If you missed out on last year’s successful Dig History! Archaeology camp for students at Abingdon Glebe, not to worry! The Fairfield Foundation is joining once again with St. James Anglican Church to host a three day camp filled with archaeology, education, and of course, fun!

If your child roams your backyard with a metal detector and a shovel, combs riverbeds for arrowheads, or dreams of being the next Indiana Jones, than our archaeology day camp may be just the break that your child needs!

Located at the historic Abingdon Glebe house, the Dig History! Archaeology Day camp offers children from fourth through six grades the opportunity to help excavate at this historic site. This year, the camp will run from Monday, June 17th through Wednesday, June 19th. The last day of the camp includes a field trip to the on-going archaeological dig in Jamestown. The camp begins at 10 A.M. and ends at 3 P.M. each day. The cost is $30, payable to St. James Anglican Church. Lunch is not provided, so please pack a lunch for your child.

To register, please contact Fr. Kevin Sweeney at (804) 824-9552 or kevin1sweeney@yahoo.com for a registration form.

Last year, children and adults had a great time excavating two 5′ x 5′ test units in the yard in front of the Glebe house.

The kid crew found a wide variety of artifacts, including ceramics,wine bottle glass, iron nails, tobacco pipe fragments, and even a projectile point. If this looks and sounds like fun to you or your budding archaeologist, don’t hesitate to contact Fr. Sweeney to get involved this June!

For the third year in a row, the Fairfield Foundation and the Middle Peninsula Chapter of the Archeological Society of Virginia (ASV), led a great group of dedicated volunteers on a shovel test pit survey across the grounds of the future Middle Peninsula State Park, near Rosewell in Gloucester County. A damp and gray Tuesday morning started the survey out on a soggy note, but after just a few shovel tests, the clouds parted and the sun graced us with its presence (and its warmth!) for the remainder of the survey. The beautiful spring weather created great spirits and great enthusiasm for all those involved!

Pattie, a certification student, pauses her STP excavation to pose for a picture in the sun!

Accompanied by State Archaeologist Mike Barber, a group of enthusiastic volunteers as well as students in the ASV’s Archaeological Technician Certification Program enjoyed the sunshine while digging a series of shovel test pits across several agricultural fields on the state park. Building on a project that was begun in 2011 and continued in 2012, these excavations focused on testing the remainder of the field areas closest to the Rosewell Visitor Center.  Our goal was to identify any prehistoric or historic archaeological sites and better map their boundaries.

STP survey in action!

Previous archaeological testing had indicated the presence of two historic archaeological sites in these areas, so our goal was to further refine the boundaries of the sites as well as learn more about what they might represent.  All of this land was associated with Rosewell plantation from the 17th century to the late 19th century, and this work will help us better understand the evolution of the broader agricultural landscape as the Page family, African slaves, and English indentured servants worked to clear forests, plant tobacco, and build the houses, fences, roads and other infrastructure that defined this area for centuries.  We did not always find many artifacts, but this information will be invaluable as we strive to learn more about the creation of plantations on a broad scale.  Our efforts will also help guide the planning process on the state park, as we identify areas that deserve preservation or more research prior to any park infrastructure projects.  The Middle Peninsula State Park will be a valuable recreational facility for the region, and the history and archaeology of this land are remarkable assets.

For three years, the Middle Peninsula State Park Survey has offered ASV certification students within the region an excellent opportunity to get archaeological experience in the field. Not only does this project benefit certification students by providing them with survey experience, but each year it also coincides with a required certification lecture. This year, State Archaeologist Mike Barber spoke to the group extensively about zooarchaeology (the study of animal remains from archaeological contexts), and everyone learned a lot!  We plan to offer a similar opportunity in 2014, so stay tuned.

Mike Barber (left) provides a hands-on experience for certification students by sharing a collection of faunal remains.

Certification students and volunteers examine examples of faunal remains.

If you’d like to learn more about the certification program, you can find details on the ASV website. By following the Certification Program on Facebook you can stay in the loop about all upcoming certification fieldwork opportunities!

If you’re interested in hearing more particulars about the Middle Peninsula Chapter of the ASV, catch up on our past blog post about the Chapter, and be sure to also check out the ASV 2012 newsletter article (page 12) which sums up the variety of activities that the chapter has been involved in over the past few years!

And don’t worry if you missed out on this opportunity to come dig with Fairfield staff and volunteers, because we have a busy schedule of spring and summer activities planned! You can stay up to date and involved in a variety of ways – join our email list to learn about dig days, follow The Fairfield Foundation on Facebook, and definitely check out the new Events page on our website, where you can find event dates and descriptions for the coming months!

One of the most rewarding elements of our time at the Fairfield Foundation is working alongside the many high school and college interns that join us each summer to learn about archaeology, history, and preservation. High School juniors and seniors, undergrads from community colleges and universities, graduate students, and some folks just looking to enhance their resumes and expand their horizons, spend between one and three weeks (sometimes longer) working alongside staff members learning the nuts and bolts of archaeology, non-profit management, and the day-to-day challenges of studying and preserving our past.  It is a wonderful learning experience for them and extremely rewarding for us. Despite the intense heat and humidity, our ever changing mix of interns consistently impresses us with their energy and motivation to learn. With over 100 interns during our first 12 years, this is one of the Fairfield Foundation’s most successful educational outreach programs.

Internships are scheduled throughout the year, although summer is our busiest season.  Whether for practical experience, or to try something they’ve always wanted to try, perhaps inspired by Indiana Jones or a lifelong fascination with history, the chance to “do” archaeology is what attracts most interns.  You can design your own research project, learn how to write grants, participate in hands-on preservation, or learn the basics of archaeology in the field and lab.  Interested? Take a look at the brochure and application detailing our program.  Don’t hesitate to contact us if you, your teenager, or a friend might be interested in learning more about our internships! Summer internships are popular, and although we can offer help with housing, it is limited – so apply early to ensure your spot!

Don’t just take our word for it – see and hear a bit about the experience from former interns themselves:

Kimberley Givant, Intern 2012: “One thing that immediately drew me to Fairfield was the way they welcome all people to not only learn about the archaeology they do, but to also give them the opportunity of a hands-on experience. I didn’t feel like just another intern, but rather a true member of one supportive team. Everywhere I went with the Foundation I felt at home, and with everything I did for them I grew more confident because I knew everyone there wanted me to learn and succeed.”

Summer 2012 interns enjoy a field trip to see the U.S.S. Monitor at the Mariner’s Museum.

Colleen Betti, 2010-2012: “My whole experience with the Fairfield Foundation, from a volunteer, to an intern, to my current position as ‘independent scholar’ has been worth all of the long hot hours. I have gained so much experience, knowledge, opportunities, as well as wonderful friends.”

Summer 2012 interns take a break from the heat to learn how to water-screen!

Chris Godschalk, Intern 2009 and 2010: “It has been amazing how many different experiences I’ve encountered. I’ve been involved in every stage of excavation, and not just field work or lab work, but ethical questions as well.”

Bryce Vogel, Intern 2009 and 2010: “The camaraderie, combined with the fact that field archaeology gives a really unparalleled view of how history is written and cultures come to be understood, makes a Fairfield internship a very rewarding experience.”

Summer 2012 interns excavate to help answer research questions about historic slave quarters at Fairfield Plantation.

Amy Hilton, Intern 2010-2012: “I still cherish the days spent deep in the earth uncovering history, feeling pride when finding a rusty nail normal people won’t look at twice, and feeling awe at the ingenuity of the past. Virginia, the sate of sweat and sweet tea, became my quirky summer home for curiosity, adventure, and plenty of Indiana Jones.”

Summer interns experience the rich history of Virginia’s Middle Peninsula as they excavate in Middlesex County.

If you’d like to read more about internships with the Fairfield Foundation, check out our recent newsletter dedicated to interns!

Nothing beats getting your hands dirty. Apply now!

Last April, many of you responded to our pleas for help when a burst water pipe in the Rosewell Visitor Center left our collections and our lab in a state of emergency. Since then, countless hours of labor have been volunteered and a variety of supplies donated, helping us inch closer to a complete recovery. Although a great deal of work remains in the coming months in order to return and organize all of our collections into the space at the Rosewell Visitor Center, there has also been a great deal of progress since April, and we thought it fitting to share our excitement about this reorganization process!

Our lab space in the Rosewell Visitor Center has never looked better – with new carpets and a fresh coat of paint, the room has a light, spacious feel to it (Until we get all of our stuff back in there, at least…)! We have made steady progress moving our collections out of temporary storage, and are trying to make the most of this labor-intensive opportunity by  taking the chance to redesign our use of the lab space and organize materials and collections with a new vision. And at the back of our minds throughout this work are how we will manage space and curate collections in the near future at the Edge Hill Service Station!  Archaeological collections from Rosewell will remain at the Visitor Center in the reorganized lab, while collections from Fairfield and other sites will move with us to continue serving as teaching and research tools at our regional preservation center.

In terms of organization and collections management, both in our current lab and in the future lab at the service station, we have an exciting prospect on the horizon. In October of 2012, we were approved for a grant supplied by the Circuit Rider program, through the Virginia Association of Museums. The Circuit Rider program sends a “team” comprised of one curator and one archivist to the chosen recipients in order to carry out an introductory assessment of the institution’s collections management needs. In May of 2013, the Circuit Rider team will visit our lab at Rosewell, and we will discuss with them the challenges we face with collections management. As most of you can guess, the collections that we curate are predominantly archaeological in nature (i.e., artifacts), but we also have a responsibility, need, and desire to curate 1) associated historical primary documents, and 2) associated modern documents, such as  field notes, photographs,  and other paperwork. The biggest collections challenges we face are two-fold: the proper care, storage, and maintenance of these diverse resources, and the presentation and display of the collections, in addition to its transfer to a new facility. The Circuit Rider program is geared toward helping small institutions with limited resources, and their visit will result in the identification of necessary collections improvements, as well as recommendations for low-cost steps and other resources to help us improve the management of our collections.

With help from the Circuit Rider team, as well as continued support from all of you, we will have our collections in top shape in no time, AND continue to shape our vision for collections management at the Edge Hill Service Station!

Our heartfelt thanks to the more than 100 individuals who have supported us during these efforts, both financially and in terms of time, labor, and supplies.  There are too many of you to name here, but we sincerely appreciate your efforts on behalf of Fairfield’s collections.

With special acknowledgments to the local and regional organizations who provided financial support as well as time, supplies, and advice:

Archeological Society of Virginia, Richmond Chapter
Archeological Society of Virginia, Northern Virginia Chapter
Dovetail Cultural Resource Group
Gloucester Main Street Preservation Trust
Jamestown Rediscovery
Mariner’s Museum
Maryland Archaeological Conservation Laboratory
Preservation Virginia
Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello, Archaeology Department
VA History Online
Virginia Association of Museums
Virginia Department of Historic Resources
Virginia Museum of Natural History
The William & Mary Center for Archaeological Research

There’s just something about the month of December – something in the air, something intangible but noticeable – that seems to put everyone in an infectious good mood. We haven’t been able to escape the spirit ourselves lately, embracing the festive mood by taking this opportunity to express our immeasurable appreciation for all of the hard work our dedicated volunteers have contributed throughout 2012. The volunteer contribution is nothing to sneeze at – in 2012 alone, over 100 individuals volunteered their time to work with us in the field and in the lab, totaling over 5,200 hours!  From grade-schoolers to retirees, volunteers and interns of all ages devoted their precious time to working with Fairfield staff on a multitude of projects, including, of course, our on-going excavations at Fairfield, a survey for the future Middle Peninsula State Park near Rosewell, renovation work at our Edge Hill Service Station, an exciting field trip to visit the Monitor at the Mariner’s Museum, and crucial help dealing with our lab flood and subsequent reshuffling of lab collections. We’ve said it before, but it bears repeating: our volunteers are the best, and they inspire us to be better!

Don’t worry, though, we haven’t quite spent the whole month in party mode! Despite the fact that it is now mid-December, we have on-going projects that will likely continue to keep us in the field throughout a good portion of the winter! In the past few weeks we’ve made return trips to Menokin in Richmond County and St. Paul’s Church in Norfolk. We also continue intermittent work at Wilton in Middlesex County and at White Marsh Cemetery here in Gloucester, and have initiated some survey work in Deltaville for the new Maritime Museum. Thankfully, despite a few days with wind gusts that chill our noses and fingers, we’ve enjoyed unseasonably warm weather for the majority of our outside days.

There have been many winter field days where staff and volunteers have not been quite so lucky with the weather, however! In the spirit of winter and the upcoming holiday season, we’d like to share with you a few of our chillier past moments working outside through the cold winter months!

Hope you enjoyed the winter walk down memory lane.  Please continue to check our updates as we continue to brave the elements and pursue fieldwork throughout the winter and plan ahead for 2013!  We hope you can join us in the new year.  Happy Holidays!

You read it right the first time!  This grant will complete the restoration of the Edge Hill Service Station – creating a center for preservation in our community.  The Fairfield Foundation, working hand-in-hand with Gloucester County, received a Transportation Enhancement grant from the Federal Highway Administration.  The funds, administered by the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT), will help us restore the station as a public outreach center for preservation.  But we need your help.  Here are the details:

We need to raise $96,000 to match the $384,000 grant, meaning every dollar you give results in nearly $5 towards the restoration of the Edge Hill Service Station.  There is no better way to support the preservation of this remarkable building and ensure the success of Gloucester’s newest preservation center.

We cannot complete the restoration of this signature building without this match.

Here is how you can help!

Make a generous cash donation!  Think of it this way: Your $100 donation triggers nearly $400 from VDOT = $500 combined!  Every contribution is important.  Your contribution will ensure that the restoration project will be quickly and successfully completed, allowing the Edge Hill Service Station to become your local preservation and outreach center.

Are you interested in sponsoring a particular element of the restoration, such as the new doorway, interior trim, or lab equipment?  We are happy to discuss particular giving opportunities and recognition possibilities relating to substantial individual gifts.

So, you can’t make a big donation, but still want to help?

We know not everybody can donate significant funds, but there are many ways to help.  If you would like to donate supplies, such as paintbrushes, lumber, tools, and other items, that would be a great help too.  Just contact us for a list of what we still need.   You can also donate your skills to the restoration.  Are you a carpenter, a plumber, or restorer of antique light fixtures?  Do you wield a skillful paint brush, enjoy refinishing old doors, or want to help us repair our plaster walls?  We are accomplishing many tasks with volunteer help, so if you have always wanted to pitch in on a restoration project, now is your chance.

If you want to contribute your skills, equipment, supplies, labor, or make a donation, please contact us at Fairfield@inna.net or give us a call at 804-815-4467.

It’s that time of year again! How would you like to spend a fall day exploring four of Gloucester’s premier historic sites and sampling delicious food from some of Gloucester’s finest eateries? Join the Fairfield Foundation, the Rosewell Foundation and the Joseph Bryan Branch of Preservation Virginia on October 27^th from 11:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. for the third annual Gloucester Fall History Crawl.

Tickets on Sale Now! Email us at fairfield@inna.net to reserve yours today. 

Updated information:

View a complete schedule of the event here!

View a map of event locations here!

 Historic Abingdon Church

This year, participants in the Crawl will kick off the journey at historic Abingdon Church, where tours of the cemetery, organ music, and singing are all available to enjoy, along with great bites to eat.  A short drive on Hickory Fork Road (Rt. 614) leads participants to our second stop, Fairfield Plantation, where there will be tours, hands-on archaeology, more great food, and a colonial firearms demonstration.  Further down Hickory Fork Road, Preservation Virginia’s Walter Reed Birthplace serves as the third leg of this historic and culinary progressive, offering historic presentations by Voices of Freedom, interpreting the African-American experience of the mid-19th century.

 Colonial Firearms Demonstration at Rosewell

Finally, attendees will enjoy the delightful fall weather at Rosewell, touring the property and learning about Virginia’s military history and Rosewell’s 18^th-century residents beneath the majestic ruins of America’s most prominent manor house. Throughout the Crawl, participants can enjoy wonderful dessert treats from Jessica’s Sweet Shop, meatballs and crab cakes with specialty dips from Rosemary and Wine, delicious delights from Short Lane Ice Cream, and a selection of soups, ham roles, zucchini bread, coffee and Portuguese custard cupcakes from Olivia’s, The Wild Rabbit, Whitley’s Peanuts, and Mobjack Bay Roasters.

 Hands-on Archaeology at the Fall History Crawl

“The beautiful colors of a fall Gloucester day are a wonderful backdrop for the combination of great food, fascinating history, and exciting hands-on archaeology. And October is Virginia Archaeology Month – what a perfect way to spend a Saturday afternoon celebrating and enjoying all of these things,” says John Gillis, Chairman of the Board of the Joseph Bryan Branch of Preservation Virginia.  There will be hands-on excavations supervised by archaeologists from the Fairfield Foundation where kids and adults can really experience archaeology.  Fairfield Foundation Co-Director Thane Harpole notes, “these sites preserve precious stories of Gloucester County’s long and complex history, and they have much to share with the public.  Come explore and experience these places for yourself, and help us uncover new stories of the past through archaeology.”

Tickets for the “Gloucester Fall History Crawl” are $20 each and include a tour booklet highlighting the history of each site.  Children under 12 are free with a paying adult and will receive their own kid’s “past-port”, with fun games, coloring, and room for stamps from each site.  Tickets are available for purchase at the event sites the day of the event, or reserve your tickets by email to fairfield@inna.net or call 804-694-4775.  Tickets will also be available for sale at the Rosewell Visitor’s Center.  Proceeds from the event will benefit these foundations and support vital preservation efforts in the community.

This is a great opportunity to celebrate the significance of Gloucester’s many historic resources, so please join us on the 27th, and bring your friends!

Thank you to our wonderful Event Sponsors:

For 36 hours last week, the Community Foundation of Richmond hosted The Amazing Raise giving challenge, during which the community responded with fervor, donating over 15,000 gifts for an astounding total of over $1.2 million dollars!  And for 36 hours, many of our own donors responded with generosity and positive vibes to our calls to participate in this exciting opportunity, helping The Fairfield Foundation raise an amazing $2,825 in less than two days! Such impressive efforts deserve an explicit shout-out: so to all who contributed to this event and our success, we send our most wholehearted thanks your way. Your generosity and spirit continue to impress and inspire us, and these recent donations mark a huge step forward in our preservation and restoration efforts at the Edge Hill Service Station. We are awed by the outpouring of support towards these efforts, and we truly couldn’t do it without you guys! Additionally, we’d also like to send our thanks to the Community Foundation for holding such a spectacular event and creating such a positive buzz in the giving community. We can’t wait for an even bigger and more exciting event next year!

UPDATE 9/19/12:

Here is a direct link to the Fairfield Foundation donation page for the Amazing Raise Event. Happy Giving!

https://giverichmond.s3.amazonaws.com/npo1043211.html

Get your mouse-clicking fingers primed and ready – the Amazing Raise challenge starts Wednesday!

If you’re unfamiliar with the Amazing Raise event, here’s some quick background information: The Community Foundation of Greater Richmond is hosting a 36-hour online giving challenge called The Amazing Raise, enabling supporters of local nonprofits to donate online to the nonprofit of their choice. The Fairfield Foundation participated last October with great success, and we are hoping that with your help, we can surpass that success with the upcoming 2012 event. This year’s challenge will take place between 6:00 a.m. September 19 and 6:00 p.m. September 20. To donate, visit http://www.giverichmond.org/  and search for “Fairfield Foundation” or check back here and on our Facebook page on Wednesday and Thursday to use the direct link to our profile at the GiveRichmond website.

Through the Amazing Raise challenge, you can help raise both funds and awareness for the Fairfield Foundation. Our restoration efforts at the Edge Hill Service Station are in full swing – including repaired garage doors, a completely new roof, and recently plastered walls – and a donation event like The Amazing Raise gives all of our supporters an opportunity to contribute to further station restoration projects, including restoring period light fixtures and electrifying the building with solar power. This opportunity will move us closer to our goal of opening a regional preservation and education center at the Edge Hill Service Station.

Why give this way? The Amazing Raise offers a number of great donation incentives, and you could help The Fairfield Foundation earn a prize! The top three organizations to receive the most overall donations of $50 or more will receive prizes of $20,000, $15,000 and $10,000. The beauty of an online event is that you can participate from anywhere. If you have been intending to donate to Fairfield, want to renew your membership, or can’t resist jumping into some friendly competition, be sure to participate in the Amazing Raise event!  Mark your calendar. Spread the word. And most importantly, support your favorite nonprofit(s) and better your community by participating in The Amazing Raise, 6:00 a.m. September 19 through 6:00 p.m.September 20!