EYE ON ANTIQUES: A FANCY FOR FIRKINS

Everyone needed wooden buckets for toting and storing household goods, so coopers produced hundreds of thousands. Today what collectors call firkins are a must for any colonial decor.

Jeanmarie Andrews

BEHIND PRIVATE DOORS IN COLONIAL WILLIAMSBURG

Private homes in Colonial Williamsburg are rarely open to the public, but we offer an exclusive look at two homes on Duke of Gloucester Street.

JUMPING IN WITH BOTH FEET

The dream of living at Colonial Williamsburg became reality for Dale and Kim Van Eck when they accepted positions there and moved into the William Waters House.

Holly V. Izard

THE CAVALRY COMES HOME

Joyce Henry wrangled a job with Colonial Williamsburg because of her equestrian expertise. She and husband Stephen indulge their passions for antiques, history, and military collectibles in the Peter Hay Shop.

Penna Rogers

SAVING THE HARLOW HOUSE

William Harlow built his house from timbers of the fort that protected 17th-Century Plimoth Plantation. Three centuries later, preservation-minded ladies organized to save the Pilgrim relic.

LIFE IN EARLY AMERICA: AMERICAN HONEY BEES

Colonists found no honeybees in North America when they arrived, so they brought their own for pollinating and honey-making.

Winfield Ross

MAKE A NATIVE BOUQUET

Autumn brings a new palette of colors to the outdoors, which you can bring inside as a native wildflower bouquet like our ancestors might have done.

BACK TO NATURE, A NATIVE FEAST

Before beef, butter, pork, or pepper, Native Americans had a bounty of flavors from foods they hunted and harvested. Native food expert Alice Ross offers recipes using only ingredients available before Europeans trod our shores.

LANCASTER LONG RIFLES

A new exhibition examines the artistry Pennsylvania gunsmiths brought to carving and metalwork on the weapon that conquered the West.

SIDE BY SIDE: SPINNING SMILES FROM THE WIND

While the history of whirligigs remains up in the air, their purpose is clear—to delight the eye. Today’s heritage artisans put their own spin on these wind toys.

Gregory LeFever