The Blog of Colonial Williamsburg
The pour of the light three infantry cannon is scheduled for June 23, with the 24th as a rain date. Since we are melting a much larger quantity of bronze than in the past coehorn pours, we do not know how long the process will take, but we hope to pour late in the afternoon. That said, we’ll tap the furnace when the metal is ready, and that will be hard to predict.
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May offers guests the unforgettable sight of the flowering dogwood, the state flower of both Virginia and North Carolina, a sure sign of spring in Virginia. George Washington referred to the white and pink dogwoods (Cornus florida, C. florida rubra) and the redbud (Cercis canadensis) as his “clever trees,” because of their ephemeral beauty and diminutive size.
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It was in Williamsburg, Virginia, that American independence – and democracy – took root. Based on Colonial Williamsburg’s acclaimed street theater program, Revolutionary City tells the story of Williamsburg during the American Revolution.
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No, the cannon project hasn’t become a flash in the pan. We’ve just been on hold to get some other things done while we wait out this winter.
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In March, the earliest spring blooming bulbs begin their color burst. Expect to see crocus, hyacinth, and narcissus begin to bloom, depending on the warming of the month. Spring starflower (Ipheon uniflorus) and Star of Bethlehem, with their white flowers striped with green, (Ornithagalum umbellatum and O. nutans) are very familiar to our return visitors.
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Gardeners are harvesting the last of the sweet potatoes from several kitchen gardens in the Historic Area. According to Colonial Willliamsburg garden historian Wesley Greene, the use of the sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas) in Virginia predates the use of the white potato by about one hundred years.
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Colonial Williamsburg’s landscape department sustains the rich genetic heritage of plants by saving seed varieties. Ongoing research enables the department to locate plant varieties appropriate to the 18th-century. Once the seed is procured, it is carefully planted and tended with the intent of eventually harvesting and saving more seed for future generations to use.
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The pour on August 26 went smoothly. We followed several suggestions offered both by Colonial Williamsburg tradespeople and experienced founders from outside the Foundation. Before the pour, the mold was fired in a modern pottery kiln at the College of William and Mary (Brad, thank you!) to approximately 1500-1550 degrees Fahrenheit. This resulted in a much more “ceramic-like” material, with all the fiber and any remaining wax burnt out of it. That eliminated several variables. We eliminated two others by using a modern flux and degasser. When the furnace was tapped, the flow of bronze appeared to be less viscous than that of our first attempt, and the material itself was a bright, gold color. A bit of the initial flow was diverted from the mold cavity.
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In October and November, seasonal flower beds change from summer annuals to winter-hardy annuals which are over-planted above tulips. In the spring, the effect is one of a multi-layered composition with tulips blooming above a groundcover of hardy annuals.
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