I never thought I’d be among those who write in from time to time with praise for this or that local emergency response outfit. But then I never thought I’d get a call at 4 a.m. saying a wall of fire was approaching my house in Castleton and looked like it might engulf it...
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If you want to see an amazing array of artistic styles and materials, you could go to the National Gallery in Washington, D.C., the Soho area of New York City or the Pompidou Center in Paris. Or you could go to the Middle Street Gallery here in our own Washington this month and next....
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Gary Anthes' photos of the Rappahannock Historical Society's Last Night Rappahannock celebration on New Year's Eve in the town of Washington.
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A religious revival generally refers to a meeting or meetings for the purpose of reawakening faith. The recent revival at the Mt. Salem Baptist Church took on a special, added meaning: it also commemorated the reawakening of the church itself. The 160-year-old church on Long Mountain Road has seen hard times. Built stone-by-stone by...
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New Year’s Eve has traditionally been a time for adults to celebrate the end of an old year and the beginning of things new. It is a time to stay out very late and, often, to have a “wee dram,” as revelers in Scotland would say. Kids are left with baby sitters or on...
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The Middle Street Gallery, a 20-person artist’s cooperative based in Washington, will open a special holiday group show on Friday (Dec. 3) that continues through Dec. 19. The gallery will show a number of smaller, less expensive works ideal for holiday gifts that buyers can take with them. Works of art will include oil...
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Have you ever wished you knew more about that old church on Long Mountain Road, the Mount Salem Baptist Meeting House? Have you ever wondered just who Francis Thornton was? Or maybe you’ve seen the sign for that wonderful old house, The Shade, and wished you knew something of its history. You could call...
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Tired of doing the same old predictable hikes in the Shenandoah National Park, like that well-worn trail up Old Rag Mountain, or that busy path along Whiteoak Canyon? On Nov. 14 get off the beaten track during a presentation on finding archaeological treasures that few ever see. Rappahannock County Commonwealth’s Attorney Peter H. Luke...
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Did you know that . . . a Civil War hero is buried in Flint Hill, but his name is unknown to most people today? According to the Virginia Dept. of Historic Resources, “Pvt. Albert Gallatin Willis, one of Col. John S. Mosby’s Partisan Rangers and at least one other Ranger were captured about...
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Did you know that … Ellerslie, just outside of Little Washington on Tiger Valley Road, was once the jewel of the great Rappahannock County estate of John Jett, who owned considerable property south and east of the town. The Ellerslie mansion is long gone but its old gardens live on. Boxwoods from the plantation...
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Did you know that … Rappahannock County High School has a world-class band that performs at venues near and far. But years before the Panther Band brought musical fame to the county there were worthy predecessors. In the early 1900s, community bands were very popular in small localities, and for many years Sperryville had...
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It might be that dusty old vase in your attic — the one from your great-grandmother with the Chinese characters on it. Or maybe it’s that book that looks like it might have come off of Gutenberg’s own press. Or perhaps you are wondering about those silver spoons that have been in the family...
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Did you know that . . . wool was once a big deal in Rappahannock County. More than 23,000 pounds were produced in 1860, and several local mills refined and wove it into finished woolen cloth. One of the largest wool factories, at Laurel Mills, operated from 1900 until 1927 when production and processing...
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Did you know that . . . The Middleton Inn, one of Rappahannock County’s fine bed and breakfast establishments, is named for the Washington, Va. property’s first owner, Middleton Miller. But for many years it was known as “The Maples,” for a number of large old trees, some of which stand near the mansion...
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Did you know that . . . What is now Ben Venue was once called Gaines Cross Roads, located at the intersection of the Warrenton-Thornton Gap Turnpike (now U.S. 211) and Richmond Road (Route 729). The impressive brick house there, also called “Ben Venue,” was built in 1844 by William V. Fletcher. Across the...
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Did you know that . . . in 1881 the county issued licenses for the sale of “ardent spirits strong enough to burn” (hard liquor) to Lloyd’s Hotel in Washington, Virginia Hotel in Flint Hill, Sperryville Hotel in Sperryville and Piedmont House in Woodville? About that time, according to Elizabeth and C.E Johnnson’s book...
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Did you know that . . . The building that the county uses as its jail was completed as part of the courthouse complex about 1835. But it is just one of three places that have served as jails over the years. In colonial days, the house at the northeast corner of Main and...
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Did you know that . . . Peola Mills was named for the manufacturer of the machinery used in the building?
Mills were once diversified local industries as well as social gathering places. Grinding, distilling, tooling and conversation were done at them. Peola Mills, built around 1794, was one of at least four mills...
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The roads leading into Washington, Va. are posted with helpful little signs saying you are entering an “historic area.” Well, duh. Everyone knows that George Washington surveyed the town (in 1749). And you don’t get any more historic than George Washington.
But that “historic” designation has always made me wonder about the rest of...
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The Middle Street Gallery, a 15-person, nonprofit artists cooperative based in Rappahannock County, will mount its own “economic stimulus” initiative next month. Affordable paintings, photographs and sculpture by its members will be on sale from July 2 through Aug. 1. The gallery is calling the exhibition, one of several group shows put on each...
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Did you know that . . . during the winter of 1947 two musicologists traveled to Rappahannock County to record local songs?
“We proceeded equipped with a recording machine and discs supplied by the Folk Music Department of the Library of Congress,” the scholars wrote in the resulting article, “Songs from Rappahannock County, Virginia” in...
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Did you know that . . . Rock Mills was the site of a holding camp for Confederate deserters rounded up in the area during the Civil War? There once were mills, stores and a post office at Rock Mills, but today it’s just a few houses.
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Did you know that . . . when the Virginia General Assembly carved out Rappahannock County from Culpeper County in 1833, only two of its towns had been laid out with named streets — Washington and Woodville. The towns vied to become the county seat of government with Washington, of course, eventually winning the...
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The Middle Street Gallery is presenting a special exhibition of works by its new members through April 26. Patti Brennan, an artist from Sperryville who works in stained glass, Paula Endo, a photographer from Amissville and Patricia Underwood, a printmaker from Castleton and Washington, D.C. will show their works. Mary Brownstein, a sculptress from...
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Rappahannock County native Jacob Stilley won first place Saturday in a regional art competition at The Middle Street Gallery in Washington. The gallery’s Regional Showcase, drawing from Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland and the District, featured the works of 13 artists deemed excellent by artist juror Jane Livingston. Second place went to Martin Levine of...
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Thirteen members of The Middle Street Gallery are reaching out this month and next to a like number of friends for a combined art exhibition at the gallery in Washington, Va. The 26 artists have put on an eclectic exhibition of paintings, sculptures, drawings, collages, prints and photographs. Some artists have teamed with family...
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