News
History Program for Centennial School System 3rd graders
In December, 2011, The Society began its 17th year providing a program on early farm life in the local area. The program presents a look at life in the late 18th and 19th centuries and includes many “hands-on” opportunities for these young people: understanding early food preparation, medicine and pumping water from a well. A more detailed description of the program is shown below:
18th & 19th Century Farm Life in Warminster, Pennsylvania
A program for third grade students – Centennial School District
Program Length: approximately 1-1/2 hours
Staff:
Lin Schreiner, Lenape Middle School Social Studies teacher (retired) and professional open hearth cooking demonstrator
Erik Fleischer, Corporate training manager and training consultant (retired)
Jeri Lutman, Elementary School Teacher (retired)
Program:
The program is divided into several sections:
First, a slide program featuring comparison photos of the local area circa 1890 –1910 and today provides a visual concept of how the landscape has changed with time.
Next, a tour through the house emphasizes early life on a farm: how one slept ( rope bed), a commode and washstand vs. a bathroom, a spinning wheel for making clothes etc.
Next, a visit to the colonial kitchen to learn about hearth cooking and the many tools employed: the use of herbs, early medicine, bathing and a taste treat of colonial recipe scones and spiced apples cooked on the hearth.
The students get to visit the root cellar or “colonial refrigerator”, pump water from the well and learn about the life of a citizen/militiaman during the colonial period
As a final part of the program , they visit the John Fitch Steamboat Museum to observe the operation of John Fitch’s 1790 steamboat model – the world’s first commercial steamboat.
Presentations on John Fitch and the Restoration of Craven Hall available off-site
While visitors to Craven Hall are offered the opportunity to view programs on the History of Craven Hall and The Life & Times of John Fitch – Steamboat Inventor, these same programs are available for presentation off site. Interested organizations are asked to call 215-675-4698 to make a reservation for these programs.
Centennial History Program in Action
