Old Sturbridge Village in Massachusetts
The sawyer fed a long board through the water-powered saw. All around the open-air mill blazed the glory of New England in the Fall.
The trees were warm water-colors of yellow, orange, green, and a little red. Their reflection dappled even under the old grey wooden covered bridge.
Old Sturbridge Village is a living history museum set in 1830s New England.
It brings to life the day-to-day hard work of the time roughly half a century after the American Revolution.
The main way of life of course was farming, supported by developing industry.
In addition to the sawmill, there’s a gristmill, a carding mill, a country store, a bank, a print shop, a blacksmith shop, a shoe shop, a cooper shop, and a law office.
Women’s work, like dying wool, was done in or near their small homes.
Set on 200 acres, OSV is open to visitors year-round. But like New England itself it’s most spectacular in Fall.
I fell in love with travel on a trip to Mexico when I was nine years old. Since then, I’ve travelled the globe from Israel to El Salvador. I’ve skied the Swiss Alps and hiked national parks like Acadia, Zion, Shenandoah, and Virgin Islands. I’ve marvelled at masterpieces in the Prado, the Uffizi, the Huntington, and the National Gallery of Art. I’ve stayed in a cabin on a mountaintop in Norway and on a kibbutz along the Sea of Galilee, and been kicked out of the Ritz at the Place Vendôme. I’ve taken cooking classes from New England to the Caribbean, and watched a chef prepare traditional shakshuka in the kitchen of his restaurant in Tel Aviv. I weave historical research and my personal experiences together in writing this blog. I hope you find it helpful. Read more …
