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.

2025 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 11th, 2025— 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 8th, 2025 — 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 8th, 2025 — 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 5th , 2025 — 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 13th, 2025 — 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 11th, 2025 — 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 8th, 2025— 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 13th, 2025 — 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.