Bricks and mortar efforts toward saving Petersburg’s Jarratt house began earlier this fall on Pocahontas Island. The house is the oldest standing building within what is considered the oldest freed African American community in the nation. Talking to Wayne Covil, reporter for CBS 6 News, Kate Sangregorio, Preservation Planner for the City of Petersburg, said …
Mary, Mary, quite contrary How does your garden grow? As noted in this 16th century children’s rhyme, the question of how best to grow healthy and productive gardens was an ever present challenge our forefathers and ancestors faced. Whether by accident or studied practice, many cultures and societies through trial and error learned about the …
Although the Kentucky Derby is postponed, don’t wait to enjoy one of Chief Justice John Marshall’s favorite drinks, the mint julep. Preservation Virginia’s curator of collections (and native Kentuckian) Lea Lane explores how this icy refresher made its way to Richmond and beyond, then shows how you can make one at home using a locally …
The cast-iron spiral steps at Old Cape Henry Lighthouse were installed in 1867 to replace the original wooden stairs from 1792. For the past century, that spiral stair has been painted black, but it wasn’t always that color. Cape Henry Lighthouse has recently completed several major preservation projects. In May 2019 we completed the …
This week should be the Garden Club of Virginia’s annual Historic Garden Week. This one promised to be spectacular, as the Garden Club of Virginia commemorates its centennial in 2020. Since 1927, proceeds from Historic Garden Week have gone to fund garden restoration projects throughout the Commonwealth. Unfortunately, this year, like everything else, the event …
These snapshots of Smith’s Fort were taken in June 1938 and were saved in a scrapbook now in the Preservation Virginia archives. The caption for the first photo references the restoration of the landscape around the house, then known as “Rolfe Place,” by the Garden Club of Virginia. We celebrate with the Garden Club as …
Every historic building in Virginia has a story contained within its walls. From small residential homes to great churches and castles, hidden narratives can always be found — if you know where to look. Here are the intriguing stories behind some of the oldest buildings in the Commonwealth. Jamestown Church Current view of the rebuilt …
With no electricity and limited resources, games played at parties in colonial Virginia were often quite different from modern forms of entertainment. Some games were safe and laid-back, while others went out of style over two-hundred years ago for good reason. In any case, here are some of the most interesting colonial games Virginia had …
Few states can claim to have a history as rich or extensive as Virginia, the home of the first successful English colony in the United States. Though there are far too many places rich in history to fit onto a single list, here are some that you must-see while hitting the road this summer! Richmond …
Every historic place has a unique preservation story. There’s something about it that makes it special to the people who live near it, something that makes it part of the fabric of that community. Every person passionate about historic places and their history has a unique preservation story. Something that compels them to spend their …
