The ornamental front yard became more common in Village households in the 1830s. This one includes a circular garden, decorative plantings, and a small area of grassy lawn.
The back part of the yard is for work and storage. It includes a barn, outbuildings, and a space for outdoor tasks like laundry.
· Take a Look Around ·
Children's Garden The design for this circular flower garden for children is taken from The Young Florist (1833) by Joseph Breck. Ornamental gardening was becoming increasingly popular in the 1830s.
Barn A center village family might have kept a cow, a horse, hay to feed them, and vehicles in a barn. We use this one to store and display our collection of agricultural tools.
Shed Most of this building is a woodshed, to store a family's firewood and keep it dry. On one side is a privy or "necessary," usually called an outhouse today. It is built into an embankment, making it easier to periodically clean it out.
Corn Barn This small building from Scituate, Rhode Island is perched atop stones to keep out rats and mice, and provide better ventilation for the corn stored inside.
Laundry A firepit with a kettle and some tubs, scrub board and a clotheslines were the washer/dryer of early American homes. (ABOVE)
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