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Mosby Heritage Area Association Newsletter
November 2009
From The President
I would like to thank everyone who supported our third and final Special Event of 2009, the October 17 talk by Dr. Daniel Preston, the renowned James Monroe scholar (along with an appearance by James Monroe himself), at historic Oak Hill, Monroe’s home near Leesburg. We had a good crowd and a good number of volunteers to help make this an entertaining and informative event—and a successful fundraiser for MHAA.
This past Saturday, MHAA presented another top-quality event, an interactive field experience on the John Brown Raid which included the Kennedy Farm, Harpers Ferry, the Virginia countryside, and Historic Morven Park led by our Education Director, Rich Gillespie. I’m happy to report we had a sold-out event, the first in what we hope will be yearly programs commemorating the 150th anniversary of the Civil War.
Please scroll down to learn more about our raffle of famed Civil War artist Mort Kunstler’s print “Jackson’s Foot Cavalry, Old Mill, Strasburg, Virginia, June 1, 1862.” MHAA will sponsor an Open House beginning at 6:00 p.m. on Friday, December 4, at the Framecraft frame shop in Old Town Warrenton. We will draw the winning ticket around 6:30 p.m. There’s still time to buy your tickets.
We encourage everyone to learn more about these programs and MHAA’s mission at our website, www.mosbyheritagearea.org.
Marc Leepson
President
MHAA
Mort Kunstler’s Snow Print: The Gray Ghost
On November 21, 2009 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Mort Kunstler, the renowned Civil War artist, will be at the Warrenton Courthouse to sign his work and books. For 20 years, Mr. Kunstler has offered a special Snow edition print at the end of the year. This year’s print, The Gray Ghost, features John Singleton Mosby at the Fauquier County Courthouse.
This special print and other Kunstler prints and books may be purchased at Framecraft, located at 64 Main Street in Warrenton, Virginia, on the day of the event. Framecraft will be open from 8 a.m. to 5.p.m. that day. Come early, meet Mr. Kunstler, and reserve your print, because they are selling out very quickly. To guarantee that you get a copy, call Framecraft at 540-341-0001 to reserve a copy.
“The Gray Ghost” by Mort Kunstler
Jackson's "Foot Cavalry"
Old Mill, Strasburg, VA, June 1, 1862
Raffle Drawing Open House
The Mosby Heritage Area Association and Framecraft will sponsor an Open House on Friday evening, December 4. Mort Kunstler’s Jackson’s “Foot Cavalry”, Old Mill, Strasburg, Va., June 1, 1862, which Framecraft of Warrenton donated to MHAA, will be on display from12 noon until 6:30 p.m. when the winning raffle ticket will be drawn by Gary Carroll (aka Col. John S. Mosby).
Tickets ($20 per ticket, or 6 tickets for $100) can be purchased on line until midnight on December 3, or at the MHAA office in Atoka, or at Framecraft until 6:00 p.m. on December 4. The print is on display at the MHAA office at Atoka. Call ahead to make sure we’re here to help you. (540-687-6681).
Click here to learn more about the print.
“Jackson's Foot Cavalry” by Mort Kunstler
Historic Caleb Rector Open House:
Wednesday, November 25th
The Mosby Heritage Area Association’s Gray Ghost Interpretive Group will open up the famed Caleb Rector House the day before Thanksgiving from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. so that MHAA members and their guests can take advantage of a dose of regional history, legend, and story.
“We all love company, but it’s great to get the early company out of the house when you’ve got to attend to Thanksgiving Dinner,” MHAA Education Director Rich Gillespie said.
In period dress, with stories of our region’s Civil War past, our volunteer interpreters will regale your guests with that special “sense of place” our region is known for. They’ll be able to visit the parlor where Mosby’s Rangers were formed in June 1863, get shown the Civil War village of Rector’s Crossroads (now Atoka), and enjoy a drive in the country to experience the beauty and history of our area.
The Rector House sits at 1461 Atoka Road, Marshall, Virginia 20115, at the intersection of Route 713 and Route 50 four miles west of Middleburg.
Click here to learn more about the Rector House and Atoka.
The Rector House at Atoka
Heritage Hero Award Presented to Linda Newton
The MHAA 2009 Heritage Hero Award was presented to Linda Newton, founder and president of the Atoka Preservation Society, following the Monroe lecture. Representing MHAA, founder and past president Childs Burden said, in presenting the award, "Linda has led the way in keeping Atoka protected from development, preserving the character of the crossroads and keeping the rural vision alive. Her strong, unwavering commitment to historic preservation is an inspiration to all of us at the Mosby Heritage Area Association--and to everyone who cares about the history of our unique and special part of Virginia. Linda and the Society were responsible for saving the historic Rector House where John S. Mosby organized his Rangers in 1863." Previous recipients of the Heritage Award were U.S. Sen. John Warner, Robert L. Smith and Karen Hughes White.
 MHAA’s 2009 Heritage Hero Award Recipient, Linda Newton
Board Approves Business/Professional Membership
The MHAA Board of Directors recently approved several Business/Professional Membership Categories to beginning in 2010, the organization’s 15th anniversary year.
The new categories are:
Heritage Supporter: $250
Heritage Cavalier: $500
Heritage Patron: $1,000
Heritage Benefactor: $2,500
Heritage Silver Circle: $5,000
Heritage Gold Circle: $10,000
Gray Ghost Society: $25,000
Business and professional members will receive unique membership benefits at each level:
- a press release as a Heritage Supporter
- release and E-newsletter announcement as a Heritage Cavalier
- release, announcement and Sponsorship of one MHAA event as a Heritage Patron,
- release, announcement, Presenting Sponsorship of one MHAA event as a Heritage Benefactor,
- release, announcement, Title Sponsorship of one MHAA event in the Heritage Silver Circle
- release, announcement, Title Sponsorship of one MHAA event and 1 Year E-newsletter sponsorship in the Heritage Gold Circle
- and release, announcement, Title Sponsorship of one MHAA event, 1 Year E-newsletter sponsorship and free admission to any MHAA event in the Gray Ghost Society.
Call the MHAA office at 540-687-6681 for more information about these new, exciting membership offerings and benefits. It’s a great way to show your support for our mission: “Preservation through Education.”
A National Register Nomination for the Unison Battlefield
Last month, a team of archeologists and historians held the first public meeting to outline a study of 8,000 remarkably pristine acres in Loudoun and Fauquier Counties, the scene of the November 1862 Battle of Unison. Expected to take a year, this federally funded study will result in the Unison battlefield’s nomination for listing on Virginia’s Landmarks Register and National Register of Historic Places. The proposed battlefield district extends from the village of Philomont, south through Unison to Upperville and westward a mile shy of Paris.
Click here to learn more about this project.
MHAA Guest Speakers End Season On A High Note
The MHAA Guest Speaker program for 2009 concluded with two outstanding programs focused on the early years of the Heritage Area. Both speakers covered the 1750’s through 1830, the period at the heart of this nation’s development and founding as a fledging world power.
In addition to outstanding programs, the two events, along with our initial guest speaker Cokie Roberts, served as fundraisers, designed to help MHAA fund educational programs throughout the Heritage Area.
 Jim Rees at the Hill School, photographer, Karen Monroe
 Dennis Bigelow as President James Monroe, photographer, Noel Ryan
Click here to see more photos from these events.
Another Civil War Conference Success
MHAA’s Twelfth Annual Conference on the Art of Command in the Civil War, held October 2-4 in Middleburg, received raved reviews from participants. There were 62 participants from 8 states: Virginia, North Carolina, Maryland, South Carolina, Rhode Island, Florida, Pennsylvania, New York and New Jersey. One participant was from Italy.
Click here to read more about the conference.
BROWN! Fills all Seats for an
"Adventure in Northern Virginia History"
The Mosby Heritage Area Association’s first “Adventure in Northern Virginia History,” an intensive exploration of John Brown’s Raid, was held on Saturday, November 7. On a beautiful fall day, 30 participants--a full house--shadowed John Brown’s raiders in Virginia, Maryland, and West Virginia with MHAA local members joined by parties from Maryland, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, and California.
MHAA Director of Education Rich Gillespie worked with five volunteers from the Gray Ghost Interpretive Group to make this 1859 crack in time event come alive. Perhaps the highlight of the event was sneaking by dark from Maryland into Harpers Ferry for a candle-lit program in the Armory Engine House where Brown made his last stand. Participants were then treated to a hearty country supper back at Historic Morven Park in Virginia.
“This was participatory history,” one of those who attended said. “My wife and I are exhausted, but wouldn’t have missed it for the world.”
 2009: "Adventures in Northern Virginia" Group Photo
Click here for more photos of “Adventures in Northern Virginia”
Volunteers
MHAA has been building on its Volunteer Program with Board Member, Susanne Moliere, as coordinator. An introductory meeting was held at the end of September, but more volunteers are welcomed to participate in the program. We have places for everyone.
There is a need for people to help with MHAA events, work on mailings and assembling materials, and to man the MHAA office when staff is away. MHAA has some special projects that need that special expertise, such as organizing MHAA’s clippings file and helping write, edit and produce our monthly E-Newsletter. You may have a special talent for photography or some other skill that you may be able to put to use with MHAA.
This fall we initiated a Student Volunteer Program. We now have two students from Loudoun County and one from Fauquier County helping at the office. If you know a junior or senior high school student who may be interested in volunteering, have them contact Judy Reynolds at 540-687-6681 or by email at info@mosbyheritagearea.org.
If you would like to donate your time to help MHAA, especially during the long winter months, contact Susanne Moliere at 540-364-3266.
Site of the Month
Thomas Balch Library - Leesburg, Virginia
Thomas Balch Library is a history and genealogy library owned and operated by the Town of Leesburg. Collections focus on Loudoun County, regional and Virginia history, genealogy, military history with special emphasis on the American Civil War, and ethnic history. It is designated as an Underground Railroad research site.
One of the library’s missions is collecting and preserving printed, manuscript, photographic, cartographic and genealogical documentation of Leesburg, Loudoun County and the surrounding region. The library actively seeks and welcomes donations of original business records, diaries, correspondence and photographs documenting life, culture and history of Leesburg and Loudoun County. Library collections include over thirty-two thousand books and periodicals, maps, visual collections, newspapers, government records, and manuscripts. The library offers lectures on history and genealogy, classes, and exhibits. Group tours and orientations are available on request and books about local history are available for purchase on-site.
Click here to learn more about Thomas Balch Library.
 Thomas Balch Library in Leesburg, VA
Did You Know?
Thomas Balch was born at the corner of King and Cornwall Streets in Leesburg, Virginia, and was known as the father of international arbitration.
MHAA Store
It’s time to think Christmas! There are many great Christmas gift ideas at the MHAA Store for anyone interested in history and especially Col. John S. Mosby.
We have Civil War audio tours that highlight Mosby sites and adventures. Quality polo shirts, hats and lapel pins feature the Mosby Heritage Area logo. The Mosby Heritage Area maps (3’x3’) have been a very popular gift for more than 14 years.
 Polo Shirt, Hat, Lapel Pin
For the casual person on your Christmas list, why not get a “Got Mosby” t-shirt? What fun to wear this t-shirt while out exploring the heritage area using MHAA’s driving tours, audio tours, or scavenger hunts.
For those who are advocates for the preservation of this unique heritage area, think about a membership to the Mosby Heritage Area Association.
Click here to purchase MHAA memberships.
Or purchase a raffle ticket for the “Jackson’s Foot Cavalry” framed print. Can you imagine how that person interested in the Civil War would love getting this unique gift?
Click here to purchase a raffle ticket.
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