Hoop Races and Antiques and Gelato–Oh my! A Day at the Locust Grove Fall Antiques Market

Hello everyone! I hope you had a splendid weekend! If you recall, the Locust Grove Fall Antiques Market was this past Sunday, and it was a roaring good time! Here are some sights from the day.

First things first: I always keep my promises, and Gelato Gilberto was on hand to provide delicious treats! The tiramisu was especially good, and as you can see, even visitors from the 18th century enjoy gelato!

Eloise Bulleit and Barbara Crosby try out 21st century gelato flavors.

Fun fact: Gelato is historically accurate! It was first brought to the United States in 1770, and ice cream was a popular (if expensive) dessert by the 1790s. In fact, during the summer of 1790, George Washington spent $200 on ice cream, and it was also a favorite of Thomas Jefferson and Dolley Madison. A number of 18th and 19th century cookbooks include recipes for ice cream, and because we know the Croghans had an icehouse and liked to keep up with the times, it’s not unlikely that ice cream was served at Locust Grove! More information on the history of ice cream and gelato can be found here, here and here. (Thank you for indulging me in this dairy-inspired tangent!)

Speaking of historical recipes, if you managed to make your way over to the kitchen, you might have spied something delicious! Brian and Melissa were busy all day cooking up five dishes that were favorites of the Croghan family, including white pot, Chicken Chiringrate, and apple pie made with Grimes golden apples, a historical variety. Here they are in action!

Stuffing the chicken

Apples ready for the pie!

Melissa grates carrots for the chicken stuffing

Brian pours wine to serve as the base for the sauce for the cucumbers

The finished product–stewed cucumbers and a pie! Great work, Melissa and Brian! They both look delicious!

The house was open all day for tours, and you might have encountered some familiar faces on your visit.  Barbara Crosby and Eloise Bulleit could be found having hoop races on the lawn–it’s a lot harder than it looks!

On your mark, get set…

GO!

 

On the porch, Charles Croghan, aged 13, and his brother William Croghan, Jr. were engaged in some brotherly fisticuffs. Charles is a student at St. Thomas College in Springfield, KY along with his twin brother Nicholas, while William is home from law school in Leitchfield.

On the second floor, Mrs. Richard Taylor of neighboring Springfield was sewing a cravat for her famous son Zachary, joined by Mrs. Amelia Clarke, the wife of William Croghan’s nephew, Nicholas. A “coincidental Clarke”–no relation to GRC or the rest of the Clarks!–Mrs. Amelia spends a great deal of time at Locust Grove, and tutors Eliza Croghan at home in the domestic arts.

These distinguished ladies are the very picture of household industry!

Upstairs, Eliza Croghan, age 15, was in the bedroom she shares with her sister Ann. Ann and Eliza both attended the Domestic Academy in Lexington, but Eliza disliked being so far away from her family, and has been educated at home by her mother and cousin Amelia.

After visiting the house, the Antiques Market itself had plenty of treasures to discover. Here are some of my favorites.

Soon after I saw the Miss America bag, I encountered another influential individual from the great state of Kentucky–Lyda Lewis, Miss Kentucky 1973!

You never know who you’ll find at Locust Grove!

 

All in the all, the Antiques Market was a great success! If you were there, I hope you enjoyed yourself! Please do share with us in the comments what you discovered! And if you weren’t able to join us, there are several upcoming events we hope you can attend. The 18th Century Market Fair is October 25-26, and tomorrow, October 1 is our monthly Afternoon Lecture Series, beginning with desserts at 1pm. Come enjoy a cookie or two and hear local historian and Locust Grove docent Lynn Renau speak on Kentuckians during the  War of 1812.

As ever, thank you for stopping by the blog and we look forward to your next visit to Historic Locust Grove! Who knows what will be happening when you arrive.

Yours, etc.

Hannah

P.S. To receive updates on all the goings-on at Locust Grove, why not join our e-mailing list? Sign-up HERE to receive monthly updates! Or if you foresee numerous visits to Locust Grove in your future, why not become a member? Friends of Locust Grove receive free admission, invitations to members-only events, a 10% discount in the Museum Store, a copy of our quarterly newsletter, The Grove Gazette and much, much more! More information can be found HERE.

You can also follow Locust Grove on the web by subscribing to the blog on the right, and following us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest. (We’re everywhere!) Thanks ever so much for your support!