This program is part of the New Hampshire Farm Museum’s 250th Celebration Series, paying tribute to our founding fathers and mothers as part of America’s 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence.
Colonial Craftsmen Workshop
Join us in the Plummer Workshop as we take on a different woodworking project each week!
Did you know that during the Revolutionary War period (1775-1783), almost half of all Americans were under sixteen years of age? The average family had ten to twelve children, and all were needed to help work on the farm. Young boys did not learn their skills by going to school, however. They learned their skills at home on the farm or by becoming a craftsman’s apprentice. Between the ages of ten and fifteen, boys and girls became apprentices and served between four and seven years.
Did you know that Thomas Jefferson, the primary author of the Declaration of Independence, enjoyed working with wood and hand tools in his workshop? In this workshop, we’ll travel back in time with Joseph Plummer in the museum’s Plummer Workshop. Explore our workshop and try out the spoke shave and the two-man saw. Learn to use hand tools such as a saw, hand drills, chisels, and vices. Then marvel at the simple homemade projects that you create! Possible projects include a log bird feeder, bread board, oven pull rack, and toolbox. This workshop is especially designed for children ages 6 to 12.
COST: $20.00 for non-members for each workshop. $10.00 for members for each workshop. Chaperones are free. Limit: 10 children.
DATES: Thursdays in August from 1–3pm
REGISTER: Please register ahead of time to ensure ample materials for all participants! Call 603-652-7840 or email the museum.
Program Dates
- Thursday, August 6. 1:00-3:00
- Thursday, August 13. 1:00-3:00
- Thursday, August 20. 1:00-3:00
- Thursday, August 27. 1:00-3:00