Grandson's Visit to Historical Sites

We always have the grandsons come for a visit during their summer break.  They recently came for six days.  They are really growing up quickly and we always try to find something they will enjoy.  After a day at Water Country we brought them back to our home for a visit.  We did the usual cookie baking, bocce playing, and German Checkers.  These boys love games and are quite competitive.  

We thought it would be nice to take them to the local area historical sites.  There is much to see in our town and frankly it was a great excuse to visit these spots Grayden and I hadn't been back to since their Dad was a little boy. 

I've mentioned a couple times this year about the opening of Ferry Farm--Washington's Boyhood home.  If you want you can read about our visit there on Independence Day as well as with our daughter and son-in-law and their son.  The boys have noted when they have visited in the past that the building was being constructed at Ferry Farm and we promised them we would visit there when they come up.

They embraced the idea of being able to touch and feel all the items in the house at Ferry Farm.

It was a beautiful day to be outdoors and enjoy the lower humidity!

We bought the Heritage Pass that allowed us to visit three additional sites while the boys were here.  The first one was Hugh Mercer Apothecary. 

You may know that the Apothecary was the important place one would visit if they were ill in the 1700's.  It was run by Hugh Mercer who came to Fredericksburg at the request of George Washington.  If you make a visit here you probably would rather die than take the treatments described!  The boys found it fascinating!  

All sorts of herbs and spices await your every ailment.  Of course some of these herbs are precursors to our current day medications.

If you are squeamish please skip the next photo.  Remember, I warned you!

Blood letting was widely practiced and the use of leeches was quite prevalent.  Much better than the alternative of the twelve razor blade lance that was also used for blood letting.  Leeches are still used today to help heal wounds and restore circulation in blocked vessels.

The next day on our agenda was the Rising Sun Tavern.

Photos are not allowed in the tavern.  The Rising Sun Tavern was originally built in 1760 as the home of Charles Washington, George's youngest brother.   It became a tavern in 1792 and was considered a proper tavern--one where a lady could stay and not ruin her reputation!

There are lovely furnishings and gorgeous quilts in this tavern that are from the 1700's.  

After touring the tavern we viewed the pretty garden out back.

You can see the old roof line of the Rising Sun Tavern in the above photo.

The next site we visited was the Mary Washington House.  She lived at Ferry Farm long after her children had left home.  Her daughter Betty married Fielding Lewis and lived across the river in Kenmore.  George wanted his mother to be near her so he bought her this home in town.  She really didn't want to move.  It is said she did so quite unwillingly, but was happy to be near her daughter, Betty.

Again no photography was allowed inside of this very interesting home. Mary Ball Washington lived here for 17 years before she passed away at the age of 80.  That was quite old for the time and she still ran her household in this new home.  There are period pieces here and a few things that did belong to Mary Washington.  A lovely teapot and a Chippendale mirror that she originally brought from Ferry Farm.

Out back is the recreated garden of Mary Washington.  

The above short stone columns used to lead to a path that Mary Washington would go to visit her daughter at Kenmore.

There was also a reproduction kitchen out in the garden.  There were old tools and cooking implements.

We really enjoyed our visit with the grandchildren.  I asked them what they thought of visiting the historical sites.  They wanted to be polite and said they enjoyed it.  Alex rated the sites with a medium grade!  I guess that's pretty good for a fifteen year old. ♥