Bachmann After Dark

Join NCHGS for Bachmann After Dark, a special curator-led, after-dark tour of the 1753 Bachmann Publick House exploring the very real dangers, fears, and uncertainties of life during the American Revolution.

For those who lived through it, the Revolution was a frightening and uncertain time. Violence, spies, gossip, and divided loyalties could turn neighbors against one another, while the everyday threats of fire, poor sanitation, illness, and medical practices added another layer of danger to daily life.

As you explore the Bachmann Publick House after dark, discover how dangerous travel could be in the 18th century and learn about the additional fears women faced, both while traveling and while maintaining their homes and families during wartime. You’ll also delve into unsettling colonial medical practices, including bloodletting and tooth extraction.

The tour will also share the story of Ralph Morden, a man accused of treason against the revolutionary government and ultimately executed, revealing the serious consequences that questions of loyalty could carry during the Revolutionary era.

This is not a ghost tour. The stories told during Bachmann After Dark are rooted in historical evidence and supported by documents, photographs, transcripts, and other materials from the NCHGS archives. Sometimes, the truth is more unsettling than any ghost story.