The Messenger OF THE CHESTERFIELD HISTORICAL SOCIETY OF

Number 82 July 2007

July Quarterly Meeting IN THIS ISSUE nd CHS Events 2 Sunday July 22 2-4 p.m. at Magnolia Grange President’s Letter 2 **Board Election and Ice Cream Social** Upcoming Conferences 3 Out on a Limb 3 Please make plans to attend this quarterly meeting. Join us for a free ice cream Membership Report 3 social and listen to Southern Exposure, quartet members of the award-winning Cemetery Report 3 Greater Richmond Chorus of Sweet Adelines International. Play yard games Donations 3 and enjoy an antique car show 4 Following is the slate of candidates from the Nominating Committee to be Greet the Godspeed 4 considered for election at the quarterly meeting: Beaufont Springs 5 President Dr. Peter Lipowicz 1st Vice President Dr. Jean von Schilling Telephone Exchanges 5 2nd Vice President Liess van der Linden-Brusse Access 6 Recording Secretary Ruth Snead Jester from Chester 6 Corresponding Secretary Phyllis Bass History Complex 7 Treasurer Jim Evans Saturday Events 7 Director Mike Poarch The Full Plate 8 Director Sam Tarry Director Jim Daniels

Emily Rusk and Mason Chalkley have agreed to fill vacancies that may arise as a result of the elections. Come out on the 22nd and bring the family!

We Need Your E-mail Address

Plantation Day 2007 Communication by e-mail helps th was held June 16 . the Society function efficiently Thank you to Mike and helps you get the latest news Poarch and all the and events. Please send an e-mail volunteers for organizing this event. to: Magnolia Grange is [email protected] now open every Saturday from 10 – 2 for tours. Events are planned every other Saturday.

. Mission Statement The Chesterfield Historical Society of Virginia serves as the center for Chesterfield County history. Its purposes are to collect, preserve, interpret and promote the county’s unique past for the education of present and future generations

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CHS Events Chesterfield Historical Society July 22, Sunday, Quarterly Meeting August 14-16 Kids’ Archeology Camp of Virginia September 22, Saturday, 12 pm-4 pm ―Bermuda Hundred Day‖ Historic Castlewood 10201 Iron Bridge Road October 5, Friday, golf tournament, tee-off at noon P.O. Box 40 October 28, Sunday, 2-4 pm; Blandford church and cemetery Chesterfield, VA 23832 December 1, Saturday, Christmas Open House, Magnolia Grange www.chesterfieldhistory.com December 5, Wednesday, Christmas tea at Magnolia Grange [email protected]

From the President – It’s hard to believe that it is two years since I was elected president of the Society. What a ride this two years has been. I am most grateful for the Officers opportunity to serve. Much has changed but this board stepped to the plate President – Angela Wilderman and accomplished a lot. Many thanks to the board and to the dedicated 1st Vice-President – to be named volunteers for being available when you were most needed. It is important 2nd Vice-President – Barbara Yandle for the future of the Society to get new members and get our membership Recording Secretary – Jane Harmon Corresponding Secretary – Phyllis Bass involved in all aspects of our mission. We need programs to get young Treasurer — Jim Evans people interested and involved in history. The Events Committee has put together a new Friday Night Lecture Series for 2008 and a number of other Directors events for next year, not to mention the Saturday events taking place now Brenda Briggs Jo Garey Don Gobble that are sponsored by both the Society and Parks and Recreation. Mark your Dr. Peter Lipowicz Arline McGuire calendar for our Quarterly Meeting on July 22 and for Bermuda Hundred Mike Poarch Dr. Jean von Schilling Days on September 22. We need your support for the Golf Classic to be held Ken Shiflett Liess van der Linden-Brusse in October. Sponsor a hole and form a team for a fun-filled tournament at the Highlands. History is not only the olden days but yesterday and tomorrow. Committee Chairs Cemetery – Rachel Lipowicz 739-7225 Finance – Jim Evans Have you been to our gift shop? Tamara Evans keeps it stocked with many Library – Liess van der Linden-Brusse wonderful items. As we recently opened Magnolia Grange and the museum Historic Sites – to be named on Saturdays, the gift shop will be opened as well. If you would like to be a Membership – Barbara Yandle docent at the Grange or a gift shop volunteer, please give us a call. The Military History – Scott Williams following is a brief list of some of the items you will find in the shop. Hospitality – Barbara Yandlle Bermuda Hundred – Sam Tarry & Ruth Snead Pewter Jefferson cup with Magnolia Grange engraved on it $18 Batteau – Will Turnage Pewter Virginia cup with Magnolia Grange engraved on it $24 Staff Pewter Candy and nut dish with Magnolia Grange engraved on it $38 Diane Dallmeyer – Administrative Assistant Celebrate Chesterfield mouse pad $8 Messenger Bag $147 Tamara Evans - Gift Shop Manager Tee-shirts w/ Chesterfield County $12 Susan Constant ship pins $25 Holly Rush – Acting Director Museum Virginia Women bread warmers $10 Scherenschnitte note cards $5.50 Services Vera Bradley (assorted pieces – picture frames, vases, etc.) $9 The Lady with the Milk White Hands – Civil War Biography $17.95 Hours of Operation Dark Enough to See the Stars in Jamestown Sky – Connie Lapallo $19.95 Castlewood 10-4 M-F Celebrate Virginia Cookbook – Rowena Fullinwider $19.95 Magnolia Grange 10-4 Tu-F & 10-2 Sat The Continental Training Depot and General Ren dez Vous – Weaver $17.95 Museum 10-4 Tu-F & 10-2 Sat

The Full Plate – we are still taking pre-orders for our commemorative 2007 Phone Numbers cookbook - $18 now, $20 upon arrival from the printer. Castlewood (804) 777-9663 Magnolia Grange & Gift Shop (804) 796-1479 From the Messenger editor – please e-mail by September 10 any submissions you would like to see in The Messenger to Messenger Editor [email protected]. We’re also very interested in your feedback as you Peter Lipowicz read the Messenger. Let us hear from you! Thanks!

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Southern Campaigns the American Revolution Thank you to all of the donors to the Society this year. So far, ( www.southerncampaign.org) and the South Carolina Historical we have collected $4569 and there have been significant additions to our museum collection. Society are sponsoring a national conference in Spartanburg, SC, on November 9 and 10, 2007 on cavalry operations in the American Individual Donors Revolution. Cavalry commanders’ personalities, tactics and the Mrs. Virginia Chapman uses of cavalry in specific battles and campaigns will be addressed. Jesse and Vanessa Crews of Orinda, CA One day of battlefield tours of Revolutionary Battles will precede Mr. & Mrs. C. L. Morrissette and follow the conference on November 8 and 11, 2007. For Mr. & Mrs. Frank Murphy further information and registration contact Gloria Beiter with The Mr. & Mrs. W. Guy Smith III South Carolina Historical Society at (843) 723-3225 ext. 11 or via Mrs. Evelyn Gray e-mail at [email protected] Mrs. Virginia Justis Mr. & Mrs. James Rooks of Colorado Spgs. Ms. Ley Diller Mr. & Mrs. Gerald Jernigan Virginia Genealogical Society Fall Conference Ms. Jean Benson Mrs. Angie Wildeman Mrs. Barbara Jernigan The VGS fall conference will be held November 2-3, 2007 in H. E. Howard, Inc. Roanoke, VA. Brochures are available at Castlewood and online Mr. Carlton Clarke at www.vgs.org. The Saturday program will be held at the Mrs. Jean Capps Dumas Center for Artistic and Cultural Development, 108 First Mr. Henry Letien Street NW and includes A Virtual Tour of the Virginia Room: Mrs. Pam Brett The Most Comprehensive Genealogy Library in Western Virginia The Afflerbachs Total Individual Donations $647

Cash donation box in library $163 Membership Quarterly Report The Verizon Foundation $750 Battery Dantzler Project $1137 CHS membership stands at 492 members. CHS welcomes 28 new Spencers Investments--Benefactor $500 members this quarter (up from 13 new members for the same time period Philip Morris USA $1000 2006). BSA Troop 877 $288 Woodland Pond Garden Club $84 Ms. Barbara Beuglass Total Donations $4569 Mr. Bert Blanton Mr. & Mrs. Jesse Crews (Vanessa) Non-cash donations: Ms. Jacqualynn C. Ellis Hand-crafted tool chest and woodworker’s tools Mr. & Mrs. Howard W. Hancock, Jr. (Joan) Several pieces of furniture left in will for Magnolia Grange. Ms. Rebecca Jones Dr. Elizabeth Jordan Mr. & Mrs. Greg Lupsha (Linda) Ms. Bonnie Mahayni Out On A Limb… Ms. Kimberly Maxey Mr. Robert R. Owens Once my tenure as president is over, I look forward to Mrs. Pat Roble working in the library again. If you are available to Mr. & Mrs. Irwin Shishko (Renee) volunteer on a Wednesday evening, please let me know. I Mr. & Mrs. Charles Spotts (Joann) do not anticipate evening hours until October. Dr. & Mrs. Eugene Stanton (Jean) Mr. & Mrs. Kenneth Warren & family (Kendra, James & J. P.) Mr. & Mrs. Russell Waymack (Lynn) During the summer, do you plan to have a family reunion? Mr. Michael L. Winberry Even a small family get together can be fun and productive. As a genealogist, ask questions of your relatives. General, open ended questions can provide Cemetery Committee Quarterly Report volumes of information and clues for further research. Two people who witnessed or were told about an event The Cemetery Committee continues to locate and research cemeteries in will recollect the story differently. We tend to remember Chesterfield County. Mapping on the County GIS system is about half the parts of the story that interest us the most. Put your old complete. We continue to abstract death certificates at LVA. We now photographs in a nice album and share it with your family. review tentative site plans for subdivisions to address any impact on Listen as they tell you stories. Take notes so that you can cemeteries. 7 members and 2 helpers gave a total of 617 volunteer hours. refer back to them during the cold winter months.

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Jefferson: The Chesterfield Connection by Pattie Grady

The James River curls lazily through Chesterfield County. On its banks in an earlier time was a small town known as Osbornes. Thomas Jefferson, great-grandfather of the President, was living with his wife, Mary Branch, in that portion of Henrico County, which became Chesterfield in 1749. Their son, Thomas, married Mary Field and was living in Osbornes when their son, Peter, was born. Peter Jefferson, born February 1707/1708, married Jane Randolph. Their son, Thomas Jefferson-President, governor, author, scientist, architect, and loving husband and father-was born in what is now Albemarle County on April 13, 1743. His connections to Chesterfield County, however, were strong and diverse. Thomas Jefferson married Martha (Wayles) Skelton, daughter of and Martha Eppes, and widow of Bathurst Skelton, January 1, 1772. Martha’s half sister Elizabeth Wayles married Francis Eppes, the man who erected the house known as Eppington, ca 1765-1775 overlooking the valley in southwest Chesterfield. Jefferson was known to have said that he considered Francis Eppes the ―first horticulturist in America and a man of the soundest practical judgment on all subjects that he had ever known.‖ This house and family were to play an important part in the life of Thomas Jefferson. After the death of his beloved wife in 1783, Jefferson fled to Ampthill, the Chesterfield estate of Archibald Cary, with his daughters. While he was serving in France, daughters Mary (affectionately called Polly and later known as Maria) and Lucy Elizabeth Jefferson were left at Eppington with ―Aunty Eppes‖ while daughter Patsy accompanied her father. On October 13, 1784, two-year-old Lucy died of whooping cough and it is believed that she was buried in the family graveyard at Eppington. Maria continued to live there until 1787 when she sailed to France to join her father. On October 13, 1797, Maria Jefferson married , her cousin and son of her beloved ―Aunty and Uncle Eppes.‖ Again she was to live at Eppington. Although Maria and John later lived at Mount Blanco and Bermuda Hundred in other areas of Chesterfield, their first child was born and died shortly after birth at Eppington. Maria would then go to for the birth of her second child, Francis Wayles Eppes. She would never fully recover from the birth of her third child and died April 17, 1804, and was buried at the family graveyard at Monticello. Her infant daughter died the same year. Eppington stands today in seclusion between River Road and the Appomattox in the Winterpock area-a quiet elegant reminder of another time. One can feel within the mansion’s bare rooms the presence of the illustrious people who walked through its doors, played on its lawn, lived, loved, died, were buried in its graveyard, and whose ancestors and descendants make all of us proud of Chesterfield and the part she played in the life of Thomas Jefferson.

Society members, including President Angie Wildeman on a boat to Presquille Island on May 18 to greet the Godspeed. Thank you to Liess and Brenda and all those who volunteered to make this event a success.

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Beaufont Springs and Bottled Water by Diane Dallmeyer

The longer I work in the office of the Historical Society, the more I realize that it’s true: there’s nothing new under the sun! Centuries ago, right here in Chesterfield, people were murdering one another, families underwent tragedies, young women had babies out of wedlock, and wayward children were still taking their toll on their parents. And then there’s bottled water……?? Nothing new there, either. I recently learned a bit about Beaufont Springs and the history of the area around what is now Beaufont Plaza and the cloverleaf of Midlothian turnpike and Chippenham Parkway. This area was originally called Crow Spring and later renamed Beaufont (French for ―beautiful spring‖) by its purchaser, James Robertson, when he bought it in 1895. Robertson developed it commercially the following year and called his company the ―Beaufont Lithia Springs Company.‖ Why Lithia? If you look the word up, you find that it is a derivative of the Greek word, ―lithos‖ meaning ―stone.‖ From the stones of granite at Beaufont came water that was promoted as having special therapeutic properties. In 1817, a Swedish student named Johan Arvedson discovered lithium, but it is widely believed to have been in use for ages, possibly in Southern Egypt before the birth of Jesus Christ. In the late 1800’s, the Lithia Springs Sanitarium was established in Georgia. It used natural lithium water in treating alcoholism, opium addiction, and compulsive behavior. Manic depression had not been identified as a mental illness at that time. Lithia water was analyzed and found to be rich in lithium, potassium, calcium, magnesium, fluoride, and other essential trace minerals. Back at Beaufont, Mr. Robertson and his son were taking their spring water downtown by horse team. From there it was shipped to cities such as Washington, , and New York. The company changed hands in 1916 and business boomed during Prohibition. The new owner, Frederick Sitterding Sr., added six to eight flavors of carbonated beverage to his inventory. These ―soft drinks‖ led to the formation of a sister company, Climax Beverages. Mr. Sitterding owned another company called The Home Brewery, which joined forces with Beaufont Springs, adding a brewery and ice plant to the joint venture which lasted until 1933. By then, municipal water systems had improved to the point where bottled water was not in such demand and the water bottling part of the business was shut down in 1940. The area of Beaufont Spring enjoyed a brief revival in the 50’s when the Sitterding family built a picnic ground and recreation area around the Spring. This area was available for rent and for business parties and was quite popular. Volleyball, basketball, horseshoes, and a dance pavilion were well-used amenities. Caterers were used to bring in food, but renters were required to purchase their beer and soft drinks through the Company. Upon construction of Chippenham Parkway and the commercial properties in Beaufont and the Boulders, the water became muddy, but the springhouse bottling plant and picnic area were preserved by Sigma Development, the developers of the Boulders Office Park. These areas can still be visited today. ―In 1999, scientists and the medical profession celebrated the fiftieth anniversary of the discovery of the miracle drug lithium, a true revolution in the treatment of mental health. If the Springs' ancient granite walls could talk, they would tell a tale of the healing water's benefits to prehistoric mankind.‖ Sources: http://www.lithiaspringswater.com/id18.htm, The Times Dispatch, 7/15/91, Chesterfield County Historic Sites and Structures, by Jeffrey O’Dell

Telephone Exchange Names by Peter Lipowicz

Do you remember names? How about the Glenn Miller song PEnnsylvania 6-5000 ? Or the Elizabeth Taylor movie BUtterfield-8? They were in use as late as the 1960’s. They were used to help you to memorize your phone number. If you can’t remember your own exchange name, I have collected a few that were in use in Chesterfield County. If you can remember, send me an e- mail with the prefix and the place within Chesterfield County you are from to [email protected].

Prefix Letters Exchange Name Place 74 SH SHadyside Chester 73 PE PErshing Bethia 59 LY LYric Midlothian 79 SY SYcamore Midlothian 27 BR BRidge Bon Air Telephone from our museum collection

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Castlewood to Get Internet Access

On June 27, 2007 the Chesterfield County Board of Supervisors approved a transfer of $13,800 from the Matoaca District Improvement Fund to our Society. We thank the Board for the approval, the Department of Parks and Recreation for assistance with the application, the Department of Information Systems Technology, the Library, and Matoaca Supervisor Renny Bush Humphrey for her support and enthusiasm for Chesterfield County history.

These funds will be used by the Society to install internet access for staff and authorized volunteer use at Castlewood that will enable the Society to undertake a number of internet related projects to put our records online, our library titles on the County library database, and to enable volunteers to answer public queries by e-mail.

The funds are all going to network hardware and computers. Connecting Castlewood posed a significant technical challenge, finally overcome by the folks at the IST department. All the work will be accomplished by volunteers with some assistance from County staff. Please contact the Library committee to volunteer for these new projects. Also, the cost of internet access is not fully covered by this generous grant. Donations are needed to cover ongoing costs of the access.

A Real Jester from Chester by Peter Lipowicz

Last month, I met ―Jane the Fool,‖ for the first time. Jane is the court jester persona of re-enactor Tamara Eastman, a native of Chesterfield County who now lives in Dinwiddie. Jane is as real a court jester as you can find these days. Her jester's motley is historically accurate, and her costume is modeled after one worn by a woman jester in the late 1300's. Next year, Jane will be inducted by the city of Chester, England as the official Jester to Chester. It won’t be her first visit to England. She appeared at Berkeley and Muncaster Castles, and in an ―ale‖ commercial in Britain, as Jane the Fool. She has been on BBC television and has received a special commendation letter from Prime Minister Tony Blair, congratulating her on her induction into the National Guild of Jesters. A jester in medieval England was a ―must have‖ in any respectable royal court. They were as important to the monarch as a butler or maid is to a wealthy person, today. Jesters held a great deal of influence in most courts, and were the ―voice of reason‖ in many cases. Muncaster Castle was once home to Thomas Skelton, known as Tom the Fool. He gave the word "tomfoolery" to the English language and Shakespeare used him as his model for the fool in King Lear. Several British cities have now appointed an ―official jester‖ – and this jester serves the term for life. They appear at special functions, such as the Lord Mayor’s Parade, and do tourism commercials and the sort. The cities who have appointed jesters have found that the tourists love it, as do most of the citizens, so other cities are starting to follow suit. Tamara Eastman as ―Jane the Fool‖ soon to be named the The demise of the jesters coincided roughly with the end official jester to Chester, England of Elizabethan era, so they played no part in American or Virginia history. As an American jester, Tamara is feted wherever she goes in England, as long as she is wearing her motley. Tamara Eastman is a historian, and is working on her Ph. D. in Medieval Studies. She is in the final stages of publishing her book on the history of jesters: Fooling Around in the English Courts. She also re-enacts a pirate, and is the author of the book The Pirate Trial of Anne Bonny and Mary Read.

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About the Map I drew this map of the area comprising the historic center of Chesterfield County because I often found myself lost when looking for a historic building on the courthouse green. Also, I wondered where I could park. If you’ve ever had to give directions to someone about how to get to the museum, you can appreciate how much simpler this map makes the journey. The original map is in color. Black and white copies are available at Castlewood. The map is not to scale. I called it the Chesterfield History Complex because the

Government Complex is right next door. – Peter Lipowicz

Chesterfield History Complex N

Mimms Dr

Parking Historic 1828 and 1889 Clerk’s Offices Baptist Historic Memorial Museum Historic Jail Confederate Castlewood Monument Historic Chesterfield 1917 Historical Courthouse Courthouse Society Green War Memorial Krause Rd Parking

Ironbridge Road Rt 10 Rt 288 I-95 Parking Directions Magnolia Located 10 miles south Grange of downtown Richmond in Chesterfield, Virginia. Open to the Public, Free Parking From I-95 take Rt. 288 to Historic Castlewood - free admission and use of the library Mon-Fri 10-4 Ironbridge Rd towards

Beach Rd Lori Rd Lori Beach Rd Magnolia Grange – house tour charge, gift shop onsite Tue-Fri 10-4 & Sat 10-2 Chesterfield. Follow Chesterfield County Museum – free admission Tue-Fri 10-4 & Sat 10-2 Ironbridge Rd for 1.7 Historic 1892 Jail - currently closed for renovation. miles to the History Historic 1917 Courthouse, and Historic 1828 and 1889 Clerk’s Offices are county Complex. Address is government buildings. 10011 Ironbridge Rd. War Memorial, Confederate Monument, Baptist Memorial can be visited daily. Phone is 804-777-9663.

Saturday Event Schedule at the Chesterfield History Complex

Staring May 26, 2007 there is an event hosted by the County Parks and Recreation and the Society every other week at either the Museum or Magnolia Grange. Our first two events – a walking tour of the Courthouse Green hosted by Bryan Truzzie and a Civil War talk by Scott Williams, attracted over 70 visitors. The events are open to the public and are free. You can help volunteer, or just pay us a visit on Saturdays. Here is the schedule of upcoming events. 7/14—John May portrays an Eastern Long Hunter 7/28—Anna Edwards talks about millinery (headwear) fashions and mourning traditions in the Civil War period. 8/11—Pat Roble talks about historic gardening 8/25—Revolutionary War topic 9/8—Steve Haasch speaks about the County Landmark Designation procedure and how our database of historic properties works. 9/22—Pat Roble does a garden talk 10/13—the Chesterfield Community Band presents a musical program on the lawn 10/27—Bryan Truzzie tells ghost stories

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The Full Plate, a publication of the Chesterfield Friends of the Library and The Chesterfield Historical Society of Virginia, is expected to be out in July. There will be over 300 recipes, Chesterfield historical tidbits, and photographs in a padded binder.

Price: Pre-publication price $18.00 After July, $20. Shipping & Handling $3.00 extra. The Full Plate, c/o Chesterfield Historical Society, PO Box 40, Chesterfield, VA 23832

Name ______Address ______

Phone Number ______

E-mail ______

Number of copies______

Amount paid $______

Received by ______

Date ______

The Chesterfield Historical Society of Virginia Non-Profit Org. U.S. Postage P.O. Box 40 PAID Permit #28 Chesterfield, VA 23832 Chesterfield, VA 23832

Visit us online at www.chesterfieldhistory.com

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