Hale Farm & Village brick makers demonstrate the traditional method of making bricks before the industrial revolution. In October, the air-dried bricks are fired using the same method Jonathan Hale used to produce the bricks of the Hale House.

Through the 1830s, most basket makers in the Western Reserve were men, with few exceptions. The demand for production and repair became so intense the trade approached full time proportions. Baskets were manufactured from hardwoods such as white oak, hickory, ash or buckeye.

During the 19th century, spun wool provided rural families with thread for clothing, blankets and various woven items manufactured for personal use or traded with neighboring families for goods and services. Skilled interpreters demonstrate using period appropriate materials producing textiles similar to those made in the early Western Reserve.

Most Western Reserve families during the mid-19th century manufactured candles by dipping outdoors or in the kitchen. Yearly supply of candles was between 200-250 with a capable housewife making 200 in one day. Candles were typically made in autumn for two reasons: candles were usually made from tallow and cool weather was ideal for candle making. Tallow (animal fat) was abundant in the fall due to butchering.

Known as gaffers during the early 19th century, these men reenact the important early Western Reserve industry of glass manufacturing. There were several glass factories in operation in Ohio during the 1820s and 1830s, including the Franklin Glassworks in Kent, Ohio; established in 1825 as a manufacturer of hollow glassware. A rich supply of fuel, raw materials and a rapidly increasing population made Ohio a choice market for glass. Pieces produced by Hale Farm & Village glass blowers represent styles appropriate to the early 19th century Western Reserve.

To purchase Hale Farm original handblown glass, click here.