Grantee Partner Spotlight: Historic Marbold Farmstead Association

What is a visit to the farmstead like, and what does it mean when you say you aspire to be a ‘living history’ center?

When people come to the Marbold Farmstead, the moment they step onto the property, there is something to learn about the past. We are not a complete farm or a huge property. But people are amazed to see what buildings are still standing: we have an icehouse that is in great condition. We have the remains of the boiler house that fed hot water through underground clay tile into the home’s radiators. This heating system was introduced in the late 1880s. We have some unique outbuildings, adjoined to the house known as the North annex – a wash house with a dairy room below, where milk was carried in to cool, an all-brick smokehouse, along with a carriage house, and a summer kitchen. 

The way these buildings join the house creates a courtyard. There is a covered walkway where the hired girls could go to and from the house, summer kitchen, and the wash house. That’s kind of unique.

People are amazed that it’s a brick home, too; typically, at that time, there weren’t that many brick homes. The architecture, the fine details are all impressive. Mr. Marbold wanted the exterior of the house to look grand, and it did. The interior of the home was nothing fancy, however very nice.

As people visit over a long period of time, they’ve witnessed the progress made over the years. They see the ceiling joists, which are hand-cut, in hard oak, the conservatory, which is unusual for a farm in central Illinois, and the parlor, now restored, and fully furnished, with a real hardwood floor, all thanks to our funders and benefactors. We’re very grateful to our financial supporters. There is more work to be done on the first floor. 

People are in awe of both the story and the home. 

Visitors can see where the barns once stood, the pump house, and other foundations so they can visualize the layout of the farmstead. The Marbold Farmstead was unlike others of the era. Even the chicken coop was architecturally unique with a fancy cupola on its roof; it is one of a kind, basically.

I’ve visited other historic sites – for instance, the Kline Creek Farm in DuPage County near Chicago, and the Wagner Farm in Glenview. But Marbold Farmstead presents a time period that the others don’t. Kline Creek was a dairy farm, not a full livestock farm, and not as big as Marbold. No other historic farms in Illinois feature the time period 1880 to 1910. So, as far as ‘living history’ – our desire is to save our agricultural heritage relevant to this period and educate current and future generations about farming and farm life.

A lot of your programming seems to be done with young people in mind. What do you do that is tailored to young people, and what have you learned about grabbing the attention and curiosity of young visitors?

We love telling the story to young people because if we fail to tell this generation and future generations about this time period, they will lose out on how farming and farm life were experienced in the past. We’re fortunate that we’re in a small community of just 700-800 people. The local school has been generous to let the students come to our site. We have a farm day each year, this year in September, when our students come. Students arrive in the morning and go back to school for lunch. 

Past Farm Days: We’ve done a range of displays and hands-on activities that children might not be familiar with. We’ve had a farmer bring sheep to show how old antique sheep shears are used to cut fleece. The kids are amazed at old tools. We’ve had ladies demonstrate a drop spindle, carding wool, and spinning and weaving. Children were able to use spindles, card wool, and weave on a loom. Children have churned butter, used an old corn sheller and corn grinder, demonstrating how we get cornmeal to make cornbread. Students were then able to taste the cornbread. 

We demonstrated the Civil War because it is relevant to the time period of the house. We’ve had reenactors come with horse and equipment and explain what it was like to be a Civil War soldier. 

We bring kitchen tools for students to try their hand at sifting flour, grinding coffee beans, and mashing cabbage to make sauerkraut. Students learned about canning food. Students watched cabbage being sliced on an antique cabbage cutter. The cabbage was placed in a crock where the students crushed the cabbage, beginning the process of fermentation. They’re intrigued because these processes are totally unfamiliar to them. We now have the summer kitchen in place, including a cast iron stove. We explain how the cast iron stove was used. Students try putting a cast-iron skillet into the oven and soon realize how labor-intensive work was for a lady in the kitchen.

We’ve had archaeologists come and dig in the outhouse. We found several interesting items left behind, however, they may not all be from the Marbold family, as the archaeologist thought there had been ‘privy pirates’ prior to our dig. Students learned about artifacts and their importance in how we understand how life was lived here. The wash house has an interpreter explaining about wash day – how women had to first pump the water, heat it on the stove, and then place it into tubs for washing clothing. Students are given the opportunity to try their hand at using a washboard. They soon learn how laundry was handled during the Marbold’s early years. 

Men, women, and children worked hard to live each day, another lesson for students to learn. People today lead a much easier life. We typically receive thanks from the students. It’s heartwarming to read what they liked most during their visit to the farmstead. It is a boost for our morale.

One of your remarkable accomplishments is the degree to which you work with and rely on volunteers. What secrets or tips do you have for others who are exploring ways to engage with and grow a volunteer pool?

Volunteers make the difference. I don’t care what kind of organization you have; volunteers are valuable. 

We rely on them for so many things, fundraising events, grounds work, house cleaning, gardening, and much more. Our board members are volunteers. We have no paid personnel. For me personally, I rely on family members - husband, kids, grandkids, sisters-in-law, and friends. They all help at the farmstead. And friends from the community and the surrounding area.

Phone calls are made to ask for help with a specific event or task. We now use social media to get the word out about an upcoming workday, but it’s mostly personal connections. We conducted a survey at an event asking individuals to define their strengths and interests in areas where they would like to help. The list provided some new individuals who had not volunteered before. 

For a large two-day event, we make phone calls to members and friends, give them a schedule, and ask ‘Where and when can you help?’ Recruiting people who have specific skills or experiences are folks we ask to help. Also, when a volunteer shows up, it’s important to have a plan in place. You need to know what you need done on a specific day and having a plan is important. We don’t want people to show up to help and no one knows what the plan is. It’s reaching out to people and not being afraid to ask. 

And, probably most importantly, we continually thank our volunteers.

Charlotte Wohler's Suggested Readings

• Interpreting Agriculture at Museums and Historic Sites by Debra A. Reid
• Living Historical Farms Handbook by John T. Schlebecker and Gale E. Peterson
• Midwest Open Air Museums Magazine
• Association for Living History, Farm and Agricultural Museums Bulletin

About Historic Marbold Farmstead Association

"History should be experienced, not just remembered."

The Historic Marbold Farmstead Association's mission is to preserve the Marbold family homestead as a living example of 19th-century farm life in central Illinois – educating, inspiring, and connecting generations through immersive storytelling and preservation. Its purpose is to...

• Preserve, restore, and rebuild the farmstead, including the house and remaining outbuildings as appropriate.
• Preserve the site in general as an interpretive agricultural and historical attraction circa 1880-1910; and share the uniqueness of this particular farm in sponsoring immigrants from Germany, which was instrumental in the growth of Greenview, Menard County, the State of Illinois, and the United States.
• Educate the general public about the historical significance, cultural, and agricultural heritage of the property through hands-on learning opportunities for children and adults.

Learn more and follow The Marbold Farmstead: Website  |  Facebook  |  Instagram  |  YouTube