Quoits, Anyone? The History of an American Pastime
Next week, the country will commemorate the adoption of the Declaration of Independence in 1776. 241 years ago, the original thirteen American colonies declared themselves a new nation – the United States of America. Whether it be political ceremonies or barbecues and parades, there are many ways we honor the history and traditions of our nation.
Next week, the country will commemorate the adoption of the Declaration of Independence in 1776. 241 years ago, the original thirteen American colonies declared themselves a new nation – the United States of America. Whether it be political ceremonies or barbecues and parades, there are many ways we honor the history and traditions of our nation.
As many of us pull out cornhole, horseshoes or the croquette
set this weekend, let’s dive into the history of the game of quoits, an
extremely popular game during the founding of our nation. In our opinion, we’d
like to see it overtake cornhole to once again be a favorite BBQ pastime!
Quoits has origins in ancient Greece and was picked up by
the Roman conquerors and spread throughout Europe. According to the United States Quoiting Association, quoits
originally came to America in the 1700s with the early settlers from England.
The game consists of throwing a metal ring towards a spike to either land on or
near it. It was considered a more sophisticated lawn game in comparison to
horseshoes, which was played by commoners.
John Marshall, fourth Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of
the United States, was a renowned quoits player in Richmond. Playing quoits
during Court Days was a popular pastime in Virginia, which may be how he became
such an excellent player1. The John Marshall House has a set of quoits that are a reproduction of the
original set Marshall would have possessed.
Marshall was a member of the Buchanan Spring Quoits Club
(also known as the Richmond or Fairfield Sociable Club), which consisted of 30
elected members, including the city’s leading merchants, politicians and
professional men2. The group met every Saturday afternoon from May
to November at Reverend John Buchanan’s farm and the men were no strangers to having a
good time. They feasted on barbecued pig and drank punch and juleps. Talking
about politics was strictly prohibited at these gatherings. Rule breakers were
punished by Marshall with a hefty fine – alcohol.
Historic Richmond Foundation has revived this historic pastime,
with the Quoit Club. Membership includes social gatherings and an all-access pass to
Richmond’s history through members-only tours inside of the city’s most
interesting buildings and locations.
At the John Marshall House, you can play a game of quoits in the garden when you
come for a visit! There is a pit set up outside and the house has a modern
quoits set for you to throw. The John Marshall House is open Friday, Saturday
and Sunday, March through December.
Preservation Virginia wishes you a happy and healthy
Independence Day weekend!
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment