CFHS
Chadds Ford Historical Society • P.O. Box 27 • 1736 Creek Road • Chadds Ford, PA 19317
Phone: 610-388-7376 • Fax 610-388-7480 • Website: www.ChaddsFordHistory.org
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ADULT GROUP TOURS
The Setting: The Barns-Brinton House and/or the John Chads House, Springhouse, and the
Barn Visitors Center.
The Barns-Brinton House was built by William Barns in 1714. It served as a tavern to travelers
using Ye Great Road to Nottingham (currently Route 1), as well as the home of William, his
wife Elizabeth, and their five children. The all-brick tavern was restored by the Chadds Ford
Historical Society and opened to the public in 1979. It is a splendid example of an English
country tavern transplanted to the colonies. The building presents many original features. The
Barns-Brinton House is located on Route 1, Pennsbury Township, Pennsylvania.
The John and Elizabeth Chads House was finished by 1725. It was commissioned by John
Chads, a Quaker farmer and businessman, and the man for whom the area was named. It is built
of Pennsylvania blue stone and, being built into a slope, is an example of a bank house. Across
the road is a stone springhouse which was used for water and refrigeration. The John Chads
House is located on Creek Road, Old Route 100, Chadds Ford, Pennsylvania.
The Chads Springhouse belonged to John and Elizabeth Chads and was built just prior to the
above mansion house c.1725. The first floor and loft were used as a tenant home in the
eighteenth century and during the 1830’s it served as a one room schoolhouse and living quarters
for the teacher. In the spring room, the spring is still active, flowing up near the east wall and
exiting at the southwest corner.
The Barn Visitors Center, across the street from the John Chads House, is a reproduction of a
Pennsylvania bank barn. This building houses the headquarters of the Chadds Ford Historical
Society which includes the museum store and museum exhibit spaces. The Barn is located at
1736 Creek Road, Chadds Ford, Pennsylvania, 19317.
GENERAL TOUR INFORMATION
There is a group minimum of 4 people and a maximum of 60 except by special arrangement.
A $30.00 deposit or 50% down payment is required to reserve a tour date. The deposit is nonrefundable if the tour is cancelled less than 14 days prior to the reserved date.
The length of the tour and the tour’s focus can be adjusted to suit your needs.
Sample tour focus: architecture, tea traditions and usage, domestic life, children’s chores and
education, etc.
In addition to on-site tours costing $5-$14 per person and lasting from 30 minutes to 4 hours, we
also offer an Outreach Program where a costumed educator can bring historic and reproduction
artifacts and images for a program lasting approximately 50 minutes, starting at $120.
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ADULT TOUR OPTIONS
SINGLE HOUSE TOUR: Chads House and Springhouse OR the Barns-Brinton House
Cost - $7.00 per person*
Tour Length – 45 minutes for up to 20; 1+ hours for up to 40 guests
Tour Features – An 18th century costumed guide takes visitors, in small groups, through the furnished
home of John and Elizabeth Chads and their Springhouse or the Barns-Brinton House. Visitors learn
about the lifestyle of colonial people during the 18th century by interacting with the furnished home or the
furnished tavern and family quarters. Artifacts are used to demonstrate daily household tasks. Visitors
may watch a video, enjoy our current museum exhibit, or shop in our museum store in the Visitors Center
at their leisure.
GENERAL TOUR, BOTH HOMES: Chads House, Springhouse, and Barns-Brinton House
Cost -- $10.00 per person*
Tour Length – About 1.5 hours for up to 20; 2 hours for up to 40 guests
Tour Features – A costumed guide takes groups of visitors through both the furnished home of John and
Elizabeth Chads and the Barns-Brinton House, an 18th century tavern. Visitors interact with the furnished
buildings to learn about the lifestyle of colonial people during this early period of our history. Artifacts
are used to demonstrate household tasks. Visitors may shop in the museum store or enjoy our current
exhibits at the Visitors Center at their leisure.
SAMPLER TOUR: Chads House AND/OR Barns-Brinton House
Cost -- $8.00 - $14 per person* Tour Length –Varies by group size: 1-3½ hours
Tour Features – An 18th century costumed guide escorts small groups of visitors through the furnished
home of John and Elizabeth Chads AND/OR the Barns-Brinton House, an 18th century tavern. Visitors
learn about the lifestyle of colonial people by interacting with the furnished homes. Artifacts will be used
to demonstrate daily household tasks. Visitors experience one 18th century hands-on activity in each
house they tour. They might help make gingerbread baked on the open hearth (including sampling),
experience quill & ink letter writing, or learn to spin or weave. Visitors may watch a video, enjoy our
current museum exhibit, or shop in our museum store in the Visitors Center at their leisure.
HANDS-ON TOUR: John Chads House and the Barn OR the Barns-Brinton House
Cost -- $10.00 per person*
Tour Length – 2 hours
Tour Features – A costumed guide escorts small groups of visitors through the furnished home of John
and Elizabeth Chads OR the Barns-Brinton House. Visitors learn about the lifestyle of colonial people
during this early period in our history. Artifacts are used to demonstrate daily household tasks. Visitors
engage in two different activities such as open hearth cooking, trying their hand at 18th century quill & ink
letter writing, or housewifery skills such as spinning or weaving. Visitors may watch a video, enjoy our
current museum exhibit, or shop in our museum store in the Visitors Center at their leisure.
HANDS-ON, FULL DAY TOUR: John Chads House and the Barn AND the Barns-Brinton House
Cost -- $15.00 per person*
Tour Length – 4 hours + time for lunch
This package is similar to the Hands-on tour except it includes both houses and four activities.
ELIZABETH CHADS TEA TOUR: John Chads House tour, tea and snacks
Cost - - $20.00 per person*
Tour Length – 2 hours for 10-24 visitors
Tour Features – An 18th century costumed guide will present a talk on 18th century tea customs while
tea, sweets, breads, and spreads are provided for visitors. Antique and replica tea service pieces will be
available for viewing. After the tea, small groups of visitors will tour the furnished home of John and
Elizabeth Chads. Visitors learn about the lifestyle of colonial people through interaction with this
approximately 80% original 18th century home. Visitors may watch a video, enjoy our current museum
exhibits, or shop in our museum store at their leisure.
*Prices effective January 2013 and are subject to change without notice.
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ACTIVITIES AVAILABLE (can be tailored for ages 13 through adult)
House tour of Barns-Brinton House and Tavern
This tour focuses on family life, as seven people lived in this home from 1724 to 1731. It also
touches on how taverns served travelers.
House tour of John Chads House
This tour focuses on the architecture of this mansion house and how its size, window style, and
other features are indicative of the wealth and status of the Chads family. The guide discusses
bread baking and how the beehive oven is used.
Cooking: then and now (hands-on) [offered at either house]
This program uses one of our working colonial hearths to introduce 18th century cooking.
Visitors will help grind spices for gingerbread (or other food item) while the group discusses
how food was grown, imported, and prepared. Food will be sampled, time permitting.
Textile production: flax and wool (hands-on) [offered at the Barns-Brinton House]
This program introduces visitors to the difficulties of 18th century clothing production. Stages of
flax production and wool carding are demonstrated. Visitors are provided an opportunity to
attempt several textile processing components.
Using historic documents: inventories and the standing structure [offered at the BarnsBrinton House]
This program uses the Barns-Brinton House and the c.1731 inventory at the death of Mr. Barns
to investigate early 18th century life. Photocopies of the original inventory and transcriptions are
provided. Visitors are encouraged to consider several thought-provoking questions concerning
items listed and not listed on the inventories to focus attention on the changing reality of material
culture and personal possessions.
Colonial games (hands-on) [offered at either house]
This program introduces visitors to several games played in the 18th century. Hoops, Quoits, and
the Game of Graces are three examples. This activity is usually held outside and reminds our
visitors that although colonial children spent more time working than most modern American
children, there was time for recreation, and games were played by adults as well as youth.
However, many of these games were dual purpose: children learned moral proverbs while
playing one game and girls learned to be graceful in another. One game incorporates the 18th
century equivalent of a notebook as a racket.
Colonial dance and social customs (hands-on) [offered at the John Chads House]
This program introduces social dancing as a physical activity and a venue for social interaction
by teaching at least one colonial dance. Traveling dance masters taught young people grace,
manners, and social polish in addition to dance steps. Local dances were ideal locations to
interact with potential spouses. Dance was important in the days before televisions,
phonographs, or movie houses.
Herbs for colonial cooking and medicine [offered at the Barns-Brinton House, in season]
This program uses our herb garden at the Barns-Brinton House and 18th and 19th century receipts
(recipes) concerning the uses and benefits of plants for cooking and health conditions. Visitors
learn how medicine and food flavoring have changed over time.
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ACTIVITIES AVAILABLE (Continued from last page)
Quill pen writing (hands on) [offered at both houses]
This program uses copies of 18th century documents as samples. Visitors are encouraged to try
their hand at writing with a quill pen. The guide will introduce topics for discussion including
the lack of standard spelling rules or abbreviation conventions and ink production techniques.
Colonial tea
An 18th century costumed guide presents a talk on 18th century tea customs. Antique and replica
tea service pieces are available for viewing. Different varieties of teas are presented.
Using historic documents and structures to study social and economic status [offered at the
John Chads House]
This program uses photocopies of original documents (inventories and wills) in conjunction with
our three homes that were built before 1726 to focus on how modern people can research the
difference in social and economic status of people who lived centuries ago. Our three buildings
were built to house families from different social statuses. Led by the guide, visitors compare
the buildings and historic documents to make informed deductions about the past.
ADULT OUTREACH OPTIONS
A costumed educator brings historic and reproduction artifacts and images for a program lasting
approximately 50 minutes. For hands-on programs this includes 20-30 minutes of lecture and
20-30 minutes of hands-on interaction for the educator and the participants. Lecture-only
programs may include demonstrations by the educator but not hands-on opportunities for
participants. Some programs can be shortened to 25 minutes so two activities can be covered in
50 minutes. Lecture only programs may be presented to small groups or assemblies. Hands-on
activities are designed for groups of up to a dozen, so large groups require two presenters.
Colonial Dance And Social Customs (Interactive)
Program Features – This program introduces social dancing as a physical activity and a venue
for social interaction by teaching at least one colonial dance. Traveling dance masters taught
young people grace, manners, and social polish in addition to dance steps. Local dances were
ideal locations to interact with potential spouses. Dance was important in the days before
televisions, phonographs, or movie houses.
Colonial Domestic Life
Program Features – This program introduces the basics of domestic life in the 1700’s. The
presenter brings items to pass around and leads a discussion about the differences between
colonial life and the modern lives of the participants. Objects include examples of clothing,
cooking equipment, and textile production tools.
Colonial Games (Interactive)
Program Features – This program introduces visitors to several games played in the 18th
century. Hoops, Quoits, and the Game of Graces are three outside games. Marbles, tops,
tabletop ninepins, and fox and geese are indoor games. Although colonial children spent more
time working than many modern children, there was time for recreation, and games were played
by adults as well as youth. However, many games were multi-purposed: children learned moral
proverbs while playing one game and girls learned to be graceful in another. One game
incorporates the 18th century equivalent of a notebook as a paddle or racket.
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ADULT OUTREACH OPTIONS (Continued from last page)
Colonial Music (Lecture, PowerPoint optional)
Program Features – A costumed interpreter will bring at least three instruments which were
available to colonial Americans. We discuss why people played music in a time before radio and
railroads; we will provide samples of different types of music such as folk tunes, spinning or
working music, dance tunes, etc.
Education, Chores, and Past-times (Lecture, PowerPoint optional)
Program Features – The costumed interpreter uses school related items (quill pen, slate) to contrast
colonial schooling with more modern educational styles. We present chores done by young people
in the 18th century and who might be fortunate enough to be sent abroad for college or enlightening
travel. We will also show several games and discuss what people did when they were not working.
Elizabeth Chads’ Tea Tour
Program Features – An 18th century costumed guide presents a talk on 18th century tea
customs. Antique and replica tea service pieces are available for viewing. Different types of
teas are available for view.
Fire Starting using flint and steel, burning lens, and friction bow (Interactive)
Program Features – A costumed interpreter will discuss the importance of fire in colonial
times and demonstrate how to start a fire using 3 traditional methods: flint and steel, a friction
bow, and a burning lens. Participants are encouraged to handle the equipment and will be
permitted to try making fire if time and the space permit this.
Quill Pen Writing (Interactive)
Program Features – This program uses photocopies of 18th century documents as samples.
Visitors are encouraged to try their hand at writing with a quill pen. The guide introduces topics
for discussion including the lack of standard spelling rules or abbreviation conventions and ink
production techniques.
Textile Production: Flax And Wool (Interactive or Lecture)
Program Features – This program introduces visitors to the difficulties of 18th century clothing
production. Stages of flax production and wool carding are demonstrated. Participants are
provided an opportunity to attempt several textile processing components.
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