The Pickard Cabin's new look!

Pickard interior before

Greetings, friends!

So a while back I mentioned that we had exciting things happening during our winter closure. And then I just left you hanging. What kind of friend leaves Village People hanging?

Well...between the "good busy" of daily Village life and other crazy circumstances, this post just kept getting sidetracked.

But today's the day: the day we let you in on the Pickard changes. Naturally if you've already been out to the site, you've seen what we did. But if you haven't seen it yet, you're in for a treat!

First of all, as with all things Village, this change wouldn't have been possible without a little help from our friends. We received a beautiful maple federal style bed (c. early-mid 1800s) as a donation this fall. We've wanted to put it on exhibit, and we knew the Pickard would be the perfect location for it!

We've also wanted to find a better home for the large floor loom in the Pickard for a while now as well. The loom was beautiful, but it was too late for our time period (it was a 1930s piece) and would not have been a piece found in a one-room cabin (took up too much room). We were recently able to find a better home for it with the Lake Worth Historical Society. They plan to open their new museum soon, and the loom is exhibited there, appropriately in a 1935 rock house.

With the new (old) bed and the large loom out of the way, we were able to convert the Pickard into a more accurate representation of a cabin home, with a sleeping area downstairs, a small reproduction loom that we can demonstrate on, and a woven coverlet on the bed rather than the wall. We have cleaned, removed old, rotting warp, and placed the small artifact loom in storage for now, as it has been on exhibit a number of years. Don't worry...it will return again some day.

As you can see, we still have the beautiful 18th century Windsor Chairs and spinning articles on exhibit. We think this new look provides an even more authentic glimpse into 19th c. Texas while affording our historical interpreters more freedom of movement and a variety of crafts to demonstrate.

Pickard interior after

What do you think?

Something's going on over at the Parkers...

Gather round, Village people, and listen to a story from the winter closure of 2010. It's a story of love, strength, admiration, and finding a firm foundation. It's an allegory for life's turmoil, and the exhiliration found when cries for help can finally be answered.

It's a story about a cabin...the cabin called "the Parker."




Now folks around these parts had been noticing for quite some time that something just didn't seem right about the Parker. She looked a little "low" on some days. Sad, you could say--down in the corners. She didn't have friends to prop her up and give her the firm foundation that would make things square for her again. Oh she was stable enough, all right.




But as much as she tried to hide her dismay, the poor little Parker cabin was coming apart at the seams. She was afraid that people would see right through the cracks in her facade. And more than anything, she just wanted a little support.




One bright sunny day, this little dogtrot cabin's dreams came true.

Some fine friends from the City of Fort Worth's Transportation and Public Works Department heard her cries. They lovingly lifted her from the depths of despair (and dirt) and placed a firm foundation beneath her.




The Parker cabin was able to "pull it together" at last!




She felt solid as a rock! People weren't looking right through her anymore!




And her new friends Ron and Louis sealed the friendship with some chinking.

Now this story is about rectifying outward appearances. But we can all agree, that it is what's inside that ultimately counts.

And the Parker cabin decided to make some changes there as well.

Nothing was wrong with her insides, mind you. But sometimes it's a good idea to make some changes to keep oneself from getting "stale."

And there you have it, folks: the story of a cabin looking for a little "pick-me-up," and the gallant gentlemen who rushed to her aid. We hope you'll come visit the Parker cabin and see the changes for yourself!

Coming soon: the little tool shed who had no backbone...