Saturday, Aug. 1 at 10 a.m. — PLYMOUTH NOTCH — The President Calvin Coolidge State Historic Site hosts “Plymouth Old Home Day” on Saturday, Aug. 1 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. This annual event, sponsored by the Vermont Division for Historic Preservation, features traditional craft and farm demonstrations, wagon rides, country cuisine, and many more fun activities for the entire family.
Temporary exhibit, First Lady Grace Coolidge: “A Glass of Fashion,” examines the height of 1920s style and how Mrs. Coolidge helped establish the first lady’s role of fashion trendsetter. The display features Grace Coolidge’s gowns, jewelry, evening bags, and other elaborate accessories typical of this stylish era.
The annual meeting of the Calvin Coolidge Presidential Foundation will be held at 10 a.m., and is open to the public; Coolidge scholar and author Amity Shlaes will speak about the Foundation’s accomplishments and ongoing mission.
Paul Wood presents “Inventive Vermonters: A Sampling of Farm Tools & Implements” at 1:30 p.m., sponsored by the Vermont Humanities Council. At 2:47 p.m., there will be a reenactment of Calvin Coolidge’s 1923 Homestead Inaugural featuring Coolidge family members.
Children’s activities throughout the day include “Clara’s Games” – old-time games organized by the Vermont Historical Society; create your own pressed flower cards with Ellen Denton; and hands-on activities in the one-room schoolhouse sponsored by the Coolidge Foundation.
Visitors can take a wagon ride or witness sheep shearing with Fred DePaul.
For a bite to eat, a barbecue will be available at the Wilder House Restaurant, or visitors can enjoy cheese making and Vermont specialty food tastings at the Plymouth Cheese Factory.
Old-time fiddler Adam Boyce will be playing; Vermont artisans and special exhibits include: George Ainley (Windsor chair making), Marianne Fassett (paper quilling), Carolyn Guest (silhouettes and fancy paper cutting), Vermont State Parks, and much more!
Plymouth Old Home Day is a great opportunity to explore Plymouth Notch, considered one of the best-preserved presidential sites in the country. Twelve buildings are open to the public. At the Coolidge Museum & Education Center, visitors can see the nationally award-winning permanent exhibition, “More Than Two Words”: The Life and Legacy of Calvin Coolidge.
The President Calvin Coolidge State Historic Site is open daily through Oct. 18, 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. For more info, call 802-672-3773 or visit www.HistoricSites.Vermont.gov.
