Lexington Historical Farm - 2nd Grade Field Trip

One of my favorite things about living in the south is all the history. There are historic sights everywhere you look. Consequently, I was excited to discover that Baylie's 2nd grade field trip was at a local living museum - the Lexington County Museum. I have wanted to go there for some time, but just never made it.

Baylie got to visit a one-room field schoolhouse and do some period Christmas crafts. It was a lot of fun. I don't feel right about posting pictures of other peoples' children without their permission, so I won't include any photos of her classmates.

When we first got there, we parked by an old cotton gin. After the field trip, I wanted to get a picture of the machines under the structure, but by then I was out of battery.

Cotton gin

There were several small structures and outbuildings outside the main homes.

Cook or wash pot

Well

Brick oven

Winter dairy

"The dairies were used to keep milk, butter, cream, and cheese cool until they were needed.  During the summer, milk and dairy products would be placed in around 8 inches of water in the summer dairy to keep them cool.  The winter dairy has an open-slatted front to allow the cold wind to blow through and cool the dairy products."

Summer dairy and corn crib

Privy (3-seater)

Pigeon House - only one of two left in South Carolina

Potato House, chicken house, smoke house

Smoke house

Chicken house

Loom room and kitchen

Built in 1772, the Corley Log House is the oldest documented house in the town of Lexington. It's owner, Laurence Corley, served in the Revolutionary War.

Corley Log House

The Oak Grove Schoolhouse was built around 1815 and is called a "field school." These were common schools in South Carolina before the Civil War and were usually constructed in worn out fields no longer used for crops. (They didn't understand about rotating crops back then.)

I loved the garlands hanging on the doors. They were natural and really beautiful.

Spiderwebs on the schoolhouse wall.

School master (prior to the Civil War they were all men)

The kids were excited to write on slates. (I figured this picture was okay because you can't see faces.)

Spelling quiz

Schoolhouse roof

Hornets nest

Slates

Lunch pails

Daniel Koon House

Writing with a quill (it's harder than it looks!)

Wooden ball catch game

Somehow I missed getting a picture of the main home on the property - the John Fox House. I stole this one from their website.

I stole this one too. Look at the cool fruit arrangements.

It is the first building to be listed on the National Register of Historic Places in Lexington County. I did get pictures of the inside, which is set up like a home from the period. I also got pictures inside the kitchen which is separate, connected to the house as you can see here. The structure currently used to show a period kitchen was originally a slave cabin located elsewhere.

Kitchen

Antler centerpiece

Another view of the kitchen

Mop

Flour bin

Washboard

Gumdrop tree (we liked this so much, we made one at home)

Parlour

Dining room

Bedroom (with trundle bed)

Post office

Baylie was able to make some Christmas crafts from the time period. This was my favorite because my mom used to do this with us when we were kids.

Baylie and I had a great time.