Fitch House Yard
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)
Erected by
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Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Agriculture • Horticulture & Forestry • Settlements & Settlers.
Location. 42° 6.412′ N, 72° 5.883′ W. Marker is in Sturbridge, Massachusetts, in Worcester County. Marker and house are on the Old Sturbridge Village grounds. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 1 Old Sturbridge Village Road, Sturbridge MA 01566, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Where is the Farm? (within shouting distance of this marker); The Fire Pit (within shouting distance of this marker); The Architectural Style of the Salem Towne House (within shouting distance of this marker); Farming as a Way of Life (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); Controlling Livestock: The Town Pound (about 300 feet away); The Graveyard (about 300 feet away); Getting Water (about 400 feet away); Millstones (about 600 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Sturbridge.
Also see . . .
1. Fitch House at Old Sturbridge Village. (Submitted on June 17, 2018, by William Fischer, Jr. of Scranton, Pennsylvania.)
2. Garden once meant survival; Old Sturbridge Village revisits vintage harvests. (Submitted on June 17, 2018, by William Fischer, Jr. of Scranton, Pennsylvania.)
3. Fitch House Garden.
Credits. This page was last revised on October 16, 2020. It was originally submitted on June 17, 2018, by William Fischer, Jr. of Scranton, Pennsylvania. This page has been viewed 127 times since then and 7 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on June 17, 2018, by William Fischer, Jr. of Scranton, Pennsylvania.
