The Bement-Billings Farmstead, located one mile north of the Village of Newark Valley on Route 38, is open for weekend tours through September, from noon to 4 p.m. The cost for the tour is $3 for adults, and $2 for students aged five to 16. The gift shop is open from noon to 4 p.m.
Special weekend programming includes Laundry Day and Open Hearth Cooking, weather permitting, on July 18 from noon to 4 p.m.
Laundry is something that so many of us take for granted in this present day of ubiquitous washing machines, dryers, and laundromats. Before our advances in technology and the spread of the electrical grid, this was certainly another part of life that required hours of “elbow grease” and toil. There was the fetching of water, the boiling of water, the soaking of clothes, removing stains, beating clothes with a washing bat, using bluing, more rinsing, ironing, and drying. Not to mention that you had to make your own soap. This, of course, was made all the more complicated when there were two feet of snow outside your dwelling and the temperatures were below zero.
Mary Green, one of the farmstead’s longest-serving and most knowledgeable guides, has made a special illustrated display of what took place each Monday (the usual day for washing) in a household of the early 1800’s. She is also skilled in the art of open-hearth cooking, which will also be demonstrated if the weather is such to make the kitchen excessively oppressive.
In addition, the third Saturday of each month is the regular time for the blacksmith guild to meet. They start in the morning but are willing to stay at least until 2 p.m. in the afternoon.
On Sunday, July 19, George Cummings will present “Life of a Revolutionary War Soldier” at 2 p.m.
George Cummings is a member of our Black Powder Guild, the Old Hickory Long Guns, and has spent the last 30 years studying and collecting artifacts from the 18th century. He has often done programs for Binghamton Lyceum. He will be dressed in the typical attire of a Continental soldier and will explain the hardships and day to day life during that period of 1776 to 1781. He will be returning on Aug. 9 to cover life in the 18th century in general.
To learn more about tours and special programming, visit www.nvhistory.org, email to nvhistory@stny.rr.com, or call (607) 642-9516. You can also contact Ed Nizalowski at (607) 642-8075 or by email to ed.nizalowski@gmail.com. You can also find the Newark Valley Historical Society on Facebook.
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