A Living History Farm
When you visit the 1771 Farm you truly are stepping back in time. This is not a mere change of appearances; it is a literal change in the way life is lived and work is done. You will meet the Thorton’s, a farm family who would be instantly recognizable to an 18th Century traveler. The Thorton’s are portrayed by costumed interpreters, but everything about them–-their clothes, tools, crops, buildings and labors–-are authentically recreated. The Thorton family members, and their colonial neighbors, are living in 1771. Expect them to invite you to step back in time with them.
Here is the simple, if laborious, life of a small farm. It seems almost timeless… a life driven by the seasons, in touch with the land, in community with neighbors. But the winds of change are blowing; there are storm clouds gathering on the horizon. The year is 1771 … one world is drawing to a close, another is about to begin. Come join the Thorton family and let history come alive.
• Visit 1771 Farm
• Meet Thorton Family
• Visit 1771 Market Fair
An Educational Resource
Visiting the 1771 Farm you will see life as it was in Colonial Virginia. But there is far more here than the experience of a single visit. The Claude Moore Colonial Farm includes a wide-ranging tapestry of facilities, forums, fairs and functions. Think of the Claude Moore Colonial Farm as a large, highly interactive educational resource.
At our Farm Skills events you can go hands-on with real colonial farm-life technologies. Specially selected Farm Events recreate the most important aspects of the 1771 farm experience. You can be a part. When you visit the Market Fair, that farm experience is expanded and enriched — a whole 18th Century community’s way of life comes alive. Both of our Living Experiences allow you to enter into that life completely–if only for a few days. And this Website is our newest educational resource. Come visit us often, here at our online home; we’ll be adding new content, new options, and new opportunities as our web presence grows.
• Visit Farm Events
• Attend Farm Skills
• Live the Experience
A User Community
The Claude Moore Colonial Farm does not focus on some great historical event, place or person. Rather, it authentically portrays the life of an 18th Century American family building a life on the nearer edges of civilized society. It’s a struggle that balances the hopes, harrows and hard work of a colonial family with the dynamic character and rich diversity of the surrounding community. It is a truly uplifting story.
But equally uplifting is the story of the modern Claude Moore Colonial Farm. It’s the only National Park run by a non-profit organization. And not unlike its 1771 predecessor, it combines a hard- working staff family with a dynamic community of members, partners, volunteers, and other users. The small, dedicated staff provides an organizing core, but in truth, the Claude Moore Colonial Farm could not exist without the committed efforts and creative contributions of all our friends and neighbors–both near and far.
• Book the Pavilions
• Volunteer to Work
• Join the Community