View this News on our Website | Calendar of Events | Membership & Donation Mosby Heritage Area Association Newsletter - July 2010 President's Letter July, 2010 Janet Whitehouse was our first president and our inspirational leader in 1995 and I was her vice president. I followed her as president in 1997 and served for three years. Since that time we have had the leadership of many wonderful and caring people within our community. Margaret Littleton, Chris Needels, Merritt Jones, Gayle DeLashmutt and Marc Leepson have volunteered their time, energy, talents and generosity to the mission of the organization. Their efforts have made the Mosby Heritage Area Association stronger and better with each passing year. I am following Marc Leepson’s two-year tenure. His leadership has been inspirational. His presidency came during an extremely difficult funding environment, on that has caused us to reduce our budget. I am grateful that Marc remains with us as an active board member and has agreed to continue to chair the important Special Events Committee. Because of our reduced budget, we had to move our education director, Rich Gillespie, to half time starting in January of this year. Understandably, Rich recently took a full-time position at Morven Park as education director and we will miss him. He successfully reached out to thousands of school children on our behalf. He engaged the students in conversations about the importance of our heritage area and the preservation of our historic sites. He asked them to think about our unique sense of place as opposed to Anyplace, U.S.A. We wish him the best in his new position and we thank him for his faithful service as our education director. We are in the process of identifying and interviewing potential part-time replacements so that we can continue this important initiative. We will keep you informed of our progress on this front. We began our new fiscal year on July 1st and our Nominating Committee, under the leadership of Joe Dempsey, has been busy. Three new directors join us moving forward. They are Jim Herbert, Wendy Bebie and Steve Price. More about each of them can be found in this newsletter. Coming back for an additional three-year term are two of our committee chairs – Patrick Farris for the Education Committee and Joe Dempsey for the Nominating Committee. As an organization, we are very fortunate to have such a talented group on our board. Steve Hines, our past Marketing Committee Chair, is moving onto the Advisory Board and Dan Morrow will now be the Chair of that important committee. Franny Kansteiner and Scott Abeel are stepping down after their much-appreciated tenures as board members. It is my hope that they will stay involved in our mission as their wisdom and volunteer spirit has been wonderful. So far this year, we have offered two special events for our members. Jim Morgan, a historian,a author and board member, gave a special tour of the Balls Bluff battlefield. Jim is the author of a much-admired text on that action which took place near Leesburg on October 21st, 1861. Recently, Marc Leepson gave an insightful tour of the Battle of the Monocacy, fought on July 9, 1864. Like Jim, Marc is the author of an excellent book on the history of that engagement, which brought a portion of the Army of Northern Virginia to the very gates of Washington, D.C. Our organization is privileged to have two such excellent historians on our board. Please mark your calendars for our main fundraiser for 2010. It is a two-part event that takes place on Thursday evening, September 2 and Friday September 3rd. This program is designed to be an in-depth study of Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello. Leslie Bowman, Monticello’s president, and Susan Stein, Monticello’s curator, will speak on the past, present and future of Jefferson’s house at The Sheila Johnson Performing Arts Center at Hill School on Thursday evening. On Friday, we are running a luxury bus down to Monticello where we will take a special guided tour that will allow us access to the upstairs and the iconic Dome Room. This is very special privilege only a few have enjoyed. So, please join us as this event is a veritable seminar on Jefferson’s Monticello and the talks and the tour will be enlightening and fascinating. Best of all, your participation will help us continue our mission of increasing the awareness of, and the appreciation for, our history and our heritage. Further details of this event and sign up opportunity can be experienced on our webpage www.mosbyheritagearea.org. As we begin our 16th year, I want to thank you for your loyalty and your support. I look forward to the opportunities that lie ahead. All of us associated with The Mosby Heritage Area Association pledge to do our best to preserve this unique area so rich in historic and scenic resources. Childs Burden Saving Monticello: Past, Present and Future On Thursday evening, Ms. Bowman and Ms. Stein will share their insights on Monticello’s past, present, and future at the Shelia C. Johnson Performing Arts Center at The Hill School in Middleburg, Virginia. The evening will include a cheese and wine reception beginning at 6:00 pm, followed by the presentation at 7:00 pm and a book signing. On Friday, September 3, Marc Leepson, author of Saving Monticello, will lead a bus tour to Thomas Jefferson’s “Essay in Architecture” in Charlottesville. Participants will take an exclusive, guided, behind the scenes tour of Monticello—including visits to private second floor bedrooms once occupied by members of Jefferson family, to the famous dome room on the third floor, which is not open to the public, and to the new, interactive “Crossroads” exhibition under the house. You will see unique interior architectural features, learn about on-going historic restoration efforts, and gain insight into what one of Jefferson’s granddaughters called the “bustle and hurry” of life at Monticello. This trip also includes a picnic lunch at Monticello and a signed copy of Mr. Leepson’s book. Tickets for the Thursday evening talk are $150 per person or $250 for couples. Tickets for the Friday bus tour to Monticello are $175 per person or $300 for couples. Sponsorships for the event are available beginning at $250. Click here to purchase tickets or become a sponsor online.
A Night at Historic Welbourne and Crednal Parking will be at historic Crednal, the Carter family home, across the road from Welbourne. From the parking area guides will escort visitors to the vignettes and back. It is recommended that visitors wear comfortable shoes. Walking is involved. Admission to this family-oriented event is $10 for adults and $5 for students. Funds raised from this event will be used for the preservation of Welbourne and the educational programs of the Mosby Heritage Area Association.
Civil War Conference Seats are filling up fast for this year’s Conference on the Art of Command in the Civil War. The topic is The Battle of Fredericksburg, December 11-15, 1862. Nine talks will be presented by nationally acclaimed authors and historians from Friday afternoon to Saturday evening. The conference also includes a day-long tour of the Battle of Fredericksburg on Sunday. Among this year’s speakers is historian Greg Mertz. Mr. Mertz has a lifelong interest in the Civil War. He graduated from the University of Missouri and began his National Park Service career at Gettysburg National Military Park. He has been at the Fredericksburg and Spottsylvania National Military Park for 25 years and serves as the Park’s Supervisory Historian. Mr. Mertz will open the conference on Friday evening with a presentation titled “Hurry Up and Wait: The Federal Army Initiates the Fredericksburg Campaign”. His presentation will be followed by Frank O’Reilly’s talk titled “Tale of two Stone Walls”. Other speakers include Kim Holien, Robert K. Krick, Clark Hall, Jeffry Wert, and George Rable. Speaker biographies may be found at www.mosbyheritagearea.org. A detailed schedule and registration form can be found on the “Calendar of Events” page. Click here to download a registration form and brochure.
2010 Mosby Heritage Area Association Raffle In 2010, MHAA has expanded its raffle project to include two prints; Mr. Kunstler’s The Gray Ghost and P. Buckley Moss’s Teddy’s Ride. Both depict special events in the history of the Mosby Heritage Area. Both have been expertly framed by Framecraft. Either one of these prints would be a great addition to anyone’s local history collection, a wonderful present for a family member or friend with an interest in local history, or as that special Christmas present. Best of all, your purchase of raffle tickets will be used to continue and expand MHAA’s mission of ‘Preservation through Education’.
Teddy’s Ride by P. Buckley Moss
The winning tickets will be drawn on December 3, 2010 at Framecraft in Warrenton during Warrenton’s Holiday Celebration. Click here to purchase tickets online. New MHAA Members Heritage Sentinel Heritage Ranger Heritage Supporter Are you ready to invest in the MHAA mission? For more information or a membership application, visit our website, www.mosbyheritagearea.org or call 540-687-6681. CLICK HERE to visit the Membership Page on our website.New MHAA Board Members and Officers Patrick Farris and Joe Dempsey have agreed to serve their second three-year terms on the Board of Directors. Mr. Farris is chairman of the Education Committee and Mr. Dempsey will continue as chairman of the Nominating Committee. New to the Board of Directors are Wendy Bebie, Jim Herbert and Steve Price. Wendy Bebie trained as a lawyer, graduating from Georgetown University Law Center with a JD in 1979. She was an Assistant United States Attorney in the Office of the U.S. Attorney in Washington, D.C., starting in 1980. Wendy and family moved to Loudoun County in 1989. She lives within view of the Ebenezer Churches. The fact that the church was the site where Mosby's Rangers split up their "loot" from the Greenback Raid was the inspiration for Wendy's interest in local history. She hopes to encourage others to share that passion by serving on the Board of the Mosby Heritage Area Association. Jim Herbert was born in Fauquier County where his family has lived since the 1830’s, the family coming from Virginia’s tidewater region prior to that. His work involves: consulting in business growth development; international trade and business development; spending time with clients sourcing acquisition or divestiture deals; and finding and closing financing for projects. He is active on the boards of the Piedmont Community Foundation and the Middleburg Community Center. He works quietly with the Windy Hill Foundation. His wife Stewart moved here when she was seven and attended Foxcroft School, where she is chair of the English Department. Jim has several Mosby Heritage Area legacies. His great-great grandfather Col. Robert Beverley of Avenel, near The Plains, was taken hostage during the war at one point by the Federals to be ridden around on their supply trains. Col. Robert Beverley was revered in this area, and Mosby’s men wouldn’t risk blowing up a train on which Col. Robert Beverly was a hostage prisoner. Jim’s fourth great uncle Arthur Herbert was the commander of Virginia’s 17th Infantry following Antietam, surrendering the regiment at Appomattox at Lee’s side. Stephen C. Price is a Leesburg lawyer with the firm of McCandlish & Lillard, P.C. A resident of Philomont, Steve is a past president of the Loudoun County Bar Association and served for ten years as a substitute judge in the district courts for Loudoun, Fauquier and Rappahannock Counties. His community activities include serving as president of the George C. Marshall International Center and membership on the boards of the Loudoun Community Health Center and the Loudoun Center for the Arts.Rector House Open on Saturdays Each week volunteers are available to relate the history of the house, the village of Atoka, and the connection that two Confederate officers—Mosby and Stuart—had with the house. On Saturday, August 21, Gary Carroll, interpreting Col. John S. Mosby, will be at the Rector House to greet visitors. The Caleb Rector House, MHAA headquarters, was built at the turn of the 18th century along the Ashby Gap Turnpike in the village of Rectors Crossroads. The house was occupied by Caleb and Mary Ann Hatcher Rector at the time of the Civil War. On June 10, 1863, Lieutenant John Singleton Mosby signed the official papers creating Company A, 43rd Battalion Partisan Rangers of the Virginia Cavalry – later known as Mosby’s Ranger’s in the parlor of the Rector home. The house is also connected to the history of Confederate General J.E.B. Stuart who established his headquarters around the Rector House on June 23, 1863 following the Cavalry Battles of Aldie, Middleburg, and Upperville. It was here that he received orders from General Lee to follow the Union army into Pennsylvania and, according to reports, harass them as he saw fit.
News Shorts: Monocacy Trip a Success
Germanna Foundation Tour Harley-Davidson Tour Site of the Month - Aldie Mill Aldie Mill Historic Park, owned and operated by the Northern Virginia Regional Park Authority, is now open for tours Saturdays and Sundays from Noon to 5 pm. Currently the water wheels are undergoing replacement and repair. During this work grinding demonstrations will not take place.
Did You Know? MHAA Store The audio tour has a new packaging. A photo of the First Massachusetts Monument on the Snickersville Turnpike is on Disc 1 and Goose Creek Bridge is on Disc 2. A map of the tour is included with the CDs. The new CDs will sell for $20. They are available at the headquarters of MHAA in Atoka or online from our MHAA Store.
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