National Museum of American History - Within These Walls

While walking around the Mall we ducked into the National Museum of American History and went through several exhibits.  The first one was a very interesting display talking about the history of a house in Massachusetts used to tell accounts throughout American history.

At the center of this gallery is a partially reconstructed house that stood for 200 years at 16 Elm Street in Ipswich, Massachusetts, about 30 miles north of Boston. The house and the exhibition that surrounds it tell the stories of five families who lived there over the years and made history in their kitchens and parlors, through everyday choices and personal acts of courage and sacrifice. Through their lives, the exhibition explores some of the important ways ordinary people have been part of the great changes and events in American history.
--from National Museum of American History website

This was a real house that stood in Massachusetts for 200 years that was carefully taken apart in the 60s and brought to the museum.

It is interesting to realize that this house was first built in the late 1700s, over 300 years ago.  Yes I know many European cities have house far older, but we don't have that many house older than this in the United States.

Being able to touch reproduction elements from the house was a nice touch to make the exhibit something it is easy to connect to.

This model of the house was also made to touch, which is a great feature for both kids and the visually impaired.  I really enjoy seeing components like this that help more people connect with exhibits.

Clothing styles certainly have changed in the past few centuries.
In the 1760s, this house announced the prosperity of a family and a New England community in British North America.

Abraham Choate was about 30 years old in the mid-l760s when he had this house built in Ipswich, Massachusetts, for his wife, Sarah, and their growing family. Incorporated in 1634, Ipswich was an old community in a region that enjoyed uncommon prosperity, thanks to commerce, farming, and fishing.
--from Within These Walls exhibit website

This cutaway portion of the house helped to both see the interior clearly and exhibit building techniques.

The exhibit also told the story of those who weren't as fortunate as the owners of the house.
In 1777, in the midst of the American Revolution, an enslaved fourteen-year-old named Chance came to this house to work for the house’s new owner, Abraham Dodge, and his family. Abraham bought the house after returning from the battlefield in a war for independence from Britain.
--from Within These Walls exhibit website

Another sign encouraged children to find various elements within this display to engage them with the exhibit.

By the late 1800s the people owning the house no longer lived in it.  They had purchased it as an investment opportunity and rented out the rooms to numerous people.  Two who lived in the house were the Lynch sisters.  One of the sisters took in laundry which was a labor-intensive process.

Could you imagine hauling 25 of these 2 1/2 gallon pails for each load of laundry?  They were not light.  The sign cautions people whose health could be impaired by lifting heavy objects to not attempt it.

This updated and still touchable model shows the portion of the houses rented by the Lynch sisters.

More of the interior of the house is visible.

In the 1940s the house was a part of the war effort during World War II with a victory garden and several of the residents either involved in the armed forces or factory production.

It must have been fascinating to uncover clues to the past history within the actual walls of the house.  I'm sure artifacts and elements were found to supplement the story told from census records and other paperwork.

There are many records of the changes made such as different boards or the way different elements connect together.

If you've ever wondered what stories the walls of a house could tell then this exhibit can give you some of those answers.

Next time we'll cover another exhibit from American History.

~Matt