On Sale:   
Daisy Turner's
Kin

On Sale:
The Circle
Unbroken
On Sale:
Fredericksburg Memories
Can you identify this photo?
Central Rappahannock Heritage Center 
Newsletter
A place that loses its history loses its soul
Message From The Chairman
 
Two weeks ago The Heritage Center held an Open House for the public to tour our facilities, learn about our collections, and consider volunteering to support our work. The turnout exceeded our expectations! Several visitors completed volunteer applications. Others inquired about donating documents, photos, maps, etc. relating to their family history and property for safekeeping in our archives. A special thanks to Diane Ballman, Florence Barnick, Kevin Jones and John Reifenberg for organizing, publicizing, and helping to host this event!
 
Are you a business owner or manager interested in creating a display that features the area's history and people? Not long ago a local branch of a national bank contacted The Center seeking images for a pictorial composition to display in the bank lobby. The resulting montage is quite striking. Our staff will help identify photos and/or documents that meet the client's preferences for subject matter, time period, etc. Our fees for scanned images are reasonable. Contact us if you are interested (540-373-3704).
 
We bid a fond farewell to Margaret Matejka, who has volunteered at The Center for five years! Thank you for your dedicated service, Margaret. You will be missed.  
  
Barbara Barrett, Chairman
The Heritage Center 
 
Welcome New Members
Kerry Devine
Jim Hall  Marcia Keener
Kenneth Pitts








Heritage Center memberships support the important work done by The Center.
 
The Central Rappahannock Heritage Center is a non-profit, all-volunteer archives whose mission is to preserve historically valuable material of the region and make it available to the public for research. 
 
Please join us as part of the Heritage Center's preservation team.  As a  member, you will be helping to preserve our priceless local history.
 
Click here to become a member today!


Thank you for your support,
The Heritage Center
 
MANY THANKS TO OUR GENEROUS 
HERITAGE CENTER SPONSORS

Bill Vakos, Jr.

Jon and Meredith Beckett

Lucy and Wayne Harman

Donna and Nat McCague

Kitty Farley and Vic Ramoneda

The Cohen Family 

The Greene Family








To become a Heritage Center Sponsor, please visit our website.  If you have any questions, please contact The Heritage Center at (540) 373-3704.

The Heritage Center Volunteers

The important preservation work of The Heritage Center would not be possible without our dedicated volunteers.

Welcome New Volunteers:
 
Becky Harris
 
Gwen Piatt
 
Ken Pitts

Farewell To Margaret Matejka
 
Margaret has been a volunteer at The Center for 5 years. In that time, she has done a wonderful job in keeping the library organized and in great shape. She has also been in charge of labeling archival boxes and has been a member of the Collections Committee.
 
Margaret, thank you for your time and dedication to The Center. We will miss you!

The Center currently has a staff of over 45 volunteers.  If you are interested in becoming a volunteer at The Center, please email Meredith Beckett.

Women's History Month

President Jimmy Carter proclaimed the week of March 8, 1980 as Women's History Week. In 1987, a law was passed declaring March as Women's History Month.

Janetta R. FitzHugh (1866 - 1950) was the daughter of William Henry and Mary FitzHugh of Stafford. She became the treasurer of the woman's committee of managers for Mary Washington Hospital in 1901 and vice president of its executive board in 1915. In 1911 she organized the Fredericksburg Civic Betterment Club and was elected president. The Club's initial efforts focused on garbage collection and public health. When her friend Mary Johnston, a Virginia novelist and suffragist addressed the Literary Club of Fredericksburg in 1911, the local newspaper described the city as "the most conservative town in the south" on women's suffrage. FitzHugh and seven other women organized the Fredericksburg chapter of the Equal Suffrage League in 1912. Despite opposition, the League grew to 325 members by 1918. She held events at schools, churches and county fairs to educate people on women's issues. She was unable to convince local legislators to sponsor an amendment to the state constitution granting women the vote. A brother-in-law, Judge Richard Henry Lee Chichester, on the Supreme Court of Appeals, is said to have supported her. Unfortunately, she destroyed most of her records before she died. (Brent Tarter, Janetta R. FitzHugh (1866 - 1950) Dictionary of Virginia Biography, Library of Virginia, published 2018 ( http://ww.lva.virginia.gov/public/dvb/bio.asp?b=FitzHugh_Janetta_R, accessed 2/23/2020)

Butler Brayne Robinson Thornton Franklin's (1899- 2003) life is well-documented. Born in Nebraska, she lived at Fall Hill, her ancestral home for more than half her life. She also lived in California, New York, Mexico, Spain, Italy, Sweden, South Africa and China. Franklin and her husband, Lynn, a Foreign Service officer, retired to Fall Hill in 1948. After Lynn died, she focused her energy on women's issues and historic preservation. Franklin was elected vice president of the National Women's Party in 1960. She fought for pension benefits for spouses of Foreign Service employees. When she testified before Congress in 1971 in support of the Equal Rights Amendment, she represented suffragette Alice Paul. Through her efforts, Fall Hill is a Virginia Historic Landmark and on the National Register of Historic Places. Susan Carr Rossi, photographer for the Free Lance-Star, said of Franklin when she photographed her on her 100th birthday in 1999, ". . .Butler Franklin has seen a century of change for women. With a voice that still resonates through a worn face and tired body, she entertains visitors with her stories from the past. A suffragette, diplomat's wife and supporter of the Equal Rights Amendment, Franklin reminds me of how lucky we are as women living today. Because of the courage and dedication of women like Butler Franklin, I can enjoy a life designed by me." (CRHC Clip File 2002-008-CF-110)

To learn more about the contributions of local women, visit the Heritage Center.


Beth Daly
Volunteer, The Heritage Center

Collections Report

The following collections have recently been donated to the Center:

Diane Ballman
  • The Railroad Enthusiast booklet. 1946 March - April. Contains article with pictures of the Virginia Central Railway.

Fredericksburg Virginia Main Street, Inc./Catharine J. Farley
  • Miscellaneous paperwork from Our Town Fredericksburg (the first Main Street Program in Fredericksburg) dating 1989-1990.
  • Transcription of community meeting on revitalizing downtown. Spring, 1986.
 
Vashtye Ferguson
  • The Fredericksburg Campaign book.
  • Chancellorsville - Lee's Greatest Victory book.
  • The Outbreak of the Rebellion book.
  • Pamplet: Battlefields Around Fredericksburg.
 
Ann Hennings/Delores H. Shea
  • Family Tree "Price Family" of Westmoreland County & King George County.
  • John Price, Jr.'s plantation and mill - map.
 
Interfaith Community Council
  • Miscellaneous records from the Interfaith Community Council.
 
Jeannette Hall
  • Miscellaneous legal documents.
  • James Monroe High School photographs. 1972
  • Greenbrier Shopping Center photographs. 1970's
  • Kuszner Bauman photograph.
 
Barbara Forbush "Jinxie"/Jane F. Bailey
  • Photographs
  • Ferry Farm plat.
 
Elizabeth Daly
  • Palmer C. Hayden poster.
  • Dedication brochure of Palmer C. Hayden.
 
Roy E. McAfee
  • Correspondence (Dunn Family - postmaster Caroline County).
  • Photographs
  • Advertisements
  • Receipts
  • Ledgers

I am often asked by inquisitive individuals this paraphrased question:  "I have a lot of family documents and photographs.  Would The Center have any interest in acquiring some or all of it?"  My answer is consistent.  There are no unimportant documents, and nothing is mundane.  Our shelves are full of every imaginable paper record, including photographs, ledgers, personal correspondence, and club records, to name a few.  We collect virtually any documentation that enriches our deep historical roots. Indeed, we pride ourselves on archiving the family histories of our local area and very much enjoy adding new collections to the archives.  Please consider a donation today.      


John Reifenberg
Collections Manager, The Heritage Center
Can you identify this photo?

Click on picture to enlarge
Update on an update: Bonnie Garber identified a person in the January 2020 Newsletter:  Clinton Raymond Ratcliff is the young man cutting the ribbon and opening the door.  Thank you, Bonnie, for identifying the last unknown person in this photograph.

Thank you to the following people who helped identify those present at the 1981 opening of the Farmers and Merchants State Bank's Spotsylvania Mall branch:

Florence Barnick, Georgia Sutton Buchanan, John Cowan, Dennis Sacrey and William B. Young.

Pictured are (left to right):  Jackie Sullivan, George Low, Jimmy Pates, Josiah Rowe III, John Cowan, O'Conor Goolrick Ashby, Clinton Raymond Ratcliff, Branch Manager, William B. Young and Wayne Parrish.
.

February newsletter pic
Click on picture to enlarge.
C orrection:  The  Fredericksburg Hardware moved from 311 William Street to 513 William Street.

Update:  The popular La Petite Auberge restaurant is now located in that spot.

Thanks to Florence Barnick, Florence Ridderhof and Lydia Stevick for identifying the location and current structure.  Special thanks to Florence Barnick who pointed out the mistake in the address.

From the Funk Collection.


Click on picture to enlarge.

Can you identify these congregants of the Hartwood Presbyterian Church?  

Photo from the Jones and Taylor Collection.

Please contact Sharon Null at snull@crhcarchives.org with your answers.


The Heritage Center gladly provides research services.  Please contact The Center for rates.
 
Hours  
 
Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday 
10:00 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Saturdays by appointment
Please call to schedule during weekday business hours
Location
   
900 Barton Street #111
Fredericksburg, VA
22401 
(540) 373-3704 
 

Click here to join the CRHC mailing list and stay up to date with what is happening at The Center!
 


The Circle Unbroken: Civil War Letters of the Knox Family of Fredericksburg  
 
On sale now at The Heritage Center 
$29.70 for members 
$33.00 for non-members  

Daisy Turner's Kin
An African American Family Saga
Jane C. Beck 
 
On sale now at The Heritage Center 
$25.00  

Fredericksburg Memories
A Pictorial History of the 1800s through the 1930s

On sale now at The Heritage Center
$35.00

Central Rappahannock Heritage Center | contact@crhcarchives.org  540.373.3704 | crhcarchives.org
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