History calendar

Please enter information at  events.fredericksburg.com. Select “History” category. You may also email tandc@freelancestar.com (subject: History Calendar), or fax  540/373-8455. Deadline: noon Thursday preceding Tuesday publication. 540/374-5461.

LOCALLY

 “Falmouth—Occupied!” 7 p.m., Friday, June 15. A History at Sunset tour. Meet at historic Belmont, 224 Washington St., Falmouth. Free. More at nps.gov/frsp or Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania National Military Park’s Facebook page.

“American Music!” 7 p.m., Saturday, June 16, University of Mary Washington Brass Quintet in Market Square at Princess Anne and William streets. Series produced by the  Fredericksburg Area Museum and Cultural Center and University of Mary Washington. On June 30, bring your dancing shoes for the Fredericksburg Big Band. 540/371-3037;  famcc.org.

 “Thrill on the Hill.” New exhibit rolls out Saturday, June 16—Soap Box Derby day. Open through August. Fredericksburg Area Museum and Cultural Center hosts this look at Soap Box Derby history in Fredericksburg. It features retired derby cars and other memorabilia from mid-century “golden age” of the derby to present. Exhibit also explores  role the event plays in our community. More information, 540/371-3037 or famcc.org.

 “Voices and Footsteps:  The Bloody Angle.” 7 p.m., Friday, June 22. History at Sunset tour. Meet at McCoull House, Tour Stop 5, Spotsylvania battlefield. Free. See nps.gov/frsp or Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania National Military Park’s Facebook page.

Belmont–Ferry Farm Trail Day.  9 a.m.–noon on Saturday, June 23. Celebrate opening of first portion of  long-awaited scenic trail from Gari Melchers’ home and studio in historic Falmouth to Chatham Manor.  Walk, bike or run. Interact with displays and activity stations. Free; gostaffordva .com.

Historic Port Royal’s Independence Day Celebration 10:00 a.m.. to 3:00 p.m., Wednesday, July 4. Features reading of the Declaration of Independence; St. Andrew’s Legion Pipes and Drums; period musicians Evergreen Shade; 18th-century dancing demonstrations by the Rappahannock Colonial Heritage Society; living-history encampment; surrey rides; period children’s games, and more; historicportroyal .com.

Fredericksburg Area Museum and Cultural Center Summer Camp, July 18–July 20. Features activities based on art inspired by natural environment. Each day, the camp will feature a different Fredericksburg local who will help the students create art using a different medium.  At the conclusion of the art camp, the students’ artwork will be displayed in the museum. 

More information at  540/371-3037, education@famcc.org or famcc.org.

Civil War History Day in Culpeper County.  Saturday, July 21. Newly formed African American Heritage Alliance Inc. and co-sponsor   Friends of Wilderness Battlefield host three-part, daylong program exploring Civil War military strategy, political debate and the impact of war and emancipation on a rural community. 

 A symposium—“Anguish and Freedom: The Yankees Descend upon Culpeper”—at Germanna Community College’s Daniel Center in Culpeper includes historian Clark B. Hall, Dr. Daniel Sutherland, author of “Seasons of War: The Ordeal of a Confederate Community,” John Hennessy, chief historian of Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania National Military Park, and Dr. James Bryant,  author and professor of history at Shenandoah University. $50 fee includes morning snacks and lunch. From 1 to 5 p.m., rarely seen stops on   first-of-its-kind bus tour, “The Rappahannock: A River to Freedom,” will include mountaintop view of the county, site of its largest slave-holding plantation, a celebrated refugee river crossing and sites reflecting former slaves’ return to the region as members of the United States Colored Troops. $60, with water and snacks; limited seating.  “An evening with Dr. Dan Sutherland,”  6–8 p.m., a reception at Holly Hill in Reva will feature food, Virginia wines and a beautiful venue. Casual attire;  $50. Register at fowb.org or contact Zann Nelson at 540/547-2395 or M16439@aol.com.

“Bricks and Boards in the ’Burg.”  Join the Fredericksburg Area Museum and Cultural Center and Hallowed Ground Tours on Saturdays for architectural walking tours of historic downtown. Hourlong tours depart Market Square  at 10 a.m., and highlight four centuries of history and architecture, the Rappahannock River,  spires and steeples of Princess Anne Street, Fredericksburg’s Town Hall, Market House and Market Square;  $4/adult, $1/child.  Discounted museum admission for  participants. Hallowed Ground Tours: 540/809-3918.

ELSEWHERE

“Gaines’ Mill: The Largest Confederate Attack of the War.” Noon–12:30 p.m. Friday, June 15. Brown-bag lunch at Museum of the Confederacy. Somewhat overlooked Gaines’ Mill proved to be the largest Confederate assault of the Civil War. Hear Will Glasco describe the battle and its ramifications using first-person accounts. Free. Visit ontorichmond.com.

“From Belles to Battleaxes: Women of Civil War Richmond.”  10:30 a.m.–noon Saturday, June 16. Stroll through the heart of the Confederate capital and hear stories of Richmond women, from daring spies and devoted nurses to star-crossed lovers and captivating socialites. Learn about Rose O’Neal Greenhow, who drowned off Cape Fear; Elizabeth Van Lew, the Richmonder who helped Union soldiers escape from Libby Prison; Mary Chesnut, diarist and neighbor of Jefferson Davis; Hetty Cary, the belle of the South; and more. Tour starts at Bell Tower on Bank Street near Virginia State Capitol. Street parking on Main and Franklin. Free for Museum of the Confederacy members; $10 for nonmembers (includes admission). Reservations required; call Kelly Hancock at 855/649-1861, ext. 121. See ontorichmond.com.

Banner Lecture Series. The Virginia Historical Society, Richmond National Battlefield Park and the American Civil War Center at Historic Tredegar team up to sponsor evening lectures about the Seven Days Campaign during the Civil War. On Tuesday, June 19, Edward Ayers will present “The Civil War at a Crossroads: The Seven Days.” On Wednesday, July 11, Gary Gallagher will present “More Important Than Gettysburg: The Seven Days Campaign as a Turning Point.” Both lectures begin at 5:30 p.m., and take place at the VHS. These special evening Banner Lectures are free. More information at vahistorical .org. All lectures take place at the Virginia Historical Society, 428 N. Boulevard, Richmond.

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