Published for the Members and Friends IN THIS ISSUE: of the Harpers Ferry U.S Mint to Historical Association Release Harpers Spring 2016 Ferry Coin Fifteenth Annual Don Redman Heritage Awards 1916-2016 National Park and Concert Service Centennial Authors & Artists: A Centennial “...which purpose is to conserve the scenery and the natural Celebration and historic objects and the wild life therein and to provide Association’s for the enjoyment of the same in such manner and by such Executive Director means as will leave them unimpaired for the enjoyment of is Retiring future generations.” —National Park Service Organic Act ollowing vigorous lobbying by indus- Above left: First NPS Director Stephen T. trialist and conservationist Stephen Mather inspects a trail in Glacier National Park, F T. Mather (1867-1930), President ca. 1920s. (National Park Service Historic Woodrow Wilson signed into law the Na- Photo Collection). Above right: NPS Director tional Park Service Organic Act on August George B. Hartzog and former Director Horace The picture which appears M. Albright attend a dinner at Hilltop House, on our newsletter’s nameplate, 25, 1916. Congress charged the new agency dating from 1803, is one of the with preserving and managing the great Harpers Ferry, WV, to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the NPS, August 29, 1966. oldest prints of Harpers Ferry. natural resources of America and assigned Twenty years earlier, in 1783, (National Park Service Historic Photo Collection) Mather as its first director in 1917. Thomas Jefferson had declared For a century, the NPS has been the that this view was “worth a steward of this country’s “crown jewels,” lished Harpers Ferry as a National Monu- voyage across the Atlantic.” over 400 cultural sites including monu- ment in 1944, and then as Harpers Ferry ments, parkways, battlefields, cemeteries, National Historical Park on May 29, 1963. 1 and recreation areas. Congress first estab- continued on Page 6 Recent Donations American Public Univer- sity System Chicago Civil War Round Table Paula Degen Mark Elrod John Frye Gettysburg Civil War Round Table Diane & John Lofquist Joseph Onofrey Preservation Maryland Armory Superintendent Members Dr. Robert Johnson Above: Park and HFHA staff pose with Elleanor Harpers Ferry, WV National Park Week Bison during 2015’s successful A Day in the Park Mike Hegarty, Our Lady of event. Below: Harpers Ferry Quarter National Park Week, April 16 to 24, 2016, Sorrows School is a nationwide celebration of our national Farmington, MI heritage, with events and activities com- Nancy Myers, in Honor of memorating the Centennial of the National Mint for a coin fo- Don Campbell Park Service. rum, which will Harpers Ferry, WV At Harpers Ferry National Historical offer the public Jim & Suzanne Silvia Park the week kicks off with A Day in the an opportunity Taunton, MA & Harpers Park, an event that brings out staff from to learn and ask Ferry, WV all park departments— questions about Ed Wheeless & Chris Craig from interpretation to the Mint and Harpers Ferry, WV cultural resources to law its programs. At Paymaster Members enforcement—to engage 10 a.m. the next Jo (Kuhn) Curtis in with the public in fun morning, June 8, the official launch features memory of Jim Kuhn activities that teach speakers and the unveiling of the new Harp- and Alexander & Mary how the NPS operates. ers Ferry NHP quarter. Murphy All national park en- The forum takes place in the Gather- Brandywine, MD try fees are waived for these ing Tent in Lower Town; the launch will be Cynthia Mason dates. Activities in Harpers Ferry will run held on Hamilton St., Lower Town. Visitors Baltimore, MD from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. each day in Lower may purchase up to $100 worth of Harpers Town. Ferry Quarters in $10 rolls. Master Armorer Members Allison Alsdorf U.S. Mint to Release Association’s Executive Harpers Ferry, WV Harpers Ferry Coin Director to Retire Carolyn Blocker Crofton, MD In 2010, the United States Mint launched Harpers Ferry Historical Association Execu- Kirk Bradley the America the Beautiful Quarters® Pro- tive Director, Deborah Piscitelli, is retiring Sanford, NC gram, releasing five coins each year depict- in Fall 2016 following 36 years with the as- Karl Buchspics ing one national park from each of the 50 sociation. Applications are currently being Willow Grove, PA states, the District of Columbia, and the accepted for our next Executive Director. continued on page 3 U.S. Territories. This June, the Mint will Visit www.harpersferryhistory.org to retreive release a coin honoring Harpers Ferry Na- a Position Announcement and Position De- tional Historical Park. scription. Applications are being accepted The park will host two special events through June 1, 2016 or until the position to mark the release. On June 7, 2016, at is filled. 2 6:30 p.m. join representatives from the U.S. Master Armorer Members NPS Announces Garnet Jex Exhibit continued from Page 2 Donald & Patricia Burgess In 1960 Washington, D.C. artist Garnet W. stown, MD, the Cliffside Inn in Harpers Harpers Ferry, WV Jex (1895-1979) donated a collection of oil Ferry, and the Museum of the Shenandoah Carole Powell Carter paintings depicting Harpers Ferry between Valley in Winchester, VA, following the Harpers Ferry, WV 1925 and 1960 to the community. The museum’s restoration of the paintings. Hon. & Mrs. Thomas Cur- paintings will be exhibited on the second The exhibit opens May 7, 2016, with a tis and Family floor of the John Brown Museum in Lower 10 a.m. ribbon cutting and reception with Baltimore, MD Town throughout the Centennial year. words from Park Superintendent Rebecca Kim & Frank Edwards Jex visited the town frequently to paint Harriett and a talk on Jex by HFHA Execu- Edgewood, MD the changing landscape of Harpers Ferry. tive Director Debbie Piscitelli. Scot Faulkner An inscription with the collection reads in In addition to 18 postcards of the paint- Harpers Ferry, WV part: “Presented to the community by the ings (sold individually or as a set), the Park Patrice Flynn artist in recollection of many pleasant days Bookshop carries The Upper Potomac in the Harpers Ferry, WV among charming streets and buildings, be- Civil War (HFHA, 2012), a collection of 51 Deborah Hale sides rivers and upon the hills; in apprecia- watercolors Jex produced in the 1960s for Harpers Ferry, WV tion also of the hospitality of townspeople.” the commemoration of the Civil War Cen- Rebecca Harriett From 1960 to 2007 the paintings hung tennial. Berryville, VA in the meeting room of the Camp Hill- Natalie Nichols Hill Wesley United Methodist Church. They’ve Argyle, TX recently been exhibited at the Washington Below: One of the Last Steam Locomotives, John Hough County Museum of Fine Arts in Hager- 1951, by Garnet W. Jex. Leesburg, VA Bruce Kramer Baltimore, MD Anne A. Long Myersville, MD Susan Pannell Harpers Ferry, WV Linda Parks Washington, DC George Rutherford Ranson, WV Mike Stoneberger Charles Town, WV Parnetta Sutton Chicago, IL Samuel & Grace Tucker Adamstown, MD Clarke Wilhelm Granville, OH We Are Cooking! The HFHA Cookbook project started last luck this September. The event will include year was put on a minor hiatus to accom- a special presentation with 19th century modate production of the park’s Centennial foodways expert Carol Anderson and Living Programs and Events booklet. We are happy History Ranger Melinda Day. We encourage to have the cookbook project back in prog- members to bring along a dish from a recipe ress. Thank you to everyone who contrib- they submitted. Save the September 11 date uted recipes! and look for details in our next newsletter. Our goal is to officially launch the book at our annual membership meeting and pot- 3 2016 Don Redman Jazz Heritage Awards and Concert Harpers Ferry National Historical Park will nist Barry Harris. His professional jazz career host the 15th Annual Don Redman Jazz began at age 19. He performed in New York Heritage Awards & Concert June 25, 2016, with Charles Mingus from 1960 to 1972, on the lawn of the Mather Training Cen- collaborating often with Harris, Lonnie ter in Harpers Ferry. The evening includes Hillyer, and George Coleman. the awards ceremony and performances by McPherson has toured the U.S., Eu- the Don Redman Next Generation Camp rope, Japan, Africa, and South America Scholars, and the Howard Burns Quartet with jazz greats Barry Harris, Billy Eckstine, with special guests. The award is presented Lionel Hampton, Nat Adderly, Jay Mc- annually to legends of jazz whose musician- Shann, Phil Woods, Wynton Marsalis, Tom ship, humanity, and dignity serve as an asset Harrell, Randy Brecker, James Moody, Dizzy to jazz in the tradition of Don Redman, Gillespie, and others. and whose work in music and education He recently showcased his original illuminate his spirit. This year’s honorees compositions and arrangements with a are Albert “Tootie” Heath and Charles seven-piece ensemble at Lincoln Center. McPherson. McPherson was also the featured alto saxo- A Philadelphia native and younger phonist in the Clint Eastwood film “Bird,” a brother of saxophonist Jimmy Heath and biography about Charlie Parker. bassist Percy Heath, drummer Albert The free awards ceremony and concert “Tootie” Heath first recorded in 1957 with will begin at 5:00 p.m. at the Stephen T. John Coltrane. In his long career, Heath Mather Training Center, 51 Mather Place, Albert “Tootie” Heath (top) has worked with artists J.J. Johnson, Wes Harpers Ferry, WV 25425. For additional and Charles McPherson. Montgomery, Benny Golson’s Jazztet, Ce- information contact the park’s Information dar Walton, Kenny Drew, Sonny Rollins, Center at 304-535-6029. Dexter Gordon, Herbie Hancock, and Nina Simone.