Is your museum or site hosting an exhibition or event? Let us know and we'll post here!
The following events are listed in the order received. Many of these will not be seen in the usual re-enactor journals, but all look very interesting. If you have the chance, give these sites your support. As you can see, they have gone to a great deal of effort to provide interesting and relevant programs for their communities and the traveling public, in general. All of them have gift shops stocked with unique period themed merchandise, so you can pick up an unusual souvenir reflective of the past.
Thanks for your support of North America’s historical sites and musuems.
Jeff Wakefield (Sutler Cyrus)
297 Steinwehr Avenue
Gettysburg, PA 17325
www.GettysburgMuseum.com
May 1 & 2 – 21st PA Cavalry
May 8 & 9 – 7th South Carolina
May 15 & 16 – 21st PA Cavalry
May 22 & 23 – Gilmore’s Rangers
May 29 – 31 – 55th Virginia &
82nd Airborne (WWII Display)
June 5 & 6 – 87th PA Vol. Co. C
June 12 & 13 – 1st MD Cavalry Btn, CSA
June 19 & 20 – 47th VA &
82nd Airborne (WWII Display)
June 26 & 27 – 16th PA Vol. Inf. Co. G
July 2 – 4 – Civil War Heritage Foundation
July 10 & 11 – 21st PA Cavalry
July 17 & 18 – 31st VA. – Co. H
July 24 & 25 – 82nd Airborne (WWII Display)
July 31 & August 1 – 98th PVI, General Meade Society
August 7 & 8 – 42nd Mississippi
August 14 & 15 – 21st PA Cavalry
August 21 & 22 – 7th South Carolina
82nd Airborne (WWII Display)
August 28 & 29 – 16th PA Vol. Inf. Co. G
September 4 – 6 – 21st PA Cavalry
September 11 & 12 –Gilmore’s Rangers
September 18 & 19 – 55th Virginia
September 25 & 26 – 149th PVI
October 16 & 17 – 16 PA Vol. Inf. Co. G
October 30 & 31 – 55th Virginia
November 20 & 21 – Civil War Heritage Foundation
Canada Day
July 1: Canada’s Birthday Celebrations in Simcoe Park during the day and Fort George in the evening. Fireworks, music, food, cannon firing at the fort. Free admission to Fort George.
Echoes of Niagara's Past: A Timeline weekend
July 17/18: Be part of over 200 years of Niagara's military history and heritage, as living history re-enactors take the stage. From Loyalist soldiers and those of WWII, visitors can experience the sights and sounds of Canada's military past.
Loyalists and the American Revolution
July 31/August 1 - Re-enactors from across Ontario, and from the United States will gather at Fort George to portray British and Loyalist soldiers, and First Nations peoples who fought a war over 200 years ago.
Fife & Drum Muster and Soldier’s Field Day
August 14/15 - The sounds of fifes and drums, musketry and cannon firing fill the fort, as fife & drum corps and soldiers from historic sites across North America display their centuries old skills.
Scout Brigade of Fort George
September 18/19 - Thousands of Scouts from Canada and the USA camp on the Fort George Commons. The scouts study the War of 1812 and dress in home made War of 1812 uniforms and enact drills, parades and sham battles from history.
Ghost Tours of Fort George
Join us on a lantern tour of haunted Fort George. Hear the real life tales of encounters with things that go bump in the night. Sundays in May, June and September; Sundays, Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays in July and August. Special Halloween tours on the last 3 weekends of October; tickets sell out early! Tours leave from the parking lot. For more Info: 905 468-6621
Please see our website at www.FortTiconderoga.org for a complete calendar
March 5 Ticonderoga Ball
Hosted by the Black Watch Council in New York City.
March 13 National History Day North Country Regional Contest
Open to 6-12 grade students in Essex, Clinton, Franklin and Warren Counties.
May 20 Fort opens for the season
May 21-23 Fifteenth Annual War College of the French & Indian War
Experts on the Seven Years’ War in North America present their research in this two-day educational event.
June 19 Scottish Festival and Black Watch Memorial Ceremony
Pipe bands, Clan tents, Scottish merchandise vendors and music, parade and ceremony at the Black Watch Cairn.
June 26-27 Grand Encampment of the French & Indian War
Fort Ticonderoga’s annual Grand Encampment of the French & Indian War includes hundreds of reenactors, a daily battle reenactment, and special programs.
July 10 Officers’ Dinner Fundraiser
Experience an evening of good food and entertainment in an 18th-century setting. Period clothing encouraged! Call for an invitation.
July 25 Garden Party Fundraiser
Enjoy the King’s Garden in its full beauty with live music and hors d’ouvres. Wear your best garden hat. Call for an invitation.
August 7 Fife & Drum Corps Muster
Corps from throughout the region converge at Fort Ticonderoga for a full day of Fife & Drum music.
September 11-12 Revolutionary War Encampment
Units depicting the British, Continental, German, and Natives involved in the War for American independence encamp on the Fort’s grounds for the weekend. Battle reenactments and special programs daily.
September 24-26 Seventh Annual Seminar on the American Revolution
Speakers present topics relating to the American Revolution during this two-day seminar.
October 28-29 The Haunted Fort
Annual haunting of Fort Ticonderoga—not for the faint of heart!
July 31 - Aug. 1, 2010
North American War of 1812 Grand Tactical
315-646-3634, www.sacketsharborbattlefield.org
The 2010 selected Grand Tactical location is set for Sackets Harbor, NY. Experience life during the War of 1812 as living history re-enactors and sutlers from the US and Canada gather at the Sackets Harbor Battlefield State Historic Site Saturday and Sunday July 31st & August 1st. Bateaux add to the excitement and authenticity of the living history weekend. In its 7th year, the Site’s annual event draws crowds to historic Sackets Harbor, NY, one of the National Park Service designated top ten War of 1812 sites in the nation.
This is our big event of the year:
March 20, 2010, 10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Come out to celebrate the birthday of the Seventh President of the United States at his boyhood homeplace. Join us for a day of living history demonstrations to see what the Carolina Backcountry was like in Jackson's time. See traditional crafters at work. Listen to historians discuss the legacy of Andrew Jackson. Enjoy the beauty of the park as history comes to life before your eyes.
Andrew Jackson State Park
SC Department of Parks, Recreation, & Tourism
196 Andrew Jackson Park Road
Lancaster, SC 29720
Phone: (803) 285 – 3344
1444 Brattonsville Road, McConnells, SC (803.684.2327)
General admission (including the Walt Schrader Trails; special admission prices where noted): Adults, $6; Seniors, $5; Youth ages 4-17, $3; members and children 3 and younger admitted free. All programs, dates and fees subject to change.
Children’s Day on the Farm
10 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday, March 27, 2010
This family event focuses on farm life in the 18th and 19th centuries and is a fun, historic learning opportunity. Enjoy hands-on activities including children’s crafts, kids’ military drills, toys and games and live performances. Visit the museum’s newborn lambs and heritage breed animals and a 4-H petting zoo. Pony rides, tractor-drawn wagon rides and concessions available.
Cost Adult $10, Senior $8, Youth ages 4-17 $5, 3 and younger free. Members receive $2 discount.
Battle of Huck’s Defeat
10 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday, July 10, 2010
Battle reenactments at 11:30 a.m. and 2 p.m.
See how soldiers and civilians in the Carolina Piedmont survived the Revolutionary War in the Carolina backcountry.
Two significant battles will be reenacted including Huck’s Defeat at 11:30 a.m., which will take place near the actual site of the engagement. Historic music performances, firearms demonstrations, talks by noted experts, and camp life will be shown throughout the day. Younger visitors can explore the Children’s Encampment area and experience historic toys and games, take part in military drills and explore a Revolutionary War camp.
Cost Adults, $10; Seniors, $8; Youth ages 4-17, $5. Children 3 and younger, free. Members receive $2 discount.
By the Sweat of Our Brows
10 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 11, 2010
The African-American journey from enslavement to today will be shared through powerful theatrical presentations, shape-note singing performance and hands-on activities. Plantation descendants will lead bus tours of area African-American history sites. Traditional Southern food and handcrafted merchandise will be available for purchase.
Cost Adults, $8; Seniors, $6; Youth ages 4-17, $4; ages 3 and younger free. Members receive a $2 discount.
Civil War Reenactment
Oct. 23-24, 2010 Saturday 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Sunday 11 a.m.-4 p.m.
Step into the war that ravaged America through battle reenactments, cannon firing demonstrations, camp life activities, firearms presentations and children’s military drills. Shopping and food vendors. Battle reenactment will take place at 2 p.m. each day. Cost Adult, $10; Senior, $8; Youth 4-17, $5; ages 3 and younger admitted free. Members receive a $2 discount. Christmas Candlelight Tours 3-9 p.m. Dec. 4-5, 2010 Costumed interpreters will depict holiday life in various aspects from the practices of the settlers in the 18th century to those living on antebellum plantations, including the traditions of enslaved African Americans.
Cost Adult $12; Senior $10; youth ages 4-17 $6; 3 and younger FREE. Members receive $2 discount.
Ashley Barron
Public Information Coordinator
Culture & Heritage Museums
4621 Mount Gallant Road
Rock Hill, SC 29732
803-329-2121, ext. 140
Beall Dawson Historic Park/Montgomery County Historical Society, Rockville, MD
103 W. Montgomery Avenue
This one-room doctor’s office was built in 1852 for Dr. Edward Elisha Stonestreet of Rockville, who had just graduated from the University of Maryland medical school; he served as one of the town’s doctors until his death in 1903. During the fifty-one years of Dr. Stonestreet’s practice, medical knowledge and technology underwent many radical changes. The Stonestreet Museum displays medical and pharmaceutical tools, furniture, and books from the 19th and early 20th centuries, showing some of these changes.
The office was originally situated in the front yard of the Stonestreet home on East Montgomery Avenue. Some years after the doctor’s death the office was moved to the Rockville fairgrounds (now Richard Montgomery High School), and it was thus spared demolition during the city’s urban renewal project in the mid 20th century. In 1972, Dr. Stonestreet’s office was donated to the Montgomery County Historical Society and moved to the grounds of the Beall-Dawson House.
On the second Sunday of each month, first person interpreter Clarence Hickey portrays Dr. Stonestreet for the regular tours from noon-4p.m.
Debbie Rankin
Executive Director
Montgomery County Historical Society
111 W. Montgomery Avenue
Rockville, MD 20850
301.340.2825
LEGENDS & LEGACIES - July 17th & 18th
Discover why people make the place! Relive stories of the past at Rocky Mountain House with our special guests the Edmonton House Brigade re-enactors
BASTIONS & BONES - August 21 st & 22nd
From fur trade heights to ghostly ruins! Un-earth the amazing history of Rocky Mountain House that began over 200 years ago. From the towering bastions in its heyday to the archaeological discoveries of today you will be sure to dig it all!
Shelley Bird
Interpretation Coordinator
Rocky Mountain House National Historic Site
(403) 845-2412
www.pc.gc.ca/rockymountainhouse
April 10-11 War for Empire: 1760.
In early 1760, efforts to keep the peace between the Cherokee and English disintegrated into all-out war. The frontiers of both Carolinas and Virginia became the scene of ruthless, bloody encounters between the former allies. Join hundreds of soldiers, Native Americans, and civilians from the 18th century at Fort Dobbs as we look at this crucial time in our state’s history. Events include on-going demonstrations of camp life, military drill, and colonial trades, as well as a re-creation of the 1760 Cherokee attack on Fort Dobbs and scholarly lectures. 10a.m.-4p.m., Saturday and Sunday. School Day programming is available on April 9th. For more information, please visit www.fortdobbs.org.
October 2-3 18th Century Trade Fair.
The lives of many civilians on the Carolina frontier were disrupted by the French and Indian War. Join hundreds of soldiers, Native Americans, and civilians as they set up their camps near Fort Dobbs. Visitors can experience a snapshot of life on the edge of the British Empire in the 1750’s. The event will feature a re-created skirmish between Cherokee Indians and colonial militia, scholarly lectures, and on-going demonstrations of 18th century camp life and trades. 10a.m.-4p.m., Saturday and Sunday. School Day programming is available on October 1st. For more information, please visit www.fortdobbs.org.
Scott Douglas
Historic Interpreter II
Fort Dobbs State Historic Site
Thank you again for the great products and your support of historic sites.
John W. Guss, Site Manager
North Carolina State Historic Sites
Bennett Place State Historic Site
4409 Bennett Memorial Road
Durham, NC 27705
919-383-4345
All events are subject to change or cancellation. Please contact the site for confirmation.
February 27-28 Bennett Place Historic Site. TARHEELS: Soldiers of the Old North State. Living Historians will demonstrate life of the Southern soldiers who served the Old North State during the American Civil War. Visit with Confederate soldiers as they discuss and exhibit the uniforms and equipment of North Carolina soldier. Soldiers will be encamped around the Bennett Farm throughout the weekend. Program is Saturday 10am-4pm and Sunday 10am-3pm. Admission is FREE and donations graciously accepted. For More Information Contact: 919-383-4345.
April 10 Bennett Place Historic Site. Civil War Park Day. This is a national workday for volunteers to come out and support their local Civil War Historic Site. Projects include preparation for the 145th Anniversary Commemoration event and other preservation opportunities. Program is 10am-4pm. Admission is FREE and donations graciously accepted. For More Information Contact: 919-383-4345.
April 17-18 Bennett Place Historic Site. 145th Anniversary Surrender Commemoration. This commemorative event marks the largest surrender of the American Civil War, which helped reunify the United States. Visit Bennett Place where the generals convened to sign the papers, which made them prominent figures in history. Living history programs and lectures will be held throughout the weekend. Program is Saturday 10am-4pm and Sunday, 10am-3pm. Admission is FREE and donations graciously accepted. For More Information Contact: 919-383-4345.
May 15 Bennett Place Historic Site. Planting the Fields. Join the farm staff as they prepare for the spring planting season. Visitors will get to learn how the Bennett family and other North Carolina farmers made their living and trying to survive during the time of the American Civil War. Program is10am-4pm. Admission is FREE and donations graciously accepted. For More Information Contact: 919-383-4345.
May 20 Bennett Place Historic Site. Confederate Memorial Day (North Carolina Observance). Meet historical interpreters portraying Confederate soldiers. They will demonstrate the life of the soldier and discuss what Confederate Memorial Day means to them. Program is 10am-4pm. Admission is FREE and donations graciously accepted. For More Information Contact: 919-383-4345.
May 29 Bennett Place Historic Site. Memorial Day Remembrance. Memorial Day began in small communities, which recognized those soldiers who gave their lives during the American Civil War. Join Civil War soldier interpreters as they discuss the history and significance of Memorial Day. Program is 10am-4pm. Admission is FREE and donations graciously accepted. For More Information Contact: 919-383-4345.
July 17-18 Bennett Place Historic Site. Union Occupation in the Carolinas. Historically Reconstruction ended in North Carolina on July 4, 1868. Join Union soldiers at Bennett Place as they discuss the days after the surrender and Reconstruction in the South. Living Historians will demonstrate life of the Northern soldiers who served under General Sherman at the close of the American Civil War. Soldiers will be encamped around the Bennett Farm throughout the weekend. Program is Saturday 10am-4pm and Sunday 10am-3pm. Admission is FREE and donations graciously accepted. For More Information Contact: 919-383-4345.
September 25-26 Bennett Place Historic Site. Road To Secession. Experience what life was like for the people of Piedmont North Carolina during the beginning months of the Civil War. A recruitment station and encampment will be set up on the grounds of the Bennett Farm, much like camps established throughout North Carolina and the South, recruiting men to defend the Southern cause. 19th century civilian interpreters will enlist in the army and be transformed into soldiers. Other civilian interpreters will demonstrate domestic chores such as cooking, gardening, sewing for their husbands and sons heading off to war. Soldiers will share their stories of enlistment, and their new life in the Confederate army. Visitors will have the opportunity to “enlist” and become soldiers as well. Program is Saturday 10am-4pm and Sunday 10am-3pm. Admission is FREE and donations graciously accepted. For More Information Contact: 919-383-4345.
December 11-12 Bennett Place Historic Site. Christmas in the Carolinas During the Civil War. Visit Bennett Place during the holiday season and witness how Christmas was celebrated in the Piedmont Carolinas. The farm will be decorated in a typical Christmas fashion. Music, caroling, and refreshments will be served. Program is Saturday 10am-4pm and Sunday 10am-3pm. Admission is FREE and donations graciously accepted. For More Information Contact: 919-383-4345.
Village Historique Acadien 2010
June 13 to October 11
special event:
Village Historique Acadien
Agricultural Fair - September 11 and 12
The Agricultural Fair of the Village Historique Acadien is back once more with its exhibition and sale of craft products, its festive atmosphere and its auction of animals and various products, from the Village farm and shops. Various stands of the exhibition in the Antoine-Landry Room of the entranceway building of the Village Historique Acadien and the Robin shed will open its doors and offer for sale its delicious jams, jellies and pickles, as well as wool and potatoes from the Village. Post House 1 will also be a meeting-place, at 10:30 a.m. when musicians will take over on the stage with their own brand of musical entertainment. Free corn on the cob and molasses cake will also be offered to visitors. The auction, called by Dominique Breau and Jean-Claude Doiron, will begin at 1 p.m.
Since the site opened in 1977, an average of slightly more 90,000 people have come annually from around the world to learn more about the history of the Acadians. One of the most authentic historic sites in North America, and winner of the Phoenix Award, the Village Historique Acadien has more than 40 original buildings staffed by interpreters who bring ancestral customs and traditional trades back to life. Over the years, the village has become one of the most valuable references of Acadian material culture. Visitors can relive the daily tasks and activities of an earlier time, and also observe nature on a protected site of more than 2,400 acres.
More: www.vhanb.ca
Myriam Léger
Agente des relations publiques / Public Relations Officer
Village Historique Acadien
14 311, route 11
Caraquet (N.-B.) E1W 1B7
t. (506) 726.2600
t. 1 (877) 721 2200
February
TOUR COUNCIL OF FREDERICK COUNTY MASTER DOCENT SERIES
Friday, February 19, 2010 from 6:30pm to 8:30pm
Saturday, February 20, 2010 from 8am to 3:30pm
Frederick Community College, Arts and Student Center
(RSVP with Frederick Tourism necessary)
The Museum will have an outreach booth and educational display at this event with information about the Museum, Civil War medicine, and volunteer opportunities at our two sites. The Master Docent Series is a program of the Frederick Historic Sites Consortium in the Heart of the Civil War Heritage Area. The program is co-sponsored by the Catoctin Center for Regional Studies, a collaborative effort of the National Park Service and Frederick Community College. This is a great opportunity for anyone who presents interpretive programs or who has an avid interest in Historical programs. For more information, visit http://www.frederickhsc.org/calendar/month/2 or to RSVP for this event contact the coordinator Liz Shatto, Historic Seites Consortium, at (301) 600-4042.
March
MUSEUMS AT THE FRANCIS SCOTT KEY MAL
Saturday, March 27, 2010, 10am-4pm
Francis Scott Key Mall, Frederick, MD
Frederick county museums and historic sites will be at Francis Scott Key Mall for "Museums at the Mall." Hands-on items, living historians, and a craft table will be enjoyed by all. Educators, youth group leaders, home school educators, and parents will also have the opportunity to gather information on many of our Frederick County museums and their educational programming. For more information, call 301-695-1864 or visit us online at www.civilwarmed.org.
WOMEN’S HISTORY DAY
Saturday, March 27, 2010, 10am-4pm
National Museum of Civil War Medicine, Frederick, MD
Join living historians at the Museum to learn about women’s roles during the Civil War Era. Ladies and soldiers will be in period attire. Great for the whole family. For more information, call 301-695-1864 or visit us online at www.civilwarmed.org.
April
BELL & HISTORY DAYS
Saturday, April 10, 2010: 10am- 5pm
National Museum of Civil War Medicine, Frederick, MD
Celebrate the opening weekend for many of our Frederick County museums during Bell & History Days. Receive free admission to the National Museum of Civil War medicine on Saturday, April 10, 10m-5pm, and visit with living historian Mark Quattrock, as he portrays a Civil War surgeon. Quattrock will provide an interactive program which promises to be fun for all. Enjoy an array of activities as you explore our local history. Listen for bells to ring all over the county on Saturday morning at 10am and participate in the Passport to History program. For more information or to inquire about family activities at the various sites, please visit www.fredericktourism.org.
CIVIL WAR PRESERVATION TRUST PARK ( CWPT) DAY
Saturday, April 10, 2010, 9am-3pm
Pry House Field Hospital Museum, Keedysville, MD (Antietam National Battlefield)
Volunteer service day at the Pry House in conjunction with CWPT’s national event. Volunteers will help prepare the house and garden for the upcoming season. Register for the event by calling Susan Rosenvold, PHFHM Director of Education, at 301-695-1864, or email pryeducation@civilwarmed.org.
May PRY HOUSE FIELD HOSPITAL MUSEUM
Saturday, May 1, 2010, 11am-5pm (weekends only until Memorial Day Weekend)
Keedysville, MD (Antietam National Battlefield)
The Pry House Field Hospital Museum (PHFHM) at Antietam National Battlefield opens its 2010 season. The PHFHM consists of an exhibit on the development of the Union Army’s field hospital system, under the direction of Dr. Jonathan Letterman, just before the Battle of Antietam. The house was used by Dr. Letterman and General George B. McClellan as their headquarters. President Abraham Lincoln visited mortally wounded Gen. Israel Richardson at the house in October 1862. The large bank barn adjacent to the house was used as an enlisted Field Hospital. Interpretation at the house also includes nineteenth century kitchen and medicinal gardens, showcasing period vegetables, herbs and flowers. For a complete listing of programs and events, call 301-695-1864 or visit us online at www.civilwarmed.org.
WASHINGTON COUNTY ASSOCIATION OF MUSEUMS AND HISTORIC SITES RAMBLE
Saturday and Sunday, May 1-2, 2010
Pry House Field Hospital Museum, Keedysville, MD (Antietam National Battlefield)
The Pry House is one of many stops on a driving tour showcasing the museums and historic sites of Washington County, MD. Tourists will receive a map and listing of the sites, travel throughout the county, and have an opportunity to participate in a drawing. Based in Hagerstown, MD. For more information, call 301-695-1864 or visit us online at www.civilwarmed.org.
GARDEN PARTY
Saturday, May 1, 2010, 9:00am-3pm
Pry House Field Hospital Museum, Keedysville, MD (Antietam National Battlefield)
Join the staff at the Pry House for a garden party to prepare the nineteenth century style kitchen, medicinal and parlor gardens. Bring your gardening tools and prepare to dig in! Learn about gardening techniques, heirloom vegetables and recipes of the Civil War era, and enjoy refreshments. For more information call, 301-695-1864 or visit our website at www.civilwarmed.org.
FREDERICK KEYS HISTORY DAY
Thursday, May 20, 2010: 10:30am Museum arrival
Frederick Keys Stadium at 21 Stadium Drive, Frederick, Maryland 21703
Join the National Museum of Civil War Medicine and many other Maryland museums in celebrating Frederick Keys History Day. The Museum will provide educational outreach booth setup and will be one of many museums be participating in a history day educational fact search. This program promises to be a great day for kids. Bring your home schoolers or bring the whole class. For more information about this event or for information about the Frederick Keys history packets, please contact the Frederick Keys at 301-815-9900 or go to http://www.frederickkeys.com/sked-promo.php
CONFEDERATE SURGEON
Saturday, May 22, 2010: 11am-3pm
National Museum of Civil War Medicine, Frederick, MD
Visit with NMCWM volunteer and living historian Mark Quattrock as he portrays a Confederate surgeon. The program will include a demonstration of Civil War-era surgical techniques and a discussion of the duties and experiences of Confederate surgeons. This program is free with purchase of Museum admission. For more information, call 301-695-1864 or visit us online at www.civilwarmed.org.
June
RECRUIT WEEKEND
Saturday and Sunday, June 12-13, 2010: 11am-5pm
Pry House Field Hospital Museum, Keedysville, MD (Antietam National Battlefield)
The Union and Confederate Armies are recruiting at the Pry House this weekend. Receive a surgeon’s certificate of eligibility and report to Union and/or Confederate recruiting stations to find out what they have to offer a private soldier. Receive enlistment papers from the army of your choice. Enlistees will be invited to drill with their new unit. For more information, call 301-416-2395 or visit us online at www.civilwarmed.org.
CHILDREN’S EXPERIENCE WEEKEND
Saturday and Sunday, July 11-12, 2010: 11am to 4:30pm
Pry House Field Hospital Museum, Keedysville, MD (Antietam National Battlefield)
Enjoy a kids’ day out at the Pry House Field Hospital Museum with hands-on activities and programs focused on how children lived during the mid-eighteenth century. Staff and children dressed in period attire will lead games and a craft. For more information, call 301-416-2395 or visit us online at www.civilwarmed.org.
July
THIRD ANNUAL CIVIL WAR FREE SUMMER LECTURE SERIES
Dates:
Thursday, July 1, 2010
Thursday, July 8, 2010
Thursday, July 15, 2010
Thursday, July 22, 2010
Thursday, July 29, 2010
National Museum of Civil War Medicine, Frederick, MD
Speakers and topics will be announced early 2010. As in years past, the speaker and topic lineup for these events promises to be entertaining. Lectures are free, first come first served. Each program will start at 7:30pm and last roughly an hour. (Doors open at 7pm) For more information, please call Robert Burton, NMCWM Director of Education, at 301-695-1864 or visit us online at www.civilwarmed.org.
August
SIGNAL CORPS WEEKEND
Saturday and Sunday, August 1-2, 2010: 11am-5pm
Pry House Field Hospital Museum, Keedysville, MD (Antietam National Battlefield)
The Pry House Field Hospital Museum and South Mountain Battlefield will join signal forces together for live signaling demonstrations and talks at these locations. The 114th Signal Battalion, Fort Detrick, MD, will have a display, talks and demonstrate modern signal communications. For more information, call 301-416-2395 or visit us online at www.civilwarmed.org.
September
FREDERICK MILITARIA SHOW
Saturday, September 11, 1010: 9am-5pm
Sunday, September 12, 2010: 9am-3pm
This year will be the first time the Museum will have an educational outreach booth at this local show. If you have a love of military accoutrements, especially Civil War era, stop by and check out the show and visit our friendly Museum representatives. The location is still to be determined, but check back for these and more details or visit us online at www.civilwarmed.org.
ANTIETAM ANNIVERSARY WEEKEND
Living History at the Pry House Field Hospital Museum
Saturday & Sunday, September 18-19, 2010: 11am -5pm
Pry House Field Hospital Museum, Keedysville, MD (Antietam National Battlefield)
Various presentations on aspects of Civil War medicine and the home front, including a portrayal of a Union field hospital, Headquarters, 1st Corps, Army of Northern Virginia Headquarters and more. Experience a depiction of the camp life of soldiers, and local civilians. For more information, call 301-416-2395 or visit us online at www.civilwarmed.org.
October
EIGHTEENTH ANNUAL CONFERENCE ON CIVIL WAR MEDICINE
Friday, October 1 through Sunday, October 3, 2010
Baltimore Sheraton North, Towson, Baltimore, MD
Join us for our Eighteenth Annual Conference on Civil War Medicine. This three-day medical conference will feature unique lectures on the medical story of the Civil War, Friday night happy hour, and Saturday bus tour and dinner. Registration fee benefits the National Museum of Civil War Medicine. For more information, please call 301-695-1864 or visit us online at www.civilwarmed.org.
November
Pry House Field Hospital Museum open weekends only from 11am to 5pm.
December
ANTIETAM NATIONAL BATTLEFIELD ILLUMINATION
Saturday, December 4, 2010: 11am-5pm
Pry House Field Hospital Museum, Keedysville, MD (Antietam National Battlefield)
Living history, barn and house exhibits conducted before the Illumination. House closes at 5pm. Illumination gates open at 6pm at the entrance on Route 34. For more information, call 301-695-1864 or visit us online at www.civilwarmed.org.
New Exhibit Connecting President to City of Cleveland
Opens at Western Reserve Historical Society October 17
Exhibit open Tuesdays through Saturdays from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm
Admission $8.50 adults; $7.50 seniors; $5.00 students (age 3-17)
CLEVELAND, OH – Do You Know Your Lincoln?, a new exhibit featuring the extensive Lincoln collection of the Western Reserve Historical Society opens Saturday, October 17, at the Historical Society. This exhibition launches a series of exhibits, events and programs at Western Reserve Historical Society (WRHS) about Abraham Lincoln and the American Civil War in tribute to the Bicentennial of the birth of Lincoln in 2009 and the Sesquicentennial of the American Civil War beginning in 2011.
The entire exhibit is drawn from the WRHS unusually rich Lincoln collections and will “test” the museum visitor’s knowledge of the history of America’s 16th President. It places the election of Lincoln in the larger context of the outbreak and public perception of the Civil War, and connects the President to the City of Cleveland.
“Lincoln’s strong connection to Northeast Ohio may be a new discovery for many of our visitors,” said Dr. Edward Pershey, Vice President for Museum Special Projects & Exhibits and exhibit curator. “We have one of the most extensive Lincoln collections in the country, many items never before displayed publicly. To introduce area students and adults to new and lesser-known aspects of President Lincoln is a joy and honor for us at the Historical Society.”
Of special note is a full-length 19th-century Henry Church Portrait of Lincoln specifically restored for this exhibit through the generosity of The C. Walder Parke Family Foundation. Other features of the exhibit will include an engraving of Lincoln on the balcony of Cleveland’s Weddell House Hotel in 1861 along with the actual lettered sign from the outside of the Weddell House; the disturbing and historically significant set of slave neck shackles and ID tag; the last letter written by Lincoln; and a newly discovered broadside issued by the Mayor of Cleveland the morning after Lincoln’s assassination in 1865.
Opening day on Saturday, October 17, will include programs and activities for the entire family with exhibit and museum curators on hand. Also attached to the exhibit are “Community Read” programs for children and adults in cooperation with Barnes & Noble. Please check our website, www.wrhs.org, for details.
Do You Know Your Lincoln? is presented at the Western Reserve Historical Society’s University Circle Complex, 10825 East Boulevard, Cleveland, Ohio. Museum hours are Tuesday through Saturday 10:00 am to 5:00 pm. Admission is $8.50 adults; $7.50 seniors; $5.00 students (age 3-17). For information call 216-721-5722 or visit www.wrhs.org.
Western Reserve Historical Society is a private, nonprofit 501(c)(3) educational institution that encourages the public to explore the history of Northeast Ohio and its impact on regional, state, national, and international history.
featuring the
Saturday & Sunday, August 14th & 15th, 2010
Step back in time and re-live the adventurous days of the Fur Trade.
Phone: 705-295-6694
Website: www.langpioneervillage.ca
For more information, please contact Laurie Siblock at
lsiblock@county.peterborough.on.ca
Friday Night Ghost Tours at Old Fort Erie: Fridays June 18 through to Labour Day
A popular tradition – hear the eerie stories of the ghosts of Canada’s bloodiest battlefield. 350 Lakeshore Road, Fort Erie. For reservations call (905) 871-0540.
Fenian Raids: June 12 – 13
Canadian Militia and the Irish Republican Army do battle each day at 1:30 p.m. to mark the largest Fenian Raid of 1866. Regular admission to the Fort applies. 350 Lakeshore Road, Fort Erie (905) 871-0540.
Laura Secord in Real Time - June 19
Experience the dramatic events performed theatrically that led Laura Secord to leave her family and home to enter a dangerous No Man’s Land to warn the defenders of Canada. 29 Queenston Street, Queenston (905) 262-4851.
Friends at the Fort: July 1 - 4
During the two national holidays of Canada and the United States, the old fort is home to both the Canadian troops who garrisoned the post as well as their former American adversaries. 350 Lakeshore Road, Fort Erie (905) 871-0540.
Chippawa Battlefield Ceremony: July 5
This ceremony commemorates the Battle of Chippawa, fought on July 5th 1814, the opening engagement of the Niagara campaign of 1814, the longest and bloodiest military operation of the War of 1812.
‘Simcoe Days’ at Mackenzie Printery & Newspaper Museum: July 31 – August 2
The Civic Holiday is known as Simcoe Day in some parts of Ontario. Stop by the Mackenzie Printery on “Simcoe Day” and learn how the nation’s oldest printing press helped John Graves Simcoe shape the province of Upper Canada. 1 Queenston Street, Queenston (905) 262-5676.
‘The Siege of Fort Erie’, 1814: August 7 & 8
Witness the battles of 1814 that turned Old Fort Erie into Canada’s bloodiest battlefield. On-going events throughout the weekend and Canada’s largest Battle of 1812 re-enactment. Special evening lantern tours through the fort after the Battle re-enactment. 350 Lakeshore Road, Fort Erie. For information call (905) 871-0540 or visit www.oldforterie.com
Murder in the Old Fort: September 3 & 4
Experience a murder most foul in the creepy interior of the old stone fort. 350 Lakeshore Road, Fort Erie. For more information call (905) 871-0540.
All Hallow’s Eve at Old Fort Erie: October 22 , 23, 29 & 30
Venture out to Old Fort Erie to experience the traditions of Hallowe’en, brought to life through the Ghosts of the Old Fort. Please call (905) 871-0540 for reservations. 350 Lakeshore Road, Fort Erie.
We have changing exhibits throughout the year here at the museum. We have special events on February 12th on Lincoln's birthday. And we'll celebrate our 38th annual Lincoln Days Festival on October 2 and 3, 2010.
http://lincolnmuseum-ky.org/
(As of January 21, 2010. Calendar subject to change - please call to confirm)
Contact: Jennifer M. Guild, Media Relations Specialist
Phone: (804) 342-9665
Fax: (804) 342-964
E-mail: jguild@vahistorical.org
The Portent: John Brown’s Raid in American Memory
Through April 11, 2010
This project is the first major exhibition by a southern institution about John Brown’s raid on the Federal Armory at Harpers Ferry, Virginia, and presents a thorough and balanced view of the event. The exhibition includes documents, paintings, and prints, plus more commemorative ceramic objects relating to Brown than ever before displayed. The story of Brown’s early life, his fervent religious beliefs, his turn to violence as an abolitionist in Kansas, and his Virginia raid and its aftermath are presented. Contemporary reactions to the raid and to the trial and execution of Brown will also be discussed as the exhibit looks at the ways he has been remembered during the past 150 years. Visitors can decide for themselves if Brown was a murderer, martyr, vigilante, terrorist, madman, or hero.
The John Marshall High School Corps of Cadets
Through April 11, 2010
This exhibition explores the history of military training as part of the public education system, focusing specifically on the John Marshall High School military training course created in 1915. The John Marshall program, patterned after the Virginia Military Institute, had more than 8,000 teenage boy members between 1915 and its discontinuation in 1971. Many boys joined the corps because they were interested in military service or careers. The Corps band, which marched in Herbert Hoover’s and Dwight Eisenhower’s inaugural parades in 1929 and 1953 respectively, is also explored in the exhibition through artifacts donated to the Virginia Historical Society by Corps members.
Heads and Tales
Through December 30, 2010
This exhibition features material from the vast Virginia Historical Society portrait collection. The paintings presented tell poignant stories about five people—a woman who inspired the English poet Alexander Pope; a royal governor who was murdered by a mob; a Federalist politician struggling against the tide in Jeffersonian Virginia; a patron of the arts who made his fortune as a robber baron in the Gilded Age; and a Virginia suffragette, freethinker, and political radical. Their tales are told by analysis of components of their pictorially complex portraits.
Cold War Crisis: The U-2 Incident
Through May 30, 2010
On May 1, 1960, an American U-2 reconnaissance plane was shot down over the Soviet Union. Francis Gary Powers—a civilian pilot from Pound, Va., flying for the Central Intelligence Agency—was unable to activate the self-destruct mechanism, and the plane crashed largely intact. Because the U-2 was specifically designed for covert surveillance, Powers was tried and convicted as a spy and sentenced to ten years imprisonment. Upon his return to the U.S. in 1962, Powers was cold-shouldered by the CIA for having failed to destroy the plane or kill himself, but a Senate committee fully exonerated him. Powers, who died in 1977, was posthumously awarded the POW Medal, the National Defense Medal, and the CIA Director’s Medal for his service and for never disclosing any classified information. This exhibition about Powers’s life and service was organized by The Cold War Museum, founded by Powers’s son Francis Gary Powers, Jr.
Memories of World War II: Photographs from the Archives of The Associated Press
May 9–August 1, 2010
This traveling exhibition features more than 120 black-and-white photographic reproductions from the archives of the Associated Press (AP). The images displayed represent all theaters of World War II and the home front and highlight scores of pictures not seen in decades. Photographs range from the classic Iwo Jima flag-raising in 1945 to Japan’s attack on Pearl Harbor, British and American troops hitting Normandy beaches on D-Day to Russian women laying flowers at the feet of four dead GIs who helped liberate them from a slave labor camp. Adolf Hitler, Benito Mussolini, Winston Churchill, actor James Stewart, Josef Stalin, Gen. Douglas McArthur, Queen Elizabeth and many more are also captured in dramatic images taken by wartime cameras.
Bizarre Bits from Virginia: Oddities of the Collection
June 12, 2010–February 13, 2011
Bizarre things have crept into the Virginia Historical Society’s collections since its founding in 1831. These astounding, perplexing, or even disgusting objects provide insight into the hopes, fears, assumptions, and practices of the past that are foreign to us today. Historical items range from the bullet that killed the first Confederate soldier, nails from the part of the Capitol that collapsed in 1870, an invitation to an 1872 Virginia joust, fungus carved with the likeness of R. E. Lee on Traveller, “Junior Partner” cigarettes in their original pack featuring an image of a child, and a silhouette cut by an armless Virginia woman with her mouth. Personal items include pieces of James Madison’s hair, a purported cast of Daniel Boone’s skull, letters telling of fingernail clippings sent by a 19th century naval officer to his wife as tokens of endearment, and a smallpox scab taken from an infant in 1876.
Virginia Rocks: Rockabilly Music in the Old Dominion
August 28–December 30, 2010
Rockabilly was one of several musical styles of “Rock-and-Roll,” the catch phrase for youth music of the post-World War II era. Rockabilly was an energetic blend of blues and country powered by dramatic solo singers (also a feature of post-“Big Band” adult music), fast-walking bass runs, strong guitar licks, catchy lyrics, and bold stage movements. Numerous Virginia bands and singers embraced the rockabilly style—and a few even gained national recognition—but their impact on Virginia’s cultural legacy has been largely overlooked by historians and musicologists. This exhibition—organized by the Blue Ridge Institute of Ferrum College—includes both well-known and lesser-known Virginia artists who recorded 45 rpm rockabilly records performed on radio “dance party” television shows and played for thousands of teenagers in dance halls and school gyms in the 1950s and early 1960s. The exhibit explores the rise of rockabilly as a then-radical departure from established popular music and an early chapter in the phenomenon of youth rebellion, the place of rockabilly in the larger youth culture of the pre-Beatles era, and the demise of the genre in the early 1960s as the music and movie industries invested in the softer sound of “teen idols.” It includes photographs, rare recordings, stage costumes, a jukebox, and musical instruments. The music itself will be presented through audio recordings and rare video recordings.
Organized Labor in Virginia
September 4–December 30, 2010
This exhibition tells the story of unions in Virginia and reflects their evolution over time, from the last quarter of the 19th century to the end of the 20th century. The exhibition focuses not only on industrial actions, but also on lobbying by unions for improved pay, benefits, working conditions, and social legislation. A dozen small narratives encapsulate the larger story of coal, railways, tobacco, and textile workers. Examples include the 1903 Richmond streetcar strike; the 1976 bus drivers strike; the 1886 Knights of Labor national convention; the 1934 Danville and 1937 Covington strikes; the 1934 Tubize Chemical shut-down in Hopewell; the 1977-78 Steelworkers campaign at Newport News Shipyard; and the 1989-90 Pittston Coal strike.
An American Turning Point: The Civil War in Virginia February 4–December 30, 2011
From 1861 to 1865 Virginia stood at the center of a military and social revolution. How we define freedom, liberty, patriotism, and nation today is directly related to the diverse experiences of the individuals who participated in the Civil War. Using original objects, interactive technology, and state-of-the-art audiovisual programs, An American Turning Point: The Civil War in Virginia relates the personal experiences of the free and enslaved men, women, and children of wartime Virginia. Visitors are encouraged to consider what was lost, what was gained, what was decided, what was left uncertain, and how an event that occurred 150 years ago still influences us today. An American Turning Point is funded, in part, by the Virginia Sesquicentennial of the American Civil War Commission.
Sites and Stories: African American History in Virginia
The Manassas Museum - Manassas, Virginia
January 31–May 31, 2010
This exhibition tells stories about people and events related to African American historical sites listed in the Department of Historic Resource's Guidebook to Virginia's Historical Markers (2007). Virginia Historical Society photographs and objects illustrate more than twenty stories from across the Commonwealth.
Daytime Banner Lectures begin at 12:00 p.m. and cost $6/adults, $5/seniors 55+, and $4/students and children under 18. Lectures are free for VHS members and to Richmond Times-Dispatch readers with a Press Pass coupon. Seating is offered on a first-come first-served basis. Reservations are not required.
January 28 “Robert E. Lee: Lessons in Leadership,” Noah Andre Trudeau
February 4 “Dolley Madison: A Documentary,” Muffie Meyer
February 18 “On Hallowed Ground: The Story of Arlington National Cemetery,” Robert M. Poole
March 4 “Flight from Monticello: Thomas Jefferson at War,” Michael Kranish
March 25 “Louis Brandeis: An American Legal Giant,” Melvin Urofsky
April 1 “Distorted Mirrors: Americans and Their Relations with Russia and China in the Twentieth Century,” Eugene P. Trani
April 22 “War: A Short History,” Jeremy Black
May 27 “A Kingdom Strange: The Brief and Tragic History of the Lost Colony of Roanoke,” James Horn
June 10 “Take Care of the Living: Reconstructing Confederate Veteran Families in Virginia,”Jeffrey W. McClurken
July 22 “Memories of World War II,” Brig. Gen. John W. Mountcastle (USA, Ret.)
September 23 “Grand Avenues: The Story of Pierre Charles L'Enfant, the French Visionary Who Designed Washington, D.C.,” Scott W. Berg
October 7 “Virginia Environmental Endowment: Leadership, Leverage, and Legacy,” Gerald P. McCarthy
November 4 “Steel Drivin' Man: John Henry, the Untold Story of an American Legend,” Scott R. Nelson
Evening Banner Lectures begin at 7:00 p.m. and cost $6/adults, $5/seniors 55+, and $4/students and children under 18. Lectures are free for VHS members and to Richmond Times-Dispatch readers with a Press Pass coupon. Seating is offered on a first-come first-served basis. Reservations are not required.
February 18 “On Hallowed Ground: The Story of Arlington National Cemetery,” Robert M. Poole
May 27 “A Kingdom Strange: The Brief and Tragic History of the Lost Colony of Roanoke,”
James Horn
Gallery Walks begin at 12:00 p.m. and cost $6/adults, $5/seniors 55+, and $4/students and children under 18. Walks are free for VHS members. Reservations are not required.
February 10 John Brown's Memory in the African American Community, Lauranett Lee
March 10 Cold War Crisis: The U-2 Incident, Francis Gary Powers, Jr.
May 26 Memories of World War II: Photographs from the Archives of The Associated Press, Paul A. Levengood
July 7 Bizarre Bits from Virginia: Oddities of the Collection, Robert F. Strohm and James C. Kelly
September 8 Organized Labor in Virginia, Jeffrey Ruggles
For more information, or to register for any adult education classes, please visit www.vahistorical.org.
George Washington at War
February 11 and 18
George Washington’s military leadership, though often described, remains little understood. Was he a Fabian warrior, dedicated to preserving his army and avoiding set-piece battles, in hopes of outlasting the British? Or was he a gambler, prone to recklessly exposing his forces in pursuit of the all-elusive final battle that would crush Britain's military might and end the war? Edward G. Lengel, author of numerous books and articles on Washington’s military career, examines these and many other questions as he explores the nature of Washington’s military leadership. Special emphasis is given to the Philadelphia and Valley Forge campaigns of 1777–78, and to facts and insights recently uncovered in the course of editing Washington’s military correspondence. This class takes place from 5:30–7:00 p.m. and costs $50 for VHS members and $60 for nonmembers.
Virginia Landscapes: Restoring Historic Gardens in the Old Dominion
March 11 and 18
In addition to its many historic houses, Virginia is blessed with a wealth of historic gardens. For nearly a century, the Garden Club of Virginia has been instrumental in researching and preserving many of these sites across the state. As a result, numerous beautifully restored historic gardens are now accessible to the public. Will Rieley is a landscape architect with Rieley and Associates in Charlottesville and landscape architect for the Garden Club. He will lead this class in exploring the restoration work at a number of significant gardens and detail how the research was conducted, including the uses of computer technology to analyze historic landscapes at such sites as Monticello and Poplar Forest. This class takes place from 5:30–7:00 p.m. and costs $50 for VHS members and $60 for nonmembers.
History from the Ground Up: Exploring Themes in Virginia Archaeology
April 1, 8, and 15
This lecture series will be presented by three cultural resource management experts who conduct archaeological and historical research projects throughout Virginia. Matthew R. Laird will present “Handmaiden to History? A Historian’s View of Archaeology” addressing the rewards and challenges of practicing historical archaeology and will share his experiences using maps, photographs, court records, and oral histories to document sites that span the Virginia Company period through NASA’s space program. Nicholas M. Luccketti will discuss the first 100 years of the Old Dominion in “The Invisible Century.” Luccketti will review the excavations of several sites spanning the 17th century that reveal how architecture, material culture, and landscape evolved. In “Triumph and Tragedy: The African-American Past in the Archaeological Record,” Garrett Fesler will review the past, present, and future of what is commonly called African Diaspora Archaeology, the history of enslaved Africans and their African-American descendants. This class takes place from 5:30–7:00 p.m. and costs $65 for VHS members for the series and $85 for nonmembers for the series.
Exploring the Fredericksburg and Chancellorsville Campaigns
April 22 and 29
“Thunder on the Rappahannock: The Fredericksburg Campaign” will explore the context of the Fredericksburg Campaign, its conduct by Burnside, Robert E. Lee, Stonewall Jackson, and James Longstreet, and the unique impact of the battle on a civilian population trapped in the vortex of combat. Chancellorsville would prove to be General Robert E. Lee’s most remarkable—and perhaps most costly—victory of the Civil War. “Lee’s Greatest Victory: The Chancellorsville Campaign” will focus on the conduct of this much-acclaimed engagement with special emphasis on the experiences of the common soldiers who fought the battle along with the generals who won and lost it. This class is taught by A. Wilson Greene, former historian at Fredericksburg & Spotsylvania National Military Park and Executive Director of Pamplin Historical Park & The National Museum of the Civil War Soldier. This class takes place from 5:30–7:00 p.m. and costs $50 for VHS members and $60 for nonmembers.
Richmond's Old West End: From Belvidere Street to the Belt Line
May 13 and 20
This class will discuss the architecture and history of The Fan District, the West of the Boulevard area, and Monument Avenue. These neighborhoods were “modern” street-car related residential areas created to house Richmond's expanding middle and upper classes. They are the last intensely urban districts built before residential development became totally suburbanized in the middle of the 20th century. They represent the final and most sophisticated development of this type of densely packed urban neighborhood, which characterized Richmond from 1800 to 1929. The entire district is well preserved and retains its houses, schools, churches, shops, and restaurants. Architectural historian Robert P. Winthrop will discuss how Richmond's finest architects and contractors worked to make Richmond's Old West End the city's most desirable neighborhood, and how it functions today much as it did a century ago. This class takes place from 5:30–7:00 p.m. and costs $50 for VHS members and $60 for nonmembers.
The Civil War on the James River
November 4
So who exactly was Matthew Fontaine Maury, and what is his statue doing on Richmond's Monument Avenue? The Maury statue testifies to a largely forgotten chapter of Richmond’s Civil War history: the naval defense of the Confederate capital. Headquarters for the Confederate Navy Department, Richmond was also home to the James River Squadron and the site of one of the South's most prolific shipbuilding operations and a sprawling “naval-industrial complex.” This course will introduce students to Richmond's naval history and, more generally, to the Confederacy's “brown water” navy. Dr. John M. Coski is an author, historian, and the director of library and research at the Museum of the Confederacy. This class takes place from 5:30–7:00 p.m. and costs $25 for VHS members and $30 for nonmembers.
First Virginians: Native Americans before European Contact
November 11 and 18
What is the current archaeological evidence for the first people in the Western Hemisphere, and when did they arrive in Virginia? What was the environment like? How did their technology, food ways, and societies change through thousands of years, while adapting to a changing environment? We don’t have to travel to Egypt to learn how cultures changed from band societies to complex chiefdoms. The soil in Virginia tells this story. Through images of excavations, learn how archaeologists “read the soil” and recover artifacts. See images of artifacts, replicas, and artist's renderings, and learn about this immense period of Virginia history that lies beneath our feet. This two-part series will be presented by Keith T. Egloff, retired assistant curator at the Virginia Department of Historic Resources, who has been conducting Native American archaeology throughout Virginia since 1977. This class takes place from 5:30–7:00 p.m. and costs $50 for VHS members and $60 for nonmembers.
For more information, or to register for any of the children’s educational programming, please contact Caroline Legros at (804) 342-9652 or clegros@vahistorical.org.
Educational Programming for Homeschoolers
The Virginia Historical Society is offering special educator-led interactive history presentations for homeschool students. Programs begin at 2:00 p.m. and last approximately one hour. Programs cost $3 per child (there is no cost for adult chaperones) and are appropriate for children of all ages.
Pocahontas and the Powhatan Nation
February 2 & 16
Students will learn about the culture of Powhatan Indians and the various roles played by women, men, and children in their society. The use of replica artifacts helps students understand myths and truths, tools and clothing, and popular images from Pocahontas’s time. Students will gain a greater understanding of Virginia’s original inhabitants.
Teaching with Photographs
February 9 & 23
Using turn-of-the-century photographs, this program is designed to allow students to examine changes in Virginia’s society and politics. Students will explore context clues from primary source images to develop an awareness of the changes that occurred across the commonwealth during the early 1900s.
The Story of Virginia, An American Experience This 10,000-square-foot exhibition includes more than 1,000 objects and covers 16,000 years of Virginia history from prehistoric times to the present. Adult and child-friendly interactive features include a cartoon-based computer game on Virginia history, hand-held story phones with additional exhibit information, and question-and-answer games throughout.
Virginians at Work This exhibition tells the story of how Virginians have made a living and why jobs have changed. Focusing on people rather than on abstract principles, the exhibition follows four broad categories: A Colonial Economy (1600–1780); A Commercial Economy (1780–1865); An Industrial Economy (1865–1945); and A Service Economy (1945–2006). Hundreds of objects help explain these economic revolutions and entice visitors to explore how Virginians before us spent their working days.
Silver in Virginia This exhibition includes over 400 pieces of silver not only produced in such major urban centers as Alexandria, Norfolk, and Richmond, but also works crafted in small towns like Dumfries, Fincastle, and Waynesboro. Also included are images of Virginia silversmiths themselves and place settings using silver and ceramics.
The Virginia Manufactory of Arms This exhibition presents weapons made in Richmond from 1802 through 1821. Born of the anti-federalist suspicion of a national military establishment, the state manufactory supplied the Virginia militia with flintlock muskets, pistols, swords, and rifles—examples of each are on display.
Arming the Confederacy The little-known story of the Confederacy's success in producing its own weapons is shown through objects from the Maryland-Steuart Collection, considered the world's finest collection of Confederate-made weapons and accoutrements. The collection includes more than 150 Confederate-made rifles, carbines, muskets, pistols, dirks, and more.
Four Seasons of the Confederacy: Murals by Charles Hoffbauer French mural artist Charles Hoffbauer was commissioned by the Confederate Memorial Association to paint a series of Civil War murals, which were unveiled in January 1921. The murals follow the changing seasons and include Spring Mural, depicting Thomas Stonewall Jackson reviewing his troops in the Shenandoah Valley; Summer Mural, portraying a fictitious gathering of Confederate commanders; Autumn Mural, showing J. E. B. Stuart leading his cavalrymen on a foray through Virginia woods; and the series ends with the Winter Mural, illustrating the misery of an artillery battery in retreat through the snow, its equipment shattered and its men on the verge of exhaustion.
Making the Murals: Studies by Charles Hoffbauer (note mural exhibition information above) Charles Hoffbauer, who later worked in the animation department at Walt Disney Studios, left hundreds of pastel, watercolor, oil, and pencil sketches on paper and canvas, as well as photographs and the clay models that he used to create his famous murals, Four Seasons of the Confederacy. This exhibition shows the techniques Hoffbauer used to produce the large-scale paintings that progress through the seasons of spring to winter, from the opening years of the Civil War to its close.
Solving History’s Mysteries: A History Discovery Lab This interactive exhibition, co-organized by the Virginia Department of Historic Resources, offers a broad variety of hands-on activities and focuses on the process of discovery, how we learn, and the important role historic architecture and archaeology play in defining our communities and culture.
ST. FRANCISVILLE -- Reenactors of all ages are invited to Audubon State Historic Site during the Louisiana goes to War! on January 21-23rd 2011. This kick off event for Louisiana’s Civil War Sesquicentennial brought to you by the Louisiana Office of State Parks recreates the sights and sounds of the days surrounding the secession of Louisiana from the United States in January of 1861.
Activities will include:Period rallies both pro and against secession, recruitment of Militia, and a small scale reenactment of the 1863 Battle of Plains Store,La.
Ladies activities will include: A tea at Oakley, bath salts, potpourri, and textile workshops, period dance class.
This is a great opportunity to showcase early war uniforms from the North and South. Specialty living history impressions and civilian impressions are strongly encouraged !
Period camping is held on the grounds of Oakley Plantation. We supply firewood, hay, and a Saturday evening meal from the plantation kitchen using Historic recipes. Preregistration is required and there are number limits so early registration is suggested.
For more information contact : Audubon State Historic Site, P.O. Box 546, St. Francisville, La. 70775. You may call 1-888-677-2838 or 1-225-635-3739. You may email at Audubon@crt.state.la.us or check for more information at Audubonstatehistoricsite@wordpress.com
Placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1973, Oakley House and its lush natural settings are open daily for tours throughout the year. The park includes an Interpretive Center, Oakley House, slave cabins, gardens, kitchen, trails, picnic area and picnic pavilion. Audubon SHS is located north of Baton Rouge near St. Francisville on La. 965 in West Feliciana Parish.