Our Annual Holiday Gathering
December 2, 2021
Join us next Thursday, December 2 for our annual holiday gathering. Hear about a couple of special projects and then share something you’re researching with the group.
The History of Tarry Farm in White Hall with Kathy Spaar
November 4, 2021
Join us for Kathy Spaar’s engaging talk about her family and their ties to the lovely Tarry Farm in White Hall (Western Albemarle). You won’t want to miss this.
The Albemarle Property Mapping Project
October 7, 2021
Erik Irtenkauf and Bob Vernon will discuss the Albemarle Property Mapping project, an effort in the 1940s that produced the first comprehensive property map for Albemarle County. The information gathered during this work provides a detailed record of land ownership across the county prior to the rapid development that began after the Second World War. Erik and Bob have used this information to create a county-wide digital map that shows land boundaries, schools, churches, and other features for all of Albemarle, circa 1940. It also shows the numerous African American communities that spanned the countryside, many of which have since all but vanished. Erik and Bob will unveil their map and explain how it can be used for researching local history in Albemarle County.
The Current Work of the Fluvanna County Historical Society
September 2, 2021
Join us as Tricia Johnson, director of the Fluvanna Historical Society, catches us up on the projects the Society has undertaken recently including:
Two Hills Along the James: the cemeteries at Free Hill and Oak Hill (includes CACF-funded cemetery surveys by Rivanna Archaeology; collaboration with One Shared Story and Dr. Lisa Goff of UVA and her “history on site” students)
Using the colonoware pot from accessioned Bremo to reimagine the Bremo exhibit at the OSJ, working collaboratively with the descendant community from Bermo. (Monticello archaeologists Beth Bollwerk and Leslie Cooper, advising.)
Exciting discoveries in our archives of significant papers from the Cocke collection.
Repatriating the Ann Hunt Collection – Monacan artifacts donated to the society. beginning stages:
Construction of Monacan ati at Holland Page Place
Lynching memorial with EJI.
And much more. Come to learn and bring your questions.
August 2021 – No meeting
The Stories of Rockbridge County
July 1, 2021
Join us on July 1 at 4 PM on Zoom to hear more about connections between the people, places, and historic patterns that have shaped Lexington, Buena Vista, and Rockbridge County histories. A roundtable of brief ‘project overviews’ will be jointly shared by a collaborative team, currently including Cinder Stanton, Larry Spurgeon, Lori Wood, Lynn Rainville, Eric, Wilson, and Adam Lewis. Connecting our groups presents a new opportunity to discuss some of the figures, archives, and research methods that might connect their distinct if often-related inquiries, including direct connections with Albemarle lives and legacies, that reach across the Blue Ridge.
Updating the Visual Eyes Bleak House Website and Learning More about the Extraordinary Woodfolk Family of Bleak House
June 3, 2021
Join us next month as Alice Cannon updates us on her newly revised website and the great new findings she’s had about the Woodfolk family and their ties to her home at Bleak House.
The Descendant Community at Highland
May 6, 2021
1) We’d like to share what we are up to!
Highland’s Council of Descendant Advisors has an important role in initiatives to identify and present new historical narratives in Highland’s public interpretation. Descendant advisors and Highland staff will share the history and framework of their collaboration, which draws from the rubric on descendant engagement (https://www.montpelier.org/learn/tackling-difficult-history). The collaboration is central to Highland’s thinking about its history and the language it uses to share its stories.
2) We’d like to ask you to share your expertise!
Descendants have several questions to pose to CVHR researchers. Expertise from the CVHR may be able to add insight. The research topics proposed for CVHR member input include:
- Tips on which resources would be most helpful in researching female relatives after they marry.
- Knowledge of any people enslaved by Thomas Jeffeson’s personal physician. Is there a connection to Walker Jefferson, who appears up in some records as Walker Gilmer?
- Discussion of resources beyond “The Enslaved Wall.” Family researchers have used The Library of Virginia, FamilySearch.org, and Ancestry.com, including the 1850 and 1860 slave schedules available on Ancestry.com. We welcome knowledge about specific resources for our area and in general.
- Additional resources on Spotswood Jones and the Carter family.
- Descendants may bring other questions.
Descendants bringing research questions or information to share:
Ramona Chapman
George Monroe, Jr.
Mary Moorhead
Francis Scott
Raised/Razed by Lorenzo Dickerson and Jordy Yager
April 1, 2021
Raised/Razed is a new documentary film series written and directed by filmmaker Lorenzo Dickerson and journalist Jordy Yager. It tells the story of five African American neighborhoods in Charlottesville, the families who were raised there, and the ultimate razing of the communities. The first film in the series is in partnership with VPM (Virginia Public Media) and is scheduled to broadcast in August 2021
Filippo Mazzei, An Italian In Virginia with Adrienne Ward
March 4, 2021
Join us next Thursday as Dr. Adrienne Ward shares the story of Filippo Mazzei, a physician and friend of Jefferson, who spurred the impetus for Charlottesville’s sister-city status with Poggio a Caiano in Tuscany, Italy.
Terry Beigie Shares What She’s Discovered about a Lynching in Stanardsville
February 4, 2021
This Thursday, Terry Beigie tells about how she recently uncovered an execution of a slave in 1860 in Stanardsville. To her knowledge it’s the only one—the only execution that ever occurred in our jurisdiction. The slave was owned by a prominent family in Albemarle Dr. John R. Woods and lived with an overseer in Greene County on property purchased by Woods. He allegedly attacked the overseer, Joseph Hoy, with an ax and nearly beat him to death.
Our historical society knew nothing and doesn’t particularly want to do anything with this information. No one has really studied slavery ties in Greene County, but with this they absolutely can no longer say it didn’t happen. She found the documentation early last year, but she hasn’t been able to research further and hopes we may be able to share some resources, information, and research suggestions with her.
Slave Labor on Virginia’s Blue Ridge Railroad
January 7, 2021
Next month, we’re in a for a real treat as our very own Mary E. Lyons shares her extensive research on the enslaved people who helped build and work on Virginia’s Blue Ridge Railroad.