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French perfume, Brazilian coffee, English saws, Spanish boots…How did these things end up on a small farm in Northwest Tennessee? The river. Due to this area’s proximity to four navigable rivers, goods available in big cities were available to the people who lived Between the Rivers. Come to learn about the steamboat industry and its effect on the land “Between the Rivers” and learn more about the people who brought the goods from the docks to your doorstep. *Ideal for Home Educators.  Program free with HP admission.

Today wearing of hats and caps is mostly limited to baseball caps. In the 19^th century, they were not only useful garments but also statements of fashion, social status, religious affiliation, and more. An on-going exhibit and demonstration construction of hats, caps, and bonnets will be presented this afternoon. Program free with HP admission.

Come by the farm and get your list; but don’t forget to check it twice, as you search to see just how many items you can find!  Program free with HP admission (admission waived for teachers).

It’s the time of year for harvesting crops and fall plowing. Come out to The Homeplace to learn more about the advantages of fall plowing in the 1800s and the skills it took to master the art of plowing with walking plows and draft animals.  Program free with HP admission (admission waived for teachers).

The Homeplace is puttin’ by the garden and making other preparations to get through a long winter. During this “Week of Harvest” join us as we work in the garden and prepare foods for winter storage. Daily activities will be dependent upon the weather. *Ideal for Home Educators.  Programs free with HP admission.

The term “Corn Dolly” probably comes from the Greek goddess of agriculture, Demeter. A cut stalk of grain was the center of agriculture for thousands of years.  A sample of grain was symbolically bundled into animal shapes, kept through the winter, and cast upon the fields in the spring to ensure good crops. In America, corn dollies were sometimes mounted on hay stacks. Come see our harvest and decorative items inspired by these traditions. Children will be welcome to try wheat weaving as part of the program and all are welcome to go home with a wheat stalk of their own. *Ideal for Home Educators.  Program free with HP admission.

Throughout the 1800s, oxen ruled the world of draft animals. Come out to the Homeplace to learn more about oxen and why there were so many used on farms and in local industries during the 19^th century.  Program free with HP admission.

Throughout the 1800s, oxen ruled the world of draft animals. Come out to The Homeplace today to learn more about oxen and why there were so many used on farms and in local industries during the 19^th century.  Program free with HP admission.

Invited Artist: Beverly Riggins Parker, Photographer  Take a trip through local history with former resident, Beverly Riggins Parker. As she shares photographs of the land “Between the Rivers” prior to and after acquisition by the Tennessee Valley Authority.  Gain an understanding of the sacrifice local families made for LBL to exist as it does today.  Program free to LBL visitors. Program separate from HP admission.

10am–12pm   Tightening the House

1–3pm             19^th Century Clothing Display

Winter’s coming – how will we stay warm? Come by the Double Pen House and help the ladies “tighten the house” by putting down rugs and carpets and changing the ticks (mattresses) and bed coverings. Then, in the afternoon, enjoy a display of winter clothing – everything from wool socks to red flannel petticoats – that will help to keep out the chill when Old Man Winter comes. *Ideal for Home Educators.  Program free with HP admission.

Sunday was a day of rest on the farm. But with the sunrise of Monday morning, one of the most labor intensive chores started for the entire family; laundry. Join us in the backyard of the Double Pen House as we take on this dreaded task. When you get home you’ll kiss your washing machine! *Ideal for Home Educators.  Program free with HP admission.

Weddings were major social events for the “between the rivers” community in the 1850’s. Be a part of the celebration as The Homeplace family re-creates this joyful event! Come early and visit with family and relatives as they discuss the upcoming nuptials, community happenings and the politics of the day. Later, you are invited to attend the ceremony as neighbors of the bride and groom. After the ceremony, enjoy a piece of wedding cake and a cup of cider. Then dance the afternoon away to 19^th century fiddle tunes and join in on the wedding games to see whose wedding we will be attending next year. Finally, a shivaree, or noisy mock serenade, of the newlyweds completes a day of fun and celebration!  Program free with HP admission.

Come by the farm and get your list; but don’t forget to check it twice, as you search to see just how many items you can find!  Program free with HP admission.

Throughout the 1800s, oxen ruled the world of draft animals. Come out to The Homeplace today to learn more about oxen and why there were so many used on farms and in local industries during the 19th century.  Program free with HP admission.

Experience Pryor Creek as the early Scots-Irish settlers did by joining us at the bonfires for warmth, companionship, and some of the finest storytelling around. During intermission, experience the candlelit double pen house for an old-time snap apple play party, but be prepared for the unexplained as you follow the lighted trail beyond the security of the fires. This event will be held rain or shine, be prepared for the weather. Chairs and blankets welcome.   $4 children/$5.50 adults. Evening program only. Ticket sales begin at 6 pm.

 10am-12pm & 1-4pm     Invited Artist: Lydia Ruth Hickman, Textile Artist.  Step back in time and look at some of the articles of clothing that our forefathers and mothers would have made and worn in the decades before the Civil War. Come explore the knitting and crocheting of our ancestors and see how we can touch the past by recreating some of their handwork in the 21^st century. *Ideal for Home Educators.  Program free with HP admission.

Practical blacksmithing on the farm in the 1800s proved to be a useful trade for many purposes. Come out to The Homeplace today to learn more about this ancient trade and to see the blacksmith at work.  Program free with HP admission.

Fairies were an important part of 19th century Scots-Irish folklore and with Halloween just around the corner, we will want to make suitable “Fairy Houses” for the fairies to live in when they stop by to visit. Using natural materials and your imagination, build a quaint dwelling near the garden for the “wee folk” to enjoy. Bring along your favorite natural construction materials such as dried grasses, sticks, pinecones, nuts, etc. or you may use natural materials found around The Homeplace. Costumes are welcome. *Ideal for Home Educators.  Program free with HP admission.

Candlelight was the main source of light for a mid-19th century home. Lend a hand as we dip beeswax candles, and then step into a room lighted only by candlelight. *Ideal for Home Educators.  Program free with HP admission.

Cotton was man’s fiber of life in the 19^th century. Discover the many uses of cotton while trying the tricky task of picking and seeding cotton for use in the home.  Program free with HP admission.

Has Old Man Winter got a hold of you? Come to the Tool Barn to learn how to get more heat from your fire. Warm yourself next to fires made of various woods to learn which one puts off the most heat.  Program free with HP admission.

Holes in your old shirt or tears in that old dress? Oh! What are we to do with them? Well the ladies at The Homeplace are taking their old clothes and getting them ready to use in making rag rugs. Come give them a hand if you’d like.  Program free with HP admission.

One of the most used and most practical implements of the early southern farm was the ground slide. The slide was used in both winter and summer. Effectively a sled, it was also called a stone boat in the northeast. Pulled by horse or oxen, it was safer to use than a wheeled vehicle, easier to load and unload, and much cheaper to build. Today we will use the lizard, one of the most primitive forms of the ground slide.  Program free with HP admission.

Practical blacksmithing on the farm in the 1800s proved to be a useful trade for many purposes. Come out to The Homeplace today to learn more about this ancient trade and to see the blacksmith at work.  Program free with HP admission.

Need fun and easy decorating ideas for the holidays? Join us at the Double Pen House to discover how to make natural homemade holiday decorations, and if you’re feeling lucky, maybe even try your hand at one.  Program free with HP admission.

Smells of pine and fresh gingerbread cookies, stockings hung over the fireplace, and voices raised in song mean that Christmas has come to The Homeplace.  Join the 1850’s farm family as they prepare for the Christmas holidays. Learn how to make traditional Christmas decorations and home cooked goodies. Then, sit back and relax to the old-time Christmas tunes of the Dixie Volunteers. Later, join them in singing 1800’s Christmas carols as we usher in the arrival of Santa Claus by horse and buggy. Come all ye’ for fun and merriment. *Ideal for Home Educators.  Program free with HP admission.

Come by the farm and get your list; but don’t forget to check it twice, as you search to see just how many items you can find!  Program free with HP admission.

It’s Christmas Eve at The Homeplace!  Join The Homeplace family as they prepare for an 1850’s Christmas Eve by decorating a Christmas tree, enjoying favorite holiday treats, and singing traditional carols. Bring your family and help us celebrate this holly, jolly holiday!  $4 children /$6 adults. Registration limited. Reservations and full deposits required. Call 270-924-2020 to reserve your space.