I’ve never been one to turn down a free trip so when I had the opportunity to visit Blennerhassett Island virtually all expenses paid, I jumped on the chance. This historical island has been on my list of places-to-see for quite some time so I was thrilled. What can I say… photographing old buildings makes my heart happy.
I appreciate and enjoy learning history; however, I’m certainly no history buff (by any stretch of the imagination). And my lack of retention was slightly embarrassing when it came to remembering any details of this location. To be fair, I believe it was eighth grade history when we covered it. Nonetheless, it was interesting to learn all over again while seeing it in person, and listening to the various docents dressed in period clothing.
Our exploration began by embarking on a sternwheeler riverboat to reach our destination in the middle of the Ohio River. We naturally chose to sit up top to take in the sights and feel the wind and sunshine on our faces. Not long after we started on our course, the captain himself came over and asked Olivia if she would like to drive the boat for a minute. She was too shy to take him up on the offer, but we did get her to sit in the captain’s chair – and I steered. (Don’t worry, it was just briefly and I didn’t crash.)
After we reached our destination, we decided on the horse-drawn wagon tour as our first activity. While the driver and staff weren’t dressed in period clothing like the rest of the island’s guides, I was highly impressed with the amount of information presented, and really enjoyed the guided tour of the island. In fact, I think it was my favorite of all the interpretations of the day. And the horses were most impressive! I swear; they followed voice commands better than most children I know…
Next, we went on a tour of the Blennerhassett mansion. The house was of course gorgeous, huge, and the interior was ornate. I suppose it’s always intriguing to see how the wealthy live, even long ago. While the mansion is actually an exact reconstruction (due to a fire in 1811), it was just as impressive as I imagine it was originally. It was especially interesting to see the kitchen and how things were done back then. – I seriously can’t fathom having to wait an hour for a cup of coffee, or having my sugar for it under lock and key. I now have a whole new appreciation for my Keurig… and Krogers.
We also took a tour of the Putnam-Houser (“Maple Shade”) House which was actually brought to the island via barge, all in one piece in 1986. While not nearly as extravagant as the Blennerhassett mansion, I found this house was more captivating due to its history of being the home to five generations of families, withstanding a move across the river, as well as being an original and hearty construction.
As we wrapped up our adventure we made one last stop at another important structure – although not a historical landmark – the concession stand. We grabbed some snacks for the journey home and enjoyed our treats on board the sternwheeler. (Olivia later told me that was her favorite part haha.) In all, it was a fun and interesting trip. I was more than happy to wield my camera at any, and all, historical buildings (big surprise there).
If you’re at all interested in visiting Blennerhassett Island, I highly encourage you to check it out. However, I recommend brushing up on some history before going. The docents really do a great job, but given the time period and the many mysteries/conspiracies surrounding the island, I feel that some things were perhaps glossed over or missing. (Of course there’s only so much information you can pack into a short speech.) In any case, it’s a neat place to visit, especially for a family outing or a school field-trip.
PS: Be sure to click the links within the post to learn more about the locations.
Behind the scenes funny fact:
In Harman Blennerhassett’s office there was a large glass bowl with a paper cover on top of it that was secured by a string. We inquired about its significance and were told that it would have contained leeches for medicinal purposes. The use of leeches was not a new fact to us, but it still makes one cringe… And on that note, did you know that leeches are still used today in modern medicine?
Another behind the scenes fun fact:
You might have noticed that the attic windows on the Maple Shade house are angled rather peculiarly. These are called witch windows. It was believed that witches couldn’t fly their broomsticks into the house if the attic windows were diagonal.
