Living History Association

Program interpreters will meet your students at the front door of the beautiful facilities of the Matterhorn Inn located in West Dover, Vermont, in the Mount Snow Region for a colonial program encompassing the Revolutionary War or a Civil War. Classes begin between 9:00 a.m. and 10:00 a.m. with interpreters dressed in authentic period attire of either the Revolutionary or Civil Wars. They will then guide students to the Early American Lecture Hall, where students will off load their gear and be orientated about the site, grounds, galleries, rest rooms, meals, overnight accommodations, schedule, and basic rules. Students must bring the following items: a change of clothes, a sleeping bag, blankets, a pillow, flashlights, water-resistant shoes and rain gear, and long pants and long sleeve shirts for cool nights. If snacks are desired, students should bring them. (Only a limited amount will be provided.) Students must bring a box lunch and beverage for their first meal.

Once the students are oriented, they will be brought to their camp location where they will be instructed on how to erect several authentic tents of the time period which they have come to learn about: This is where they will sleep. No fire pits are allowed in the camp area. After the tents are erected they will bring their sleeping gear to their tents. (Most are 3-5 person tents. It is highly recommended that teachers form groups for each tent prior to arriving at the Inn.) Once settled in, it's more orientation and box lunch time.

Sample Schedule of Activities

(Note: schedule can be altered if conditions call for it)

Day 1

  1:00 p.m. — Students will discuss the basic facts, causes, and effects of the war with the interpreters. Hands on experience with artifacts and reproductions.
  1:30 p.m. — Students are divided into two groups: one to learn about artillery, the other about infantry. Class features the use of artifacts and reproductions.
  2:30 p.m. — Groups switch places; class is repeated.
  3:30 p.m. — Break, snack is provided (cookies and lemonade).
  4:00 p.m. — Barrel hoop race, wood collecting, water drawing, fire starting, help with dinner.
  4:45 p.m. — Break (Suggested hike around Stueger Rd. Teachers are encouraged to bring balls, etc. for an outdoor game.) followed by a hot period meal (stew, bread, etc.) in the dining room, or by their tents followed by another break.
  7:15 p.m. — Reassemble for a short discussion while a fire is being tendered outside. Followed by a cannon and musket firing demonstration and a period sing-a-long or storytelling. Marshmallows are encouraged. Bring snacks.
  9:00 p.m. — Students will have a video presentation followed by a short story and then are dismissed to their tents. Students will be moved from place to place and organized as soldiers would be for each activity. Very light play acting required all day. Snacks.
 11:00 p.m. — Lights out (hopefully).

Day 2

  7:00 a.m. — Hot breakfast of eggs and sausage. Break to pack up sleeping gear.
  8:15 a.m. — Discussion followed by a second more detailed audio visual presentation. Students read letters that they, as soldiers, would have sent home.
  9:15 a.m. — Drill, tactical march, skirmish and retreat, with mock battle to capture a bridge, all with with wood (generic) training muskets. (Highlight of the field trip.) Students are divided into two teams.
 11:30 a.m. — Rest, build a fire, talk about their stay, reflect with students. Explore the grounds.
 12:00 p.m. — Lunch meal will be typical field rations: dried fruits, hard tack, etc. (Sounds bad, but the students love it.) Students can take hard tack home as souvenirs. 
 12:30 p.m. — Time allowed for visit to the LHA gift shop. Many small ($1 to $5) items are available as well as books, video and audiotapes, etc. 
  1:30 p.m. — Ready to head for home.

All new: Overnight Field Trips at the Matterhorn Inn, Route 100, in West Dover, VT

This is a beautiful Inn with 4 acres of spacious grounds, a full dining facility, outdoor swimming pool, campfire area, rest rooms, overnight rental accommodations (if needed), lecture hall/video room, LHA gallery space, lots of space for period tents and demonstrations, a babbling brook with a snowmobile bridge across it, and a nearby dirt road loop that is great for hiking. Police, fire and rescue stations are all right next door. Today the Living History Association is holding both Civil War and Revolutionary War overnight field trips at this site. Students and teachers camp in authentic tents, take their food from an open fire, and classes are held in a large period style tent or a lecture hall inside the Inn. Water, restrooms, and dinning assistance is provided via the Inn. Emergency phone service is on site and the services are steps away.

LHA interpreters give a day and a half of hands on experiences and lectures in period attire using all manner of reproductions and artifacts: A main event is military drill with wooden muskets and a short sham battle. Program can include sessions with costumed interpreters from the Bennington Museum and/or side trips to area museums and historic sites such as the Bennington Museum, Bennington Battle Monument and Battlefield, Park McCullough House and so on as long as transportation remains available. Please tell us if this is what you want to add to the program as we will have to redesign the schedule or add a full or half day to get everything in. Costs would be higher to include admissions fees to attractions, and so on.

Overnight Camping Programs at the Fort at No. 4

At various times we have worked with the wood stockade Fort at No. 4 in Charlestown, NH to provide colonial and Revolutionary War programs. We fully utilize the fort buildings. These programs are negotiated by the LHA with the fort staff based on the fort’s availability and manpower to assist in the programming. Fort programs are generally 2 hours in length and the LHA interpreters add on the LHA program elements to provide a fuller two day experience. Program includes tacticals, open hearth cooking, and early settlement methods. For additional information see the information about guided field trips to the Fort here.

Programs can be tailored to your needs and budget, but generally run $85 per student. Cost for adults is $50 each.

Matterhorn Inn Info

For information about the Matterhorn Inn contact: Mr. Joe Kruszewski, Owner, Matterhorn Inn, P.O. Box 1763, 248 Route 100, West Dover, Vermont 05356, (802) 464-4676 or (888) 657-5488, e-mail MatterhornInnVT@aol.com, web site: www.MatterhornInnVT.com

LHA Membership Info

To become a member of the Living History Association and receive our newsletter, which includes schedules of reenactment events, interesting historical stories, and information on other lectures and workshops, e-mail the LHA or call 802-368-7913.