The Messenger OF THE CHESTERFIELD HISTORICAL SOCIETY OF VIRGINIA Number 78 July 2006 July Quarterly Meeting IN THIS ISSUE Sunday, July 23, 2006 at 5 p.m. at Castlewood July Quarterly Meeting 1 Board of Directors Nominees 1 Make plans to attend the third CHS quarterly meeting of 2006. There Drewry’s Bluff 1 will be a concert by the Chesterfield Community Band. Pack yourself a picnic and come to Castlewood. Beginning at 5:00 p.m. there will be a CHS News 2 brief membership meeting to elect a slate of three new directors to the President’s Letter 2 board; then the festivities begin at 6:00 p.m. There will be an exhibit in Library Acquisitions 3 the ballroom that day. The nominees for the CHS Board of Directors are: Out on a Limb 3 Ms. Brenda Briggs - Brenda has been a CHS member since 2003 and is CHS Membership List 4 currently involved in an oral history project. Father Halbleib 5 Dr. Jeanne von Schilling - Jean has recently completed a third book on Bermuda Hundred Resolution 6 her family history. She is on the Board of Directors at GRIVA and has Need Your Help 6 been a CHS member since 2003. Historical Markers 7 Mrs. Liess van der Linden-Brusse - Liess currently serves as chairman Bottle Donated 8 of the Library Committee. She volunteers at CHS on Thursdays and has been a member since 1998. Drewry’s Bluff Noted Civil War historian Bob Krick spoke at the last quarterly meeting about the history of Drewry’s Bluff. Twenty eight members were in attendance. The fort was strategically important because it was situated on the James River overlooking the approach to Richmond, and was its only defense from the Union navy. On May 15, 1862 a fleet of Union ships including the ironclad Monitor were defeated at the Battle of Drewry’s Bluff. The defenses of the fort proved too formidable to seriously challenge again. Drewry’s Bluff is now called Fort Darling because that is the Federal name for it, but the origin of the name is not known. The fort was commanded by the brother of Robert E. Lee. Mr. Krick told us of an account of how President Lincoln was nearly drowned in the river near the fort. After the Union army invaded Richmond, the President desired to travel upriver to Richmond. His boat became tangled up in the paddlewheel of a much larger boat and very nearly was broken. Civil War re-enactors at Plantation Day on June 17 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 1 CHS News CHS Video Project – A remake of the 30-minute video of Chesterfield’s Chesterfield history is now underway, led by Margo Carlock. CHS signed a contract with Historical Society Cinabar to update and shorten it to ten minutes. Additional members to work on the committee are welcome to assist. The original video produced by of Virginia Arline McGuire is now available in the library. 10201 Iron Bridge Road The Bermuda Hundred Historical Designation is moving forward. The P.O. Box 40 Chesterfield County Board of Supervisors passed a resolution supporting the Chesterfield, VA 23832 designation and a parcel of county property in the area will be included in the application. The framed resolution was presented to Gloria Hewlett, a pastor at the First Baptist Bermuda Hundred Church. It will be on display at the church. See the resolution on page 7 of this issue. The Military History Committee met on June 7. The committee is prioritizing projects and determining how to fund the projects. Scott Williams is the new chairman of this committee. Faye Crenshaw has left CHS to take a new job at Stony Point Fashion park . From the President – As I glance over messages from the president in publications that I receive, I realize that our societies and organizations are extremely busy and creative. Officers There are many dedicated people who put in a lot of hours to their causes. The President – Angela Wilderman Chesterfield Historical Society is no different. I want to thank our members and 1st Vice-President – to be named very active volunteers for all they do. During this year, so many people have 2nd Vice-President – Barbara Yandle come forward to lend a helping hand. George Reynolds is one of those Recording Secretary – Jane Harmon volunteers. He is a docent at Magnolia Grange and gave numerous tours at the Corresponding Secretary – Phyllis Bass Treasurer — Jim Evans museum when the school children visited during the year. He’s involved in the Archeology Committee, Historic Sites Committee, Military History Committee, Directors and works on many of the events that we hold during the course of the year Margo Carlock Jo Garey Don Gobble including the recent Plantation Day. He is working with a new member, George Dr. Peter Lipowicz Arline McGuire Cranford, who is scanning records and taking photographs of the museum Mike Poarch Dr. Jean von Schilling collection. If you are interested in the collection at the museum and old jail, Ken Shiflett Sam Tarry please consider assisting the Historic Sites Committee pack the collection up so that it can be removed from these sites and put into storage. The buildings are Committee Chairs going to be renovated with paint and new carpet and improvements made to Cemetery – Rachel Lipowicz 739-7225 ensure the building is dry. There will be a new exhibit created by Ammons Finance – Jim Evans Studio installed in the museum later in the year. Many of the items in the Library – Liess van der Linden-Brusse collection will not be used. A new location to safely store the collectibles must be Historic Sites – to be named found. The cookbook project is moving along. We need your recipes. Do you Membership – Barbara Yandle have some historical trivia about Chesterfield or old photographs that you think Military History – Scott Williams Hospitality – Barbara Yandlle might be of interest? Send them in also. Volunteers are needed to help select and Bermuda Hundred – Sam Tarry & Ruth Snead write short historical items about Chesterfield for the cookbook. Can you help? Batteau – Will Turnage Please give me a call. We’re gearing up for the auction in November. If you can contribute your time, talents, and items for the auction, please step forward and Staff let us know. We need you. If you have not attended this event, you have really Tamara Evans - Gift Shop Manager missed a fun-filled evening and an opportunity to bid on some great items. In October, a traveling funerary exhibit from J.T. Morriss and Sons will be on exhibit in the ballroom at Castlewood. Fortunately, it will be here for Halloween Hours of Operation but not for Christmas. As you may know, there are a number of garden clubs that Castlewood and Magnolia Grange Gift Shop volunteer to decorate Magnolia Grange at Christmas. However, Castlewood is 10 a.m. — 4 p.m. always overlooked. If you have a talent in decorating a historic home and making Monday — Friday Castlewood festive for the holidays, please let us know. Peter Lipowicz made a presentation about the CHS library to the Board of Supervisors on May 24. He Phone Numbers did an excellent job of showcasing, in a very brief time slot, some of the very Castlewood (804) 777-9663 interesting items to be found on the shelves and in the files of our library. At that Magnolia Grange & Gift Shop (804) 796-1479 same meeting, Mrs. Rebecca Dickson, the new Deputy County Administrator for Human Services, made a presentation about the twinning of Chesterfield County Messenger Editor and Gravesham, England, where Pocahontas is buried. The CHS made a Peter Lipowicz contribution of $2,000 to the county in support of this Jamestown 2007 project. From the Messenger editor – please e-mail by September 10 any submissions you would like to see in The Messenger to [email protected]. Thank you. 2 Recent Library Acquisitions and Donations The Library is always happy to receive books, documents, research notes, photos, maps, newspaper clippings and other printed items that provide information about our County’s past, so please think of us when doing your research or when clearing out the attic! Thank you. -- Liess van der Linden-Brusse, Library Committee History Books & Genealogies Chesterfield County, Virginia, 1957, by Bettie Woodson Weaver, gift of the author. Legends of Virginia Lawyers, 1934, by John H. Gwathmey, gift of the Chesterfield County Police Department. Some Remembrances of Linwood E. Hudson, 1995, by Linwood Eugene Hudson, gift of Mr. & Mrs. Linwood Hudson. The Dyson & Eanes Families of Chesterfield County, Virginia, 2006, by Larry Franklin Holt, gift of the author. Gregory Families of Rockwood, 2002, by Thurlow Gates Gregory, gift of the author’s son Marcus W. C. Gregory. Ahnentafel of Joseph Clayton Family (Ancestors of Robert William Clayton), 2006, by Betty J. Martin Clayton, gift of the author. Chesterfield County, Virginia, a History, 1970, by Bettie Woodson Weaver, gift of the Chesterfield County Police Department. Crabgrass – Robert Bowman (1600-1667) and Descendants, 2005, by George P. Bowman, gift of the author. Henrico County Cemeteries, Volume I, 2005, by the Henrico County Historical Society, gift of Terry Roach. Ettrick, Virginia; Historical Survey of an American Village, 1979, by Bethany Davenport, gift of Ley Diller. Periodicals Virginia Magazine of History & Biography, Vol. 113 Nos. 3 & 4, Vol. 114 No. 1, gift of Debbie Dendtler Manuscripts Letter from Horace Mann, Sr., to Bettie Woodson Weaver, dated February 28, 1957, describing the history of Ettrick and Matoaca, gift of Bettie Woodson Weaver.