On the Eastern States Exposition grounds is a reconstructed 19th century New England village, comprised of antique buildings brought from various states in the Northeast about 70 years ago and assembled around a typical village green. New England was mainly agricultural at that time, and even in the villages most people had their own cows and other livestock. The village green, often referred to as the town common, was a central feature of most settlements and provided grazing area for domestic livestock. The steepled white building served as church and meeting house. Regular church services are no longer held here, although it is still the site for weddings. In fact, there was one here this very weekend. The large yellow building on the left is a tavern that still operates as a restaurant. We've had a number of nice meals there, including a family gathering in honor of our oldest son's high school graduation. The reddish building to the left of the meeting house now holds a gift shop and village offices, but it was once someone's residence, and it still has the original irregular glass in the windows. To the right of the meeting house is another smaller red building, and that's the one-room schoolhouse--boys sitting on one side and girls on the other. Classes from the local schools sometimes spend a day there for a living history lesson. Other buildings around the common include several residences, a blacksmith shop, a general store, and a lawyer's office.

For about three weeks every September, the Eastern States Exposition, better known as "The Big E," attracts people from all the surrounding states for one of the largest agricultural fairs in the country. It features the usual farm fare, a midway, crafts of all types, state exhibits, lots of food, parades, and big-name entertainment. The large crowds and traffic jams also disrupt our driving and shopping patterns, but it remains one of the hallmarks of our community. In case you're wondering why no one else is around, it was only 25 degrees F this morning, and I was the only fool out there, freezing my fingers to get a few pictures.