Historical Society schedules Women's History Weekend
NORWALK -- Have you ever wondered what women's life was really like in the 18th century? How hard is it to spin wool into yarn? How many layers of clothes did they wear and how do you move in the clothing?
The Norwalk Historical Society will celebrate its first Women's History Weekend on Saturday, March 29, and Sunday, March 30 at Mill Hill Historic Park, 2 East Wall St. at the corner of East Avenue.
The Gov. Fitch Law Office will be staffed by costumed interpreters from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and noon to 4 p.m. Sunday.
Participants will be able to experience various aspects of the daily life of Colonial women.
Clothing and textile production was a significant chore for women and a spinner will demonstrate how wool hanks are processed and spun into fiber for knitting or weaving. Costumed interpreters will demonstrate a variety of sewing techniques used in clothing construction and will be explain how everyday clothing of 18th century women was worn.
Cooking in the 18th century was dramatically different without running water and modern appliances. Interpreters will prepare a typical late winter meal in the open hearth fireplace of the historic Gov.Fitch Law Office. By late winter, vegetable stores in the root cellar would have been greatly reduced and fresh greens would not have been available. Root vegetables such as potatoes and turnips and hard-skinned squash, such as butternut, would have constituted a large part of the diet. Meats were typically salted or smoked which require slightly different preparation than fresh meat. Available fruits also would have been limited to those which could have been dried for storage.
For more information, call the Norwalk Historical Society at (203) 846-0525 or e-mail email@example.com.
To find out more about the Norwalk Historical Society, visit the NHS website at www.norwalkhistoricalsocie