Warning: You’ll never look at old floors the same way again.

Last Updated on June 20, 2024 by Michelle

My wide pine flooring is patriotic.

No, my old farmhouse floors aren’t red, white, and blue. In fact, in some places the centuries-old planks are horribly worn, with no stain at  all. But their age and width tell me they’re patriotic. Our New Hampshire farmhouse was built right after the Revolutionary War.

 

The American History Story You Haven’t Heard

It turns out that one of the little riots—virtually in my backyard—that started that giant war isn’t talked about much today.

Maybe because it was in a backwoods NH town…

Maybe because the story of the Boston Tea Party, filled with masquerade and delicious-smelling bay water, is, well, more eventful to write about in textbooks…

I don’t know why this story about the Revolutionary War and old farmhouse floors isn’t well known, but it should be.

Old Farmhouse Floors & the King of England

It’s the story of a common, determined mill owner who said “no” to the King.

The British crown wanted more tall, strong masts for their navy, so England asserted that the colonists only use the puny pine trees. The grand ones—12 inches or greater in width—were off limits.

Ebenezer Mudgett, and others who stood with him, said “no.” They said Mudgett had every right to provide the best products for his customers, hand hewn from the finest lumber that North-American-made had to offer. He refused to pay exorbitant fines for lumber in his own backyard, while the king gave him nothing in return. Nothing but forced taxation without representation.

So in typical New England-head-strong fashion, most NH homes suddenly had 12-inch-wide pine plank floors.

Our home has 12-inch-wide pine boards throughout the first floor. Well, except the mere 9-inch-wide boards (yes, that was tongue-in-cheek) in what used to be the carriage house portion of our house.

Not sure what an old New England carriage house area is in the old farm houses? Yeah, I didn’t know either. I explain what a carriage house is right here. Or join me for a live tour, via fb, right here.

This post contains affiliate links. Go here to read the full (ultra fun) legal disclosure about that.

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See more of my floorboards, and find out the 3 Secrets Old-Home Owners never told you here.

Find out the best way EVER to clean a braided wool rug–the best options ever on old wood floors, no?–in this post.

Wanna know where you can find all kinds of beautiful, rustic treasures to make any home feel farmhouse-ish? You will LOVE this site. But be forewarned, you may get lost there for a few minutes. I know I always do.

 

This post contains affiliate links.

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Patriotism was Fashionable

I love it that patriotism was fashionable; as it should be today. We live in the most wonderful nation on earth, guys, started by a bunch of folks (including some head-strong mill owners) who were determined to do the best humanly possible with an experiment in democracy.

For the average home owner in New England, at the turn of the 18th century, their patriotism showed under their feet, and wide pine floors were the rage. With every step on their wide-plank pine boards, the colonists were asserting their voices for freedom.

Not surprising coming from the first colony to declare its independence. The pine tree went on to become a well-known symbol of Colonial ire. With prideful obstinance, they even depicted the pine tree on the flags flown on colonial warships.

Throughout the colonies, people knew of the common mill owner in a small New England town who took a stand, inspiring many others to do the same.

So when I traverse my patriotic floors, every now and then I will think about all the head-strong men and women who take a stand every day for our freedoms in this great nation.

I’m going to remind my daughters of how thankful I am for so many who have gone before me, bravely taking steps against oppression. And I’m thankful for my floors, worn and scratched as they are, that remind me of something very important. There comes a time that everyone—simple mill workers, tired moms, everyone—needs to take a stand.

Other Articles About our Old Farmhouse:

Some of the old doors & how we converted one to a room divider

How we refinished our old farmhouse floors

Some fun old bottles and other relics we’ve found on our homestead

The 3 Secrets Old Home Owners Won’t Tell You

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“Remember this and stand firm, recall it to mind… remember the former things of old.” Isaiah 46: 8-9.

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