18th century

Local Haunts
Aquia Church, Federal Hill, FYI Articles, Ghosts, History Feature Articles, Richmond (Va.), Virginia Johnson, Religion/Spirituality, Virginia History
10/28/2009 - 3:18pm

At times, a sense of things past seems to envelop tourists and residents who stroll quietly along Fredericksburg streets at twilight or drive through a countryside still scarred by the battles of the Civil War. Some swear that more than a general sense of the history of the place overwhelms them. At twilight, at midnight, or even at high noon, specters and shades of those whose place this was may return to their homes and habits to pray, to flirt, to dine, and to stroll, to fire their rifles and march in formation, or lie wounded in hospital beds, wearing uniforms of gray or blue.

Market-House/Town Hall
Antebellum Virginia, Fredericksburg (Va.), George Washington, History Feature Articles, leisure, Robert Hodge, Theatre, Drama, Virginia History
10/28/2009 - 3:13pm

Beginning a three-month tour of the Southern states in April of 1791, President George Washington came, unannounced, to Fredericksburg from Mt. Vernon.

Without delay, all forces were organized and an elegant dinner was prepared at Fredericksburg's Market-House/Town Hall to honor the hometown boy. The principal inhabitants of the corporation amassed at the brick building at the west side of Caroline Street, just below Market Alley.

A Visit to Aquia Church
Aquia Church, Colonial Virginia, History Feature Articles, Stafford County (Va.), Virginia Johnson, Genealogy, History, Regional, Virginia History
10/28/2009 - 2:47pm

Travelers who take a turn off of busy Route 1 near Aquia Harbor find themselves viewing a living monument to colonial Virginia's past. Protected from the surrounding sprawl by its location, nestled on a hilltop surrounded by trees, this beautiful church dates to the decades before the Revolutionary War. Its long and sometimes difficult history--preserved in bricks, stone, and written memories, includes tales of preachers, firebrands, soldiers, and star-crossed lovers.

The Heritage of Sophia Street
18th century, Colonial Virginia, Fredericksburg (Va.), History Feature Articles, Rappahannock River, Roy Butler, Virginia History
10/28/2009 - 2:02pm

Archaeologist Roy Butler explores the historical significance of this early street, believed to have been named for Sophia Dorothea, sister of George II and mother of Frederick the Great of Prussia.

When we think of Fredericksburg history as it relates to Sophia Street, we immediately bring to mind a few specific remaining structures and sites as we see them today: The Toll House at the foot of Rocky Lane; the present Half Way house at Wolfe and Sophia Streets, once an early tavern. The Center for the Creative Arts, referred to as the Silversmith's House; and the Sandstone Warehouse at the bridge at Sophia and William Streets.

Coffee Houses: A Tradition Dating to Colonial Times
18th century, Barbara Crookshanks, Coffee, Colonial Virginia, Customs, Fredericksburg (Va.), George Washington, History Feature Articles, London, England, Politics and Government, William Byrd, Willis family, Women, History, Virginia History
10/22/2009 - 2:01pm

With steaming cups in hand, today's Fredericksburg area coffee shops continue a tradition which dates back three centuries to the founding of the town.

Walk in gentlemen, rest at your ease,
Pay for what you call for, and call for what you please.

This verse hung over the doorway of The Coffee House in old Fredericksburg. Located in the first Market House/Town Hall on Caroline Street near William, it was here that 18th- and 19th-century Fredericksburgers sipped their favorite brew and pondered questions from the political to the classical.

Scott O'Dell: A Natural Born Writer (1898 - 1989)
American Revolution, Author Profiles, Indians of North America, Lewis and Clark Expedition, May kids, Revolts against slavery, Virginia Johnson, Autobiography and Biography, Historical Fiction
10/20/2009 - 3:07pm

Odell Scott (Scott O'Dell) grew up in a California that was still wild and natural. No freeways, no asphalt, no hundred-story buildings. People got around by walking, taking a trolley or train, or riding horseback. His family lived in a house on stilts that was so much a part of the landscape that the waves at high tide splashed against its supports. He loved the outdoors and decided to become a writer as a youngster after he learned that he was related to the classic British historical novelist and poet, Sir Walter Scott.

Step into the Past with Patricia Beatty
American Revolution, Blue Ridge Mountains, Child labor, Civil War - U.S., Illegal immigrants, Indians of North America, Quakers, Scots-Irish, September kids, Underground Railroad, Virginia Johnson, Autobiography and Biography, Historical Fiction
10/20/2009 - 3:04pm

Patricia Beatty made history fascinating with her tales of young men and women caught up in America's beginnings. She was a good researcher who felt out the roots of her stories, adding details to let the reader experience what life was like long ago. She researched in libraries but also drew on her own knowledge when creating her books.

Restoring Kenmore
18th century, Architecture, Colonial Virginia, Craftsmen, Fredericksburg (Va.), Historic Preservation, Historic sites, History Feature Articles, Kenmore, History, Virginia History
10/14/2009 - 9:55am

By Matt Webster, Restoration Project Manager
George Washington's Fredericksburg Foundation (Kenmore)