Claude Moore Colonial Farm

Claude Moore Colonial Farm
Location within Virginia.
Established	1973
Location	6310 Georgetown Pike, McLean, Virginia
Coordinates	38°57′13″N 77°09′09″W / 38.953611°N 77.1525°W / 38.953611; -77.1525
Type	Living museum
Public transit access	Route 123 Dolly Madison Boulevard & Potomac School Road Metrobus stop.
Website	1771.org

Claude Moore Colonial Farm, originally Turkey Run Farm, is a U.S. park in Virginia recreating and reenacting life on a tenant farm c. 1771. Turkey Run is the only privately run park in the U.S. National Park Service (NPS). The Friends of Claude Moore Colonial Farm at Turkey Run Inc., a privately funded foundation, pays for all activities on the farm, while the land is owned by the NPS. They receive only certain maintenance tasks from the Park Service.^[1] The Farm is located in Langley, Virginia, a suburb of McLean, Virginia, next to the George Bush Center for Intelligence and the Turner-Fairbank Highway Research Center. Market Fair events are held at the park.

The mission of Turkey Run is to recreate the life of 1771 tenant farmers. The vast majority of Virginians in 1771 were tenant farmers who grew tobacco to pay their rent and grew food to eat. By contrast, Colonial Williamsburg demonstrates the life of the small upper crust — merchants and landowners.

History

Male and female turkeys at the Claude Moore Colonial Farm, Langley, Virginia

Originally named Turkey Run Farm when it opened in July 1973 as a National Park Service operation, it was renamed in 1981 for local land developer, Dr. Claude Moore, whose large bequest at the time of his death allowed the farm park to establish itself as the only autonomous site in the park system. It takes no NPS funding and operates off of the dividends of its endowment, volunteer run fundraising efforts and donations from the public.

The Farm operation has expanded its facilities over the years. The GateHouse Giftshop was built to replace the old on-your-honor admission fee drop box and an event deck and the Bounty Garden were all added at the front parking lot during the last decade. Post 9-11, a new access road was cut through the upper pasture so that access to the farm office no longer passes through the security gate of the Federal Highway Administration headquarters, behind the CIA grounds. "Chez Puce," formally the site of the farm's alternating book and "garage" sales, became a full-fledged, used book store , open Wednesday through Saturday, in 2011.

Park operations

Turkey Run is run by a small paid professional staff, supplemented by many volunteers both behind the scenes and in costume. The interpretive staff, including pre-teens and teenagers who portray the farm children, demonstrate 1771 farm life, including field work, crafts, cooking, and other special activities. Staff (including volunteers) use "first person" to demonstrate living history and help visitors feel as if they've stepped back in time. The Farm's heirloom crops and heritage breed livestock are carefully researched to provide as accurate an atmosphere as possible.

The Farm has also cooperated with Fairfax County in providing work-release parolees with court-required employment. On a working farm, this means labor.

Market Fair

Musical entertainment at the Market Fair at the Claude Moore Colonial Farm

The highlight of the year is the Market Fair, held the third full weekends of May, July, and October. The Market Fair is enhanced by the participation of a cadre of long-time volunteers who man the stands, including a blacksmith, cabinet maker, milliner, herb and flower seller, a toy store, scriptorium, puppet theatre, potter, chair bodger, chicken roasting, a tavern and more. The importance of the tavern in Colonial life is captured on the sign displayed therein: "Beer is proof that God loves us, and wants us to be happy. —Benjamin Franklin."

Many of the participants are members of American Revolutionary War and other re-enactor groups and appear at other colonial historical events. The gathering and threshing of wheat and the preparation of the tobacco crop are annual events. A colonial Wassail, including the blessing of the orchard, is the final event of the season, in mid-December.

Schedule and events

The Farm is open to visitors (including school groups) Wednesday to Sunday, 10 AM to 4:30 PM from the beginning of April to mid-December. An admission charge of $3 for adults or $2 for children and seniors applies, and memberships are available which permit free admission to the Farm and all 18th-century events including Dairy Day, Salting Fish, Herbal Remedies, Wheat Harvest, Tobacco Harvest, Pickling Produce, an 18th-century Wedding, Spinning and Dyeing Day and more. Market Fairs, The Farm Skills Program, Environmental Living Center programs and occasional 18th-century themed workshops have additional admission charges. The Farm's current Calendar of Events and other information can be seen at the website, .

References

↑ "NPS Closes Virginia Farm It Provides No Resources, Staff To" , Director

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Claude Moore Colonial Farm Park.

Protected areas of Virginia

Federal

National Parks	Shenandoah

National Historical Parks, Historic Sites & Monuments	Appomattox Court House NHP Arlington House Booker T. Washington NM Cedar Creek and Belle Grove NHP Claude Moore Colonial Farm Colonial NHP Cumberland Gap NHP Fort Monroe NM George Washington Birthplace NM Harpers Ferry NHP Maggie L. Walker NHS

National Military Parks, Battlefields & Battlefield Parks	Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania NMP Manassas NBP Petersburg NB Richmond NBP

National Cemeteries	Alexandria Arlington Balls Bluff City Point Cold Harbor Culpeper Danville Fort Harrison Fredericksburg Glendale Hampton Hampton VA Poplar Grove Quantico Richmond Seven Pines Staunton Winchester Yorktown

National Parkways	Blue Ridge Parkway George Washington Memorial Parkway

National Trails	Appalachian Trail Captain John Smith Chesapeake NHT Overmountain Victory NHT Potomac Heritage Trail Star-Spangled Banner NHT

National Wildlife Refuges	Back Bay Chincoteague Eastern Shore of Virginia Mason Neck Featherstone Fisherman Island Great Dismal Swamp James River Nansemond Occoquan Bay Plum Tree Island Presquile Rappahannock River Valley Wallops Island

National Forests	George Washington and Jefferson

USFS National Recreation Areas	Mount Rogers National Recreation Area

Other NPS Areas	Assateague Island National Seashore Chesapeake Bay Gateways Network Prince William Forest Park Wolf Trap NP for the Performing Arts

Wilderness Areas	Barbours Creek Mountain Lake Priest Ramsey's Draft Rich Hole Rough Mountain Saint Mary's Three Ridges

National Estuarine Research Reserves	Chesapeake Bay

State

State parks	Bear Creek Lake Belle Isle Biscuit Run Breaks Interstate Caledon Chippokes Plantation Claytor Lake Douthat Fairy Stone False Cape First Landing Grayson Highlands High Bridge Trail Holliday Lake Hungry Mother James River Kiptopeke Lake Anna Leesylvania Mason Neck Natural Tunnel New River Trail Occoneechee Pocahontas Powhatan Sailor's Creek Battlefield Shot Tower Shenandoah River Sky Meadows Smith Mountain Lake Southwest Virginia Museum Staunton River Staunton River Battlefield Tabb Monument Twin Lakes Westmoreland Wilderness Road York River

State forests	Appomattox-Buckingham Big Woods Bourassa Browne Channels Chilton Woods Conway-Robinson Crawfords Cumberland Devil's Backbone Dragon Run Hawks Lesesne Matthews Moore's Creek Niday Place Paul Prince Edward-Gallion Sandy Point Whitney Zoar

Natural Area Preserves	Antioch Pines Bethel Beach Big Spring Bog Blackwater Buffalo Mountain Bull Run Mountains Bush Mill Stream Camp Branch Wetlands Cape Charles Coastal Habitat The Cedars The Channels Cherry Orchard Bog Chestnut Creek Wetlands Chestnut Ridge Chotank Creek Chub Sandhill Cleveland Barrens Clover Hollow Cowbane Prairie Crow's Nest Cumberland Marsh Dameron Marsh Deep Run Ponds Dendron Swamp Difficult Creek Elklick Woodlands False Cape Folly Mills Creek Fen Goshen Pass Grafton Ponds Grassy Hill Grayson Glades Hickory Hollow Hughlett Point Johnsons Creek Magothy Bay Mark's and Jack's Island Mount Joy Pond Mutton Hunk Fen Naked Mountain New Point Comfort North Landing River Northwest River Ogdens Cave Parkers Marsh Parramore Island Pedlars Hill Pinnacle Poor Mountain Red Rock Mountain Savage Neck Dunes Unthanks Cave William B. Trower Bayshore Wreck Island

Wildlife Management Areas	Amelia Big Survey Briery Creek Chester F. Phelps Cavalier Chickahominy Clinch Mountain Crooked Creek Dick Cross Fairystone Farms Featherfin G. Richard Thompson Game Farm Marsh Goshen and Little North Mountain Hardware River Havens Hidden Valley Highland Hog Island Horsepen Lake James River Land's End Mockhorn Island Pettigrew Powhatan Princess Anne Ragged Island Rapidan Saxis Stewarts Creek T. M. Gathright Turkeycock Weston White Oak Mountain

Other

Registered Historic Places in Virginia	Virginia Landmarks Register National Register of Historic Places listings in Virginia Bridges National Historic Landmarks

Coordinates: 38°57′13″N 77°09′09″W / 38.95361°N 77.15250°W / 38.95361; -77.15250 (Claude Moore Colonial Farm)

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