Tuesday, July 7, 2015

A trip back in time

We celebrated the 5th of July and the cessation of the fireworks in Annapolis on Sunday.
Actually, I love love love history and so any chance to take a slow walk around and look at architecture up close, imagining how it looked when first built, is good for me. I saw details on this trip I missed other times we walked.
This house with it's cool front porch is directly across from one gate of the Naval academy
We saw a doodle crossing the street here, and I totally related to the owner saying, he's not great with other dogs or the leash yet. Oy! He sure was cute, all black and curly.

I don't know if you can truly feel a place but I put my hands on old woodwork to see. I haven't seen one of these for a while...

I imagine those skinny front doors being used by a woman in a big skirt... yikes. She must have had to compress to pass through.

What time period would the letter slot have been? Not 1700's when the building was originally built.



 and when would these buzzers have been used?

More likely in the early days of the city a door knocker would have been all the rage!
Maybe not this one but is sure was cute! Obviously new. Which brings me to wanting a book showing how a city grows...



built 1770
This town started long before the declaration of Independence was considered an option. The movers and shakers probably met here to discuss the possibility but the homes and businesses were in place before fireworks of any kind would have been sent off in celebration.

Maybe  for real fireworks, in the form of weapons.

The fact is, people like me walked the same sidewalks 300 + years ago. People shopping for groceries, getting haircuts, going to work, etc.



In Annapolis there are homes right next to each other, built a hundred years apart. I want to find the book that shows the changes that occurred say every 20 years. To see when they filled in with another home, how it looked until they did.
Sort of a gateway into the past.

Anyone know what this is? I think it might be an early washing machine... An effort to make life easier for the women of the time. Labor saving don't you know... so they could have a bit more time to quilt.


Cole says a dog's life would have been very different back then. Aside from getting to grab scraps of meat and bones, he would like to stay right here with us in the present.
Please tell me what you know of this machine.

12 comments:

Mary in Boulder said...

I have no idea what that machine is but I did enjoy seeing the photos and remembering how interesting Annapolis can be.

Jasmine said...

What a neat place. Thanks for sharing the photos. :)

Tails Around the Ranch said...

Interesting contraption, your guess of it being a washing machine is as good as any! Maybe check with the Historical Society for confirmation? Lovely photos of a time when things were simpler and oh so well-built. I'm with you, celebrating July 5th without fireworks sounds divine. :)

ann said...

Are those wringers on the top? Can't tell from this pic. I think what is on the top is the deciding factor. Does the bottom have a top? Do you move it back and forth with the handle?

Sharon - IN said...

Some dear sweet lady would have been happy to own that wringer washer over a scrub board! Looks like you had a lovely trip.

Joanne said...

Hi LeeAnna,
Such fun to see and experience historic places!
I'm with the washing machine vote!
Take care,
Joanne

Taryn said...

Eons ago, I lived in Annapolis. It is a great town!

gayle said...

I dunno either...
I love looking at old buildings - thanks for the tour!

Unknown said...

I love taking a trip back through time in areas like this. Like you, I always wonder who walked in the same spot and what their lives were like. Sometimes I wish I had a time machine and could go back at will and visit with those folks.

Suzanne Thompson said...

When I have time to read one of your posts, I am always surprised to see how they segue into my life. Today I am preparing to travel, with my non-artsy BFF to the Sacred Threads show. While we are in the area, I am taking her to Annapolis, where I held, in 1970, my first job as a desk clerk at the Maryland Inn. My friends and I spent our evenings cruising the Naval Academy (my father was astonished at how many miles I could put on a car each night!) and hanging around the docks meeting new and interesting people. I haven't been back since my father died in 1983, so your mini-tour has me pumped! Thank you⛵️

Dora, the Quilter said...

Yes, it is a washing machine. We had one like that on our family farm; it was replaced by a Bendix front loading electric washer in the early 1950s.

View From My Pram said...

PepiSmartDog: what an interesting post. I have no idea what the metal box would be used for either.
Love reading about your travels.
Hope to see you back in our Thankful Thursday Blog Hop again this week too.
*waves paw* :=o)