Old Sturbridge Village

Old Sturbridge Village (OSV) is a living museum located in Sturbridge, Massachusetts, in the United States, which re-creates life in rural New England during the 1790s through 1830s. It is the largest living museum in New England, covering more than 200 acres (80 hectares). The Village includes 59 antique buildings, three water-powered mills, and a working farm. The museum is a popular tourist and educational field trip destination. Costumed interpreters speaking in modern language help visitors understand 19th-century life.

History

Before the village

Prior to European colonization, the Nipmuck people inhabited the Quinebaug region of which OSV is a part.

In the early 19th century, the land on which Old Sturbridge Village now stands was a farm owned by David Wight. The farm included a sawmill, gristmill and a millpond which survives to this day. The millpond, which still powers the mills, was dug in 1795.

In 1795, David Wight's son went to Boston to conduct some business on behalf of his father. While in Boston he bought tickets to the Harvard Lottery, which was set up as a fundraising technique for then Harvard College (now Harvard University) He won $5000 (equivalent to $75.6 thousand in today's dollars).. He gave his father money to pay off the mortgage on his farm and logged the timber of the cedar swamp which today is the millpond. After the logging was complete, they dug the pond with a team of oxen and a scoop. This entire process took two and a half years.