Please note that we recently underwent a redesign and redevelopment of our website and are in the process of back-posting our 280+ blog posts for Ask the Past. Rest assured that all of the information still exists and will soon appear here again. We appreciate your patience as we work through deep history of posts — thank you!
Categories
The Harrowing Haze of Heraldry
While researching this blog post, Google suggested the joke “Why do heralds not pun?” The answer? “They just cant.”
Ticktock Goes the Willard Clock
A Simon Willard, Roxbury-style, tall case clock stands in the Williams Library here at Agecroft Hall.
Spring Indoors and Out
Spring has sprung! Flower and green about outside in our beautiful gardens! But, what about inside?
Tiny Treasures
In our collection at Agecroft Hall & Gardens, we have a tiny artifact that does not get out of collections storage much due to its small size.
Faces of the Williams Library
There are faces all over Agecroft Hall and Gardens
Where do these stairs go?
The staircase installed at Agecroft Hall is from Warwick Priory, the façade of which was used by Alexander and Virginia Weddell in building Virginia House.
Legal Languages
The museum's collection has over a hundred deeds relating to the history of Agecroft Hall, both the land and the people associated with the house over its many centuries.
Food for Thought
Savory tongue pie, trout pasties, scotch collops, and quaking pudding; sound yummy?
Tokens to Treasure
Love tokens were small, personal gifts given to a loved one: be it from a man to his betrothed, a husband to his wife or a wife to her husband, or a friend to a friend.
Book Nooks Worth Looks
Who doesn’t love a good beach read?
Toys & Games of Tudor England
From Barbies to basketball, jump ropes to Jenga, children of today have a seemingly endless variety of toys and games with which to play.
April Gardens
April Gardens
Tales of Train Travel
Thomas C. Williams, Jr., was a man of varied interests, both business and personal, as evidenced by where he left his money after he passed (please see last month’s "Ask the Past" post for more information).
Williams' Wishes
T.C. Williams, Jr. was inspired to create the Windsor Farms neighborhood in the image of an idyllic English village. In the center of his suburban development, he placed his own home, Agecroft Hall, hoping to turn it into a museum after his death.
Distinctive Dining Decor
The dining parlor at Agecroft Hall has obviously changed throughout its centuries in existence. While we are not sure when a dining parlor was introduced to Agecroft, it is safe to assume there would have been one in the mid- to late 1600s.
Season's Greetings from Agecroft Hall
These greeting cards are a few of those held in our collection.
A Roaring 20's Afternoon Tea
During the holiday season, Agecroft Hall is dressed to impress. While wreaths and garlands abound, a special piece of our collection can be spotted in the Williams Library—the Williams Silver Tea Service.
The Pendle Witches of Lancashire
The history of witchcraft in England can be traced back to classical antiquity. Woven into pagan ideas, (the activities later to be deemed “witchcraft”), these were originally a collection of actions and beliefs associated with healing, particularly with plants.
Dear Diary - A View of 19th Century World Travel
In the March Ask the Past post, we introduced a Williams’s family letter collection from the family’s voyage around the world--a trip undertaken when T.C. Williams’ father, T.C. Sr, and his tobacco business were appointed by the Governor to represent Virginia at the Centennial International Exhibition in Melbourne, Australia in 1888.
Long Lasting Lord of the Manor
When the Dauntesey family moved out of Agecroft in the early 20th century, they took all of their belongings with them.