“1907 Souvenirs of Jamestown,” the latest exhibit at the Albemarle Charlottesville Historical Society, explores the 1907 Ter-centennial Exposition, which celebrated the establishment in 1607 of the first permanent English settlement in America. Planned and promoted as a major tourist attraction on a par with the World’s Fair, the Jamestown Exposition was a grand national pageant, through which we can recognize turn-of-the-century popular ideas about nation, race, gender, class, progress and history. The 1907 Jamestown Exposition generated souvenirs and ephemera, many of which are on display through a generous loan from collector and area businessman Preston Coiner. The exhibit will be on view in the McIntire Building through the end of June.
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Posted by river queen at 11:56 PM PDT
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The Albemarle Charlottesville Historical Society offers walking tours of historic downtown Charlottesville every Saturday at 10 a.m. beginning April 7 and running through October 27. Tours leave from the McIntire Building, 200 Second Street NE, across from Lee Park. On the third Saturday of ever month guides lead an additional tour of the Downtown Mall, focusing on architecture. A $5 donation is suggested. Tours go on rain or shine.For more information, call the Society at (434) 296-1492.
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Posted by river queen at 11:31 PM PDT
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March is Women’s History Month, and the first day of this month marked no better time to meet Ann Woodlief, a former English professor at VCU (Virginia Commonwealth University), an author, a genealogy buff, and a Huguenot descendant. But, her interest in Virginia’s Huguenots goes well beyond a minor hobby as she’s the National Librarian (600+ volumes, mostly focused on Virginia and the Huguenots), President of the Virginia branch, and Webmaster for the Manakin Huguenot Society.
Ann’s book about the James River is on-line, since it since it was originally published in 1985 and it is now out of print. In River Time: The Way of the James offers Ann’s perspective on this river with more than a passing nod to how impersonal this body of water may seem at times, yet how many nuggets of history its waters often reveal.
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Posted by river queen at 3:02 PM PST
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Botetourt county native, Debra Alderson McClane, has published her book, Botetourt County (VA) (Images of America). McClane pulled images from local libraries, the Botetourt County Museum, and from resources in Fincastle to create this picture history of county towns and communities, Armed Forces members, industry and commerce, schools, churches and social groups, historic homes and natural resources within Botetourt County. She also spoke with many local historians and life-long county residents for two years prior to the book’s publication.
The author comes from a long-time Botetourt County family. The Alderson family moved to the area in 1770 when John Alderson, a Baptist minister, settled here. Her parents reside on a farm in the Trinity area that has been in the family since the 18th century. Her father, John Alderson, runs a well-known insurance agency in Daleville.
McClane, a 1983 graduate of Lord Botetourt High School, said she is proud of her heritage and was delighted to be able to share it. She realized that with the Jamestown 2007 commemoration, the publication of a new Botetourt County book was prudent. When she saw an advertisement for writers for Arcadia Publishing, she decided to get to work.
McClane, along with her husband Patrick, co-authored The Architecture Of James Gamble Rogers II In Winter Park, Florida prior to the book about Botetourt County.
Source: Main Street Newspapers
Posted by river queen at 2:41 PM PST
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In what could be a huge tourism boost, town and county officials are working together to explore the possibility of relocating Richmond’s Museum of the Confederacy to Appomattox. Beckie Nix, Director of Tourism for the Town of Appomattox met earlier this month with town officials, county officials and other citizens to discuss preparations for the relocation of the Richmond-based museum.
The current location of the museum is located at 1201 E. Clay St. in downtown Richmond, but the museum has been hamstrung by a budgetary and logistical problems, which have prompted museum officials to seek another location. Nix and County Tourism Director Anne Dixon are spearheading the possibility of relocating the museum. According to Public Relations Manager Megan Miller, the museum is expected to have a new location by 2011.
The year 2011 would be the Civil War’s 150th anniversary.
Read more: Altavista Times Journal
Posted by river queen at 2:41 PM PST
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