Meadow Farm Museum

While we were in Richmond last May we decided to visit the Meadow Farm Museum with the kids in the afternoon after we visited Lewis Ginter Botanical Gardens.  It was a place that my inlaws had visited several times but I had never been there before, so I thought it would be fun for us to explore.

Meadow Farm Museum, an 1860 living history farm site and museum, presents programs and exhibits on the culture of the rural South. Our history interpreters provide insight into the lives of Dr. John Mosby Sheppard, the owner of Meadow Farm, and his family. On selected weekends, they demonstrate seasonal activities in the farmhouse, barn, doctor’s office, kitchen, fields, and pastures.
--from Crump Park website

After we parked we headed up the path towards the museum.

The building isn't large.

Inside is an information counter.

Then you'll see a number of signs, artifacts, and artwork on display.

The property has a long history, having been settled by Native Americans previously and Virginian settlers since the late 18th century.

The property was owned by the Sheppard family starting in the mid 1700s.

After leaving the museum we walked towards the farmhouse and other buildings.

We saw a number of sheep in the fields.

I also really enjoy seeing split-rail fences.

A number of outbuildings are visible.

We made our way to the house for our tour.

Inside the house is fully furnished.

I don't remember how many are period pieces and if any are reproductions.

I know my sisters would appreciate this old sewing machine.

It can be so interesting to compare toys for children with those they play with today.  Some are so similar and some so different.

The tour didn't just cover those that lived in the main house, but also revealed the darker history of the property.  "In 1860, Dr. John Sheppard owned 17 enslaved people.  7 of these people were women."  The cellar of the house had been dug by a former slave who had been emancipated in the early days of the nineteenth century.

Once outside we had a better view of the house.

This outline shows the original location of the outside kitchen.

This log tobacco barn is the only surviving one in Henrico County...  In 2000, Staples Mill, L.C. donated the barn to Henrico County, who moved it two miles east to Meadow Farm.  The bar dates to the early twentieth century, but resembles similar bars from the nineteenth century.  Tobacco was a major cash crop in Virginia and John Mosby Sheppard grew it here between 1855 and 1860.
--from exhibit signage

I think during other times of the year or on weekends it is a busier place, but we still had fun walking around and learning some history.

You can view some more photos from our time at the farm in this album.

~Matt