Old Sturbridge Village

YouTube video by OldSturbridgeVillage The Courtship of Lucius Benham and Sarah Plimpton

Lucius Benham and Sarah Plimpton corresponded for 16 months before marrying in May 1854. Through these letters, which survive in the Old Sturbridge Village Research Library, the couple sought to learn more about each other and determine if they would be compatible.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ngK...

#OnThisDay in 1824, Salem Towne was in Boston and penned a letter to his wife, urging her to join him when #Lafayette arrived in the city as a part of his farewell tour in August of that year. According to Salem, “There never was nor never will be such a meeting in this or any country.”

Mac and Cheese Day, you say? 🧀 What better day to prepare dressed macaroni using a receipt (recipe) from 1838! Find the receipt for dressed macaroni and other cheesy dishes like pounded cheese and soft cheese at www.osv.org/virtual-vill...

Need some cute calf content on your feed? We've got you covered with Io the Randall Lineback calf! 🐮 #CuteAnimals #FarmLife

Did you know that Old Sturbridge Village is a participating museum in Museums for All? Through this program, people who receive food assistance also gain access to reduced or free admission at hundreds of museums across the country. museums4all.org

The 2025 Friends of the Village Art Show is now on display in the David Wight Community Gallery! Learn more and vote for your favorite at www.osv.org/membership-2...

Pictured is "OSV Gristmill," created by Susan Schofield

#MembershipMonday #Art #Gristmill #CreativeInspo

This unfinished collar in the #OSVMuseumCollection demonstrates one approach to whitework embroidery. The embroiderer stitched this collar on a larger piece of cotton, but either had more to sew and left it unfinished or never took the time to complete the final step of cutting it out.

#OnThisDay in 1802, Hervey Brooks fired his first kiln. Hervey was a dedicated craftsman who continued to produce pottery even after most New England potters had abandoned the trade. He made approximately 45,000 pieces of pottery during his lifetime. #Artisan #Pottery

National Cheese Day, you say? 🧀 Sounds like a great day to make some dressed Macaroni based on an 1838 receipt (recipe) from "The Housekeeper's Book!" Find this historical receipt and more at www.osv.org/virtual-vill...

#OldSturbridgeVillage #Cheese #HistoricalFoodways #Recipe

Today, many #recipes call for vanilla extract. Many early 19th-century New England receipts (recipes), however, called for rosewater.
Rosewater is available for purchase in our shops, both in-store and online at shop.osv.org/collections/...

#OnThisDay in 1819, Julia Ward Howe was born in New York. Today, she is principally remembered for having written “The Battle Hymn of the Republic,” but during her lifetime, she was known as an abolitionist, woman suffragist, essayist, lecturer, and poet.

In honor of Wool Days this coming weekend, we want to highlight a couple of pieces of woolen #HistoricalClothing from the #OSVMuseumCollection:

1. Circa 1835 challis (#wool) gown

2. Circa 1825-32 militia artillery coatee made of plain-woven lightweight worsted wool

#History #Textiles

Running into the weekend like...

#Sheep #Massachusetts #AnimalVideo #Funny #Farm

YouTube video by OldSturbridgeVillage The Carding Mill at Work: 19th-Century Innovation in Action

Ever seen a 19th-century water-powered carding mill in action? Check it out at youtu.be/KRq7wBltTvY

#CardingMill #Textiles #Wool #History #Innovation

Bring history home with our best-selling, Village-made redware mugs! Shop now at shop.osv.org/collections/...

#Pottery #Handmade #History #Artisan #NewEngland

YouTube video by HGTV Home How Wool Was Dyed in the 1800s, With Rajiv Surendra

Throwback to last year when we welcomed HGTV Home to the Village for an in-depth dive into the process of dyeing wool with natural dyes like sage, walnuts, madder root, and cochineal. Watch the video at www.youtube.com/watch?v=r1dN...

#Wool #Textiles #History #NaturalDyes #TextileProcessing #Yarn

Did you know? In 1840, there were about 4 million sheep in New England! With the high demand for quality wool by the textile industry and an embargo on imported wool, there was a high need for a local source. #FunFact #Sheep #Wool #Textiles

YouTube video by HGTV Home How Wool Yarn Was Made in the 1800s, With Rajiv Surendra

Throwback to last year when we welcomed HGTV Home to the Village for an in-depth dive into the process of sheep shearing, carding, and spinning. Watch the segment at www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fpv7...

A small plaid fabric pouch and assortment of colorful marbles in small and large sizes

Children have played with marbles since ancient times. In early 19th-century New England, marbles were mostly made with clay and were imported from England or Germany. Some marbles were even made with local clay. #MarbledMonday #Artifact #Toys #History

Woman's straw bonnet in simple style with elaborate decorations of feathers, flowers, and figured moire ribbon. Brim is lined with silk; covered wire around edge.

Bonnet covered with blue ribbed silk fabric gauze bow on front brim - a wreath of flowers around the base of the crown - white gauze ties.

Ladies’ bonnets, elaborately decorated with anything from ribbons and bows to feathers and silk flowers, reflected the fashion preferences wearer and trends of the time. Which of these two bonnets from the #OSVMuseumCollection is your favorite?

#HistoricalFashion #Bonnets #Fashion #History

Need a moment of calm? Enjoy seeing lambs relaxing at the Freeman Farm! #MuseumMomentOfZen #LambSpam

Did you know? In 2024, Old Sturbridge Village welcomed visitors from all 50 states – plus several dozen other countries! #NationalTourismDay #VisitMA

It looks like spring in the Salem Towne House Garden! #MuseumMomentOfZen #Garden #Spring #NewEngland #Tulips #FlowerFriday

YouTube video by OldSturbridgeVillage Objects in Focus: Clock Reels, Swifts and Yarn Winders

Join Collections Manager and Curator of Textiles Rebecca Beall for a behind-the-scenes look at the many types of yarn winders, reels, and swifts in the Old Sturbridge Village collection: youtu.be/GGV-cn5uZpk

#OSVMuseumCollection #Textiles #History #Yarn

May 1st, also known as “#MayDay,” is a day for cultural organizations to evaluate their emergency preparedness plans and procedures. While OSV has institution-wide plans and procedures, we have our own collections and library-focused framework to follow if faced w/ emergencies or natural disasters.

CAPTION THIS! 🐑

Photo captured by Paula Stewart.

#Lamb #FarmLife #Massachusetts #SillyAnimals #Sheep

YouTube video by OldSturbridgeVillage Behind the Building: The Thompson Bank

Join Historian and Curator of Mechanical Arts, Tom Kelleher, for a history of the Thompson Bank. Watch now at youtu.be/yJGY5qy0u54

#Connecticut #NewEngland #History #Museum

The Thompson Bank was one of a growing number of commercial banks in the 19th century that loaned money to promote rural industry and trade. Pictured here are some snapshots from when it was moved from Thompson, #Connecticut to Old Sturbridge Village in 1963. #ThrowbackThursday

It's time for another #WallpaperWednesday - with a twist! This 19th-century English dyer's recipe book (ca. 1830-1840) is covered in a beautiful beige, green, blue, and red patterned wallpaper. Inside, it includes approximately 200 dye recipes and swatches of dyed fabrics. #Wallpaper

The landscape paintings in the #OSVMuseumCollection depict scenes of agrarian life in 19th-century New England. Barnyards, fields, and oxen are represented throughout the seasons. #19thCenturyArt