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Welbourne Plantation, VA - October 2011

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  • Welbourne Plantation, VA - October 2011

    I am helping to organize another event this October at Welbourne Plantation in Middleburg, VA. The event standards are the same as Hopewell Furnace...just a different impression (upper class Southern). Below is the information about the event...if you are interested in attending, please let me know (snowcraig@ymail.com). We need to fill 16 spots in the B & B in order to cover the costs of renting it for the weekend. Registration will be on a first come, first serve, first paid basis.

    Thanks!

    Jess Craig

    Welbourne Plantation
    October 22-23, 2011

    The event at Welbourne will be a 36 hour, first-person event in which participants will be able to live a “day-in-the-life” of the Dulany Family. This historic property was built in 1770 and was witness to much history, especially during the Civil War era. There is extensive documentation about the Dulany Family at Welbourne during the Civil War and we will use this documentation to frame the event. Participants can portray members of the Dulany family, extended family, neighbors and guests. We will have an informal schedule for the event of everyday life activities and perhaps a few “unusual” or “entertaining” scenarios also.

    The primary impression for this event will be upper class Virginians. There is also opportunity for those who want to portray servants/slaves. This is a private event with no spectators, so we have freedom to create impressions and scenarios as we see fit.

    Logistics:

    We will be renting out the entire house for the weekend for $2,220. The house is run as a bed & breakfast with modern conveniences (plumbing and electricity). The rooms are furnished with period antiques. The maximum number of overnight guests is 16 people, so the cost for lodging per person is $138 for two nights. This also includes a full breakfast for Saturday and Sunday.

    In order to secure your spot at this event and to guarantee we can cover the cost of renting the entire house, we need a non-refundable deposit of $50 by June 15, 2011. Payment in full is due by September 15, 2011. Payment plans can be arranged if you want to pay in installments. (Checks can be made out to AGSAS and sent to Kevin Bender 137 Shippensburg Road, Shippensburg, PA 17257).

    Breakfast is provided both days for overnight guests. Lunch will be pot-luck provided by the participants. We have use of the kitchen for dinner, so we can do a nice pot-luck dinner on Saturday evening together. All participants are expected to contribute food to the community meals.

    Daytrippers are welcome to this event. They will be expected to contribute to meals that they participate in.

    Registration:

    If you are interested in the event or have any questions, please contact, Jessica Craig at snowcraig@ymail.com

    Resources:
    Welbourne Bed & Breakfast: www.welbourneinn.com

    The Dulanys of Welbourne; A Family in Mosby’s Confederacy
    By Margaret Ann Vogtsberger, Howell Press, Inc., 1997.

    The Dulanys of Welbourne : A Family in Mosby's Confederacy [Vogtsberger, Margaret Ann] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. The Dulanys of Welbourne : A Family in Mosby's Confederacy


    In the Shadow of the Enemy; The Civil War Journal of Ida Powell Dulany,
    Ed. by Mary L. Mackall, Stevan F. Meserve and Anne Mackall Sasscer., U. of TN, 2009.
    In the Shadow of the Enemy: The Civil War Journal of Ida Powell Dulany (Voices of the Civil War) [Ida Powell Dulany, Mary L. Mackall, Stevan F. Meserve, Anne Mackall Sasscer, Peter S. Carmichael] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. In the Shadow of the Enemy: The Civil War Journal of Ida Powell Dulany (Voices of the Civil War)
    Jessica Craig
    Atlantic Guard Soldiers' Aid Society (AGSAS)

  • #2
    Re: Welbourne Plantation, VA - October 2011

    Just a reminder about this event....we have about 5 spots left! Please email me if you are interested. If you have already contacted me, please remember that the $50 deposit is due on June 15th. We need to have strong committments in order to make this event work!

    Thanks!

    Jess Craig
    Jessica Craig
    Atlantic Guard Soldiers' Aid Society (AGSAS)

    Comment


    • #3
      Re: Welbourne Plantation, VA - October 2011

      Another reminder....we have 4 spots left that we need to fill to get the lowest price per person for our weekend accomodation! If you are interested, please let me know! If you know of anyone who might be interested, please spread the word. We want to fill all 16 spots!

      Thanks!

      Jess Craig
      Jessica Craig
      Atlantic Guard Soldiers' Aid Society (AGSAS)

      Comment


      • #4
        Re: Welbourne Plantation, VA - October 2011

        15 top-notch living historians came together last weekend (October 21-23, 2011) to participate in the Welbourne 1861 event in Middleburg, VA. It was an amazing weekend of 19th century experiences in a pristine setting. The house, the grounds, the horses, the clothing, the food...all set the stage for one of the most fun events in my reenacting career (it's a long one...about 32 years).

        The weekend was primarily conducted in first person with each person researching and portraying a member of the Dulany family or a neighbor or guest. We set out to portray a "day-in-the-life" but it turned out to be so busy and filled with fun that I hardly had any time to do things I thought I would such as sewing, reading, and conversing on "current" events. There were no spectators at this event - it was just us - so we could stay in 1861 all weekend long!

        Our "guests" for the weekend included Major Keller and Lord Westwood, visitors from England who had been touring the South and were headed back North to catch a ship back home, Mr. James Pfeiffer, a photographer who spent the day (ALL day) taking our photos, Mrs. Ada Rutter, a dressmaker who came to help Mrs. Powell with a fancy dress gown fitting, and later in the evening, Dr. Whittaker, a phrenologist who came to do some readings. Entertaining took up a lot of our time and the day passed very quickly. We all got our photographs made and watched while others had theirs made. The joy of seeing an image "magically" appear never got old. Throughout the day people enjoyed the fire in the parlor and many worked on knitting and sewing. A group of "adventurers" took a walk in the pastures to visit the many herds of horses and enjoy the fine Virginia countryside.

        We were served three meals a day by Annie and Julia, our servants (who worked SO very hard all weekend long and deserve a public round of applause for not only their phenomenal work in the kitchen, but for their services as ladies’ and parlor maids as well). The food was provided “pot luck” style by all the participants, but was plated and arranged on period serving dishes and eaten and/or served in the dining room.

        Saturday evening, just as the sun was setting, a band of cavalry soldiers from Mississippi came up the drive with news of the most recent battle (Ball’s Bluff). They picketed their horses on the front lawn and we invited them to join us for dinner (on the back porch as there was no room for them in the dining room).

        After resting and changing for dinner, group gathered in the dining room for a “nice family dinner.” More formal than most of us are used to, but not a “formal” dinner. We only had one servant and the group was comprised of mostly family members. We enjoyed delicious food served wonderfully by Annie. After dinner, we settled up with the photographer and were “surprised” by the arrival of Dr. Whittaker, the phrenologist. He did readings in the music room, telling many of us about our strong (and weaker) characteristics and providing insight into appropriate occupations. Once the readings were concluded we played a rousing game of “Questions and Answers” before retiring to bed (well after midnight!).

        Sunday morning we all participated in a worship service together, as we could not get to church. There were readings and lovely hymns. After “church” one of the ladies shared a letter from a friend who had traveled West on the Oregon Trail. We then organized for “Blue Beard” a parlor theatric that was most entertaining. Following that excitement it was time to head outside to enjoy the spectacular fall day. Some headed out the gate and up the road for a stroll on the lovely shaded road, while others headed out to the pasture armed with many apples for the horses. We all met back up for lunch and then, unfortunately, the event came to a conclusion.

        “Magic Moments” for me included:
        - Breakfast with ladies and gentlemen in morning dress
        - Fires in the fireplaces to keep out the chill of the day
        - Walking and exploring the countryside with ladies and gentlemen in proper “outing” attire
        - Hearing the sounds of the cannons in the distance (really, from the Ball’s Bluff reenactment)
        - Being surrounded by so many horses in the pastures
        - Seeing the cavalry ride up the drive with news of the day and adjusting our dinner plans to provide them dinner
        - The knock on the door when the phrenologist arrived “unexpectedly”
        - The sounds of the house after dinner – clinking glasses, laughing, whispering
        - The most fun game of Questions and Answers EVER…my sides hurt from laughter!
        - Peaceful worship service on Sunday morning – I got chills listening to everyone sing that hymn together!
        - Feeling like we really were all family and newly acquainted friends and not wanting to leave everyone on Sunday afternoon.

        We will be doing this event next year (October 26-28, 2012) in conjunction with the 150th anniversary of the Battle of Unison. Right now, the event is mostly full, as this year’s participants have the first right of refusal for spots, but if you are interested in attending, please let me know. I can put you on a waiting list in case spots open up or send you information on other area lodging.

        Here are some photos of the event:


        Jessica Craig
        Atlantic Guard Soldiers' Aid Society (AGSAS)

        Comment


        • #5
          Re: Welbourne Plantation, VA - October 2011

          Hearing the sounds of the cannons in the distance (really, from the Ball’s Bluff reenactment)

          You all heard something from 28 miles away? Figured the higer ground between Leesburg and Welbourne would have masked it, here is an example of acoustic shadow.
          Aka
          Wm Green :D
          Illegitimi non carborundum
          (Don’t let the bastards grind you down!)

          Dreaming of the following and other events

          Picket Post
          Perryville

          The like to do a winter camp.....hint hint...

          Comment


          • #6
            Re: Welbourne Plantation, VA - October 2011

            All I can say is that we heard faint booming sounds in the distance right around the time the battle was happening at Ball's Bluff. If it was not from the reenactment, then it was something that sounded pretty close to distant cannon fire. Either way, it was cool to know that 150 years ago people at Welbourne would have learned of a battle nearby much the same way we did.
            Jessica Craig
            Atlantic Guard Soldiers' Aid Society (AGSAS)

            Comment

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