On Saturday, September 15, between the hours of 11 and 4, the Weston Historical Society will present their sixth Colonial Craft Day on their museum campus, just north of the Weston Green on Route 100. Skills of the 18th and 19th centuries will be demonstrated, and tools and machinery of the period will be in operation and on display. Previous Days have attracted and entertained audiences numbering well into the hundreds.
Favorites from prior years will be on hand, beginning with Master Tinsmith David Claggett, whose colonial reproductions are on display in America’s finest Museums…and in Weston. Cooper Glenn Lael will demonstrate the skills used in making barrels and the 18th century methods of peeling apples and pressing them into cider always attracts a crowd. Bring your own apples and take a turn at pressing your own cider.
Weston’s Farrar-Mansur House Museum, an historic homestead and tavern dating from 1797, will be open for tours.
Lace-maker Donna Faturos will be demonstrating and explaining her skill, as will basket weaver Ann McClaran. Johnathon Bigelow will be hewing beams out of logs and explaining the methods of post-and-beam/mortise and tenon construction favored by our colonial forefathers.
And, at the Mill Museum, Weston’s famous Grist Mill will be grinding corn, the hit-and miss engine will be puffing away and the operation of the Lane Shingle Maker will be explained.
Don’t miss seeing David Claggett’s exquisite restored tinker’s wagon, housed in the Mill. It might be out last opportunity to present this remarkable piece of Americana.
Maya Drummond and Garry Sharon will provide some “old time” fiddle music through the day.
Colonial Craft Day is always educational, always entertaining for the whole family. Please join us. There is no admission charge; voluntary donations are greatly appreciated.