R. H. Ballard is having a sale in the shop and on the website this weekend May 28-31, with 30 to 50 percent off select items throughout the shop, including vintage items, tablecloths, placemats, towels, home decor, puzzles and children’s items. Rugs will be 20 percent off. If locals purchase online, they can choose local pickup and receive free shipping.

In 1964, more than fifty people met at the Rappahannock County courthouse to organize the Rappahannock Historical Society. Judge Raynor Snead chaired the meeting, and William Carrigan and Dorothy Davis helped explain the reasons for the formation of the society.

This building is located on the eastern half of the original town lot 22. On 12 May 1856, Tamar Spiller sold lot 22 to Robert Deatherage and Robert S. Bell, trustees of the Presbyterian Church of Washington, for $350. The deed specified that the eastern half of the lot, measuring 132 feet along Gay Street and 82.5 feet along Calvert Street, should be held by Deatherage and Bell in their capacity as trustees of the Presbyterian Church of Washington for the purpose of establishing “a house of worship for the use and benefit of the said church.”

The whole upstairs of the Washington School could be converted to a dance hall, and dances also took place on the second floor of Thornton’s Garage. The expansive upper space in Thornton’s building evolved into the town’s first community entertainment and recreational center. Over time, there was a barroom, poolhall, poker and cardroom, dance hall, basketball court and a theater to show movies. 

After many petitions to the Virginia General Assembly, Madison became a new county in 1792, but it was not until 1833 that petitions, counter petitions and political maneuvering resulted in the creation of Rappahannock County.

On Saturday, April 24, from 9 a.m. to noon at Rappahannock County Park, 7 Park Lane,  join the Rappahannock County Recreational Facilities Authority (RCRFA), Rappahannock County Park Foundation, Friends of the Rappahannock, Piedmont Environmental Council, Old Rag Master Naturalists, Rappahannock Fauquier Master Gardeners, and local volunteers as they clean up the Rush River to ensure its safety for our community.

CCLC welcomes Book Club donation

Baldwin’s Grocery has a new face working at the store: Lori-Anne Moss of Castleton. She has been in the cashier business for five years. I got to know her when she work at Hillsdale. With Ashley Mills showing her the ropes at Baldwin’s, she will catch on fast.

Several churches in Rappahannock County will hold sunrise services this Easter Sunday.

In 1935, a new waterworks system provided potable water to the town, and that led to the organization of the first Washington Volunteer Fire Department. Franklin Clyde Baggarly was elected chief of the new department and was asked by the Town Council to develop a constitution and bylaws. 

Join Gay Street Gallery this Saturday, March 20, from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. for a Virtual Artists’ Talk. The event will showcase the gallery’s newest exhibition featuring Barbara Heile, a Rappahannock resident who is well known both locally and nationally. This is her first show at Gay Street Gallery and they are very excited to be presenting her new, non-objective work. 

Look! Up in the sky! It’s a bird, it’s a plane, it’s … a kite! March is traditionally the month for kite flying in my family. Let’s get ready to fly them high.

By the year 1930, Rappahannock County had struggled through the chestnut blight, the loss of many apple crops from frost and the clear-cutting of the mountains whose woods had provided major income to many families. The brutal drought of the early 1930s and the Great Depression were two more blows to this rural population. 

The Book Barn is happy to announce that it will be reopening on Saturday, March 6. Temporarily the hours will be 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Please come by to select reading material for the rest of the winter. There are lots of books, CDs, and DVDs available at great prices. Please wear masks and practice social distancing. Hope to see you there!

In 1861, Virginia seceded from the Union. Which is not to say any battles or even skirmishes were fought in the Town of Washington during the Civil War. But the War did not bypass the town. 

Six more weeks of winter weather? That’s what the little groundhogs at the Child Care and Learning Center are predicting, given they saw their shadows on Feb. 2.

The ‘old’ Washington Post Office

Firehouse Fred (our resident groundhog) invites you to our 2021 Grand Reopening of Firehouse Treasures on Tuesday, Feb. 2, from noon to 4 p.m. Come shop and check out all of the great new inventory. They are so excited to reopen and welcome back their awesome customers!

Join Gay Street Gallery this Saturday, Jan. 23, from 4 p.m. to 5 p.m. for the Virtual Artists' Talk surrounding the new exhibition featuring Sara Adams, Mike Howat, Doris Jones, Andrew Morgan, Nancy Nord and Kevin H. Adams talking about their work and process.

Happy Birthday Ruby Dwyer

As we turn the pages of the calendar and welcome another year — and decade — there is considerable optimism that 2021 will be better than ever for everyone. It just has to be. Let’s have faith that this COVID-19 will disappear for good and we can get our lives back to normal.

To start the new year right, my late mother-in-law had to cook her black-eyed peas on New Year’s Day. Why do you eat black-eyed peas on New Year’s Day? If you’ve never heard of the tradition, it’s likely that you’re not very close with people raised in the South.

Santa is making sure that Rudolph has his mask on right before making his delivers.

My grandchildren, Olivia and Roman Clatterbuck got to see Santa on Sunday when their dad and mom took them through the drive-thru Santa event in Little Washington

With most of us now shifting our focus to Christmas it’s a good time to shop locally. In Washington, nice gift selections await that special person at R. H. Ballard Art, Rug & Home, The Inn at Little Washington’s gift shop, Geneva Welch Gallery, Middle Street Gallery, and other shops.

It’s Thanksgiving, and for most of us this holiday conjures up memories or anticipation of such traditions as the huge turkey dinner with dressing, cranberry sauce, famous pumpkin pie and somebody accomplishing the carving. It’s a time we travel “over the river and through the hollows” to celebrate with family and friends.

The senior angels are going up for grabs starting this Thursday, Nov. 19. They will be on display at the Washington School, 567 Mt. Salem Avenue. Use the side entrance near the Rapp at Home office from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday. Details and instructions can also be found at the Washington School.

On a gorgeous sunny and warm autumn Sunday, Nov. 8, Tom and Cole Johnson welcomed sixty Trinity parishioners to their beautiful mountain top on Red Oak mountain for the Trinity's Harvest Festival Service.

There was a "Boo Trail" set up by the School Age Club children, free hot dogs, sunbutter sandwiches, apples and hot apple cider which was donated by Lee's Orchard. With the help of many this event for over 125 children was a big hit!

The Child Care and Learning Center hosted an opening ceremony for Nini’s House this past Saturday and 65 of CCLC’s sponsors braved the rainy weather to attend.

The Child Care and Learning Center would like to give a big thank you to our Volunteer Washington Fire and Rescue Department. On Thursday Oct. 22, the devoted first responders visited the center to talk with the children, in doing so complimenting the preschool’s fire safety curriculum.

Planting trees

“Astronomer James Granahan from the Northern Virginia Astronomy Club (NOVAC) gave a presentation on just that subject to over 65 participants at the September 19 dark sky event at the Rappahannock County Park.

Virginia Cooperative Extension is offering testing to Rappahannock residents who have a well, spring or cistern as a source of their drinking water. The program is being offered virtually with drive by sample kit pick up and sample drop off. 

Thirty years of memories

Cooler days and...Labor Day

The photo was probably taken around 1900, according to the Historical Society. I can’t wait to see what The Inn will turn the building into next.

The Rappahannock County Park is holding its next “dark sky” event on Saturday, Aug. 22 starting at 8 p.m. Come see the crescent moon, planets, stars and galaxies at our County Park!

Kindergarten during a pandemic

Come say "hello" to Martin Woodard and chat about his beautiful paintings on Saturday, Aug. 15, from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. at the Gay Street Gallery in Washington.

Lisa Pendleton, CCLC program director, said the school community is so lucky to live in a county where volunteer first responders like those in Washington are always there to help.

CCLC thankful, grateful to community

The Rappahannock County Park is holding the first “dark sky” event of 2020 this Saturday, July 18, starting at 8 p.m.

A dedication of two benches took place at the Rappahannock County Recreational Park last Saturday.

The Child Care and Learning Center school age campers visited Joe Pipik and Jeanne Wall’s farm last week to enjoy the Goodlife Theater performance, “The Recycling Pirates,” generously funded by the Claudia Mitchell RAAC grant. 

A group of us here in the county are gathering local recipes and stories for a book about how we coped with the coronavirus in our lives and our kitchens.

Child Care Learning Center Summer Camp is in full swing! Even with COVID-19 childcare restrictions, the June school aged campers are enjoying their summer activities.

People across the United States will celebrate Flag Day on Sunday, June 14 to honor the United States flag and to commemorate the flag’s adoption.