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Volume 12, Issue 4

April 2021

Central Rappahannock Heritage Center

Newsletter

A place that loses its history loses its soul

Message From The Chairman

The Board of Directors will meet on May 18, 2021, at 4:30 pm. At the last Board meeting, it was decided that we would begin meeting earlier to take advantage of longer daylight hours. The new meeting time is highlighted above.

Believe it or not, Spring has sprung! The days are longer, filled with the scent of cookouts, and signs of the renewal of life. More important, our President has promised that all Americans can be vaccinated by the end of May. Consequently, we will tentatively plan to have our May meeting in the Barry McGhee room at the Heritage Center - provided it is safe.

I am pleased to report that our reopening Ad Hoc Committee is in place and already developing plans. The objective is to open the Center by June, if not sooner. And we will follow the CDC guidelines. It is very important to reopen as soon as feasible. We have been closed for over a year. Even though research has been ongoing electronically, there has been zero physical access to our collections/files. And we have had zero presence in the community. That has to change.

The Nominating Committee has identified potential candidates for our Board, but we would like to encourage additional nominees. We continue to look for ways to diversify.

Finally, all that pollen in the air isn’t all bad. Because we are still here to be bothered and irritated.

Stay safe and well.

Jack A. Apperson, Chairman

The Heritage Center

Become a Member Today!

Heritage Center memberships support the important work done by The Center.

The Central Rappahannock Heritage Center is a non-profit, all-volunteer archive 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!

Membership

Thank you for your support,

The Heritage Center

MANY THANKS TO OUR GENEROUS

2021 HERITAGE CENTER SPONSORS

Barbara Barrett

Barbara H. Cecil

Dovetail Cultural Resource Group

Kitty Farley and Vic Ramoneda

Jim and Betsy Greene

Mary Katherine Greenlaw

Lucy and Wayne Harman

Mary Jane O'Neill

Hon. and Mrs. J.M.H. Willis

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

Get Out and About

It’s spring, and we are still very limited by COVID restrictions. Even so, there is one thing we can do, that is good for us and enjoyable. We can spend more time outside; go for a walk or a drive.

With so many historic attractions, we can keep busy for quite a while. Take a walk through Fredericksburg, Historic Falmouth, Bowling Green – admire the beautiful trees and gardens. Many of the structures predate 1860. Hard to believe that so many buildings survived the fierce fighting that took place during the Civil War. True, there was damage, but repairs and improvements were made. Spotsylvania and King George don’t have concentrated areas of historic homes, but they do have plenty historic structures and history. It’s spread out and better observed by a drive through these two counties.

The Center is in the middle of the Garden Club of Virginia’s annual tour in Fredericksburg on Tuesday, April 20. Gardens, not houses, at 726 William, 536 George, 400, 408 and 801 Hanover will be open. The Rappahannock Valley Garden Club will install a massive floral design at the city’s War Memorial across from the Center at George and Barton Streets. Stop by to watch the display evolve. Tickets are required for admission to the individual gardens. They are available at the Fredericksburg Visitors Center, 706 Caroline Street.

Now that you have walked and driven, perhaps you want to know more about the history and the people. What better way is there than to research at the Heritage Center? The Center contains not only information on homes and businesses or farms, the Center also has the stories of the people who lived in the homes and operated those businesses and farms. You might find business records, booklets on garden tours and some genealogy. There are 8,000 images of people, structures, landscapes. We have maps too, some from the 1800s.

Take notes now so that you will be ready to research when the Center reopens.

Beth Daly

Volunteer

Wall of Honor Nominations

The Fredericksburg Memorials Advisory Commission is seeking nominations to the city Wall of Honor for 2021. The Wall of Honor recognizes those who have made significant contributions to the welfare of the city and the betterment of society. Nominees must have been deceased for at least one year prior to the nomination. Nominations may be submitted by any person, except immediate family members.

You can find the Wall of Honor Application on the city website: fredericksburgva.gov. If you have questions, email Tonya Lacey, Clerk of the City Council, at tlacey@fredericksburgva.gov.

Deadline for submission is May 15.

Collections Update

The following new collections are being processed:

A second installment of photographs from the Hearn, Garrison, and Armstrong families of Fredericksburg. Deeds, news clippings, ledgers, and genealogies are included.

Organization records from the Fredericksburg Area Legal Secretaries Association; 1962-1985.

Consider a donation today.

John Reifenberg

Collections Manager