It's Halloween

APVA Preservation Virginia has come a long way in 119 years - at least our ladies smile now!!

Hollow Affronted

The front siding for the Hollow was installed and primed this week of 10/27/08. The restoration crew received enough siding to finish the west gable end next week, but are still waiting on material for the back side. The Hollow is finally starting to look like an 18th century house. Windows and interior restoration is planned for next year.

Jamestown Archaeological Conference, Nov 20

2008 Jamestown Conference

The staff of the APVA Preservation Virginia’s Jamestown Rediscovery Project, and the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation Archaeology Department are pleased to announce that the 2008 Jamestown Conference will be held on Thursday, November 20, in Williamsburg, VA. The conference, by and for regional archaeologists will be held at Colonial Williamsburg's Lane Auditorium in the Bruton Heights complex from 9:00 am to approximately 4:00 pm.

As is traditional, the conference will be an informal sharing of recent archaeological work work. Presentations consist of 20 minute papers from any discipline with a bearing on the archaeology of the Chesapeake Region (c. 16th-19th centuries.) Many papers will be fairly technical in nature, but the conference is free and open to all interested persons.

If you know anyone who wishes to present an archaeological paper, please have them contact jamie@apva.org before Nov. 5.

Conference information including the schedule will be posted by November 7 at http://www.apva.org/jr.html

For additional information, contact the 2008 Jamestown Conference Organizers: Jamie May jamie@apva.org; David Givens dgivens@apva.org; Meredith Poole mpoole@cwf.org; Andy Edwards aedwards@cwf.org; Ed Chappell echappell@cwf.org

Hollow Front Side-Week of 10/20/08

The Restoration crew concentrated their efforts on the front side of the Hollow this week. After repairing the generator, Karl started the tedious process of restoring the pieces of 18th century siding located on the southwest section of the house. He is using both abatron and west system liquid epoxies and Woodepox paste filler made by abatron. The weather has cooled considerably, so the temperature window for using epoxy products is closing.
The crew also did an assessment of the heart poplar siding on hand. They determined that there was enough siding to completely finish the front, so Mike belt sanded and beaded siding. He installed prepped siding Wednesday afternoon. The project was cut short this week because of tent take down duties at the Customs House. The supplier is supposed to deliver more siding this weekend. He is having difficulties finding logs large enough to make 9.5 inch wide heart poplar boards. Jon continues to work on the exterior of Bacon's Castle and has not quite finished the Godspeed Cottage shutters.

East End

The East end of the Hollow is now completely finished. The restoration crew has tent duties for the 16th,17th and the 23rd, and has not yet received their entire heart poplar order, which will limit progress on the house. The crew intends to make repairs to their generator the week of Oct. 20th, and if that is successful they will side the front of the house.

Visible Progress

After weeks of consolidating old doors and old trim, squaring existing door openings and making and installing period trim, the Restoration Dept finally has something to show at the Hollow. The East gable end is almost completely sided, save for a few short rows above a 20th century window opening. What took so long? Each of the 9.5 inch wide by 16 feet long pieces of heart poplar siding had to be belt sanded to remove the planer marks and then beaded, with a router for expediency. The work is being done on site with a generator as the power source.
The second picture shows the Northern, back view of the house. The window openings are exact duplicates of the existing original window in the front. They are unusual for an 18th century house because they are nail framed instead of mortice-and-tenon framed. The exterior and interior trims for the windows are jointed at their corners by mortice and tenon, then nailed into place. Why are the frames done so simply and the trim so complex? Next time you bump into Louis ask him, thats why he makes the big bucks. The back door was preserved in its 20 century, tenant house style.
Back on the peninsula but not forgotten, Jon has at last finished all the exterior painting at Smith's Fort. He has also been repairing and replacing storm shutters for the Godspeed cottage, at the request of resident Archeology Directer Bill Kelso. He will soon turn his attention to exterior repairs at Bacon's Castle, among other tasks.

Mary Washington Branch hosts Our Living Legacies

September 12-14, the Mary Washington Branch will be hosting the annual "Our Living Legacies". Titled "Characters and Craftsmen", this event will highlight people and crafts from our past.

Visit the Mary Washington House where Mary Ball Washington, mother of our first President, lived for seventeen years. An exhibit will feature a collection of late 19th-century quilts made by Dallie Belle Jennings Embrey, a local quilter. In addition, there will be an exhibit of needlework, including samplers provided by the Monticello Needlearts EGA Chapter and the Fauquier EGA Chapter.
On Saturday, members of the Rappahannock Colonial Heritage Society will provide living history interpretation in the house. Outside there will be children’s Colonial games and dancing.

The Fredericksburg Spinners and Weavers Guild will be giving demonstrations of their skills and showing finished works on Saturday and Sunday from 10 - 2 p.m.

Come view the Rising Sun Tavern From the Inside-Out. Colonial carpenter-cabinetmaker-joiner Glenn Hyatt will demonstrate methods by which the tavern was built and tools appropriate to the task. He will provide examples of joinery and pegs, period siding and roofing, doors, hinges, and other elements of colonial carpentry. There will be graphic displays of construction techniques and blueprints of the tavern. Mr. Hyatt will also lead "bare bones" tours of the basement for those interested. Glenn will be available Friday 12 - 4; Saturday 11 - 4; and Sunday 12 - 4.

In addition, discover which of Burnside’s artillery batteries shelled the tavern and see the holes they left in our rafters; Friday 12 - 4; Saturday 11 - 4; and Sunday 12 - 4.

At the Hugh Mercer Apothecary Shop, we will look at "The Many Faces of Hugh Mercer".

There are no known portraits of Hugh Mercer, but this exhibit will show you how artists of the 18th and 19th centuries envisioned his appearance.
Also tour the shop’s physic garden to learn of the medicinal plants Dr. Mercer might have employed.

The St. James' House is open 1-4 p.m. all 3 days.
Antique collectors will be available on Saturday and Sunday from 1 - 4 p.m. to give verbal evaluations of your treasures for $5 per item.
On view will be an exhibit honoring 19th-century local hero Matthew Fontaine Maury. He is known as "The Pathfinder of the Seas". This oceanographer, astronomer and Civil War Naval Commander was born in Spotsylvania County. Find out why Matthew Fontaine Maury’s portrait was turned upside down and face to the wall by the Salem Marine Society in Salem, MA.

There is a block ticket available. Adults $10, Students age 6-18 $5.

Our raffle prize this year is this beautiful reproduction of a Chippendale mirror hanging in the Rising Sun Tavern. It was crafted by Glenn Hyatt and is made from 100 year old cherry wood. You may view it in the Mary Washington House Museum Shop or www.apva.org/livinglegacies. Tickets are $1 each or 6 for $5. They may be purchased online or at any of the sites.