A very fun day in the historic village of Roscoe Village in Coshocton. Although we didn't travel with a group, we had a very nice time experiencing history together.
It started out gray and rainy, but I hardly noticed. I think the busy-ness of getting out the door kept my attitude from being gray along with the weather. I knew I had a long drive to Roscoe Village, and I was hoping it would be worth it. Well, it really and truly was worth the drive and braving the rainy weather.
Who am I kidding? I love rain! I do. Rain creates wonderful opportunities for us on field trips, and this was no exception. We attended the Home School Days at Roscoe Village on Tuesday, one day after the deluge of home schoolers flooded the streets on the beautiful, sunny Monday. On Tuesday, we were flooded with nothing but a bit of water and plenty of attention from the staff in the Living History Museum/Buildings/Town.
Period crafts were offered, which included either candle dipping or tin punching. We chose to do tin punching, and my 9 year old made a beautiful piece which she has already lovingly given to her grandma for a birthday present. My 3 year old was less than enthusiastic about hammering in front of a stranger (she's very timid around new people), so I did her craft for her, and it is still hanging in her room. (She clung to it all day, though, as if she had punched every hole.) The crafts cost $2 each.
We received a map and info about the village, and set out in the rain to visit the past. We were not disappointed. The first building we visited contained the printing press. There was one giant press which was still the same design originally created by Guttenberg himself. The presses hadn't changed much in hundreds of years. After learning a bit about it, my older daughter was able to set it up and actually print a page to take with her. In the same room, we learned about how newspapers and bulletins were made by printers, watching the printer set up the type for a page and seeing how he ran off pages. Then, my daughter, again, was allowed to print a page, this time on a much more "modern" printing press, which was the size of a large cash register and had a handle on the front. Using your body strength, you can actually print easier with this than the giant press on the other side of the room. Of course, I'm not sure which my daughter preferred.
We also visited the cooper and learned the secret of the bucket (I'll bet you didn't know there was one). It was very interesting, but my 3 year old much more enjoyed the assortment of wooden toys he had lying on the windowsill which she was allowed to play with.
Other buildings included: the broommaker, the schoolhouse, a vintage canal boat, the doctor's office, home and kitchen, where we sampled yummy bread baked that day. We were also introduced to a wonderful man who carves birds. He doesn't charge any money for his creations, but there is a long waiting list. His "store" is called the Sandpiper, and it is not a part of the Living History Tour, but is worth a stop just to see his amazingly accurate recreations.
Almost every place had something for the children to do, not just see. We actually didn't get to see everything because we had to leave after a while.
We love historical sites like Hale Farm and Zoar Village, and this was just as wonderful, but in its own unique way. You won't be redundant by spending a day at Roscoe Village, even if you've visited all of the other historical sites.
Because of the rain, the attendance was much lower, so there was more time to stay and enjoy each place we visited. I don't know if they have areas to eat a lunch. The rain kept us from picnicking. If you do come on a rainy day, I would suggest bringing a plastic bag to carry all of the papers and goodies picked up in various buildings. I had a hard time keeping ours dry. Strollers are probably not allowed in the buildings, but you might want one for the walking if you have a little one.
