Spring 2024 Booking Now!

April 8th - 11th
April 15th - 18th
April 22nd - 25th
April 29 - May 2nd

Students engage in four hands-on experiences in the nation's most extensive collection of log cabins.
During a field trip to Hart Square, students will spend 30 minutes at each station listed below.  

Authentic experiences are held outdoors and in the Sigmon Family Education Center. Our field trip day runs from 9:30 a.m. to 1:15 p.m.

Students - $15
Chaperones - $20 (Limited to 50 per day)
School Staff - Free

Your Day at Hart Square

Herb Gardening and Seed Starting
The herb garden was planted for cooking herbs and plants that provided purposes of medicine, fragrance, and dye. Plant placement was informed by two rich traditions, including the 17th and 18th-century European gardens and Native American practices. Gardening is a huge part of life today as well. Come connect the past to the present with our talented herbologist. 

Square Dancing Station
Journey into the past and learn square dances, step dances, reels, and other dance forms practiced in Southern Appalachia. These distinctive folk dances are the culmination of the many heritages that settled in this region. Folk dancing today is built on the European, African American, and Native American traditions of our past, but they are very much alive in the present.

Pinch Pot Pottery
Venture centuries back in time and learn about the area’s first peoples (the Catawba people) and their earthenware traditions. Follow the history to the early 19th century, when European settlers began creating alkaline glazed stoneware made from the clay of the Catawba River Valley. Learn the still-active and vibrant artistic tradition while joining it with your hand-crafted pinch pot.

Carolina Life Cabin Tour 
On a behind-the-scenes look at Hart Square Village, we will explore several cabin interiors, learn about the tools and inventions of the nineteenth century, and experience daily life for this area's inhabitants and settlers. Hart Square’s historic log cabin collection is the largest in the nation, and during this station, you will get a sample of what it was like to live in Early America. We will engage in many compare and contrast exercises as we look at life then and now!

Meet the Artists

Judy Sigmon - Herbal Exploration and Gardening

I am from Bethesda, MD, and attended N.C.S.U., where I received my B.S. in Horticulture and met and married my husband, Bill Sigmon.  I moved to Newton and opened a greenhouse/growing business in 1981. 
As a Master Gardener volunteer and trainer, I spent time as an adjunct professor of horticulture at C.V.C.C. in the late ’80s and ’90s.  We sold most of our gardening business in 2006 while Bill continued his landscape and irrigation contractor business under Carolina Sunshine Landscaping.  I learned new skills and shared my passions by teaching about herbs, art, gardening, science, and nature to all age groups.  I’ve been married 43+ years have two daughters and three grandchildren.  I have also led the “Art For All” programs at the Hickory Museum of Art (an outreach program of art classes).
I have volunteered at Hart Square for the past ten years as an Herb Gardener.

Debra Zimmerman - Pottery

I'm a potter and mosaic artist and have been creating art for most of my life.  Having moved to Catawba Valley 10 years ago, I have spent the better part of that time dedicated to the craft of clay.  My unique and whimsical pottery and stained glass mosaics can be found at local art shows, gift shops, and galleries under my business name ‘Groovy Girl Art Studio’.  With a desire to educate and inspire others, I teach pottery and mosaic classes in area schools, community businesses, and in my home studio which I share with my husband, Dale who is also a potter.

 

John Post - Pottery

John Post has more than 30 years of experience in pottery and teaching. He and his wife Scottie started their Hog Hill Pottery
Studio in 1993, just a few miles from Hart Square. They have participated in demonstrations at the Hart Square Festival and in various workshops and classes in and around Catawba County.

 

Melessa Moody - Square Dance Caller

 

Bio coming soon!

Tonya Faulkner - Village Tour Guide

 

Tonya is from Gastonia, NC. She taught elementary and middle school for many years. In 2016 she took her first hearth cooking class at Ramsours Mill and discovered a love for history and specifically historic cooking. After retiring from her teaching career Tonya has pursued volunteer work at many historic sites including Hart Square and also does face painting at community events. She loves the opportunity to share her passion for history with others.

Rick Monroe - Village Tour Guide

 

My name is Rick Monroe, and I am very excited to be at Hart Square today and to have the chance to talk about the Village and pioneer life in frontier North Carolina. I’ve lived in North Carolina all my life. Now, I live in Cornelius but grew up in Asheboro. My family has been in North Carolina since the late 1740s. I have been very interested in history, especially local and family history for many years. In college I studied history, economics and government. I have been interested in pioneer life and cabins ever since my seventh-grade English teacher handed me this book (The Foxfire Book) and said, Ricky, you’re a Boy Scout and into all this outdoor stuff, you’d like this book.” I was hooked. I’ve built a cabin on our old family farm, I’ve learned about wild edible foods and surviving in the wilderness. I’ve traced my ancestors back to the 1500s in Scotland and have learned a lot about this stuff and really enjoy sharing what I know, especially with interested young people.

Why Hart Square Village for our field trip?

Hart Square is the nation's largest collection of historic log cabins. When students visit the Village, they are not just walking through a museum. They interact with artists and tradespeople at work and gain a deeper appreciation for the living traditions that are still an integral part of our North Carolina communities. We specialize in hands-on activities, ensuring that every child has a unique piece they have hand-crafted to take home with them. We cap our daily student admission to 200 so your students can have a more intimate and memorable experience. 

Refund Policy
In the case of cancellations, refunds will be offered up to 10 business days prior to your booking.  Full refunds will be offered for school closures due to inclement weather or COVID-related outbreaks. Once your final count has been received we cannot offer partial refunds for changes in student numbers.