South Shore students travel back in time

MARSHFIELD – On a bright, sunny day, third graders from Cohasset immersed themselves in 18th-century life during a visit to the Winslow House in Marshfield, where they learned what it was like to live in the former Plymouth Colony.

The Deer Hill School students took a tour of the Colonial mansion and went through four other stations on the Winslow estate, including a 19th-century schoolhouse and a blacksmith shop.

“It gives them hands-on experience with what Colonial life used to be like," said third grade social studies teacher Jennifer Clark. "It really sort of brings history to life for them because we learn about it in the history textbooks, and we learn about it in the class. Instead of me just always teaching it, it’s better for us to come out in the world and see how it was actually made. … It gets them out of the classroom.”

The Winslow House was built in 1699 and was the third home built on land granted in the 1630s to Mayflower passenger and Plymouth Colony Gov. Edward Winslow.

Still virtually untouched by modernization, the house does not have running water or electricity. The house and the land are open to the public for tours and private events, such as weddings, from May through October.

The Historic Winslow House Association is dedicated to preserving the house, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Volunteers run tours and educational exhibits.

Steve Hight, who has lived in Marshfield for over 40 years, is a volunteer at the Winslow House, president of the Marshfield Historical Society and the moderator and president of the First Congregational Church of Marshfield. Hight said the team of volunteers keeps things up and running, and he said he loves to lend a hand.

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“I like it when people learn stuff, learn their roots, learn their history − why is something here? I like that spatial awareness − what’s your surroundings, what’s your heritage? I like people to understand what that was,” Hight said.

Inside the house, the Cohasset students went from room to room and sat on the floors listening to each volunteer teach them about what a day in the life of a Winslow was like.

Shannon Thomas, a volunteer and governor of the Winslow House association, was an instructor in the kitchen, which is the oldest part of the house.

The students raised their hands as Thomas tossed out questions about herbs that were used for medicinal purposes in the old days.

Regina Porter, the association's liaison for programming, taught the students about ovens and the varieties of English corn that the Pilgrims ate. She also talked about loaves of bread that were baked in the oven.

Ethan Rini, 9, said his favorite part of the tour was the old schoolhouse that is part of the estate, across the street from the main house.

His mother, Megan Dewitt, said the tour gave the students "a first-hand look at how people used to live."

Reach Joel Barnes at jkbarnes@patriotledger.com.

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This article originally appeared on The Patriot Ledger: Third graders tour Winslow House in Marshfield for field trip