Revolutionary Rock Ford

This past weekend we enjoyed an excellent encampment at Rock Ford Plantation in Lancaster, Pennsylvania.  Prior to our plans to attend this year's event, most of the members of our regiment had never heard of this lovely property and we were as excited to learn about the place itself as we were to be part of this large reenactment weekend.  Below is a review of the encampment; a separate post about the plantation home will follow soon.

Rock Ford Plantation in Lancaster, PA
June 2012

We arrived on the property early Saturday morning, hoping to enjoy breakfast with our regiment before the public hours began.  It was a picturesque drive along the lovely fields of rural Pennsylvania to the Lancaster County Park property.  We had some initial issues reaching the site due to a bunch of misleading signs and mutiple closed-off entrances to the park, and then some additional troubles with parking.  In the end, we all arrived in camp a little frustrated and sad to have missed breakfast, but at least we were able to get a good chuckle out of our story for the remainder of the weekend.

The Continental camps at Rock Ford Plantation

June 9, 2012

Besides the initial parking issue, we all had a wonderful time!  It was quite warm on Saturday, but luckily overcast enough throughout most of the day to keep much of the direct sun off of us.  The encampments were set on the beautiful grounds of the Lancaster County Park which surround the Rock Ford estate.  The grounds not only provided us with some gorgeous, scenic strolls, but also an ideal camping area.  The staff and volunteers organized this event superbly and provided both reenactors and visitors with an exceptional experience!  It was also lovely to meet some of our blog readers over the course of the weekend (hi!) and we are so glad that you stopped us to say hello!

Saturday morning we all headed to the sutler area for one of our favorite pastimes - shopping!  With about two dozen sutlers selling all types of 18th century wares, almost everyone in our group came back to camp with some purchase.  Predictably, I spent most of my shopping time with Burnley & Trowbridge and purchased some stunning changeable silk taffeta.  Rebecca also found some silk for a petticoat, in a color she has been looking for, and a new printed neckerchief.  In the afternoon, the ladies enjoyed some quiet time in camp together discoursing on fashion and plans for upcoming distaff events, while the men headed to the battlefield.

Preparing for battle at Rock Ford Plantation

June 9, 2012

Since we are both still fairly new to the reenacting community, we are continuously learning more and more about the ins and outs and skills of camp life.  Preparations for Saturday dinner provided us with an excellent opportunity to practice our cooking skills.

Some members of our group were a little skeptical of Rebecca's cooking skills.

June 9, 2012

After dinner clean-up, many of us opted to change into better (and dare I say, cleaner!) attire for the evening festivities.  We all assembled at the Rock Ford Barn where we were met with snacks and refreshments.  Inside, some found a reprieve from the heat and enjoyed the displays of rifles upstairs (many of our men were excited to have the opportunity to handle some of the originals).  Outside, under a large tent, we all gathered at tables and enjoyed each others company and the sounds of a lovely group of musicians.  We were also fortunate to have some dancing that evening and I thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity to dance with some men in uniform!  ;-)

Clothing demonstration at Rock Ford Plantation.

June 10, 2012

The heat and humidity were more intense on Sunday, but it was still lovely to be outdoors enjoying our 18th century ambiance.  In the morning, we all joined a small crowd in front of the house for a clothing demonstration given by Lindsey of Adventures of a Costumer and Three Graces Historical Clothing.  During the demonstration, two ladies simultaneously dressed, one being a gentry woman and the other being a working woman.  Afterward, we enjoyed browsing the sutlers again before convening back in camp for our midday meal and to begin cleaning up.  This day we followed our men to the battle where they defeated the redcoats and we joined in cheering "huzzahs!"

Ashley washing up in camp.

June 10, 2012

If you would like to see some additional photos from our weekend at Rock Ford Plantation, please visit our set on flickr.  Also, stay tuned for an upcoming post about General Hand and our visit to his Rock Ford house.