March, 2021 As part of Women’s History Month, we had a ‘virtual sit down’ with Preservation Virginia CEO, Elizabeth S. Kostelny. Elizabeth, who is celebrating 30 years with Preservation Virginia, has gained an incredible amount of insight and wisdom during her tenure. As a woman at the top of her field, there was much to …
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23
23
Voices Remembered: Pedro, Enslaved Coachman at Scotchtown
Black history is American history and essential every day of the year. And in honor of Black History Month, we recognize that at this time, we have much to learn about the enslaved who lived and worked at the historic sites we open to the public. We are dedicated to researching and expanding public knowledge of …
category: Patrick Henry's Scotchtown, Untold Stories
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15
15
Marshall and the Presidency: An Evolving Partnership
By Matthew Nichol, VCU ’21, Education Intern February 15, 2021 Happy Presidents Day from the John Marshall House! We love to talk about American Presidents and the relationship between the Executive and Judicial branches, so we thought we’d take a moment today to shed light on an often-overlooked aspect of Chief Justice John Marshall’s …
category: John Marshall House, Untold Stories
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10
10
Helping Preserve Historic African American Schools
By Sonja Ingram, Preservation Field Services Manager In 2019, while Preservation Virginia was completing our survey of Rosenwald Schools in Virginia, we met David Rainey. David, who has spent countless hours researching local African American school sites, was gracious enough to take us to visit fourteen schools in Mecklenburg County, nine of which were Rosenwalds. …
READ MORE Jan
29
29
Marriage Announcement!
Dearest readers, perhaps you have seen the news: Miss Susan Colston, niece of the great Chief Justice John Marshall, is to be married! Undoubtedly, the grey silk gown she was spotted in at a recent event encouraged Mr. Benjamin Watkins Leigh to ask that all-important question. Forget Daphne Bridgerton of 1813 London – meet fashionable …
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22
22
Christmastide at the John Marshall House
Since the holidays will look different for many families this year, let us look back and examine how Early Americans like Chief Justice John Marshall, his family, and the enslaved community who supported the household, celebrated the holiday. Which customs and traditions sound familiar to you and your family, and which have faded into obscurity? …
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10
10
Saving Petersburg’s Jarratt House
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 …
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12
12
Documenting the Shiloh School
A few weeks ago, we posted an article about the Shiloh Rosenwald School in Mecklenburg County near Boydton. The Shiloh School was a two-teacher school built in 1923 that we previously thought had been demolished. It was one of 17 Rosenwald Schools built in Mecklenburg County, nine of which remain standing. The Rosenwald School Program was created …
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20
20
Preserving Paper as well as Places
It’s American Archives Month! As a preservation organization, we don’t just save buildings and objects. We save paper too! The archives and document collections of Preservation Virginia are an extraordinary record of our historic sites as well as the evolution of the institution over the last 131 years. Over that time, the Association for the Preservation of …
READ MORE Oct
6
6
Historic Rosenwald School Once Thought Demolished is Found
A school building we mistakenly thought was lost was recently found. During an ATV ride through the woods of Mecklenburg County, a family came across a school building near Boydton, Virginia. They provided photographs to Preservation Virginia, and after researching the images and the location, we determined that it was the Shiloh Rosenwald School. Photos …
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