Barrington Plantation State Historic Site Events

August 8th & 9th, 11a – 2p:
Taking a break, or “nooning,” in the heat of the day helped 19th century farmers renew their energy on a long day in the blazing Texas sun! A little rest, food, water, and shade goes a long way. Pack a lunch and join us under the cottonwood trees by the crop fields as we take a break from our labors and recover so that we can finish out the day strong!...

August 15th & 16th, 10a – 4p:
Come stay cool with us in the heat of summer and discover what early Texans did to stay cool. Without modern A.C. you might be surprised at how comfortable you can be in a Texas summer. Contact Barb King for details at 936-878-2214.

August 22nd & 23rd, 10a – 4p:
Dr. Jones noted in his journal on Aug. 4, 1847 - “Thrashed out rye”. Now that our grain crop has been harvested, it’s time to thresh and winnow it to separate seed from stalk. Come help us make our harvest ready to be ground into flour! Contact Ben Baumgartner for more information at 936-878-2214.

Sept. 5th & 6th, 10a-4p:

The ears of corn have dried in the summer sun and been gathered to the corn crib. Now it’s time to husk the ears and shell the kernels off the cob using our 19th century original crank corn sheller. Come help us prepare our valuable crop for the gristmill! Race a friend to see who can husk an ear the fastest, and then take a turn cranking the sheller!...

Sept. 12th & 13th, 10a-4p:  

Corn was the largest and most versatile crop grown at Barrington. Discover how various parts of the corn plant would be used across the farm according to Dr. Jones’ writings about his crop. Come see what enslaved cook Charity might have cooked with stoneground cornmeal in the kitchen at Barrington. Help stuff a mattress with new corn shucks on the porch...

Sept. 19th & 20th, 10a-4p:

Though in the 1850s brightly colored and beautifully patterned cloth was readily imported from the mills of England, time in the Texas sun would take its toll. Discover how the Jones family and those enslaved at Barrington could easily refresh their faded clothing using dyes made with natural items from near and far. Demonstrations ongoing throughout the...

Oct. 3rd & 4th, 10a-4p:

When Dr. Anson Jones and his family lived at Barrington in the 1850s, selling cotton was the main source of income – a cash crop. To this day, cotton remains a vital component of our daily lives! This special program gives you the hands-on opportunity to work alongside historic interpreters picking and weighing cotton from the fields, and then head to porch...

Oct. 10th & 11th, 10a-4p:

Before becoming president, Anson Jones made his fortune as a doctor. At a time when medicine was more art than science, what would a visit to the doctor be like? Come take a peek behind the curtain with us at Barrington as we uncover the tricks and tools of the trade. Contact Barb King for more information at 936-878-2214 x248.

Oct. 17th & 18th, 10a-4p:

The calabash, or gourd, was readily seen in many 19th century gardens and found many uses among enslaved people. Join us as we explore the background of the calabash, and take part in making items for use around the Quarters. Take home seeds to grow your own heirloom variety gourds! Contact Ben Baumgartner for more information at 936-878-2214 x248.

Oct. 24th & 25th, 10a-4p:

What’s your morning routine look like? See how the Jones family at Barrington prepared to face the day and maybe clean yourself up a little bit along the way. Our family’s morning ritual probably isn’t that much different! Contact Barb King for more information at 936-878-2214 x248

Nov. 7th & 8th, 10a-4p:

Ponder for a moment all of the skills and trades practiced by others that you rely upon daily: auto mechanics, carpenters, electricians, plumbers just to name a few! Just as you need skilled laborers to live, so too did the farmers of early Texas. Join us at Barrington Plantation where demonstrators will exhibit some of the many skills needed by our...

14th & 15th, 10a – 4p:

Dr. Jones penned in his journal on Nov. 16, 1846 – “Recommenced breaking up the strip of prairie on the east side of field…” As the crop growing season wanes and the fields go fallow, we’ll turn over the fields once more before winter sets in. Come see our strong oxen at work, and try your hand at walking behind a plow! Contact Ben Baumgartner for more...

Dec. 5th & 6th, 10a-4p:

Enslaved men and women, such as Jerry, Mary, Willis, and Jake, were an integral part of the full story of Barrington. Cooking a hot meal after a hard day of work was a daily routine and typically included their ration of cured pork and cornmeal supplemented with seasonal vegetables from their garden. Come join us as we demonstrate cooking a traditional meal...

Dec. 11th & 12th, 4:30p-8p:

Walk the candlelit paths at Barrington Plantation and experience a Texas Christmas in the decade before the Civil War.  Discover the origins of some of our favorite Holiday traditions as costumed interpreters bring to life the festivities of the season with musket-fire, music, dancing and more!  Tour the historic home of the last President of the...

Dec. 19th & 20th, 10a-4p:

What special foods do you enjoy at the holidays? Like you, the Jones family hosted visitors and enjoyed a varied diet full of exotic treats to mark the season. We’ll be making a few of these foods this weekend and talking about many others. Discussions and kitchen activities ongoing. Contact Barb King at 936-878-2214 x248.

Jan. 9th & 10th, 10a-4p:

Butchering livestock was a very necessary way of life in the mid-19th century. Their main source of meat, pork, has been preserved by drying, salting and smoking for centuries. Join us for our annual butchering and curing weekend, where we will be butchering a hog on Saturday and beginning the curing process on Sunday. This program will be ongoing, so if...

Jan. 16th & 17th, 10a-4p:

What games do you play on a rainy day? Victorian Texans had many imaginative games to entertain themselves without Nintendo’s, Wii’s, TVs, or computers. Play in the past and take home some fun ideas from a world without electronics. Contact Barb King for more information at 936-878-2214 x248.

Jan. 23rd & 24th, 10a-4p:

Though the weather is cold outside, there’s still much work to be done indoors repairing and conditioning leather harness for the next plowing season. Join us by the warm fire as we give all of our leather gear a once-over. Grab a brush and learn how to care for leather using a period saddle soap, or take a turn sewing on the stitching horse! Contact Ben...

Feb. 6th & 7th, 10a-4p:

Enslaved men and women at Barrington, such as Jerry, Mary, Willis, and Jake, were an integral part of the full story of Barrington. Cooking a hot meal after a hard day of work was a daily routine and typically included their ration of cured pork and cornmeal supplemented with seasonal vegetables from their garden. Come join us as we demonstrate cooking a...

Feb. 13th & 14th, 9a-2p:

Sign up to join a hearth cooking school on either Saturday or Sunday, for a class on how to cook

a period seasonal meal. No experience needed, but class fills up quickly! Class will run from

9a-2p, and is $45 per person. Contact Laura Fisher at 936-878-2214 x248

Mar. 6th & 7th, 10a-4p:

The Girl’s Own Book (published in 1834) says, “There is no accomplishment of any kind more desirable…than neatness and skill in the use of a needle.” It also claimed that children should learn to sew a shirt before the age of twelve! We invite you to learn the basic stitches and start sewing your own pincushion to take home and finish. All supplies will be...

Mar. 13th & 14th, 10a-4p:

Turning the fields over after lying fallow is a rite of spring. Livestock trained to work, such as horses, mules, and oxen, played a vital role in the operations of early Texas farms. Whether it was pulling plows, harrowing fields, hauling cotton, or cultivating corn, beasts of burden made light work of sometimes daunting tasks. Join Barrington Plantation...

Mar. 20th & 21st, 10a-4p:

Enslaved men and women, such as Jerry, Mary, Willis, and Jake, were an integral part of the full story of Barrington. Cooking a hot meal after a hard day of work was a daily routine and typically included their ration of cured pork and cornmeal supplemented with seasonal vegetables from their garden. Come join us as we demonstrate cooking a traditional...

Apr. 3rd & 4th, 10a-4p:

Dr. Jones noted in his journal on April 13, 1854 – “Ridged up balance of cotton ground, planted cotton in the new field.” Cotton is King! Like most settlers in Texas, Dr. Jones did not grow cotton to make homespun clothes, but rather he shipped it out of the country (often England) in exchange for cash money. Come help us ridge up and plant Dr. Jones’ cash...

Apr. 10th & 11th, 10a – 4p:

Women in the mid-Victorian period were expected to be concerned about, and very involved in, life around the home. How did their education, for daughters like Sarah Jones, maintain expectations for that lifestyle as they grew up? Discussions at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m., for more information contact Barb King at 936-878-2214 x248.

Apr. 17th & 18th, 10a-4p:

Enslaved men and women, such as Jerry, Mary, Willis, and Jake, were an integral part of the full story of Barrington. Cooking a hot meal after a hard day of work was a daily routine and typically included their ration of cured pork and cornmeal supplemented with seasonal vegetables from their garden. Come join us as we demonstrate cooking a traditional...

May 1st & 2nd, 10a-4p:

Enslaved men and women, such as Jerry, Mary, Willis, and Jake, were an integral part of the full story of Barrington. Cooking a hot meal after a hard day of work was a daily routine and typically included their ration of cured pork and cornmeal supplemented with seasonal vegetables from their garden. Come join us as we demonstrate cooking a traditional meal...

May 8th & 9th, 10a-4p

From an early age, most Victorian women were trained for the worthy profession of caring for a family. Sewing, cleaning, cooking, and childcare comprised the main elements of “The Arts and Mysteries of Housewifery.” Did a woman’s role change when she moved to the rough and tumble frontier of Texas? Hear some stories about the women of the Jones family, and...

May 22nd & 23rd, 10a-4p:

Keeping gardens weeded, watered, and in good order was considered part of a woman’s daily duty. It contributed to a varied diet and survival in 1850. Lend a hand to help water, plant, or weed as necessary to help our gardens get ready for summer. Contact Barb King at 936-878-2214 x248.

June 5th & 6th, 10a-4p:

Spring cleaning is a yearly ritual for which modern conveniences have obliterated the need. Preparing the house for warmer weather, chasing out cobwebs and dirt, scrubbing walls and floors, is much more laborious than cleaning today. Help wash windows, beat rugs, and wash and wax furniture as needed. Contact Barb King for details at 936-878-2214 x.248.

June 12th & 13th, 10a-4p:

Dr. Jones noted in his journal on July 19, 1846 – “Ripe peaches from my Orchard at Barrington.” Caring for an orchard takes skill and patience, but it can be highly rewarding! Come help us haul water and cultivate the orchard as you learn about heirloom trees and fruit growing in the 19th century! Contact Ben Baumgartner for more information at 936-878-...

June 19th & 20th, 10a-4p:

In their leisure time, Dr. Anson Jones and his sons enjoyed a variety of gentlemanly pursuits, including card playing, hunting, and fishing.  Join us for a day of recreation and relaxation! Try your luck at cards while sitting in the cool of the dogtrot of the house, or head to the field for a demonstration of the 1850’s method for taking wild game with a...

Join us for a 1850s style Independence Day celebration!  Musket firing, toasts and a reading of the Declaration of Independence will commemorate the day.  Bring your own picnic basket, and enjoy al-fresco dining, just like Dr. Jones writes about in his journal.  Contact Barb King for details at 936-878-2214 x248.

July 10th &11th, 10a-4p:

Dr. Jones penned in his journal on July 13, 1854 – “Commenced taking corn blade fodder.” Although very few ears of corn were used to feed livestock, the dried leaves of the corn plants made excellent hay (fodder) that could be fed out to them as needed to supplement foraging. Come pull and make “hands” (bunches) of fodder from our corn crop! Contact Ben...

July 17th & 18th, 10a-4p:

Enslaved men and women, such as Jerry, Mary, Willis, and Jake, were an integral part of the full story of Barrington. Cooking a hot meal after a hard day of work was a daily routine and typically included their ration of cured pork and cornmeal supplemented with seasonal vegetables from their garden. Come join us as we demonstrate cooking a traditional...

July 24th & 25th, 10a-4p:

Though free time for those enslaved at Barrington was typically limited to Sundays and occasional holidays, time off provided an opportunity to rest and enjoy a variety of games, music, and entertainment. Come learn how Jerry, Mary, or Willis might have spent their time off. Make and take a clay marble home with you! Contact Ben Baumgartner for more...

Aug. 7th & 8th, 11a-2p:

Taking a break, or “nooning,” in the heat of the day helped 19th century farmers renew their energy on a long day in the blazing Texas sun! A little rest, food, water, and shade goes a long way. Pack a lunch and join us under the cottonwood trees by the crop fields as we take a break from our labors and recover so that we can finish out the day strong!  ...

Aug. 14th & 15th, 10a-4p:

Come stay cool with us in the heat of summer and discover what early Texans did to stay cool. Without modern A.C. you might be surprised at how comfortable you can be in a Texas summer. Contact Barb King for details at 936-878-2214 x248.

Aug. 21st & 22nd, 10a-4p:

Dr. Jones noted in his journal on Aug. 4, 1847 - “Thrashed out rye”.  Now that our grain crop has been harvested, it’s time to thresh and winnow it to separate seed from stalk. Come help us make our harvest ready to be ground into flour! Contact Ben Baumgartner for more information at 936-878-2214 x248.