Post on 22-Jan-2021
The Ogden House Exploring Colonial Life – Docent Guide
370 Beach Road, Fairfield, CT 06824 | www.fairfieldhistory.org | 203-259-1598
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The Ogden House Exploring Colonial Life – Docent Guide
Table of Contents Background Information
Tips for Touring Page 3 - 4
Orientation and Introduction Page 5 - 6
Kitchen / Keeping Room Page 7
First Floor / South Parlor Page 14
First Floor / North Parlor Page 16
Second Floor / South Chamber Page 18
Second Floor / South Chamber
The Garret
Page 21
Second Floor / North Chamber Page 22
KEY:
Tips for Touring at the Ogden House
The Owl symbol represents Tips for Touring throughout this
document.
Appendix
The Book symbol represents further information on this topic
in the Appendix.
Questions / Statements in Italics
Items in italics throughout the Tour Script are suggested
questions and themes for your groups.
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The Ogden House Exploring Colonial Life Docent Guide
Tips for Touring at the Ogden House The Owl symbol represents further Tips for Touring throughout this document.
Docent Responsibilities
Speak LOUDLY and SLOWLY, make eye contact with students and wait for the entire class to
assemble before beginning.
Previous Knowledge
Student Groups
Most of the students probably studied the colonial period in their classes. Begin the tour by
asking what they have learned about this time period. Encourage students to share their previous
knowledge. What do they know about the colonial period?
Allow students time to ask questions. It’s OK if you don’t know an answer! Explain to
students that sometimes we just don’t know certain things about history. You can also tell the
student that they had a good question and you are just not sure about the answer! Encourage
students to do more research about their question.
The Fairfield Museum also offers pre-visit lesson plans and suggested activities for the teachers,
so the students should have a fair amount of previous knowledge.
Public Tours and Other Groups
You can still ask your group what they know about this time period. What do they remember
about the colonial period?
K-W-L
The KWL is used by teachers to evaluate student comprehension before conducting a lesson. It’s
a great tool to use with students because it asks three basic questions:
K = What do you know about this subject, object, topic …?
W = What do you want to know about this?
L = What have you learned about this?
Guiding Questions
Give students a moment to “silently look” and to think about what they notice about each room.
Ask if they see anything familiar or different. Compare and contrast things life in colonial times
with life today.
What is the same? What is different?
Encourage students to imagine life hundreds of years ago.
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Historical Objects
Make sure students and chaperones understand that this is a Historic House! Most of the objects
and furniture are original to the time period. Items should not be touched unless the guide says
it’s ok.
Object Handling Guidelines for Students:
Handle things carefully – listen for any special instructions.
Use two hands and pass with care.
Pass everything in the same direction.
While on tour, please do not open any additional chests, trunks, cupboards or drawers –
things can be damaged. Drawers have been left open to highlight their contents and to
allow the guide to discuss how the furniture was made.
Keeping order
Managing your group is one of the most important aspects of leading a successful tour. Make
sure that you introduce yourself to the chaperone / teacher. Call upon them if you need help with
any disruptive students! If the students are not paying attention, use these methods below:
If students are not quiet, use the universal quiet sign – raise your hand up in the air (sometimes
with two fingers pointing up), most students understand that this means quiet.
The “loud method:” Simply say, “If you hear my voice, clap once!” Continue, “If you hear my
voice, clap twice!” Continue, “If you hear my voice, clap three times!” Usually the group will be
quiet by the 3rd
time!
Student Responsibilities
Respect: Respect the Tour Leader and listen when he/she is talking.
Respect your fellow classmates and listen when they have something to say.
(You might learn something!)
Respect the house, the building and the objects.
Don’t touch anything unless a Tour Leader says it’s ok.
Responsibility: Stay together as a group.
Raise your hand if you have a question.
Make sure chaperones understand that students need to be respectful.
When reviewing guidelines, chaperones are also participants!
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Ogden House Tour
Orientation: Each class is broken into two groups when they arrive. The tour guides should decide who will
begin where.
Front entrance = front of the house
First Floor, to the right = South Chamber
First Floor, behind South Chamber = Kitchen /
Keeping Room
First Floor, to the left = North Chamber / Parlor
Second Floor, on your left = South Bed Chamber
Second Floor, on your right = North Bed Chamber
(bathroom for docents located in corner)
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Introduction
Welcome to the Ogden House – which is owned and maintained by the Fairfield Museum &
History Center.
What time period are we in? Colonial Era. This period spans a long time, from about 1607 to
after the American Revolution in 1783.
The house was built in 1750, but the objects and the interpretation of the house come from David
Ogden’s probate inventory when he died in 1775.
At the time the Ogden’s lived here, Fairfield was already over 100 years old. Fairfield was
established in 1639.
Who lived here? The Ogden family – David and Jane Ogden moved into this home in 1750,
when they were first married.
This area of Fairfield was not “the frontier.” The Ogden’s had neighbors, but most people had a
lot of land. Remember, 8 out of 10 people in Fairfield were farmers.
Previous Knowledge
What have you been learning in class about colonial times?
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In colonial times, most rooms were used for several purposes.
They moved furniture from room to room and window to fireplace
according to needs for warmth, light, work or leisure space!
I. Kitchen / Keeping Room This is one of the most important rooms in the house - the kitchen was the center of the
colonial home, where the fireplace or hearth was located – the “heart” of the home.
Sometimes the kitchen is called the “keeping room” - this was where the fire was “kept.”
Suggested themes: - Little money was exchanged, most families bartered and traded for what they needed,
keeping account books of these transactions. For example, a farmer would trade eggs for
something he could not make, such as an item from a blacksmith or things that were
imported.
- Living with the seasons. Spring and Fall were busy times – planting and harvesting. Food
was stored in a root cellar, meat was smoked or dried, etc. for the winter.
What if there was a long winter – what would they eat?
Objects in / around Hearth - Cooking
What do students notice about the
hearth?
How many fires would there be?
The hearth would have several fires
going at the same time, for various
purposes / temperatures.
Hearth Items:
Trammel - Piece of iron that hangs in the center with holes in it that raised pots up and
down. When cooking, the temperature was regulated by raising or lowering the pots
above the fire.
Skillets – Had long handles for putting into the fire
Funnels, etc. – self-explanatory
Large kettle – for stews or even dying clothes
Bucket / ladle – used to fetch water outside (no indoor plumbing!)
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The women would usually tend the fire and the risk of getting their long skirts on fire
were high – the bucket of water would help to put out fires, as well.
Two Hearths The two hearths, one in the kitchen and one in the South Parlor, are very
uncommon. The 2nd
hearth in the kitchen may have been added later when Jane
became a widow and received a portion of the house.
The Hearth
Reflector Oven:
This is a tin reflector oven with wrought iron spit
used in hearth cooking to evenly roast meat, which
would be turned on the spit. There is an opening
that faces the fire. The crank handle on the side
rotates the spit. The metal lid door allowed the user
to check the food. There is a spout on one side
used to pour off the fat.
Docents may use the smaller reproduction oven
to demonstrate how it’s used.
What kinds of things would the colonists make in
the reflector oven? This object is like a rotisserie
that many supermarkets have today.
Beehive Oven:
What kind of oven does this look like? Most
students will refer to brick oven pizza – it’s the
same idea!
Coals were put in the beehive oven to heat
it up.
It was usually used once a week, on
Saturdays.
They had a door (like in South Chamber) –
this one is missing
Baked items were made according to the
length of time and temperature required
o First they made bread, then pies,
muffins and finally cookies
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Toaster
Long handle so people wouldn’t get burned.
What tradesperson would make this?
Candlebox:
What do you think this was used for?
Candles were made from tallow, or fat, and often
smelled like burnt bacon when used. The
candlebox stored these candles away from pests.
Beeswax candles were expensive and not
commonly used. For guests, colonists would use
candles scented with bayberries. It would take 8 –
11 pounds of bayberries to produce 1 pound of
wax.
Colonial Trades Many students learn about colonial trades when studying this period. Make sure
you relate the objects in the house to the tradesperson who would make them.
Blacksmith made things from iron, the pots, pans, etc.
Tinsmith / whitesmith made things from tin, like the reflector oven
The term “smith” comes from the English, “to smyte” to hit
Living with the Seasons Some activities would take place at the same time every year. For example,
soapmaking was done in the spring, when animals such as cows were
slaughtered and the fat was used to make soap.
Washing was done once a month.
It would take a long time to do things we take for granted. Things like dyeing
clothes and making cheese were a big production.
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The Table What do you think the Ogden’s ate? The Ogden’s were farmers and had over 70 acres of land!
They grew their own food, had animals and bought or traded for other items they could not
make.
Most wives kept a receipt book, a daily log where she recorded: transactions, credits / exchanges
and documentation of daily chores such as soapmaking, bread baking, etc.
Sugar cone and sugar nippers.
Sugar was imported and it represents that this family
could afford to purchase it.
What do you use to measure flour or sugar when you
bake?
Scale – how items were measured for baking, trading
Mortar and pestle – for grinding herbs, etc.
Do we use these today? Yes.
Colonial Air Freshener!
Colonists would use herbs and spices to freshen their
home, such as cloves or lavender.
Most spices were imported.
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The Shelves Miscellaneous household items.
Pewter plates – pewter contains almost 80% lead –
that’s why it melted easily. It was heavy and not
very practical, but many people used pewter
because it was less expensive. Now we know the
hazards of lead.
The round shaped object with the long neck is a
baby bottle. Can students guess what it is used for?
The block of pewter can be passed around to the
students.
Forks only had two prongs, usually used for meat
Irons – were put into the fire to heat up.
The basic design hasn’t changed much.
Ceramics – made by a potter – cups, plates, jugs
Powder Horn - made from cow horn and used to
keep powder for guns dry
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Other Kitchen Objects
Above on the Beam – Musket:
What do you think this was used for?
The Ogden’s probably did not need to use this
rifle for hunting. It could have been used for
protection from strangers, but by the late
1700s, the area was relatively safe. This rifle
could have been used for shooting at intruding
animals or for the militia - two of the Ogden
sons fought in the Revolutionary War.
Accession # 1975.78: This gun was used by Robert Sheffield of Stonington during the
Revolution. He and his sons “built, equipped and sailed a private armed ship in quest of the
enemy and had one or two pretty hard-fought battles.” (Mrs. George St. John Sheffield, from
Sheffield, St. John and Allied Families, 1929) Apparently it was used by someone in an
unsuccessful night attack on a British cutter off of Mill River harbor. Sheffield’s grandson,
Joseph, used the gun during the war of 1812 in the company Mill River Sea Fencibles.
Butter Churn:
The Ogden’s had a dairy, a small, separate
building that was kept cool and clean for
making butter and cheese.
Milk spoiled easily (there was no
refrigeration!) so it could not be kept for very
long.
Butter and cheese lasted longer and were
easier to store.
Storage Barrels
Barrels were used for variety of storage
purposes.
What tradesperson made barrels? The
cooper.
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Other Kitchen Objects
Barrel and wash fork for laundry / bathing.
Most people thought bathing was bad for you
and did not bathe often – everyone smelled!
The older members of the family would bathe
first, the babies would go last, thus the
expression, “Don’t throw the baby out with
the bathwater!” Can you imagine what the
water looked like by the end?
Boot Jack: As farmers, the Ogden’s would
often have to muck around in the fields or
stables. The boot jack helped them get their
boots off!
Cheese Press
The Ogden family probably had a dairy or
cold house for making cheese and butter.
The notches on the top left were for a handle
that was attached that pushed the press down.
The basket was lined with cheese cloth and a
spout at the bottom would catch the whey as it
separated from the curds.
Red door: Carved with initials, possibly the Wakeman boys.
Windows: Windows had small panes of glass because they were imported from England – the
smaller size did not break as much as larger pieces. The smaller pieces were also less expensive
because glass was taxed – even mirrors!
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II. First Floor South Parlor
Give students a moment to “silently look.”
What do they notice? What do they think this room was used for?
This room gets the most light, so it was used for a variety of purposes; eating,
working, etc. The dining table was set to one side and brought out at meal times.
When not in use, chairs were placed around the room’s perimeter.
The Family Workroom
The Great Wheel - used to spin wool
Carding wool – used to remove burrs, and to
clean out the wool.
The wheel spins the wool into yarn.
Many colonists would send their wool to a
weaver to be made into blankets and clothing –
looms were very large and people didn’t have
the room for them.
It takes 2 sheep to make one piece of clothing.
See the Appendix for more information on
carding wool.
Looking glass – mirror: Glass was expensive
and also taxed. The three mirrors in the Ogden
represent the family’s wealth.
Donated by Virginia Ogden Hayes, an Ogden
descendent.
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FLAX
FLAX Flax was a very important crop in
Fairfield.
The fibers of the plant are used to spin
thread which eventually becomes
linen.
Linen and clothing were very valuable
items in colonial times. Think of how
long it takes to make a piece of
clothing by hand from linen, starting
with planting the seeds.
Hatchel – tool with nails sticking out that
removed the dirt, etc. from the flax fibers
Linsey-woolsey – a combination of flax and
wool
Tow – the parts of the flax fibers that had bits
of stuff in it
Boys with blonde hair were called “towhead”
Girls with blonde hair were called “flaxen”
haired
Students can touch the samples of flax.
Touch and Learn
Feel flax fibers from the plant, feel the linen
sample
Flax See the information about flax and exports / imports from the Dannenberg
Collection archives in the Appendix.
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III. First Floor North Parlor
Give students a moment to “silently look.”
What do they notice? What do they think this room was used for?
This room shows items used to entertain, as well as items used by David Ogden
to keep track of the family’s accounts. At the end of the day, he would sit down
and record any goods or services that were exchanged that day. See the
Appendix for more information on account books and trades.
The Parlor
For entertainment, people would
sit near the fire and play cards,
dominoes and talk.
Candlesnuffer with tray – used to
trim the wicks of candles before
the development of braided wicks,
which burn more slowly.
Rum Box
For special occasions, the Ogden’s
would use China. These items
indicate the Ogden’s status – they
could afford to purchase them.
Until the mid-1700s, nearly all
glass items were imported from
England and was considered a
luxury.
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The Parlor - Desk
Desk
The sand shaker held ground
cuttlefish bone, which was
sprinkled over wet ink to dry it
faster.
The Money Box, from 1767, held
what little currency the family had.
Most assets were in the form of
property, crops and livestock.
NOTE: As of October, 2013, the
money box is in the Creating
Community exhibit at the Fairfield
Museum.
Reproduction Linen Curtains
Rare in CT homes, window curtains
were used primarily for privacy.
Most were simply hung from string
or wire. Curtains were not
commonly used until the 19th
century, because textiles were so
expensive.
Bed hangings often provided the
only privacy in the bedrooms.
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IV. Second Floor South Chamber
Give students a moment to “silently look.”
What do they notice? What do they think this room was used for?
Sleeping / Child Life
There are two beds in this room. In
colonial times, people would sleep
together for warmth.
Eight children would sleep together in
this room!
The bed has ropes that are used to
hold up the bedding. This is where the
phrase, “sleep tight, don’t let the bed
bugs bite” comes from.
Rope Tightener
The tool on the bedside chest is used
to tighten the ropes under the bedding.
(Sometimes this is in the North
Chamber)
The items on the chest near the beds
include a slate, New England Primer,
small wooden baby doll crib and a
wooden top. Children did not have a
lot of toys, and often made their own
by carving things out of wood or
making things.
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Slate & Primer – Education
The Ogden children went to school in
the meeting house in Greenfield Hill.
The younger children went to school in
the summer, and the older children
would go to school in the winter. There
were no sessions in spring and fall,
during planting and harvesting times.
The New England Primer was used
from 1690 on as a basic textbook for
students. It contained lessons on the
alphabet and passages from the Bible
for children to read. There were no
blackboards, notebooks or pens.
Children used slates for writing.
Chamber Pot – under the bed:
Guides can take this out and ask the
students what it is.
Often a punishment for a bad child
would be taking out the chamber pot.
Update: the larger bed now has an
indigo quilt, c. 1795 – 1800
The quilt was passed down through
generations of the Batterson family of
Greenfield Hill. Mary Seeley Batterson
was a very young bride, about aged 17,
when she made the quilt.
Furniture / Storage:
Chester-Over –Drawers
Most chests were not used to store
clothing, they were used to store linens,
blankets and important documents.
Closet: Why is it so small?
People did not have a lot of clothes.
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V. The Garret
Food Storage Food was stored in this area, including barrels of grains, herbs, dried food, etc. Sometimes
laundry was hung to dry in this area.
Barrels were used to store flour,
cornmeal and other dried foods. Herbs
were hung from the rafters.
Like most attics, it has a collection of
old textiles, barrels and a broken chair.
Labor
If a family had slaves or hired help, sometimes they would sleep in this area. We have no record
of the Ogden’s owning a slave, however some people “borrowed” slaves owned by neighbors or
other family members.
The Ogden Family: Pre-Visit Program If the group had a Pre-Visit Powerpoint presentation: information about how the
Ogden House was constructed was included in the presentation. What do
students remember about the pre-visit?
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The Garrett: House Construction The garrett shows the construction of the house, including the plaster and lath, roofing, post and beam
and mortise & tenon joints.
Plaster & Lath
(pronounced laythe)
The lath is the wooden strips. Plaster was
applied over the wood. Early plaster consisted
of fine white clay, bound by straw, and made
smooth. In a seaside community, such as
Fairfield, shells were ground up into the
plaster.
Mortise and Tenon
The Ogden House was made without nails!
The beams were cut to fit into place, like
Lincoln Logs. After the pieces are fitted
together, a small round hole is drilled through
the connection and a wooden peg or treenail is
driven into the hole to “lock” the pieces
together.
This exposed treenail is rare – usually they
were cut to be flush with the beams.
You can find this example in the corner of the
South Chamber.
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VI. Second Floor North Chamber
Give students a moment to “silently look.”
What do they notice? What do they think this room was used for?
David and Jane’s Room This room shows how the parents of this family may have lived.
This block-printed fabric is an example
of the kind of material that was imported
from places like China. The fabric
would keep people warm at night.
At left: Hot coals were put in the
bedwarmer. It was placed under the
covers to heat up the bed.
When a child was born, it slept in a
cradle like this in the parents’ room.
The bed is made of feather and/or down
which was extremely valuable. It took one
year to get 1# of down. Sometimes the bed
was straw underneath.
The pitcher and bowl was for washing.
Can you imagine how cold the water
would get in the winter?
The pocket was
sewn by women
to wear around
or under their
skirts. Clothes
did not have
pockets back
then. This is a
reproduction.
Items on the table.
This linen towel is an example a
household item that was made from flax.
Why were initials put on their clothes?
Linens were labeled and numbered to
practice embroidery skills and to ensure
that linens were rotated.
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David and Jane’s Room
Trunk: Rev. Andrew Eliot’s trunk – probably used to store
important documents. A tag inside stated “made from a
beam used in the 2nd
edifice of Christ Episcopal Church”
High Chest
(1740-1780 Queen Anne style)
The chest was probably used to store
important documents and linen.
The chest may also have contained
dowry items for the Ogden daughters.
Colonial girls and women spent long
hours spinning, dyeing and sewing to
ready their dowries.
Sometimes this room was used for
entertaining, as well, probably by Jane
Ogden.
Sword: Now in “Creating Community”
exhibit.
Made in Europe about 1740 and used by
members of the Hyde family. Probably
used for formal occasions in the militia.
These curtains are an example of the
“Irish stitch” mentioned in the probate
inventory and also represent the Ogden’s
wealth and status.