Teens try their hand at 19th-century trades at Storrowton Village Museum

WEST SPRINGFIELD (WWLP) – High school students had the chance to try their hand at 19th-century trades like blacksmithing, sewing, and open-hearth cooking.

Students in grades 7th through 11th were able to embark on a journey to the past through hands-on activities taught by experienced historical and professional instructors.

Students had the chance to take part in open hearth cooking at the Gilbert Farmhouse which provides a home-like setting to create a variety of treats from handmade pies to Johnny cakes.

The cooking hearth was the center of the colonial home. Hearth cooking consisted of controlling an open fire and powering Dutch ovens, griddles, and reflector ovens.

The teens learned from an experienced historical cook, starting with an overview of safety, building a proper fire, and then getting their hands messy in the kitchen.

“You don’t quite contextualize it in a classroom in the same way you do doing it as a hands-on task. You know some kids are like ‘Oh it might be really easy to start a fire.’ But until you do it, you don’t know you know how easy it is to do things from scratch and all those things and it’s a great way to appreciate how to do things even if you’re learning it from a 21st-century standpoint,” said Jane Dugan.

Teens will also learn from blacksmiths with a variety of design styles and skill levels so by the end of the week they leave knowing how to make hand-forged hooks.

And learn the basics of both hand sewing and machine sewing and how fashion evolved in the 18th and 19th centuries.

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