Historic Washington State Park / 16-FEB

On Thursday, 16-FEB, Rosie and I left HSV and headed southwest on I-30 to Washington, AR.  Since Washington is further south, we expected to see daffodils.  Also, this was the weekend for their "Pioneer Day" activities.

As a little background, Old Washington Historic State Park shows what life was like in Washington, AR, from 1824 (when the town was established) until 1889.  The park visitors’ center is an 1874 courthouse.  There is also an 1836 courthouse, a blacksmith shop, weapons museum and multiple historic residences.  Washington was also the capital of Arkansas during part of the Civil War when the Yankees invaded Little Rock.

Here's the 1874 Courthouse:

One of the first things we saw in the courthouse was a quilt collection (very old!).  Here's a neighborhood quilt.  Each flower represents a family.  The names of the family members start in the center and go out with successive generations. 

Another neat quilt was the "war quilt."  Supposedly, a lot of the material came from Civil War uniforms.  It sure looks that way.

Upstairs was the courtroom.  The wood was really neat.

Here's one of the historic houses.  It wasn't open while we were there.

Here's the local church, the oldest Methodist church in Arkansas:

A docent is helping a homeschooler learn to weave.

Inside a local merchant's house, the table was set with really Blue Willow china.

The local blacksmith was making a knife.  Looks like hot and hard work!  Old Washington is the home of the Bowie Knife.

Following a rain the night before our trip, most of the daffodils were a bit droppy, but still beautiful.

If you're ever in southwest Arkansas, take time to visit Old Washington State Park.  It's a short trip from the interstate and well worth the time.  Also, lunch at the local tavern is delicious.