Tag: History

Love History? Alexandria, VA Has Three Self-Guided Walking Tours (From Visit Alexandria)

Sharing a post. Please check out this post from the Visit Alexandria website, “SELF-GUIDED WALKING TOURS.” There are six tours in total. Three are historic.

From the post – “Looking to explore Alexandria at your own pace? Use one of our self-guided tours below, from a historic breweries walking tour to an African-American history driving tour. Founded in 1749, Alexandria is filled with a wealth of historic sites you can discover on our self-guided walking tours or by using the City of Alexandria’s Historical Panels Walking Tour. Once you’ve completed the tours below, consider taking a guided tour. Another great way to unlock Alexandria’s rich culture and history is by purchasing a Key to the City attractions pass.”

Posted under “Things To Do” on the website

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Carlyle House Historic Park (Alexandria, VA)

#History #HistoricSite #Museum #HistoricCarlyleHouse #AlexandriaVA #Virginia #HHMCWDC

I had a quick visit to the Carlyle House Historic Park in Alexandria, VA to take photographs before starting my research. I arrived after the museum was closed for the day.

I was surprised to find a bunch of people in the small park behind the house. I remember thinking, “This neighborhood really enjoys this park.” I started taking my photographs when I noticed people were huddled together and dressed up. Nearly finished taking my pictures, I spot a photographer and realize, it’s a wedding! There is a private event going on in the park. Of course, I cut my picture taking short. I only wish someone had posted a sign or notice that a private event was taking place. I would have returned at a later date.

I have a couple of notes about this site:

  • Parking is not free (unless you find street parking). There is a parking garage a short walk across the street. The maximum daily rate is $5.00 as of 06/26/2020.
  • There is a small coffee/gelato shop three doors down from the historic site. A two-story visitor center is next to the coffee/gelato shop.

This site is a member of the Historic House Museum Consortium of Metropolitan Washington D.C.

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Ben Lomond Historic Site – The Tour (Manassas, VA)

#History #HistoricSite #Museum #HistoricBenLomond #ManassasVA #PrinceWilliamCounty #Virginia #HHMCWDC

Historic site details: Ben Lomond Historic Site | 10321 Sudley Manor Drive., Manassas, VA 20109 | 703-367-7872 | 703-792-4754 (Prince William County’s Historic Preservation Office) | The park and rose garden are open from sunrise to sunset every day. The buildings are only open seasonally. There is a fee to take a tour. Call for tour times. | Free Parking | Actively looking for volunteers. | The site includes the main house, a dairy, a bunkhouse, a smokehouse, slave quarters, and a rose garden. | The site is a member of the Historic House Museum Consortium of Metropolitan Washington D.C. (HHMCWDC) | Historic site on Facebook | Historic Preservation Office on Facebook | Instagram (Hashtag) | Wikipedia

Historic role (from the website): “Ben Lomond and its outbuildings were constructed for Benjamin Tasker Chinn in 1832.  Confederate forces used Ben Lomond as a hospital following the 1861 Battle of First Manassas.  Signatures of Federal soldiers who occupied the property in 1862 are still visible inside the house.  Tour the house, where you can smell, touch, hear and taste history.  Then see the restored slave quarter, smokehouse and dairy and enjoy the fragrant Rose Garden.“

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The Search for History Buddies

I’ve been fascinated by history for years. I listen to podcasts and audiobooks. I watch documentaries and Youtube videos. The list of history blogs I follow is slowly growing.

 Blogging has changed that. History has grown from a pure fascination to genuine pursuit. I am working on history projects and have a list of historical sites I want to visit. I am building on my writing skills and learning how to create infographics. The pursuit is getting real!

I decided it is time to go to the next step. I want to go from a solitary pursuit to a group activity. It is time to find some history buddies! Fellow travelers on the same journey.

I want to interact with people in person. (More fund than online forums.) I thought I would give Meetup.com a try. A quick search for “history” within a 25-mile radius of my home in Fairfax County, Virginia. The query returned 14 meetup groups. Far more than I thought I would get. Three examples of the groups I saw are:

  1. History Buffs Book Discussion and Activity Group – 1,295 members
  2. Explorers: Washington DC Museum/Art/History – 2,019 members
  3. DC History & Culture: Embassy Events & Museum Meetups – 8,872 members

All museums and cultural sites are close now due to COVID-19. Most meetup groups have suspended operations or moved to virtual meetups. I don’t think I’ll have to wait long to interact with fellow history buffs. I have seen several of the sites on my list post their re-opening dates. Future meetups will start soon.

Do you attend meetups?

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Seven Sites on the Northern Virginia Civil War Graffiti Trail

Here is an interesting twist on Civil War historical sites. Seven buildings across Northern Virginia have graffiti as an element of fame. Northern and southern soldiers occupied the sites during the American Civil War. These young men, looking for something to do, decided to take their frustrations out by writing and drawing all over the walls. Graffiti, you can still see today, thanks to preservationists. Please visit these sites to see what life was like for a soldier during the war—diaries on plaster. 

The Northern Virginia Civil War Graffiti Trail has the following sites you can visit:

  1. Historic Blenheim
  2. The Graffiti House
  3. Liberia House
  4. Ben Lomond Historic Site
  5. Mt. Zion Historic Park
  6. Old Court House Civil War Museum
  7. The Shenandoah Valley Civil War Museum

For more information:

Fairfax County “Connect With America” site

Brandy Sation Foundation brochure

Let me know how the visit goes.

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Ben Lomond Historic Site – The Buildings (Manassas, VA)

#History #HistoricSite #Museum #HistoricBenLomond #ManassasVA #PrinceWilliamCounty #Virginia #HHMCWDC

Historic site details: Ben Lomond Historic Site | 10321 Sudley Manor Drive., Manassas, VA 20109 | 703-367-7872 | 703-792-4754 (Prince William County’s Historic Preservation Office) | The park and rose garden are open from sunrise to sunset every day. The buildings are only open seasonally. There is a fee to take a tour. Call for hours. | Free Parking | Actively looking for volunteers. | The site includes the main house, a brick pumphouse, a bunkhouse, a meat house, dairy, slave quarters, rose garden. | The site is a member of the Historic House Museum Consortium of Metropolitan Washington D.C. (HHMCWDC) | Historic site on Facebook | Historic Preservation Office on Facebook | Instagram (Hashtag) | Wikipedia

The Main House and Rose Garden

Slave Quarters, Kitchen Yard, and (very short) trail

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18 Museums & Historic Sites to Learn About Virginia’s Black History (From Virginia Travel Blog)

Sharing a post. Please check out this post from the Virginia Travel Blog, “Stand for LOVE: 18 Museums & Historic Sites to Learn About Virginia’s Black History.”

From the post – “With the earliest Africans coming to shore in Virginia in 1619, the Commonwealth’s history is filled with important stories and notable Black individuals that shaped Virginia as well as the entire United States. Visit a few of these powerful museums and historic sites to learn about Virginia’s nearly 400 years of Black history.“

Post by Patricia Keppel

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Best History Podcast: Dan Carlin’s Hardcore History

I just finished listening to the latest episode of the Hardcore History Podcast. One word … fantastic!! This episode was nearly four hours of thoroughly engaging storytelling on the Pacific theater of War World II. This episode was part VI in the series called, “Supernova in the East.”:

Dan Carlin’s last series was a nearly 13-hour, 3-episode storyline on the Achaemenid Persian Empire called “The Kings of Kings.” The podcast covers a wide range of historical topics.

I highly recommend this podcast if you are interested in history. What history podcasts would you recommend?

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Brentsville Courthouse Historic Centre (Bristow, VA)

#History #HistoricSite #Museum #HistoricBrentsvilleCentre #BristowVA #PrinceWilliamCounty #Virginia

I had a quick visit to the Brentsville Courthouse Historic Centre in Bristow, VA. The site is closed due to COVID-19, but the parking lot is open during the day. There are five buildings on the 28-acre site. A one-mile trail through woods is also on the site.

This site is a member of the Historic House Museum Consortium of Metropolitan Washington D.C.

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The 200-Year-Old Grist Mill at Aldie Mill Historic Park – The Virtual Tour (Aldie, VA)

#History #HistoricSite #Museum #HistoricAldieMill #AldieVA #LoudounCounty #Virginia #HHMCWDC

Historic site details: Aldie Mill Historic Park (also Aldie Mill Historic District) | 39401 John Mosby Hwy, Aldie, VA 20105 (Loudoun County) | (703) 327-9777 | Free Admission | Free Parking (Warning: There is a small number of parking spaces at the site.) | The site is only open seasonally. The 2020 season starts June 27th. Hours posted online are weekends from noon to 5 PM (call to confirm due to COVID-19).| The site has three buildings: a 200-year-old Grist Mill, the Granary & Visitor Center, and the Miller House | Actively looking for volunteers. | The site is a member of the Historic House Museum Consortium of Metropolitan Washington D.C. (HHMCWDC) | Facebook | LinkedIn (unclaimed profile) | Wikipedia

Read my previous posts for this site – The 200-Year-Old Grist Mill at Aldie Mill Historic Park (Aldie, VA) and The 200-Year-Old Grist Mill at Aldie Mill Historic Park – The Buildings (Aldie, VA).

This site has an active Facebook page and videos on the NOVA Parks YouTube channel. Three things of note:

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