delano Roosevelt lengthened the Christmas shopping season by declaring Thanksgiving for the next-to-the-last Thursday in November. Two years later, in 1941, Congress responded by permanently establishing the holiday as the fourth Thursday in the month. 
 

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THE PILGRIM AND WAMPANOAG ROLE
The Pilgrims and the Wampanoag were not particularly identified with Thanksgiving until about 1900, though interest in the Pilgrims as historic figures began shortly before the American Revolution.
Tableau of John and Priscilla Alden, 1910. Collection of Plimoth Plantation.
With the publication of Longfellow’s best-selling poem The Courtship of Miles Standish (1848) and the recovery of Governor Bradford’s lost manuscript Of Plimoth Plantation (1855), public interest in the Pilgrims and Wampanoag grew just as Thanksgiving became nationally important. Until the third quarter of the 19^th century, music, literature and popular art concentrated on the Pilgrims’ landing at Plymouth Rock and their first encounters with Native People on Cape Cod.

After 1890, representations of the Pilgrims and the Wampanoag began to reflect a shift of interest to the 1621 harvest celebration. By the beginning of the 20^th century, the Pilgrims and the Thanksgiving holiday were used to teach children about American freedom and how to be good citizens.

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Pottery in Your Primitive/Colonial Home

 

Pottery in Your Primitive/Colonial Home

 

 

 

Pottery can be a useful addition to your country/primitive/colonial home.  Placed in a kitchen they can be used to store vegetables such as potatoes and onions.  Sitting on a countertop they are useful for holding cooking utensils such as wooden spoons.  A collector of early pottery might display their collection on an antique or reproduction crock bench. 

 

While American potteries are still producing pottery today, "antique" crocks will add an early feeling to your home.

 

 

 

 

 

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Pottery in Colonial America

 

Pottery In Colonial America

Understanding the types of pottery that have been made in or imported to America can be difficult to sort through. Below is a thumbnail sketch of the most common types of pottery found in America during the 17th and 18th centuries along with a very brief technical description of each which, hopefully, will prove useful to the reader. 
 The average New England household in the 17th century could contain an assortment of ceramics from Europe, the Mediterranean and the Orient. Trade up and down the Atlantic coast was taking place among the Dutch, English and Spanish. The inventories of early 17th century New England households in the Boston area have shown to contain Dutch and English delft, Italian, Spanish and Portuguese maiolica (or majolica), porcelain,  imported redware and locally manufactured redware.
EARTHENWARE: All clays which have a porosity above 5% when fired are considered earthenwares. What this means is that the ability of a fired clay to hold liquids without seepage occurring must be within 5% of being completely water tight (vitrified). Earthenwares can range from pure white to dark brown in color. The texture of the clays can be fine grained to coarse. Generally, earthenwares fire to lower temperatures than either stoneware or porcelain. Earthenwares cannot be made absolutely water tight because of their porosity although the application of glaze to the pot does help. Some glazes work better than others in preventing seepage.
Redware is a type of earthenware. What causes the red color is the amount of iron in the clay body. Other minerals can affect the color as well but iron is the major mineral to affect color. Redwares can range from light orange to dark brown in color and the clay body can be fine grained to coarse. Redware clay deposits occur close to the surface and can be used as they are after processing. The color of the clay as it comes out of the ground can very greatly from the finished pot. Often, redware clays in New England are grey in color until after firing at which time many of them range from bright orange to deep red-brown.
During the 17th and 18th centuries, locally produced redware was usually utilitarian and sometimes of poor quality. From the 1680s through the Revolutionary War potters were restricted by the British from making fancier  wares and could only make the more basic forms such as chamber pots, pans, butter pots and other common pieces found in the kitchen and pantry. These types of wares were not economical to ship from Europe and so local production was tolerated. Refined redwares, most stoneware and all porcelain and tin-glazed wares were imported into the American colonies until the end of the Revolutionary War.
 Another reason for the lack of local production of more refined ceramics is due to the fact that outside of urban areas, potters were frequently farmers or involved in another livelihood besides pottery. The farmer/potter would make pottery during the times of year when the demands of farming were low. They provided a necessary service to their communities by supplying much needed wares. Skilled potters who emigrated to America usually worked in the urban areas where more jobs were available. The rural American potter was often self taught or taught by other potters who never had the benefit of learning the trade in one of the large well organized European centers. 
  
STONEWARE: Clay which can be fired within 2% of total vitrification  or less are considered to be stoneware. Stoneware clays are usually made up of blended clay bodies to produce a malleable, strong clay which can be worked on the pottersÕ wheel and fired to a vitreous state. Color and texture of stoneware clays can vary quite a lot. Color can range from white to dark brown and texture can be smooth to coarse. Salt glazing is a process whereby sodium, most often in the form of coarse salt, is introduced into the kiln during the firing. A chemical reaction between the clay body and the salt forms the pebbly, clear glaze. Although technically salt-glazing can be performed on certain earthenwares and porcelains, this process is most commonly used on stoneware. From an historic viewpoint, it can be assumed that a salt-glazed pot is made of stoneware.
Stonewares were imported from Europe to the American Colonies until the end of the Revolutionary War. Germany and England were the largest producers and exporters of stoneware. Both countries were producing grey salt glaze with blue decoration. The English added manganese purple as a decoration by the 18th century. Both countries also produced brown salt glaze. The German bellarmine jug and the English stein are the most common forms of brown salt glazed stoneware produced for foreign markets. American production began in the mid 18th century and both imitated and competed with the European imports despite trade restrictions. Large scale manufacture did not occur until immediately after the Revolutionary War. The large centers in the North spread from New Jersey and New York into New England. The southern centers were concentrated in Philadelphia and eastern Pennsylvania. Over time, more potteries started and began spreading further south. The tradition of salt glaze and alkaline glaze stoneware continued there well into the mid 19th century.

Information taken in part from: www.JuliaSmith.com

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