American Revolution Round Table of Richmond has been selected by FeedSpot as one of the Top 30 American Revolution Blogs on the web. Thank you to all of our contributors who have made this happen!

Here is a link to the full list of thirty blogs. We're certainly in good company.

Shockoe Cemetery Tour

Bill Welsch is working on scheduling a tour of Shockoe Cemetery on May 17, 2025. Please look for the April and May newsletters for further details.

May Meeting Date Changed

Due to scheduling at the University of Richmond, the date of our May meeting has been changed from May 21 to May 28. Please mark your calendars!

ARRT-Richmond Preservation Partners

Five dollars of each members' dues are earmarked for preservation purposes. The recipient of our annual preservation donation is recommended and approved by the membership. We just completed our tenth year of annual donations to worthy recipients. They are:

2013 - Battersea - $300

2014 – Library of Virginia - $400

2015 – Campaign 1776 - $400

2016 – Museum of the American Rev - $400

2017 – Campaign 1776 - $425

2018 – Menokin - $465

2019 – St John’s Church - $455

2022 – Washington Crossing Park Association - $250

2023 – Wilton House Museum - $360

2024 – Patrick Henry’s Red Hill - $400

 Donations To Date - $3,855

Thank you to all of our members for your generosity!

2024 Preservation Partner

Our members have selected Patrick Henry's Red Hill as our 2024 Preservation Partner.  While all three nominees were worthy choices, Henry's Red Hill was clearly the top selection.  We will be presenting them with a $400 donation.  Thanks to all who voted.

2024 Preservation Partner Voting is Open -- Deadline is December 30

[from Bill's monthly newsletter]

As you know, $5.00 of each membership is earmarked for a preservation partner.  That means $395 for this year.  Here are the three nominees.

Please also click on the site names below for more information.

James Monroe Birthplace Foundation - nominated by Chris Yohn 
 

The James Monroe Birthplace Park & Museum is a +70-year project of the James Monroe Memorial Foundation, which was established by the descendants of President James Monroe. Through the charitable contributions of everyday people, we see the establishment of the Visitors Center and the completion of the Birthplace Home with the park's various activity trails.

 

James Monroe lived the largest part of his life here on a 500-acre peach and apple orchard plantation. This rebuilt home is an exact replica of the original.

 

The James Monroe Memorial Foundation continues the work of restoring the grounds and re-establishing some of the orchards of James Monroe’s time.

----------------------------------------------

Patrick Henry's Red Hill - nominated by Randy Flood 

Since 1944, Patrick Henry’s last home and burial site has been lovingly restored, maintained, and shared with the public. Red Hill keeps the spirit of the Voice of the American Revolution alive by inspiring a better understanding of Colonial history through supporting scholarship, conducting educational programs, and continuing stewardship of the property.

After acquiring Red Hill from Lucy Gray Henry Harrison, a great-granddaughter of Patrick Henry and the final descendant to live on the estate, the Patrick Henry Memorial Foundation began the process of restoring the property and constructing a museum to house what is now the largest collection of Patrick Henry-related artifacts in the world.

------------------------------------------------
Stratford Hall - nominated by Rob Pettus  

Stratford Hall is a National Historic Landmark , the boyhood home of two and the only brothers to sign the Declaration of Independence, Richard Henry Lee (1732–1794), and Francis Lightfoot Lee (1734–1797) also the birthplace of Robert E. Lee (1807–1870), who served as General-in-Chief of the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War (1861–1865). 
The study of the American Revolution would not be complete if it did not include locations that influenced the Founding Fathers. It is of utmost importance to support and ensure the preservation of those locations.  
There are a number of projects underway at Stratford Hall, as identified by President Karen Daley kdaley@stratfordhall.org ,  including the East Steps project at the Great House. The Colonial Revival stairs on the east were causing significant moisture damage to the 18th century Great House wall, so they were removed. Additional archaeological and architectural investigations have been underway to determine the likely design of the first period stairs that were there and will be restored in 2024. At the Visitor Center,  a number of recent projects: replacing the HVAC system, painting the exterior, and replacing the entrance portico which had failed a number of years ago. Two preservation-related projects currently in the works include restoration at our Gristmill and hosting a Preservation Trades Intern this coming summer. From my own observation a number of the outbuildings and outdoor features of the property are in need of maintenance/restoration.

--------------------------------------------------

*** DEADLINE FOR VOTING IS DECEMBER 30 ***

Dues paying members only.  There will be no in-person voting at the meeting.  The only way to vote is by sending an email with your choice to me at wmwelsch@comcast.net.  The deadline for voting is Monday, December 30th.  There will (hopefully) be no email reminder follow up to this, so please vote now.

If more than one member is at the same email address, be sure to send both votes.

Thanks very much for your selection.  They are all good causes, so we can't go wrong.

ARRT-Richmond 2025 Membership Information

Information for 2025 memberships is located under the "Dues" tab above. Mark Groth will begin collecting dues at the March 19, 2025 meeting. If you wish to pay earlier, dues may be mailed to him at the address on the bottom of the form (also located under "Dues" above.)

ARRT-Richmond 2025 Meeting Dates

The dates, topics, and speakers for our 2025 meetings have been added under the "Meetings" tab above.

Please remember that our January 15, 2025 meeting will be ZOOM ONLY.

Winner of the 2024 Harry M. Ward Book Prize Announced!

The American Revolution Round Table of Richmond is pleased to announce that the 2024 Harry M. Ward Book Prize goes to Revolutionary Roads: Searching for the War That Made America Independent . . . and All the Places It Could Have Gone Terribly Wrong, by Bob Thompson.

Thompson, a feature writer for the Washington Post and editor of the Post’s Sunday magazine, has written widely on the connections between history and myth. In Revolutionary Roads, he takes readers on a literal road trip through the War for Independence—he logged some twenty thousand miles visiting all manner of historic sites and talking with innumerable historians and history buffs of all descriptions. The result was this wonderful book filled with entertaining and sometimes poignant observations on the people, places, and events that shaped the revolutionary struggle. 

Thompson has a keen eye for the pivotal moments when confusion, misunderstandings, blunders, conflicting personalities, and just plain happenstance could have sent America’s founding conflict down unexpected paths and toward possibly tragic results. His writing sparkles—this is a captivating read. Thompson deftly captures the essence of the Revolution’s personalities, reminding us to see events from the perspectives of those living through them, often with little or no idea of how the future would unfold. Victory in the War for Independence was never a sure thing; the war, as Thompson shows us, “could have gone terribly wrong” at any number of times. That it didn’t is the story at the heart of Revolutionary Roads. The book was the unanimous choice of the Round Table’s selection committee.

ARRT of Richmond Wilton House Museum Tour

Wilton House Museum was voted our ARRT of Richmond Preservation Partner for 2023. Our membership was invited for an exclusive tour on Saturday, September 14.

Joe Rizzo, Executive Director, and Savannah Gross, Director of Visitor Experience, led our two groups on an in-depth and informative tour of the house and described the move of the house from its original location on a 2,000-acre tobacco and wheat plantation to its present location in Richmond.

Thank you, Joe and Savannah!

2023 Preservation Partner Selected

With a close vote, Wilton House Museum was selected as our 2023 partner by our members.  This means that we will make a $360 donation towards their work.  Dr Joseph Rizzo, executive director, will join us in March with an update on Wilton's activities.  Thanks to all of you who voted.  I encourage those who didn't to do so next year.  The choices were:

James Monroe Birthplace Foundation, nominated by Chris Yohn

Wilton House Museum, nominated by Bert Dunkerly

Stratford Hall, nominated by Sarah Pace

2023 Dues

Because our January meeting will be via ZOOM, we will begin collecting 2023 membership dues in-person at our March 15 meeting. If you wish to pay by mail before then, simply go to the "Dues" tab above, print the membership information form, complete it and mail with your check for $20.00 to the address on the bottom of the form.

2023 Meetings

The dates for our 2023 meetings have been posted to the "Meetings" tab above. Topics and speakers will be posted as they become available. Please note that our January 18 meeting will be a ZOOM meeting.

Yorktown Tour

Thanks to Sarah Pace, here are pictures from our recent tour of Yorktown.  Michael Moore and Maureen Wiese did a fantastic job of covering the village.  Again, thank you to two of our anonymous members, who came through with extra donations to keep the tour in the black.  Scroll down through the pictures. 

https://www.facebook.com/HenricoCountyHistoricalSociety

November 16, 2022 Election Information

Our bylaws call for an election of board members every two years at the November meeting.  This year, the board is also proposing a restructuring of the board membership.  After sixteen years in existence with the current structure, we offer the following changes.

1. Eliminate the two At Large positions

2. Combine two positions - the 2nd Vice President for Membership and the Webmaster - into one position as 2nd Vice President for Membership and Technology

3. Great a new position of Osher Director.  This position would not be voted on, but rather be automatically filled by the current Osher Director.  This makes sense, given our close relationship with the University of Richmond's Osher Program.

As these proposals must be announced prior to voting, this message serves that purpose.  These changes will be voted on prior to the board election at the Wednesday, November 16th meeting.  A vote of two-thirds of dues paying members present will be necessary for adoption.

Both Jerry Rudd and Woody Childs have decided to retire from the board after long and important service.  We offer our sincere thanks to Woody and Jerry.

The slate for the board for the 2023 -2024 term is:

President - Bill Welsch
1st VP for Programs - Bruce Venter
2nd VP for Membership + Technology - Mark Groth
Paymaster - Art Ritter
Secretary / Historian - Fred Sorrell
Osher Director - Peggy Watson (appointed)

If you should wish to nominate either yourself or another member, please send that nomination to me at wmwelsch@comcast.net.  They will be included in the voting.  Only dues paying members in attendance are eligible to hold office and vote.

Updated "Revolutionary Richmond" Brochures Now Available

Given the success of the first printing and distribution of ARRT-Richmond's "Revolutionary Richmond" brochure and the generosity of our members and friends, a second edition printing of the brochure has moved forward. With price increases looming, the lead time for future paper supplies in question and the brochure's popularity, the Board decided to order 7,000 brochures for the second printing, which have now arrived. The brochure maps and describes sites and events significant to the American War of Independence from Britain in and around Richmond, Virginia. The brochures will again be distributed at Richmond International Airport, popular sightseeing venues and hotels in the Richmond area and at national American Revolution conferences.

Contact person to request copies is Bill Welsch at wmwelsch@comcast.net

2022 Calendar Now Available

The dates for our 2022 meetings are now listed under the Meetings tab above. Speakers and topics will be posted as they are received.

2022 Dues Information

We will begin collecting 2022 dues at our January 19, 2022 meeting. Dues will remain at $20.00 per annum with $5.00 of that going towards preservation.

For more information, click on the Dues tab above.

2021 Harry M. Ward Book Prize Winner

The Harry M. Ward Book Prize committee is pleased to announce the winner of the 2021 competition: Donald F Johnson, Occupied America: British Military Rule and the Experience of Revolution (Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press, 2020).

Johnson’s work is an original and novel contribution to the literature of the Revolution.  At one time or another during the long years of the War for Independence, the British occupied all of America’s major populations centers. These included the important port cities of Boston, New York, Philadelphia, Charleston, Savannah, and Wilmington.  In Occupied America, Johnson carefully describes the “everyday experience of ordinary people living under military occupation . . . .[and] recounts how men and women from a variety of backgrounds navigated harsh conditions, mitigated threats to their families and livelihoods, took advantage of new opportunities, and balanced precariously between revolutionary and royal attempts to secure their allegiance.” Other historians have touched on these subjects, but not in any comprehensive way; nor have they matched Johnson’s convincing explanation of why most Americas living under long periods of occupation did not return to British allegiance. Harsh living conditions, military rule, and the Crown’s failure to crush the rebellion all gradually eroded popular faith in Britain’s ability to restore peace and social and economic prosperity. Occupied America is deeply researched and clearly written, and the volume is well worth the attention of all readers interested in how colonial city-dwellers from all walks of life bore-up under the tribulations of war.

The committee also is pleased to announce the following titles as this year's Honorable Mentions:

Mary Beth Norton, 1774: The Long Year of Revolution (New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 2020).

Arthur S. Lefkowitz, Colonel Hamilton and Colonel Burr: The Revolutionary War Lives of Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr (Lanham, MD: Stackpole Books, 2020).

T. Cole Jones, Captives of Liberty Prisoners of War and the Politics of Vengeance in the American Revolution (Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press, 2019).

--Mark Lender, Chairman, Book Prize Committee

100 Members!

For the first time in our history, we have hit 100 members.  Thanks to all our new members and to all who have been part of our history.  Impressive from a four member start. 

As a reminder, all dues paying members from 2020 have had their dues credited to 2021.  That means that no dues will be required from this group.  New 2021 members will be assessed the regular $20 fee (including $5 for preservation), unless circumstances change.