Posts Tagged ‘history’
Posted by Geoff Nelowet / Friday, April 13th, 2012
J. Helgason/Shutterstock
On April 26, Rippon Lodge Historic Site, located in Woodbridge, Virginia, is hosting a chocolate history and tasting event, which will be lead by artisan chocolate maker Ben Rassmussen of Potomac Chocolate. There will be plenty of samples amid the rich history of our beloved chocolate.
Rippon Lodge is a 30 acre park that contains several historic buildings. The main house construction spans three centuries.There will be tours of the historic building during the event, and entrance is $15. Reservations are not needed. More information here.
Posted by Geoff Nelowet / Monday, February 20th, 2012
Courtesy Russ Flint
By Lorin Drinkard
In honor of Presidents’ Day, we caught up with Northern Virginia’s very own Martha Washington, portrayed by Mary Wiseman, a Mount Vernon character interpreter for 10 years. She dishes about tours at the estate, Mr. Washington and her love for our nation’s original first lady.
On old-fashioned preparation
“I spent 35 years in Williamsburg. I sat in the Bruton Church Parris choir, right next to Martha’s grandpa’s grave and the graves of her two children … I walked past them every day … I lived in the colonial time period in my mind for 30 years and studied Martha’s life for 20 years [before moving to Alexandria].
On keeping Martha’s memory alive
“In 1990 I formed a group of women, and we celebrated March as Women’s History Month [in Williamsburg]. ‘Beside the Great Man’ is a program I started. I was so intrigued [with Martha’s background] and exclaimed, ‘Why don’t we know more about her?’ Eventually, I ended up portraying Mrs. Washington. It just led from there.”
On casting frowns aside
“So many people are totally unaware of their private lives. The portraits of the Washingtons were mostly made in their old age. They weren’t supposed to smile. ‘He was great, and she was pretty uninteresting’ is what some people say. People adored her. I like to say that I get to put the smile on Mrs. Washington that the portrait doesn’t portray.
On reactions from visitors
“When a visitor says, ‘I feel like I was really there with her,’ that’s a great compliment for me. I don’t see myself acting the role of Martha—I’m telling the story through a dramatic portrayal. My favorite compliment is when locals will bring visitors to come see me. I always say that, in their lives together, [Martha] revealed so much about [George]. It’s like a giant treasure chest. I just open up that trunk and pull out a memory.”
On historical accuracy
“In everything I do and say, it’s to her honor, and I hope she approves of what I’m doing. They had such grand lives, but aspects of their lives are relatable—and universal. ‘Honesty is the best policy’ is a phrase from the book I read to children on the tour that the Washingtons read to their children. On Martha’s epitaph it says, ‘The worthiest partner of the most worthy man.’ I would like to be considered worthy.”
Although their lives are almost 200 years apart, Mary Wiseburn and Lady Washington share an uncanny number of similarities. See for yourself:
Birthday
June
Age
Three score and seven years (age of Martha that Mary portrays)
Number of Children
2
Grandchildren?
Yes
Family Background
Welsh
Journey to Alexandria
April 2003 (Mary)
April 1759 (Martha)
(Both moved from Williamsburg to Mount Vernon.)
Independent Woman
Raised children alone
Mary was divorced (She never found her Mr.
Washington.)
Martha was widowed
Posted by Rebekah Lowe / Thursday, December 1st, 2011
Dec. 1, 1878: The first telephone in the White House was installed.
Dec. 2, 1859: John Brown is hanged for his role in Harper’s Ferry raid.
Dec. 4, 1992: Bush orders troops to Somalia.
Dec. 6, 1884: The Washington Monument was completed.
Dec. 9, 2009: AOL declares an IPO the same day it ceases Time Warner partnership.
Dec. 14, 1799: George Washington died.
Dec. 16, 1960: Two airplanes collide, mid-air, over NYC.
Dec. 18, 1865: Slavery is abolished in the U.S.
Dec. 20, 1783: Virginia cedes western land to the government.
Dec. 23, 1888: Van Gogh chops off his ear.
Dec. 25, 1776: George Washington crosses the Delaware.
Dec. 28, 1981: Elizabeth Jordan Carr born in Norfolk, 1st American test tube baby.
Dec. 30, 1922: The U.S.S.R. is established.
Dec. 31, 1978: U.S. ends relations with Nationalist China.
-Lynn Norusis
Sources: Encyclopedia Virginia, HisDates.com, History Channel
(December 2011)
Alexandria Marina Ships In History and Fun
Posted by Lorin Drinkard / Tuesday, September 20th, 2011
Tuesday, September 20, 2011
For the waterfront in Alexandria, it’s about time for a lesson. A history lesson, that is. Starting October 4th, a new vessel will be coming to town and bringing its educational implications with it.
Make room in the marina. Godspeed's a-coming. /Photo courtesy of Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation
The Godspeed, a life-size replica of one of the 17th century ships that first brought English colonists to Virginia, is departing its port at Jamestown Settlement with its sails set toward Northern Virginia. From October 4th to 9th, the Godspeed will be docked at the north end of the Alexandria Marina and open for public tours.
Ever wanted to learn more about that historical journey in 1607 and life on the open seas? Knowledgeable guides will be on deck to share interesting tidbits about everything from navigation to sailing techniques in the 17th century.
Fun fact about the Godspeed: Mr. Bartholomew Gosnold was the fearless captain that led the original journey across the sea, as well as a key player in organizing backing for the Jamestown colony.
Even our fourth grade students in Alexandria Public Schools will be partaking in this hands-on learning experience by taking visits to the ship throughout the school week.
Along with the Susan Constant and the Discovery, the Godspeed is one of the ships dubbed “the official fleet of the Commonwealth,” according to the Virginia General Assembly. Kind of like the Air Force One of the sea.
Below are the times the ship is open for exploring:
October 4-7: 3 to 6 p.m.
October 8: 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
October 9: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Kudos to the Jamestown Settlement, a state-operated museum that’s helping to keep Virginia’s past alive and well, and to the staff and volunteers at the Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation for manning the ship. Tours are free and the Godspeed will be only be gracing us with its presence briefly so visit while you can.
Dates: October 4-9, 2011
Location: Alexandria Waterfront, by Founders Park (near North Union & Queen St.)
Cost: free
Contact info:
Jamestown Settlement
(888) 593-4682 or (757) 253-4838
www.historyisfun.org
- Lorin Drinkard
Posted by The Editorial Desk / Wednesday, December 29th, 2010
NoVA boasts highest home vacancy rate in region
Sterling bank robbed by Hillary Clinton look-a-like
Are VA students learning the right history? Answer, No.
Toll Road prices go up to $1.25 for cars
Posted by The Editorial Desk / Wednesday, September 16th, 2009
The Reston Museum reopens its doors this week after spending eight months revitalizing the space where the town’s history is told
By Chase Johnson
September 16, 2009
Photography by Chase Johnson
The Reston Museum and Shop will reopen its doors this week after closing in January to undergo a much-needed and long-awaited overhaul. The celebration will begin with an invitation-only ribbon cutting event Thursday night before opening to the public Friday.
Eight months ago, the museum was a meager but well-intentioned hole in the wall pocketed in Lake Anne Center. It housed a hodgepodge of historical Reston miscellanea, comprised mainly of attic treasures, photographs and historical documents. Members of the Reston Historical Trust, which operates the museum, presented the story of Reston the New Town as best as they could, but it lacked the cohesion and professional look of a proper museum.
“It was just run on a shoestring,” Lynn Lilienthal, chair of the Reston Historical Trust Board of Trustees, recalls.
For four years, the museum had been cutting through miles of red tape seeking money to pay for a renovation. “The whole space hadn’t been renovated in 45 years,” Lilienthal says. “The air conditioning and the heating, everything needed to be upgraded.”
Finally, with the help of Hunter Mills Representative to the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors Cathy Hudgins, the museum received two grants totaling nearly $250,000—the first from Fairfax County Housing and Community Development Committee and the other from the Fairfax County Office of Community Revitalization and Reinvestment.
The space was gutted and completely redecorated. The room itself is a muted charcoal gray from floor to ceiling, which was done in order to make the colors of the exhibits pop. The museum features 12 exhibition panels that jut out from the walls diagonally. These panels tell the history of the town, and feature photos and artifacts that illustrate the story.
The museum brought back the topographical map of Reston that was donated to the museum when it first opened. “That was always our best thing because people love to look at it and say, ‘There’s my house!’” Lilienthal says. “We’ve upgraded that, and provided two photographs of the Town Center, which wasn’t even on that map because the map stopped [being updated] in 1984.”
Other details dot the walls, including photographs of the town, various proclamations and a golden sledgehammer used to drive in the final spike at the Wiehle Avenue Bridge. Even the bathroom is an exhibit, as the room is filled with signs and posters from Reston events past.
Lilienthal is looking forward to seeing the public’s reaction.
“It’s really the first time that the community is invited in to see it, and we hope that lots of people will come in over the weekend and the following weekends,” Lilienthal says. “Before, we did what we could with very little resources. This tells the story in a very professional way.”
For more information, visit RestonMuseum.org or call 703-709-7700. The museum is located at 1639 Washington Plaza in Reston, and is open from noon to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and Sunday, and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday.