Travel Photography > Photos tagged as dickinson
This was the main room in the Mansion, where the family would entertain friends, conduct business or relax
This is our tour guide for the Mansion, Pete. He is dressed as a late 1700's Hessen, working on the Plantation as a skilled laborer (carpenter, blacksmith or jack of all trades)
This is one of two upstairs bedrooms for the Dickinson children. The bed is made of ropes. The blue object is to collect bed bugs.
Once the iron was heated in the fire, it could cook three or four waffles before it needed to be reheated. The handle is quite long of course, it just doesn't show in this shot.
Ceramic dishes would have been imported from England, packed in barrels such as these. Breakage was expected.
The plantation was mostly self sufficient and made many of the wood items it needed. These tools are all authentic to the period.
This device was used to toast bread slices by an open fire. The front rotated so the bread could be toasted on both sides.
The large spinning wheel (walking wheel) was used for spinning wool, since it was much faster. The smaller wheels were used for spinning flax into linen.
Small birds or other game might be roasted on a device such as this.
Our guide wore a clay pipe in the back of his hat, which was common in colonial times. During the Revolutionary War, soldiers often put a one pound note in their caps the same way in hopes that if they got killed, someone would notify their family.
Pete is demonstrating how flax was made into linen on the Dickinson Plantation.
Portrait of Mary Cadwalader Dickinson, John Dickinson's mother.
Pete was our guide for touring the mansion. He not only showed us the house, but demonstrated 1700's crafts that were part of life at this plantation.
Martha and Elenore were our guides while at the visitors center. I think they liked the sunny, warm weather as much as we did!
This is the upstairs kitchen. Most cooking was done in the basement, but final food preparation was done here. The stairs make it easier to get things out of the top cupboard.
John Dickinson's father was already quite wealthy. Most paintings do not include two hands, since it costs a lot more to paint hands.
The main mansion was constructed with an entry hall and grand staircase. This was smaller than middle age chateau's, but still the center feature of the house. Later styles eliminated the entry hall completely.
This is just one of several outbuildings on the plantation. It is a corn crib. Others include a stable, feed barn, granary and smoke house.
Coffee was a popular beverage in colonial times, but beans were purchased raw. Someone would have to sit or stand near the fire and turn them in this roasting can.
Colonial people (as well as Europeans) preferred their beer & ale warm. You can stick just the toe of this cup in a fire to warm your beer - but not heat it too much. Pete can make you one if you like: goosebay-workshops.com
Most of the cooking was done downstairs. Mom was enjoying the variety of foods available on a 1700's plantation.
The Mansion, built by Samuel Dickenson about 1740, then expanded and rebuilt later by John Dickinson after fire destroyed the main house.