Morris Parks: Experience the Life of a 1900s Immigrant Worker on the Farm
Published on February 25, 2019
Welcome, Irish Farmhands and House Servants at Fosterfields
On Saturday, April 13, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., experience a day in the life of the immigrant farm workers and servants who worked for the Foster family at Fosterfields Living Historical Farm in Morris Township.
Imagine what it took to start a new life in a new country in the late-nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Take an exciting journey through history, and learn about the ordinary people whose extraordinary American journeys led to their employment at Fosterfields farm. Compare the traditions and experiences of immigrant workers from different places, such as Ireland and England, as well as how their life experiences compared to the Fosters.
Roll up your sleeves, and lend a hand with planting seeds, weighing eggs, churning butter, and other daily farm chores. Stop by the Carriage House, and assist the coachman with his job. Visit the farmhouse to learn about Irish-American food traditions, and listen to performances by piper Mick Burgess and musician Linda Russell.
Visit the Fosters' home, The Willows, and enjoy actors performing vignettes inspired by the lives of the servants. Help with various spring cleaning duties, such as washing laundry, beating rugs, stacking wood, and polishing silver.
For more information on Fosterfields, visit the Morris County Park site. Admission is $8 for adults, $7 for seniors (65+), $6 for children ages 3 - 16, and FREE for children under age 3. Friends members are half price with a current membership card. For more information and directions to Fosterfields Living Historical Farm in Morris Township, visit, morrisparks.net, or call 973.326.7645.
The Morris County Park Commission's 18,704 acres are home to 38 specific sites, several of which are nationally recognized. Over 3 million people visit New Jersey's largest park system annually, proving there really is something here for everyone. Over 150 miles of well-maintained trails wind through scenic Morris County, providing all kinds of educational, relaxing, active, fun, entertaining and memorable experiences.
Choose from a day of hiking, golf, biking, ice skating, sledding, ice fishing, fishing, boating, swimming, cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, arboretums, historic sites, recreational fields, outdoor environmental education and special award-winning programming. For a list of events, visit the commission's events calendar.