Brownsburg Update

Brownsburg Update: May 14, 2022

HLF Event Today

As the second event of its Preservation Month series on slavery (the first event was Brownsburg’s “Still Standing” tour last weekend), the Historic Lexington Foundation is pleased to host a presentation by Cinder Stanton entitled “From the Little Mountain: The Enslaved Families of Monticello and Beyond.”  The presentation will be held at the First Baptist Church on North Main Street in Lexington today, Saturday, May 14 at 2:00 p.m.  Ms. Stanton retired in 2012 as Shannon Senior Historian at Monticello where she had worked for over 30 years.  She is the director of “Getting Word” a continuing research and oral history project that seeks to learn about Monticello’s African-American families through interviews with their descendants – over 200 to date.

Successful Tour Despite the Weather!

The preview for last weekend’s “Still Standing” tour was an EF-0 tornado in Fairfield on Friday night that knocked out electricity to parts of our area and created debris-littered roads.  The weather on tour day was less dramatic than Friday night, but there were showers amid a fairly constant drizzle and very chilly temperatures.  The visitors, however, were not deterred; the event had been well publicized and more than 200 guests came from all over Virginia (Midlothian, Alexandria, Fredericksburg, Port Republic, etc. in addition to Rockbridge and Augusta Counties), as well as from Georgia, Colorado, South Carolina and Kentucky.  Museum Advisory Committee members were on hand at the Museum to direct visitors, and Asbury United Methodist Church welcomed guests with coffee, baked goods, arts and crafts, and history. Scout Troops 29 and 92 assisted with parking at two locations, and the Rockbridge County Schools provided a bus and driver for shuttle service in downtown Brownsburg.  In all, about 50 volunteers mustered last Saturday to contribute in various ways to the success of the tour. Thank you!  Here are just a couple of pictures.

Reverend Reginald Early, Randolph St. UMC Church Lexington and Asbury UMC in Brownsburg, signing in at the Museum with guidance from Betty Brown. (Julie Fox photo)

Property owners were presented with the framed original artwork done for the brochures by artist Bruce Macdonald.  Left to right, Bruce Macdonald and Whitehall owners, James and Linda White. (Margaret Samdahl photo)
John Friedrichs of New Dimension Masonry at his display wall at Whitehall.  John is an expert on bricks, lime mortar, and construction methods with a deep respect for the 19th C. enslaved craftsmen. He noted, “I never even had the idea that I could meet direct descendants of enslaved folk from the immediate area of Brownsburg, and now I have.” (Jenny Young photo).
Don Hasfurther, Executive Director of HLF served as a docent at Whitehall. (Jenny Young photo)

Another Award for Rockbridge Vineyard

At the Virginia Vineyards Association (VVA) meeting in Charlottesville on May 12, Shep Rouse of Rockbridge Vineyard & Brewery was named VVA Grower of the Year. A well-deserved honor, Shep!  You can read more about Shep and Rockbridge Vineyard in this VVA article.

Brownsburg Update: April 14, 2022

No Such Thing as a Free Lunch?

Things are falling into place for the first “Historic Brownsburg Area Country Garden Sampler,” a tour of five beautiful, docent-staffed private gardens in North Rockbridge County. The Garden Tour Committee is now looking for volunteers to help with the tour on Saturday, July 2. Greeters are needed at each of the five tour gardens (two in Rockbridge Baths, two in Raphine and one in Vesuvius) and at the two shuttle van stops (Bethesda Presbyterian Church in Rockbridge Baths and Wade’s Mill in Raphine) to welcome guests to the tour/garden, advise as to the next shuttle van departure and manage the “waiting” line for guests to board the shuttle vans.  There will be two three-hour shifts (9 a.m. to noon, and noon to 3 p.m.). Being a Greeter is a fun way to provide a friendly welcome and represent our lovely community to tour participants. It is also a great way for new members of the Brownsburg community to get involved and meet their neighbors! Volunteers will also receive a FREE LUNCH TICKET for the food trucks at Wade’s Mill!!!  For more information or to volunteer for a shift, please contact Karen Siegfried, ksiegfried1@outlook.com or at 540-292-6521.

Mary Hughes Honored by UVA

Here’s another recent article about our neighbor at Jump Mountain Vineyard, Mary Hughes.  Mary recently retired as Landscape Architect at UVA, and her retirement was celebrated at the annual Founder’s Day ceremony with a tree planting on the Lawn in her honor. You can read more about it in this UVAToday article. There’s even a picture of Mary in her fancy clothes and sandals shoveling dirt! Visit Jump Mountain Vineyard to congratulate her!

Easter Sunrise Service

New Providence Presbyterian Church invites you to their Easter Sunrise Service at 7:00 a.m. on Sunday, April 17.  The service will be held on Sterrett’s hill which is about half a mile from Brownsburg on Sterrett Road and overlooks beautiful downtown Brownsburg.  Look for the signs.  The “official” sunrise will be at 6:38, and it looks like the weather will cooperate for a chilly but lovely morning.  Breakfast will be available at the church afterwards.