April 27 - Yesterday we also visited Homestead Heritage Traditional Crafts Village. A traditional crafts village at Brazos de Dios of homesteading community, Homestead Heritage is a 510-acre community. This community is a Christian agricultural settlement. Brazos de Dios is the home for many farmers, craftsmen and their families. the aim of Homestead Heritage Farm is to demonstrate the possibility of deriving a family’s food needs from a small farm. At the same time, it serves as a teaching and research facility for homesteading subject and related essential skills. This place is a working homestead that consists of animal pens and corrals, pastures, a huge area for horse farming, a vineyard, berry patch, an orchard and almost everything you can see in a farm.
Homestead Farms Deli & Bakery features daily lunch specials, smoked barbecued brisket, deli-style sandwiches made with our original whole wheat breads and real homemade ice cream. They even have wood-fired brick oven breads. The place was packed when we visited.
The Barn was built by Dutch settlers during the early 1800’s. The restored barn now showcases the work of our community craftsmen. This two-story Dutch-English structure stands as a unique testimony to barn architecture—its 200-year-old chestnut and oak frame still secured with the original hand-cut mortise and tenon joints, locked in place by oak pegs.
Inside you’ll find our handcrafted furniture and accessories plus hundreds of one-of-a-kind heirloom gift items—pottery, wrought iron, quilts, handmade brooms and baskets, mesquite shepherd’s lamps, wooden cutting boards and spoons, oil lamps, beeswax candles, natural soaps, needlework, original watercolors, cards, children’s storybooks and homesteading how-to’s as well as Homestead Farms specialty foods and Homestead Gristmill Baking Mixes.
Paul loved the ceiling. He said he could live in this place.
It had so many neat homemade items.
Wow…this took Marsha back to her earlier days. She used to love making these. How many of you had made these for your mom and every relative and friend you had?
Neither of us ever heard of this. Do you?
They did have homemade brooms.
Now here is the real dozy. We have never heard of pine needle baskets until Marsha started to make them. Just guess what they had here…YEP…pine needle baskets. They were really nice.
The Potter’s House was filled with beautiful pieces of pottery all made right in this building.
The Gristmill had millers who operate the water-wheel-driven mill to produce fine flour for baking. The gristmill is housed in the 1750's timber-framed "John Mott Mill."
Recycle pond water is used to run the water-wheel.
For those who love woodworking, Homestead Furniture provides an opportunity to watch the experienced craftsmen and their apprentices to demonstrate carpentry skill.
They have a beautiful garden.
We found a gentle pair of mules that Paul couldn’t resist to touch.
Marsha could.
They also had a Heritage Furniture, Silversmith, and Fiber crafts. It was a wonderful visit. One of those “must see” places when visiting Waco.
Thanks for stopping by, Hope to see y’all back real soon. Have a great day!
