The Printing Press

Crafting the Next Generation of Pioneers

Cultural traditions, arts, and trades are what breathe life into the 200 to 300-year-old structures at Hart Square Village. It is what turns material culture into living history. Hart Square Foundation is committed to preserving and sharing traditional arts and trades through creating learning opportunities that give students the opportunity to engage in hands-on history.

Hart Square provides field trip programming that emphasizes traditional arts and trades, science and agriculture, and history immersion. Custom field trip experiences are offered in the spring, fall, and winter seasons. Students move through a series of five rotations featuring a variety of subjects, including pinch pot pottery, quill pen letter writing, blacksmithing, Appalachian music, heritage herb gardening, corn husk doll making, and more.

Thanks to the generous support of the United Arts Council of Catawba County, Hart Square has employed working artisans who make the majority of their living wage on their craft. Many of our craftspeople have gained regional and national acclaim for their artistry, and field trip programming gives students the opportunity to observe these artists and tradespeople at work, gaining a deeper appreciation for early American pioneers through hands-on activities. We have found that this exposure encourages students to pursue trades-based learning and understand how historic craftsmanship is part of our present-day workplace.

Spring field trips are in full swing at Hart Square Village, and fall field trip bookings are now available.  Learn more about our next season of field trip programming here:  https://www.hartsquare.com/k-12-field-trips/fall-field-trips-2023.

This project was supported by the United Arts Council of Catawba County through the North Carolina Arts Council, a division of the Department of Natural and Cultural Resources, with funding from the State of North Carolina from the National Endowment for the Arts.