Heritage Skills for Contemporary Life

Nearly twenty years ago Beth Miller moved with her husband and four young kids from suburban New Jersey to a 200-year-old Federal period house and barn in rural Maine. She didn’t garden, she didn’t keep chickens or bees, she didn’t know how to preserve food, and she didn’t know how to make soap or hook rugs. She embarked on a journey to learn these heritage skills that have been largely forgotten, and today she owns and operates Parris House Wool Works, a traditional rug-hooking company serving both crafters and end buyers. It is also a working village homestead and workshop where she practices and teaches heritage skills, including all aspects of gardening, beekeeping, rug hooking, preserving, and soap making. Seasons at the Parris House is separated into seasonal sections and includes historical context and homestead related activities for each season, plus instructions for a set of related projects and recipes.