Windows Through History

Windows Through History© is an award winning “hands on” living history series for young ladies ages 7 to 14. Each class is geared for girls to experience dancing, cooking, sewing, a craft as well as attend a social of the various time periods shown below. To give the session a more historical flavor, girls will be dressed in the proper period clothing straight from the closets of the William Vicary Mansion. Classes are held on Saturdays between 10:00 a.m. and 1:30 p.m.

2024 Sessions

Fee: $22 per session payable in advance of each class. Reservations are on a first come, first serve basis, and are NOT guaranteed until payment is received. Class size limited. Contact the Foundation for more information. See note below

January 13th, 2024 — 1860’s Civil War Making a cloth doll; hand quilting a potholder; making potato soup, cranking home made ice cream, baking gingerbread, drinking switchel and root beer

February 10th, 2024 — 1890’s Victorian Sewing a crazy quilt patch on a treadle sewing machine; embroidering the crazy quilt patch; baking Waldorf Astoria red cake, making tea sandwiches and Postum

March 9th, 2024 — 1920’s Roaring Twenties Making a tissue flower; sewing a felt cloche hat, utilizing an electric sewing machine; making Caesar’s salad, vichyssoise soup, pineapple upside down cake; fruit cocktail, Kool-Aid.

April 13th , 2024 — 1940’s World War II Weave a potholder with loops of stretchy fabric on a metal loom; sew a Mother’s Blue Star Banner; and make a meal with limited ingredients due to war time rationing: meatloaf, macaroni and vegetables, spice cake and Shirley Temple

September 14th, 2024 — 1750’s Eastern Woodlands Indian Making a small bracelet out of wampum beads; sewing a leather amulet bag; grinding corn with a mortar and pestle; cooking corn and bean soup, and cornmeal mush/fried mush, cooking pumpkin, watermelon and “sumac” lemonade

October 5th, 2024 — 1770’s Frontier Beaver County The use of a drop spindle and treadling of a spinning wheel; sewing a ladies pocket; cooking turnip soup, baking shrewsberry cakes and tea

November 2nd, 2024— 1800’s Lewis & Clark The art of paper quilling; sewing a“reticule” or small hand bag; cooking salt pork fried in cornmeal; baking apple tarts and cinnamon water.

December 14th, 2024 — 1820’s Vicary Mansion Weaving a bookmark on a hand loom;sewing a pincushion; making homemade sausage with fried apple, baking jumbles (cookies) and hot chocolate

NOTE: BCHRLF members and/or 2 or more siblings from the same household are entitled to a 10% discount.  Advance registration and payment are required 2 weeks prior to each session.  Registrations can be made by phone, 724-775-1848, but are only guaranteed when payment is received.  Girls are asked to bring a small basket to carry their projects in.  Girls are to arrive a approximately 9:30 a.m. – the program begins at 10 a.m. sharply.  Program ends at 1:30 p.m.  Checks payable to BCHRLF and mailed to William Vicary Mansion,  1235 Third Avenue, Freedom, PA  15042.