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Henkel Square
Round Top, Texas
September 22-23, 2007
Presented by the Texas Rifles Civil War Reenacting and
Living History Group (www.texasrifles.org)
We all hear about the first person events in other states where participants get to live in authentic structures and immerse themselves in the material culture and society of the 1860s. Many of us wish there was an event like that in Texas. Well, the members of the Texas Rifles Civil War Reenacting and Living History Group wish to invite you to participate in just such an event in Texas.
During the weekend of September 22-23, 2007 you will have the opportunity to participate in a semi-immersion, civilian-centered event at Henkel Square in Round Top, Texas. Henkel Square is a nationally recognized authentic restoration of Anglo-American and German-American 19th Century culture and was created to preserve and perpetuate an authentic representation of local Texas life as it was in the 19th Century. The participants of the Henkel Square event will have full access to and be able to live in the original, furnished structures located on the site and experience life in 1862 Texas.
The following is the basic information about the event. Detailed information regarding the location and guidelines is available on the Henkel Square Yahoo! group.
Event information
The aim of this event is to enable military and civilian participants to experience a semi-immersion Civil War event in Texas. The nature of the event means that military-military and military-civilian interaction will be largely unscripted and unpredictable, allowing all participants to react in character as events naturally unfold. The public may be in attendance, which will also give us an opportunity to interact with them as a person from 1862.
Participants will portray citizens of Fayette County, Texas in September 1862 and Henkel Square will become a generic Fayette County community. Participants will develop impressions such as the town doctor, an itinerant worker, an outsider here to enlist, a wealthy widow or a family down on their luck, and develop detailed backgrounds for these impressions. Civilian participants who wish to stay on site will be assigned to structures based on their impressions. Civilians who do not wish to stay in the site structures will not be assigned to a structure and may portray visitors to the area, itinerant tradesmen or workers, or in the case of male participants, arriving to enlist in the military or other appropriate impressions.
Military participants will portray Confederates and will camp within the site grounds with the opportunity to recruit non-committed men.
There may be some scripted activities during the day; those that would naturally have been known to the participants, such as a town meeting, church service, or military drill, will be made known to all participants. However, some activities may only be known by the organizers and primary participants in order to maintain a spontaneous natural flow to the event.
A Yahoo! group has been established for participants to discuss the event and share information: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HSTexas/. In addition, files will be placed on the Yahoo! group site, which will provide information regarding the event, the site, Round Top, Fayette County, pre-war Texas, first person development and other background information.
The event will officially begin at 7:00 a.m. on Saturday September 22nd and end at 3:00 p.m. on Sunday September 23rd.
Site information
Three of Henkel Square’s structures stand where the owners built them originally. Most of the other buildings that were moved to Henkel Square, as well as the textiles, pottery, tools and furniture exhibited in them, came from no further than 15 miles away. Henkel Square’s web site is http://www.texaspioneerarts.org/henkel_square.html; the site includes some photos of the structures as well as a bit of history on each building.
As much as we would like this event to be full immersion, there will be some modern intrusions that cannot be hidden. The site is in the middle of Round Top with full view of the highway through town, cars and modern houses. There will be some modern noises present such as the sound of cars and Round Top’s noon whistle from the fire station. There is also a historical marker in front of one of the structures. Henkel Square staff and visitors will not be in period clothes. However, once the event is in full swing these modern intrusions should melt into the background and not detract from your enjoyment of the event.
The houses are furnished including tables, chairs, some service settings, beds and bedding. Some of the chairs and beds are rickety and the bedding is dusty so you may wish to bring your own period chairs and/or bedding. We ask that if you choose to bring your own furniture and/or bedding that they be period correct. Please be sure any personal items are identified as your own so as not to mistake them for the site’s collection and visa versa. All individuals living in the structures will be responsible for returning the structure to the condition it was found including returning any of the collection if removed and cleaning out the fireplaces or stoves. Please be respectful of any site property you may use and of the historic nature of the structures.
There is plenty of space within the site and outside the walls of the “town site” for military camping as required. Some soldiers such as relatives and friends of the civilians, and officers, may find shelter with some households.
Parking will be provided outside the site boundaries.
Registration information
Due to the limited accommodations available on site advance registration is required. Pre-registration slots will be limited to 40 civilians. As the military do not require accommodations in the structures, there is currently no limit on military numbers; however, the organizers reserve the right to limit military registration as needed. The deadline for registration is July 31, 2007.
A registration fee of $5.00 per person is requested and will go to the Texas Pioneer Arts Foundation for the support of Henkel Square. All participants must pay the fee. A registration form for each adult is required.
Participants will be juried. We are requesting:
· Photos in period clothes of each registrant
· A biography including information about your impression, the family unit, if applicable, an explanation as to why you are in Fayette County, Texas (sample biographies are included on the Yahoo! group site)
· Military registrants must include their main military unit
Contacts:
Over-all Event Coordinator: Annette Bethke, netnet81@yahoo.com
Military Coordinator: Frank Marek, fjmarrek@sbcglobal.net
The Texas Rifles are committed to achieving realistic and historically accurate representations of the Civil War through battle reenactments and living history impressions by our military and civilian members and participation in a wide range of other events related to Civil War history in our local communities.
Round Top, Texas
September 22-23, 2007
Presented by the Texas Rifles Civil War Reenacting and
Living History Group (www.texasrifles.org)
We all hear about the first person events in other states where participants get to live in authentic structures and immerse themselves in the material culture and society of the 1860s. Many of us wish there was an event like that in Texas. Well, the members of the Texas Rifles Civil War Reenacting and Living History Group wish to invite you to participate in just such an event in Texas.
During the weekend of September 22-23, 2007 you will have the opportunity to participate in a semi-immersion, civilian-centered event at Henkel Square in Round Top, Texas. Henkel Square is a nationally recognized authentic restoration of Anglo-American and German-American 19th Century culture and was created to preserve and perpetuate an authentic representation of local Texas life as it was in the 19th Century. The participants of the Henkel Square event will have full access to and be able to live in the original, furnished structures located on the site and experience life in 1862 Texas.
The following is the basic information about the event. Detailed information regarding the location and guidelines is available on the Henkel Square Yahoo! group.
Event information
The aim of this event is to enable military and civilian participants to experience a semi-immersion Civil War event in Texas. The nature of the event means that military-military and military-civilian interaction will be largely unscripted and unpredictable, allowing all participants to react in character as events naturally unfold. The public may be in attendance, which will also give us an opportunity to interact with them as a person from 1862.
Participants will portray citizens of Fayette County, Texas in September 1862 and Henkel Square will become a generic Fayette County community. Participants will develop impressions such as the town doctor, an itinerant worker, an outsider here to enlist, a wealthy widow or a family down on their luck, and develop detailed backgrounds for these impressions. Civilian participants who wish to stay on site will be assigned to structures based on their impressions. Civilians who do not wish to stay in the site structures will not be assigned to a structure and may portray visitors to the area, itinerant tradesmen or workers, or in the case of male participants, arriving to enlist in the military or other appropriate impressions.
Military participants will portray Confederates and will camp within the site grounds with the opportunity to recruit non-committed men.
There may be some scripted activities during the day; those that would naturally have been known to the participants, such as a town meeting, church service, or military drill, will be made known to all participants. However, some activities may only be known by the organizers and primary participants in order to maintain a spontaneous natural flow to the event.
A Yahoo! group has been established for participants to discuss the event and share information: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HSTexas/. In addition, files will be placed on the Yahoo! group site, which will provide information regarding the event, the site, Round Top, Fayette County, pre-war Texas, first person development and other background information.
The event will officially begin at 7:00 a.m. on Saturday September 22nd and end at 3:00 p.m. on Sunday September 23rd.
Site information
Three of Henkel Square’s structures stand where the owners built them originally. Most of the other buildings that were moved to Henkel Square, as well as the textiles, pottery, tools and furniture exhibited in them, came from no further than 15 miles away. Henkel Square’s web site is http://www.texaspioneerarts.org/henkel_square.html; the site includes some photos of the structures as well as a bit of history on each building.
As much as we would like this event to be full immersion, there will be some modern intrusions that cannot be hidden. The site is in the middle of Round Top with full view of the highway through town, cars and modern houses. There will be some modern noises present such as the sound of cars and Round Top’s noon whistle from the fire station. There is also a historical marker in front of one of the structures. Henkel Square staff and visitors will not be in period clothes. However, once the event is in full swing these modern intrusions should melt into the background and not detract from your enjoyment of the event.
The houses are furnished including tables, chairs, some service settings, beds and bedding. Some of the chairs and beds are rickety and the bedding is dusty so you may wish to bring your own period chairs and/or bedding. We ask that if you choose to bring your own furniture and/or bedding that they be period correct. Please be sure any personal items are identified as your own so as not to mistake them for the site’s collection and visa versa. All individuals living in the structures will be responsible for returning the structure to the condition it was found including returning any of the collection if removed and cleaning out the fireplaces or stoves. Please be respectful of any site property you may use and of the historic nature of the structures.
There is plenty of space within the site and outside the walls of the “town site” for military camping as required. Some soldiers such as relatives and friends of the civilians, and officers, may find shelter with some households.
Parking will be provided outside the site boundaries.
Registration information
Due to the limited accommodations available on site advance registration is required. Pre-registration slots will be limited to 40 civilians. As the military do not require accommodations in the structures, there is currently no limit on military numbers; however, the organizers reserve the right to limit military registration as needed. The deadline for registration is July 31, 2007.
A registration fee of $5.00 per person is requested and will go to the Texas Pioneer Arts Foundation for the support of Henkel Square. All participants must pay the fee. A registration form for each adult is required.
Participants will be juried. We are requesting:
· Photos in period clothes of each registrant
· A biography including information about your impression, the family unit, if applicable, an explanation as to why you are in Fayette County, Texas (sample biographies are included on the Yahoo! group site)
· Military registrants must include their main military unit
Contacts:
Over-all Event Coordinator: Annette Bethke, netnet81@yahoo.com
Military Coordinator: Frank Marek, fjmarrek@sbcglobal.net
The Texas Rifles are committed to achieving realistic and historically accurate representations of the Civil War through battle reenactments and living history impressions by our military and civilian members and participation in a wide range of other events related to Civil War history in our local communities.
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