Went to Mizzou’s chestnut festival held at its horticulture and agroforestry school’s farm near New Franklin, Missouri today.  Nice event.  Very fall festival-like atmosphere with booths from different agricultural vendors.  Plus… HISTORY!!!  I’m a big history buff, and the farm is the site of a brick home built back in 1819.

This place was amazing!  To think that some guy put together this brick house (one of the oldest intact brick homes in the state), and it’s still in good enough shape that visitors can walk through it with no worries blows me away!  Look at the oak wooden beams.  Those are ORIGINAL!

You can also see the original logs used for floor joists.

In the holes in the plaster on the wall, you can actually see individual horse hairs they used to make the plaster stronger.  It’s always cool when you can put your hands on something from so long ago.  I think it gives you a better connection with the time.

Once again, this house was amazing when you consider it was a two-story, 1800 square foot building built when there was no Lowe’s down on the corner to pick up a load of bricks and lumber.  The guide said the nails used to hold together the wooden beams in the rafters were actually wooden pegs.  That shows you how little they had on what was the western frontier at the time.  Must have been quite a sight to see in an area that had very few other buildings of its kind.  MU is looking to fully restore the place.

The chestnut festival was cool, too.  Tasty wine, beer, and chestnuts to sample.  Plus, the weather was perfect.  How can you beat that.

“I’m just saying…”