Waterford Historical Society (CT)
Harvest to Hearth: Thanksgiving in 1850s Waterford
Saturday, November 9, 2024
In 2024, The Dirty Blue Shirts living historians returned to our Jordan Green historic buildings with a strong focus on the Thanksgiving holiday: What that meant for our mid-19th-century Waterford ancestors: food, family, gratitude for what they had, remembering those who were gone, charity for those who had less.
There was hearth cooking in the Beebe-Phillips House, the antique cider press was put into action to demonstrate the process, and fresh cider from a local farm was offered to visitors. Visitors strolled the grounds and entered our historic buildings to learn about what life in Waterford was like "way back then." The popular, bustling blacksmith shop was for observation*and the Stacy Barn filled with farming equipment from Waterford's agricultural past was open for browsing.
The event was free and open to the public. Donations gratefully accepted!
* We are sorry to report that the forge in the blacksmith shop was not in operation on November 9, 2024, due to necessary repairs. However, the doors were open for visitors to tour the shop, purchase hand-forged items, and blacksmiths were on hand to answer questions.