Thursday, October 15, 2015
Two Rivers Marina Lunch and Friendship Hill National Historic Site Tour

We started the day with lunch at the Two Rivers Marina. You couldn’t have asked for a better day. It was beautiful on the river and lunch was excellent. 

Then it was on to Friendship Hill. The Park Service offered us our own day and the special Top to Bottom Tour that included those areas of the house that are not open to the public. Brian Reedy, the Chief of Interpretation at the historic site, conducted the tour.

The Top to Bottom Tour actually started in the basement where we learned, among other things, that the chains weren’t really for slaves but for the racks (now gone) that held the wine bottles! After that it was up the stairs to learn about the construction of the original house. 

From the first floor, we walked the original stairs to the second floor and onto the porch (really the balcony) that is usually closed to the public. We learned that Lafayette didn’t really speak to the crowd from the upper balcony – it didn’t exist at the time of his visit. 

To get to the third floor and garret, we had to walk the beautiful cantilevered stairwell – cantilevered meaning anchored at only one end – hugging the wall with space between us. The stairwell is breathtaking and never open to the public – neither is the third floor – so we felt especially fortunate to see that part of the house. The garret, by definition a small, dismal attic room, was small and filled with modern equipment. But, you just wanted to sit down on the steps and soak up the history.

We had a pleasant lunch with congenial company, a fascinating tour with knowledgeable guides, and beautiful sunny weather. We had good food, a good group, and a really good day!