Hog Island sheep keep a curious eye on Park Ranger Dick Lahey as he grabs feed for the oxen at George Washington Birthplace, on Popes Creek in the Northern Neck. mwm

Volunteer Fred Bright feeds a group of Ossabaw Island pigs at George Washington Birthplace. Descended from Spanish pigs from the Old World, the pigs are among several kinds of heirloom animals at the national monument in Westmoreland. mwm

This Devon ox is one of several heirloom breeds at the first president's birthplace. Rangers are trying to stock the national monument with livestock breeds that were favored in the period when George Washington and his family lived there. mwm

National monument aims for historical accuracy in interpreting life on 18th-century farm

ROB HEDELT •   Rob Hedelt's archive •   E-mail Rob Hedelt

Date published: 12/2/2004

DICK LAHEY had a killer toothache, but the little bun- dles of energy scampering around his feet in the enclosed pen were so cute he couldn't help but smile.

"It would be nice to have that much energy," he said as the passel of red, black and white Ossabaw Island piglets chased their mother about the swine yard at George Washington Birthplace National Monument. "They're already getting bigger."

Lahey, farm manager at Washington Birthplace in Westmoreland County, isn't excited about the piglets just because they will generate interest for visitors to the historic attraction.

He knows they're just part of a program to reintroduce a range of heirloom and historic breeds to the birthplace.

With the help of partners as varied as Mount Vernon and a group of energetic 4-H students from the Northern Neck, the park will get piglets, turkeys, chickens, cows and other animals typical of the farm animals during Washington's era.

"It's impossible to know what sort of breeds would have been here during that time," said Lahey, noting that clear delineation of animal breeds didn't start until well after Washington's day.

But Lahey, who this year and next will take delivery of several Narragansett turkeys, said he and others on the staff have worked hard with all available sources to bring in animals as much like those of Washington's era as possible.

Take the turkeys, a cross of wild, American birds and turkeys brought to this country by English and European settlers.

Lahey and Washington Birthplace wanted to increase their poultry flock on the farm. But they don't have the manpower or the facilities to raise either turkeys or chickens from a young age.

That's where the partnership between the Birthplace and 4-H students in Northumberland and Lancaster County came into play.

The Virginia Tech Extension agent there, Wendy Herdman, said members of the local 4-H Bills and Beaks Poultry Club worked hard raising dozens of Dorking and Red Cap chickens and a handful of the Narragansetts over the past two years.

A select group of those were promised to the Birthplace to help establish the old-breed animals there.

While the partnership between the 4-H students and the Birthplace farm made perfect sense, another factor helped the project along.

Lahey and Herdman just happen to be married.

"When I heard Dick say he wanted to re-establish the poultry flocks, I knew it would be a perfect project for the students," said Herdman. "They've worked hard at it."

Frances Tucker, a 17-year-old member of the 4-H group, said the chickens were easier to raise, because the turkeys want to fly off as they get older. Pens needed netting atop them to keep that from happening.

Date published: 12/2/2004