Spring 2023 Miller-Cory Spring Programs:
Sheep to Shawl Festival, Saturday, April 15, 2023, 1 – 4 pm RAIN OR SHINE
It’s spring, and the sheep are due for their haircuts! The museum will be holding its annual Sheep to Shawl Festival on Saturday, April 15th from 1:00 to 4:00 (rain or shine). The process of sheep shearing will be performed by a master shearer, using hand shears as was done in early America. Museum docents in period costume will also be demonstrating wool-related period crafts including carding, spinning, weaving and knitting. 18th century farm tasks such as wash day and soap making will also be demonstrated and our cooks will showcase eighteenth-century colonial cuisine with authentic colonial-era open hearth cooking using period recipes and techniques.
Children can enjoy doing a craft. Laura Sassi, author of Little Ewe, will read and sign her book. Admission is $5 ages 13 and older; $4 ages 3-12 and free age 2 and younger. No reservations are necessary.
The Real Housewives of New Jersey: Early American Women and Their Kitchen Gardens, Tuesday, April 25, 7:30 pm at the Presbyterian Church in Westfield
Each spring, the History organizations in Westfield come together and present a Spring Assembly which is open to the public. This year, the Miller-Cory House Museum is organizing the program to be held on Tuesday, April 25, 2023 at 7:30 pm at the Assembly Room of The Presbyterian Church in Westfield. Lesley Parness, a columnist for Gardener News Magazine, and a featured writer in many print and online gardening publications will present the program:
“The Real Housewives of New Jersey: Early American Women and Their Kitchen Gardens”. Did you know kitchen gardens in the 1700’s fed, healed, and clothed Early American families? The 18th century “huswife” skill set included “physicke, cookery, distillation, perfumery, the making of wool, hemp, flax, dayries, brewing, baking,” and, of course – gardening. Growing plants both Native American and from their homelands, these women turned their soup pots into the “melting pot” that is America and exemplified all the best qualities of plantswomen and patriots. Find out more about these topics at the lecture. The Spring Assembly programs are offered to the public, each Spring, through the efforts of the Daughters of the American Revolution, Westfield Chapter; The Genealogical Society of the West Fields; The Miller-Cory House Museum Volunteers; The Sons of the American Revolution, West Fields Chapter; the Westfield Historical Society; and The Westfield Presbyterian Church. The program will begin at 7:30 pm at The Presbyterian Church’s Assembly Hall located at 140 Mountain Avenue in Westfield, NJ. The meeting hall entrance is by the parking lot. Light refreshments will be served following the program. Admission is free.
The Fine-Art of Lacemaking plus a Sachet Craft, Sunday April 30, 2023, 2 – 4 pm
Cherished for its fine workmanship and airy patterns, lace has been worn since the 15th century. Our guest lace maker will demonstrate bobbin lace and talk briefly about its history and the different regions that practice and celebrate this beautiful traditional handcraft. In the front room, children will have the opportunity to make a simple lace sachet to give on Mother’s day. Also included are tours of the fully furnished c1740 farmhouse and demonstrations of 18th
century open-hearth cooking featuring authentic early American techniques and recipes. Admission is $5 ages 13 and older; $4 ages 3-12 and free age 2 and younger. No reservations are necessary.
Child’s Play: Eighteenth Century Toys and Games, May 21, 2023, 2 – 4pm
Did children in rural colonial New Jersey have time to play? Their first job was working hard alongside their families with the many tasks required of daily life on a farm. Still, they managed to find time in-between chores to play and most houses had a few toys. Bring your children (or your own inner-child) and join us on the at the historic c.1740 Miller-Cory House Museum as we demonstrate and play some old-fashioned games and showcase some interesting colonial era toys. Cooks in period costume will also demonstrate eighteenth-century colonial cuisine with authentic colonial-era open hearth cooking using period recipes and techniques. Admission is $5 ages 13 and older; $4 ages 3-12 and free age 2 and younger. No reservations are necessary.
Located in Westfield, New Jersey, the mission of the Miller-Cory House Museum is to keep early American history alive through re-creating and interpreting the activities of daily life on a farm in the period 1740-1820. Our goals are to teach, provide understanding, stimulate curiosity, and encourage lasting interest in the time period. We are open September through May.