Home > Calendar Select Month January February March April May June July August September October November December    Select Year 2007 2008 2009 2010       Scotchtown's Second Saturday- Candle Making Saturday, September 11 2010 at 10:00 AM - 5:00 PM Experience first hand how the Chiswells and the Henrys lit up the long winter nights by making candles the colonial way. Make your own candle to take home! Price: General Admission Location:  Scotchtown Contact:  16120 Chiswell Lane Beaverdam, VA 23015 804-227-3500 scotchtown@preservationvirginia.org    Our Living Legacies at Mary Washington House Friday, September 17 2010 - Sunday, September 19 2010 at 12:00 PM Tour the home where Mary Ball Washington, mother of our first President, lived for seventeen years. Among the period furnishings are some of Mary’s personal possessions, including her “best dressing glass” willed at her death to George. Then enjoy a leisurely walk through the garden which contains some original boxwood. Friday-Sunday, the exhibit at this property features many turn of the century items embroidered by one of three Greenlaw sisters. Florence (1871-1941), Grace (1874-1958, and Eva (1875-1965) were raised in Oak Grove, Virginia and did beautiful embroidery. Petticoats, bodices, robes, underdresses, doilies, napkins, and tablecloths will all be on display, along with an embroidered picture frame and a doll attired in an embroidered dress. We will have a “mourning locket” that belonged to one of the Greenlaw sisters as well as the book, “Needle & Hook”, from which the patterns were taken. On Saturday plan to visit the garden and kitchen where we will focus on families - women &children- left behind when the men went off to war. Civil War Civilians of Spotsylvania (CWCS) will be discussing what was going on in Fredericksburg in December, 1862 from a civilian perspective, as well as dancing during the day. Also on Saturday, Denise Benedetto of FREED (Female Re-Enactors of Distinction) will talk about how the Civil War affected those left at home, especially the African-American community. Sunday from 1-4 p.m. we once again welcome members of the Fredericksburg Spinners & Weavers Guild who will be on hand to demonstrate their craft. Hours: 11 am – 5 pm Fri. & Sat., 12-4 Sunday Price: Block ticket for 3 sites $10 Adult/$5 age 6-18 Location:  Mary Washington House Contact:  Myra Wiggins Administrative Assistant Mary Washington Branch Preservation Virginia Manager Mary Washington House 1200 Charles Street Fredericksburg, VA 22401 540-373-1569 mwhouse@preservationvirginia.org    Our Living Legacies at Hugh Mercer Apothecary Shop Friday, September 17 2010 Tour the Apothecary to learn of Dr. Mercer’s treatments for ills and injuries and stroll through the shop’s physic garden to learn about the medicinal plants Dr. Mercer would have used. The herbs you see in the garden would also have been used in the Civil War era by medical personnel and by families at home. During the Civil War not only public buildings but private homes became hospitals. Medical re-enactors will be here to demonstrate the state of battlefield care of the mid-19th century. There will also be Civil War era dancing during the day. Hours: 9 am – 4 pm Fri. & Sat., 12-4 Sunday Price: Block ticket for 3 sites Location:  Hugh Mercer Apothecary Contact:  Genevieve Bugay Manager Hugh Mercer Apothecary Shop 1020 Caroline Street Fredericksburg, VA 22401 540-373-3362 hmas@preservationvirginia.org    Our Living Legacies at Rising Sun Tavern Friday, September 17 2010 George Washington’s youngest brother, Charles, built this landmark in 1760 as his private residence. The building became a tavern in 1792. Today, “tavern wenches” and male “indentured servants” tell of a typical stay for upper, middling, & lower classes at a Colonial tavern. For the first time the Rising Sun Tavern will be presenting a program on the Civil War era in order to focus attention to another facet of our history. We are joining with other Civil War sites and organizations, and the National Park Service to take a closer look at how this war directly affected our property. Because the building was so close to the Upper Crossing, it was likely used as a field hospital. Displays will be set up Friday - Sunday and there will be living history enacted on the porch on Saturday & Sunday. There will be re-enactors, walking tours, dancing and refreshments of the period. Exhibits include artifacts discovered on site. In addition, you can see authentic implements of the war. Come and get a glimpse of Civil War Fredericksburg. Hours: 10 am – 5 pm Fri. & Sat., 12-4 Sunday Price: Block ticket for 3 sites Location:  Rising Sun Tavern Contact:  Jo Atkins Manager, Rising Sun Tavern 1304 Caroline Street Fredericksburg, VA 22401 540-371-1494 rst@preservationvirginia.org    Our Living Legacies at Hugh Mercer Apothecary Shop Friday, September 17 2010 - Sunday, September 19 2010 at 12:00 PM Tour the Apothecary to learn of Dr. Mercer’s treatments for ills and injuries and stroll through the shop’s physic garden to learn about the medicinal plants Dr. Mercer would have used. The herbs you see in the garden would also have been used in the Civil War era by medical personnel and by families at home. During the Civil War not only public buildings but private homes became hospitals. Medical re-enactors will be here to demonstrate the state of battlefield care of the mid-19th century. There will also be Civil War era dancing during the day. Hours: 9 am – 4 pm Fri. & Sat., 12-4 Sunday Price: Block ticket for 3 sites $10 Adult / $5 age 6-18 Location:  Hugh Mercer Apothecary Contact:  Genevieve Bugay Manager Hugh Mercer Apothecary Shop 1020 Caroline Street Fredericksburg, VA 22401 540-373-3362 hmas@preservationvirginia.org    Our Living Legacies at Mary Washington House Friday, September 17 2010 - Sunday, September 19 2010 at 12:00 PM Tour the home where Mary Ball Washington, mother of our first President, lived for seventeen years. Among the period furnishings are some of Mary’s personal possessions, including her “best dressing glass” willed at her death to George. Then enjoy a leisurely walk through the garden which contains some original boxwood. Friday-Sunday, the exhibit at this property features many turn of the century items embroidered by one of three Greenlaw sisters. Florence (1871-1941), Grace (1874-1958, and Eva (1875-1965) were raised in Oak Grove, Virginia and did beautiful embroidery. Petticoats, bodices, robes, underdresses, doilies, napkins, and tablecloths will all be on display, along with an embroidered picture frame and a doll attired in an embroidered dress. We will have a “mourning locket” that belonged to one of the Greenlaw sisters as well as the book, “Needle & Hook”, from which the patterns were taken. On Saturday plan to visit the garden and kitchen where we will focus on families - women &children- left behind when the men went off to war. Civil War Civilians of Spotsylvania (CWCS) will be discussing what was going on in Fredericksburg in December, 1862 from a civilian perspective, as well as dancing during the day. Also on Saturday, Denise Benedetto of FREED (Female Re-Enactors of Distinction) will talk about how the Civil War affected those left at home, especially the African-American community. Sunday from 1-4 p.m. we once again welcome members of the Fredericksburg Spinners & Weavers Guild who will be on hand to demonstrate their craft. Hours: 11 am – 5 pm Fri. & Sat., 12-4 Sunday Click here for the brochure Price: Block ticket for 3 sites $10 Adult/$5 age 6-18 Location:  Mary Washington House Contact:  Myra Wiggins Administrative Assistant Mary Washington Branch Preservation Virginia Manager Mary Washington House 1200 Charles Street Fredericksburg, VA 22401 540-373-1569 mwhouse@preservationvirginia.org    Our Living Legacies at Hugh Mercer Apothecary Shop Friday, September 17 2010 Tour the Apothecary to learn of Dr. Mercer’s treatments for ills and injuries and stroll through the shop’s physic garden to learn about the medicinal plants Dr. Mercer would have used. The herbs you see in the garden would also have been used in the Civil War era by medical personnel and by families at home. During the Civil War not only public buildings but private homes became hospitals. Medical re-enactors will be here to demonstrate the state of battlefield care of the mid-19th century. There will also be Civil War era dancing on Saturday. Hours: 9 am – 4 pm Fri. & Sat., 12-4 Sunday Click here for the brochure Price: Block ticket for 3 sites $10 Adult / $5 age 6-18 Location:  Hugh Mercer Apothecary Contact:  Genevieve Bugay Manager Hugh Mercer Apothecary Shop 1020 Caroline Street Fredericksburg, VA 22401 540-373-3362 hmas@preservationvirginia.org    Our Living Legacies at Rising Sun Tavern Friday, September 17 2010 George Washington’s youngest brother, Charles, built this landmark in 1760 as his private residence. The building became a tavern in 1792. Today, “tavern wenches” and male “indentured servants” tell of a typical stay for upper, middling, & lower classes at a Colonial tavern. For the first time the Rising Sun Tavern will be presenting a program on the Civil War era in order to focus attention to another facet of our history. We are joining with other Civil War sites and organizations, and the National Park Service to take a closer look at how this war directly affected our property. Because the building was so close to the Upper Crossing, it was likely used as a field hospital. Displays will be set up Friday - Sunday and there will be living history enacted on the porch on Saturday & Sunday. There will be re-enactors, walking tours, dancing and refreshments of the period. Exhibits include artifacts discovered on site. In addition, you can see authentic implements of the war. Come and get a glimpse of Civil War Fredericksburg. Hours: 10 am – 5 pm Fri. & Sat., 12-4 Sunday Click here for the brochure Price: Block ticket for 3 sites $10 Adult/$5 age 6-18 Location:  Rising Sun Tavern Contact:  Jo Atkins Manager, Rising Sun Tavern 1304 Caroline Street Fredericksburg, VA 22401 540-371-1494 rst@preservationvirginia.org    BACON'S REBELLION Saturday, September 18 2010 The Burning of Jamestown Bacon's Rebellion will be the focus of a special evening tour at Historic Jamestowne on Saturday, September 18. The evening walking tour will take visitors through the colonial town site and present the events leading to the burning in September 1676 of Jamestown, the 17th-century capital of Virginia. The program marks the anniversay of the rebellion which was a power struggle between two of early Virginia's strongest personalities, Governor Sir William Berkeley and Nathanial Bacon. The tour begins at 7:00 p.m. at the Tercentennial Monument overlooking the James River. Jamestown, the first permanent English settlement in North America, served as the capital of Virginia throughout the 17th century. In 1676, a major rebellion flared across the colony of Virginia in which citizens chose to follow Nathanial Bacon, the rebel leader, or Governor Berkeley, the crown's representative. The climax of the rebellion occurred on September 19, 1676, when Bacon and his followers set fire to Jamestown, nearly destroying Virginia's capital. During the Saturday evening walking tour, the details of this dramatic event will unfold as visitors experience the conflict through the "eyewitness" account of Thomas Matthew, a Burgess in 1676. The hour-long program will include a tour through the town site. Controlled fires will recreate the burning of Jamestown as it occurred on September 19, 1676. Visitors should wear comfortable walking shoes and bring a flaslight and insect repellent The event is jointly sponsored by the National Park Service and Preservation Virginia. Price: Included in the regular admission of $10 for persons 16 years of age and older. Children 15 years and under are free. Location:  Historic Jamestowne Contact:  (757) 229-1733 or (757) 229-0412 tpatton@preservationvirginia.org    Thomas Jefferson Branch Field Trip to Belmead Saturday, September 18 2010 at 9:30 AM - 5:00 PM Bus to depart from UVA Fontaine Research Park 400 Ray C. Hunt Drive, Charlottesville, VA Arrive for parking – 9:30 am Depart – 10:00 am sharp Return – 5:00 pm Seats on the bus are very limited. Please respond by September 10, 2010 by sending a check for $30 (includes bus, lunch at the mansion and tour) made out to “TJ Branch, Preservation Virginia” and mail to: Bethany Puopolo AIA P.O. Box 75 Charlottesville, VA 22902 Please include your name, phone number and email. PV members from all branches welcome! Questions? Bethany 434-295-8298 Price: $30.00 Location:  Belmead, a 2300-acre plantation, stands on the south shore of the James River in Powhatan County, VA. The site's Gothic Revival mansion house was designed by Alexander Jackson Davis in 1845. In the 1890s members of the Drexel family purchased Belmead and opened the St. Emma and St. Francis boarding schools for African-American high school students. The schools stayed in operation into the 1970s educating over 15,000 students in Booker T. Washington-style curriculum focused on the practical trades, agriculture, domestic science, and academic subjects. The site is still owned by the Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament, the Catholic religious order founded by Katherine Drexel. Large parts of the site have been placed in conservation easement and the tour will include a visit to the 1840 stone granary building. Professor Daniel Bluestone, Director of the UVA Historic Preservation Program, will lead the tour. We will have lunch in the Belmead mansion. Contact:  Bethany Puopolo AIA P.O. Box 75 Charlottesville, VA 22902 tel. 434-295-8298 bjcpuopolo@aol.com    John Marshall's 255th Birthday Celebration Friday, September 24 2010 at 10:00 AM - Sunday, September 26 2010 at 5:00 PM John Marshall’s 255th Birthday Celebration On September 24th, John Marshall would have been 255 years old. Since he was notorious for throwing a good party, we would like to celebrate by opening the house to the public with FREE admission all weekend! Join us for cake on Friday, the 24th. And, as a special treat, see the progress we are making on the interior restoration. We are currently restoring the rooms to all the original colors based on paint samples. This is a once in a life time opportunity to see the house in the midst of these changes! Open for FREE tours on Friday and Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and on Sunday from Noon to 5:00 p.m. As always, members admission is always free. Price: FREE Location:  John Marshall House Contact:  818 East Marshall Street Richmond, VA 23219 804-314-7530 johnmarshallhouse@preservationvirginia.org    Scotchtown Stargazing Friday, September 24 2010 at 7:00 PM Astronomy Night We will be stargazing in the fields of Scotchtown with the help of the Richmond Astronomical Society. Telescopes will be provided or you may bring your own. Dress for the weather. The gift shop will be open and hot coffee or cider will be offered for sale. Price: Free Location:  Scotchtown Contact:  16120 Chiswell Lane Beaverdam, VA 23015 804-227-3500 scotchtown@preservationvirginia.org PUBLIC LANDS DAY FREE ENTRANCE TO HISTORIC JAMESTOWNE Saturday, September 25 2010 at 8:30 AM - 5:00 PM America's Best Idea - the national parks - gets even better this year with several free days. Mark your calendar for fee-free days this year: June 5-6 August 14-15 September 25 (Public Lands Day) November 11 (Veterans Day)    Basketmaking 601 Saturday, September 25 2010 at 10:00 AM - 3:00 PM Saturday, September 25 from 10:00am - 3:00pm -- Basketmaking 601. Taught by Terry Nicholson. Come learn this timeless art and create a beautiful and unique basket for your home or as a gift. Terry Nicholson has carried on the tradition of basket making from his mother and has been teaching the art for over 5 years. Class fee includes supplies and complete instruction for one basket. It is suggested that class participants pack a light lunch. Price: TBD Location:  Smithfield Plantation Contact:  Historic Smithfield 1000 Smithfield Plantation Road Blacksburg, Virginia 24060 540-231-3947 info@smithfieldplantation.org    JAMESTOWN LECTURE SERIES Tuesday, September 28 2010 at 7:00 PM PRESERVATION AND EXPLORATION IN THE SHADOW OF JOHN SMITH SEPTEMBER 28 - 7:00 PM at the Kimball Theatre, Merchant Square, Williamsburg Sand, Loam and Sea Breezes: An Archaeologist’s View of Kikotan, Hampton Town and 400 Years of Dirt Hank Lutton Boston University Although Hampton’s present cityscape of concrete, glass, and asphalt belies its antiquity, the City of Hampton this year officially commemorated a remarkable anniversary: four-hundred years of continuous existence. Like many of Virginia’s urban places, the ravages of warfare, hurricanes, fires, and misguided urban renewal have all but eradicated the above-ground evidence of this once vibrant colonial port. Despite its integral role in the development of early Virginia, historians have largely avoided any systematic analysis of Hampton—and its predecessor, the now defunct Elizabeth City County—because an 1861 conflagration incinerated most county and vestry documents. Archaeology remains the only means available by which to recover additional evidence and develop more nuanced understandings of one of the busiest ports of colonial Virginia. This presentation synthesizes the history and major archaeological discoveries from the past forty years and will discusses the insights they provide into how the plantation landscape of seventeenth-century Kikotan was transformed into a burgeoning port town in the first decades of the eighteenth century OCTOBER 12 - 7:00 PM at the Kimball Theatre, Merchant Square, Williamsburg The Search for Sir Walter Raleigh’s Lost Colony: 1590-2010 Phillip Evans, Nick Luccketti, Dr. Eric Klinglehofer First Colony Foundation Since 1590, explorers, antiquarians, archaeologists, and historians have been searching for signs of Sir Walter Raleigh’s legendary 1587 “Lost Colony” on Roanoke Island in North Carolina. A remnant earthen fortification at the north end of Roanoke Island has long been believed to date from either the 1585 expedition or the Lost Colony of 1587, and it has attracted excavators since 1895 including Talcott Williams, J.C. Harrington in the 1940’s and 1950’s and other National Park Service archaeologists who undertook remote sensing and “ground-truthing” excavations in the 1980’s. Important work in the 1990s under the direction of Ivor Noel Hume discovered a metallurgical and scientific workshop of the 1585 colony. Since 2005, the First Colony Foundation has renewed research both on land and in the water around Roanoke Island. Several hundred feet from the earthwork, excavations in 2008 uncovered features that contained Venetian glass beads, aiglets, and a necklace of square copper pendants. Scientific testing of the necklace has identified the metal as European in origin, while geo-archaeological testing has shown that the landscape at the north end of Roanoke Island has changed dramatically since the 16th century. The First Colony Foundation is continuing its work on the island’s north end and looking to go even further afield in the coming year to search for evidence of Raleigh’s colonies that served as a prelude to Jamestown. OCTOBER 26 - 7:00 PM at the Kimball Theatre, Merchant Square, Williamsburg Finding People, Places and Things: New Archaeological Discoveries at Jamestown Dr. William Kelso Director of Archaeology Jamestown Rediscovery The site of 1607 James Fort, long thought to have eroded away into the James River, continues to produce clear archaeological evidence of the virtually intact earliest settlement plan and thousands of insightful artifacts. Both the remains of buildings and associated objects vividly offer a new perspective on the people who risked their purses and persons at Jamestown and on the native Virginia Indians. Current excavations by the Jamestown Rediscovery team in two areas at the center of the Fort, are defining the outlines of intriguing public buildings, essential components of the fortified town. Recent discovery of the “personal effects” of people for which biographies exist lends to making the documentary Jamestown experience vividly personal. All these new revelations and more will be presented in this richly illustrated presentation. Purchase Tickets Sponsored by Preservation Virginia and in part by The Wingfield Family Society Honoring Edward Maria Wingfield: Soldier, Investor and First President of Jamestown. Price: $12 per lecture or $30 for the whole series Location:  Kimball Theatre Merchant Square Williamsburg, VA Contact:  Kimball Theatre Box Office 757-565-8588 or 1 800 HISTORY Tom Patton Program Coordinator 757-229-0412 ext. 2 tpatton@preservationvirginia.org    ARCHAEOLOGY WALKING TOUR Thursday, April 1 2010 at 11:00 AM - Friday, October 29 2010 at 11:45 AM Join an APVA Preservation Virginia staff archaeologist on a 45-minute walking tour of the archaeological site inside of the rediscovered 1607 James Fort. Learn about the history of the on-going Jamestown Rediscovery archaeological project and receive news on the most recent discoveries. These tours are conducted at 11:00 AM, Monday through Friday from April 1st until October 29th, except for May 31st, July 5th and September 6th. Tours begin at the Tercentennial Monument behind the Visitor Center. These tours are jointly sponsored by Preservation Virginia and the National Park Service. Price: Included in Park Admission Location:  Historic Jamestowne Contact:  Tom Patton at 757-229-0412 tpatton@preservationvirginia.org    CURATOR'S ARTIFACT TOUR Wednesday, April 14 2010 at 3:00 PM - Wednesday, October 27 2010 at 3:00 PM Curator's Artifact Tours are conducted at 3:00 pm on the 2nd and 4th Wednesdays of the month from April through October. Tours start from the Visitor Center. Witness firsthand the recovery and processing of Jamestown Rediscovery artifacts. This 90-minute guided tour traces the trail of the artifacts from discovery to the museum. Your guide will lead you from the Visitor Center to the 1607 James Fort excavations where you can join in the "moment of discovery" as archaeologists unearth items that have not seen the light of day in 400 years. The tour then moves on to an exclusive, behind-the-scenes visit of the archaeological laboratory and vault for a rare look at the artifact collection, most of which will never go on public display. Here, a member of the Jamestown Rediscovery curatorial staff discusses how our artifacts are processed and conserved. Finally, explore the Nathalie P. and Alan M. Voorhees Archaearium museum where galleries of selected artifacts tell the story of Jamestown's early years through archaeology. Note: Due to limited space and the fragile nature of artifacts in the laboratory, this tour is restricted to 10 people. Children under 16 years of age must be accompanied by an adult. Portions of this tour are not handicap-accessible. Purchase Tickets Price: Tickets are $20 and can be purchased online or in the Historic Jamestowne Museum Store. Curator's Artifact Tour Tickets do not include the park admission fee of $10 per adult 16 years of age and older. Location:  Historic Jamestowne Contact:  Tom Patton at 757-229-0412 tpatton@preservationvirginia.org    IN THE TRENCHES TOUR Monday, April 19 2010 at 10:00 AM - Monday, October 18 2010 at 11:00 AM On the 1st and 3rd Mondays, April through October except April 5th, July 5th and September 6th. Join a small inside and up-close group tour of the Lost 1607 James Fort led by Dr. William Kelso, Director of the Jamestown Rediscovery Archaeological Project since 1994. Your reserved place in this special group allows you to come under the ropes to walk the surface of the ground once trod by Captain John Smith, Pocahontas and Queen Elizabeth II – now the very soil being dug by Historic Jamestowne archaeologists. You share the once in a lifetime “moment of discovery” as a part of America’s birthplace sees the first light of day in over 400 years. Tour members must purchase a tour ticket online in advance or in the museum store by 9:30 a.m. on the day of the tour. Tour members must dress according to weather predictions. Reservations and tickets are valid only on the date specified. There will be no refunds unless the tour is cancelled by Preservation Virginia. Purchase Tickets Price: $30 fee also includes same day admission to Historic Jamestowne Location:  Historic Jamestowne Contact:  Carrie Wiggins at 757-229-9973 or Tom Patton at 757-229-0412 tpatton@preservationvirginia.org    Old Cape Henry Lighthouse: Guided Historic Walking Tours Friday, May 28 2010 at 11:00 AM - Sunday, October 31 2010 at 3:00 PM Old Cape Henry Lighthouse staff will be offering daily historical walking tours. Participants will visit the site of the 1607 “First Landing” by Captain Christopher Newport, a nearby World War II bunker, and the Old and New Cape Henry Lighthouses as well as learning about the decisive Revolutionary War Battle of the Capes that took place in the waters off Cape Henry. Tours begin at 11:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. daily and last approximately 45 minutes. Admission fee of $3 per person. Price: $3 per person Location:  Cape Henry Lighthouse Fort Story, Virginia Beach Contact:  757-422-9421 Note to Our Visitors: The Cape Henry Lighthouse is located within Fort Story military base. To visit the lighthouse, you must pass through the security gates of Fort Story. Please have identification including a picture with you for all visitors aged 16 years or older. This ID should be a student or state or Federal issued ID card. The security personnel have the right to examine your car before issuing a pass to enter the military base and visit the lighthouse. While we apologize for the inconvenience, we respect the military's interest in force protection. The security guards are courteous and efficient, but please allow a few extra minutes for entry into the site. Thank you for your understanding and cooperation. capehenry@preservationvirginia.org