Mary Schmidt Hartman (Character Details)

Brief Character Description

Christiana Maria “Mary” Schmidt Hartman was a second-generation German-American woman from the middling class who settled into the demanding role of a wartime housewife. Her husband, Major Peter Hartman, and her sister-in-law, Abigail Hartman-Rice, were prominent figures in the local community and the operations at the Yellow Springs hospital complex. For our purposes, Mary should be portrayed as a mature matriarch in her late middle age. An actress anywhere from her early fifties to her early sixties would be appropriate for the role.

Character Background in the Summer of 1778

By the summer of 1778, Mary Schmidt Hartman was a 56-year-old wife and mother whose reality was dictated by the grueling domestic labor required to sustain a family during the Revolutionary War. Born in Germantown to a family from the Rhineland-Palatinate region, she married Peter Hartman in 1760 when she was 38 and he was just 20. Together, they raised a large family, including their 13-year-old son, Johan “George” H. Hartman, who was actively serving as a drum major in the Continental Army. While her husband was away serving as a major in the Pennsylvania militia, where he was tasked with transporting provisions and hauling wounded soldiers from Valley Forge, Mary managed their household economy in Berks County under strict wartime scarcity. Although she was not an official civilian nurse like Abigail, Mary supported the war effort through intense domestic production, preserving food, and processing homespun materials, occasionally traveling down to the Yellow Springs hospital complex to visit her husband when his military duties allowed.

Character Physical Description

Mary was a woman of deep German heritage who was 56 years old during the summer of 1778. The image above is a photo mock-up of what we believe she may have looked like based on our research. We are looking for actresses whose appearance closely matches Mary’s mature, hardworking stature, with medium brown hair and hazel eyes, though matching her exact hair and eye color is not essential. Decades of managing a colonial household and farm labor would give her a strong, practical posture appropriate for a middle-class woman of her era.

Costume Details

• Plain linen shift (underdress) worn beneath the outer clothing as a sweat-absorbing base layer.
• Lightweight, breathable indigo-dyed or unbleached linen short gown (a loose, T-shaped thigh-length jacket) suitable for the humid Pennsylvania summer.
• Simple, un-hooped linen or lightweight wool-blend petticoat (skirt) tucked up slightly at the waist for mobility.
• Full checkered linen utility apron to protect her skirts during daily household chores.
• A thin, breathable white linen or cotton fichu (neckerchief) pinned around her neckline to protect her skin from the summer sun.
• Hair pulled back neatly and covered completely with a tidy, close-fitting white linen German-style cap (Haube) reflecting her cultural heritage.
• No makeup and no jewelry, aside from a simple wedding band if desired.
• Plain knitted linen stockings.
• Sturdy leather shoes with low heels and simple metal buckles or ties.
  • TLDR: Mary’s clothing should appear clean, sturdy, and well-worn, reflecting the practical life of a mature, middle-class German-American housewife. Avoid bright colors, fine silks, lace, elaborate embroidery, or fashionable upper-class accessories. Overall appearance should be modest, highly utilitarian, and appropriate for a woman spending her summer managing a wartime household.

We can assist with costuming depending on sizing. Regardless of sizing, we have accessories available for Mary.

Interested in acting as Mary in our Town Tours and Village Walks Event in 2026?

Please click through to this form, select Mary from the dropdown menu, and fill out the rest of the form! We will be in contact with you shortly!

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