2012 High Tea Luncheon Scheduled

Mark your calendars for Saturday, March 10, 2012! The Essex County Museum and Historical Society will be hosting a High Tea luncheon at St. Margaret's Dining Hall in Tappahannock, VA. The tea will be catered and served with all the trimmings by the Rappahannock Colonial Heritage Ensemble from Fredericksburg, VA. The Ensemble will also put on a series of vignettes depicting noted people from 1770s Tappahannock and Fredericksburg.

Door prizes will also be offered! Since space is limited, please purchase your tickets in advance. The cost is $38 per person and reservations can be made by contacting the museum by phone at (804) 443-4690 or email your reservation request to admin@ecmhs.org. Checks can be made payable to ECMHS and can be mailed to P.O. Box 404 Tappahannock, VA 22560, Att: High Tea.

Sidney King Collection Highlights

The current exhibit at the Essex Museum featuring the work of Sidney E King can now be previewed online - click here to see some of the highlights but better still, stop by the museum to see the wonderful work our Curator David Jett has accomplished putting this exhibit together.

New Exhibit Opens at the Museum!

On Saturday, October 29 the new exhibit "A Brush with History: Paintings by Sidney King from the Collection of Herbert R. Collins" opened at the museum. Many Essex County residents have fond memories of Mr. King, who taught painting and produced murals and painting of varied subjects from portraits to still life.

Pictured here with board members Joe Johnston (center) and Lloyd Huckstep (right), Herb Collins shares the history of his fifteen Sidney King original paintings. Thirty people braved the bad weather to visit the exhibit on its opening day.

Pictured below, Herb Collins shares the story of "The Ice House." The exhibit opening coincided with the holiday shopping gift shop open house. "Maybe Christmas decorations are out a little early, but there are so many new and unique items in the shop that we just couldn't wait," said Priscilla Vaughan, Gift Shop Manager. "We have 'near' local honey in quarts, pints and half pints along with honey dippers. We also have Gloucester peanuts, local art on recycled wood, local artist selections of note cards, some unique Christmas gift cards and hand cut paper boxes. Everything will be on sale until January 1, 2012. The sale includes 25% savings on historic toys and 15% off painted glassware and pottery. I have also loaded our shopping season 50% off table with some great finds and will constantly be putting new items on the table as space allows.

Shoppers who are also members of the museum can receive an additional 10% off everything except the items on the 50% savings table. The museum accepts credit cards and gift certificates are available.

Civil War tour at Gaines' Mill battlefield

October 22, 2011 - Twenty five members of he Essex County Museum and Historical Society took the Valentine Museum Civil War Sampler tour of Richmond and surrounding area, finishing the day at Gaines' Mill and Cold Harbor battlefield sites. The five hour tour included sites in Church Hill, Shockoe Bottom, Court End, the canal area, Hollywood Cemetary, Monument Avenue, Tredegar Iron Works and the battlefields of Cold Harbor and Gaines Mill. Many thanks for Kevin Dolan for heading up the organization of this trip and Priscilla Vaughan for her boundless support. For more photos click here

Pancake Breakfast to Benefit the Museum

The Essex County Museum and Historical Society is hosting a pancake breakfast at Applebees in Tappahannock on Saturday, November 5 from 7:30-9:30.

Tickets are $5 in advance and $6 at the door. All proceeds go to support the museum. Tickets are available from the museum or from any board member.

This is the same day as the Urbanna Oyster Festival, so bring your family to Applebees for a good, hardy breakfast before heading to Urbanna for the festival!

Essex County Historic Markers

Visit the self-guided visual tour of all 21 Historic Markers in Essex County

Civil War Sampler Bus Tour

The Essex County Museum is hosting a Richmond Civil War Sampler bus tour on Saturday, October 22. Tickets are $40 and will include a boxed lunch and drink from T-Bonz and Tuna.

The bus leaves the museum at 11:00, so please arrive at the museum at 10:30. The tour will last approximately four hours and will include sites in Church Hill, Shockoe Bottom, Court End, the canal area, Hollywood Cemetary, Monument Avenue, Tredegar Iron Works and the battlefields of Cold Harbor and Gaines Mill.

To sign up, come by the museum or call at 443-4690. The museum is open daily except for Wednesdays and Sundays from 10-3. You may also contact tour coordinator, Kevin Dolan, directly at 443-4236 or kevin.dolan@bankatunion.com

Hope to see everyone there!

Slaughter to Present at the Essex County Museum

Join the Essex County Museum and Historical Society on September 18, 2011 from 2-4 pm for a book reading. Jimmy Slaughter will share his story about writing his book Settlers, Southerners, Americans: The History of Essex County. Refreshments will be served following the presentation.

Mr. Slaughter will also be available to answer questions and sign books. Copies of his book are available at the museum's gift shop. The museum is located at 218 Water Lane in Tappahannock, VA. The museum is open from 10-3 daily, except Wednesdays and Sundays.

New Title Available at Museum Gift Shop

The Essex County Museum's collection of local authors continues to increase! The gift shop is now offering Sarah Collins Honenberger's latest novel Catcher Caught.

In an article in the August 2011 edition of Chesapeake Style, Honenberger entices readers to explore her novels and anticipate the book in-progress. Her new novel chronicles the story of Daniel Landon, aged 16, who happens to live on a houseboat in Tappahannock's Hoskins Creek. The book transports the reader to the town of Tappahannock and those who live here will easily picture each scene and movement from Daniel's days.

The novel, Catcher Caught, is available from the museum's gift shop at 218 Water Lane in Tappahannock. The gift shop is open every day from 10-3, except Wednesdays and Sundays.

Discover Civil War History You Won't Find in Books!

In observation of the Sesquicentennial anniversary of the Civil War, Ancestry.com is offering free access from April 7-14. View their Civil War collection and learn the stories of the Civil War, from the generals and battles to the experiences of the every day soldier. http://http://go.footnote.com/civilwar/?xid=992&o_iid=47474&o_lid=47474 It's a great opportunity to learn new details about this historic war between the states!

2011 Spring Luncheon Cancelled

The museum's Spring Luncheon and Antebellum fashion show originally scheduled for Saturday, March 19 2011 has been cancelled. All ticket money will be returned to those who have paid.

Frankly, My Dear, I don't give a %$#@!

Come to the 2011 Weekend with a Writer event! In conjunction with the Friends of the Essex Public Library, the Essex County Museum and Historical Society presents Ellen Brown who will discuss her new book Margaret Mitchell's Gone with the Wind: A Bestseller's Odyssey from Atlanta to Hollywood. A Southern Dinner and discussion will be held on Friday, April 15 at 6:00 pm. Ellen Brown will be discussing the story of Gone With the Wind, how it came to life, its controversy in the south and Margaret Mitchell's struggle to protect it admist a male-dominated publishing world. The Friday night dinner and discussion is $30 for members and $35 for non-members. On Saturday, April 16 from 1:00-4:00, the Essex County Museum will open its new exhibit "Essex in the War 1861" and Ellen Brown will be presenting a collection of Gone With the Wind memorabilia. Wine and hors d'oeuvres will be served. The cost for the Saturday event is $5 for members and $10 for non-members.

Join either the Friends of the Essex Public Library or the Essex County Museum and Historical Society now and get the member rate! What a wonderful way to observe the Sesquicentennial! For more information and details on the menu, please call the museum or the library.

Amazing Discovery by one of our Members!

http://www.essexmuseum.org/bbc-message-in-a-bottle-3.htm

Museum Member Enjoying Their Fall Gala Auction Prize!

Bob McGee, Innkeeper at the Essex Inn, gets the chance to fire an 1861 model Springfield Musket/Rifle with the help of Gorgon Harrower. Gordon made the event possible by providing the Musket/Rifle, made in 1862, and providing his expertise in the loading and firing of the weapon. Bob fired the Musket as his grandchildren from San Diego look on. The even t was organized as a result of th museum's Fall Gala held on October 9, 2010. The Musket/Rifle session was one of the auction items up for bid.

Museum's 3rd Annual Gala is a Success!

Thanks to everyone who contributed to the success of this year's Fall Gala. A good time was had by all and some much needed funds were raised to support the museum's ongoing mission of bringing Essex County history to the community. Please click on the Facebook link to view photos of the event!

Special thanks goes out to Ken and Sandi Pounsberry, Java Jack's, To Do cafe, Jim Ashworth and many others without whom and their generosity, the event would not have been possible.

Come Join the Museum for the Third Annual Fall Gala!

Get ready for the Third Annual Fall Gala, which should be bigger and better than ever! The 2010 Fall Gala will be held Friday, October 8 from 6-10 at the Old Courthouse. Tickets are $40 and include cocktails and heavy hors d'oeuvres. The fabulous items being auctioned off this year include a plane trip for 4 to Tangier (donated by John Lawler), a stay at Stratford Hall, a wildlife boat cruise (donated by Leigh and Debbie Angel), a creative selection of gift baskets, works of art, gift certificates and much more! Come and join the fun to support a great cause! All proceeds directly benefit the Essex County Museum and Historical Society.

Fall Gala 2009

Click here to view these pictures larger

Pirates Raid Prince Street! (contributed by Shannon Rice)

A "Pirate Boot Camp" was hosted from July 19 through July 23 by the Essex County Museum and Historical Society for children aged 5-12.

"To learn to dress, talk, share and eat like a pirate," was teh objective of the camp said Robert LaFollette, President of the ECMHS.

Throughout the week, children were taught to read compasses and tie nautical knots in addition to learning the history of the Rappahannock river and loal pirate legends. Otehr activities included creating trasure maps and pirate flags, as well as participating in skits about pirating.

Pirate Boot Camp concluded with a raid on Prince Street in Tappahannock. The young pirates invaded the Clerk of the Circuit Court, the Commissioner of Revenue, and the law office of Dillard and Katona to obtain their map and find treasure. After receiving their booty, they raided Rivahside Cafe and demanded food.

The Essex County Museum and Historical Society would like to thank Susan Butler-Walters, Catherine "Kitty" Price, Stephanie Stiles, Billy Croxton, Howard Reisinger and Kelly LaFollette for making the camp possible. A special thanks is also extended to Food Lion for donating the materials for the camp.

The possibility for another Pirate Boot Camp has yet to be determined, but keep checking the Museum Blog for updates!

Ay Ay, Matie!

Come and join the Essex County Museum and Historical Society for “Pirate Boot Camp” July 19th-23rd for children aged 5-12. This five day workshop will run from 9-12:00 each day at the museum and teach the pirate basics to your child. They will learn how to dress, talk, share, and eat like a pirate. The crew of children will also learn the history of the Rappahannock River and local pirate legends. They will participate in skits about pirating, learn how to read compasses, tie nautical knots, make their own treasure maps, and create their own pirate flags. This "all hands-on deck" workshop will also include lessons in acting, teamwork, and history.

The cost of the Pirate Camp is $25 per child and will include a mid-morning snack. For more information and to sign your child up, please contact the Essex County Museum. The Museum is located at 218 Water Lane and is open free of charge daily (except for Wednesdays and Sundays) from 10 AM to 3 PM. For additional information, you may also visit our interactive website at http://www.ecmhs.org/ and click on “Latest Museum News” or email info@ecmhs.org.

Essex County Museum Website Targeted for Inclusion in the US Library of Congress Collection

The United States Library of Congress has selected the Essex County Museum’s web site for inclusion in its historic collections of Internet materials. The Library's traditional functions, acquiring, cataloging, preserving and serving collection materials of historical importance to the Congress and to the American people to foster education and scholarship, extend to digital materials, including Web sites.