A SUMMER DAY IN CHESTNUT SQUARE

It can be a really cool thing to do spending a day being a tourist in your own city or town!

 

The History of Chestnut Square

 

In November of 1973, Joan Palmer Hughston organized a small group of women to preserve a sample of McKinney’s historic heritage. Those in attendance at that first meeting were Joan’s mother-in-law, Margaret Hughston, Martha Schubert, Frances Caldwell, Nan Dyer, Irene Hay Thomas, Frieda Comegys, Lucy Burkett and Ethel Holt.

 

Their first project was to host a Christmas tour of homes.  Margaret Hughston's home on Howell Street represented A Children’s Christmas.  Joan Hughston’s home on Louisiana depicted A Victorian Christmas. Ethel Holt showed her farm house as A Farm Christmas.  Martha Schubert’s represented A Family Christmas and Nanette Boyd’s home depicted A Modern Christmas.  That first Christmas Tour was a huge success.

 

The financial rewards enabled the group to purchase the Dulaney home and the adjacent Dulaney cottage on Chestnut Street. These homes became the foundation of what we today call Chestnut Square Historic Village.

 

In 1974 the Heritage Guild of Collin County was formed to perpetuate the preservation of Chestnut Square Historic Village.

  

As I was looking back at photos of last summer, to remind myself of what we were doing one year ago, I came across our afternoon touring the historic center of our city, known as Chestnut Square!

For some reason, I don't think I ever posted about what a fabulous day this way with the grandchildren and Miss M as we visited this area for the very first time. One thing I vividly remember is how HOT, HOT, HOT it was this day!

Chestnut Square Historic Village is a collection of six historic homes, a replica of a one-room school house, chapel and store on 2.5 acres just south of the downtown McKinney square.  The grounds also include a blacksmith shop, smoke house, and beautiful chapel and reception gardens.  The buildings include period artifacts showing how people lived in Collin County from 1854-1920. 

There is an annual "ice cream crank-off" with a top prize awarded to the best homemade ice cream! This building welcomes you to the tour. They have a vast collection of ice cream makers! I think the children thought they would sit for awhile and cool off before heading out to complete the tour!

I loved that they allowed you to take pictures inside each home!

The children were well behaved and I think were amazed at how small and rustic homes were back in their great-great grandparents day!

They host various childrens camps in summer featuring different activites. Each camp will include a textile art such as weaving, knitting, cross stitch, pillow making and quilting. They also play period children’s games and practice home living to reflect the time period. The children learn to square dance, churn butter, make pies, cornbread and soap. They enjoy tea and scones mid-morning! Isn’t this a wonderful week to have children take a peek into the past, rather than sit inside with cell phones in their hands!

This is one of the camps being held last July!

Weren't these little girls just precious!

It was obvious to me they were having a ball as they scampered off giggling!

This tiny house was actually a former bed and breakfast for travelers!

Miss Abbie! 

She could not get over the fact that there was a bedroom

as soon as you walked in the front door.

We stopped at Dixie's Store to feed the babies....I adore goats....just love em'!

Would you believe, I would love to have a stove like this!

I remember my grandmother's icebox was very similar to this one!

What a treasure to have this period stove still in the house!

I love this shot......so Americana!

Hope you enjoyed the tour today!