Reflections of the past abound at the Virginia Highlands Festival
Explore Abingdon's 20-block downtown Historic district on guided walking tours or ghost tours. Stroll the shaded, brick sidewalks and savor the ambiance of the oldest town west of the Blue Ridge.
OVERMOUNTAIN VICTORY TRAILFIELDS-PENN HOUSELECTURES AND EXHIBITSTOURS AND FIELD TRIPSFOR KIDS OF ALL AGES
NEW! On Craig's Meadow
Living in the Backcountry, July 31, Aug 1-3, Aug 7-10: 11 a.m.-5 p.m.. Listen as members of the Black's Fort Daughters of the American Revolution and the General William Campbell Sons of the American Revolution recount life in the backcountry in the 1780s. Hear the exciting stories of the Overmountain Men who mustered in Abingdon to march to battle. Meet some of the women living in the backcountry as they relate their lives of struggle and hardships. Visit the backcountry display and become part of the life of the early settlers of Washington County, Va. These living history portrayals will take place on Craig's Meadow.
Colonial Trade Fair Mon-Sat 10 a.m.-6 p.m., Sun 1-6 p.m. This new event for the Highlands Festival will be held on the Historic Mustering Grounds at Craig's Meadow in Abingdon. The site is where a group of backcountry patriots -- citizen soldiers -- from Virginia mustered in 1780 to begin their march to King's Mountain, South Carolina, where they met and defeated the British under the command of Colonel Ferguson. Thomas Jefferson declared the American victory at King's Mountain began the "turning of the tide" in the American Revolution.
Overmountain Victory Trail
In addition, vendors, demonstrations, and exhibits will be on the meadow every day throughout the 16-day Festival. The rotating group of vendors will include:
- Pepe's Possibles, offering military militia and civilian leather accoutrements
- Ghost Forge, selling "Fancy Clothing of the Period"
- Bushwoman, featuring common man/woman clothing as well as Trekker garments
- 96 Storehouse, the finest of cloth, buttons, patterns and accessories of the time
- Larry and Jeff Chowning, sterling trade silver, specializing in Eastern Woodland trade silver
- Andy Thomas, a well known Tennessee Gunsmith, demonstrating gunsmithing and offering firearms for sale
- Meadowsweet Traders, stock toiletries, notions and sundry items
- Raystown Forge, hand-thrown pottery and swords
- Burning J Forge, John Scroggins blacksmith, features household iron work
- The Trunk Shop, supplying wooden, leather-covered trunks
- Lee Larkin, a nationally known master powder horn maker, demonstrating and offering horns for sale
- Ding Dengeler, period-style red ware pottery
- Period knives and cutlery will also be available
- Beggar & Boar will offer food for a nominal fee, including period-style food
This is a trolley stop, but if you bring your vehicle, parking is available across the street, compliments of Cozart Warehouses.
On the Grounds of the Fields-Penn House
First Virginia Cavalry & Gen. Robert E. Lee, Saturday-Sunday, Aug. 2-3: 9 a.m.-5 p.m. The First Virginia Cavalry will host General Lee and his headquarters. Interact in a question and answer session with an assembly of men serving the Confederacy during one of the most tumultuous times in our history. Bearing an uncanny resemblance to the famous Confederate Commander-in-Chief, Al Stone of Hinton, West Virginia, becomes General Lee during this presentation.
Stone states that it is an honor and a privilege to portray a man still respected for his integrity and honor as a military figure in American history. Stone has portrayed the beloved general in the History Channel documentary April 1865, the film The Trial of Robert E. Lee, and the West Virginia Humanities Council program, "History Alive."
Washington Rifles Civil War Encampment, Saturday, Aug. 2: 9 a.m.-5 p.m.; Sunday, Aug. 3: 9 a.m.-1 p.m. During the 1860s, the big news in Abingdon was the invasion of the southern states by the Federalists. The First Virginia Cavalry, Washington Rifles, Company D, formed in Abingdon by Gen. "Grumble" Jones, is a local re-enacting unit, and will recreate a military encampment with ongoing demonstrations.
Featured both days will be Colonel "Bulldog" Eller and Major Jim Eller with their Civil War medical hospital and equipment display; local historian Ed Carter with his personal collection of artifacts; craftsman Joe Cress with military furniture as seen in the film Gods and Generals; and Mike and Leslie Mehaffey of Bedford, Va. with a 12-pound Napoleon cannon named "Baby."
In addition, there will be a Victorian fashion show, Women of the Civil War, flag presentation, and a weapons demonstration. At 10 a.m. Sunday, Chaplain Alan D. Farley and musical guests will conduct an 1860s church service.
The Blue & Gray Society, Saturday, Aug. 9: 9 a.m.-5 p.m.; Sunday, Aug. 10: 9 a.m.-1 p.m. These U.S. Civil War Living Historians from Smyth and Washington Counties will present both Union and Confederate Civil War camps which will be manned by the 39th Kentucky Mounted Infantry (US) and the 22nd Virginia Cavalry (CS). Period craftspeople will demonstrate the arts of blacksmithing, salt making, flax and wool weaving, soap making, basket weaving, and more.
Lectures & Exhibits
"History of the E&H Presidency", Monday, July 28: 6:30 p.m. Archivist Robert Vejnar will review the 170-year history of the Emory & Henry College presidency through a civil war, two world wars and a number of economic depressions, calamities and scandal. The lecture will be held at Abingdon United Methodist Church.
Lecture: "Collecting & Conserving Cherished Keepsakes", Monday, July 28: 7:30 p.m. Robert Weisfeld offers visitors an informal sneak peek at the Star Museum's summer exhibition, showcasing the apparel and belongings of a galaxy of stars. Marilyn Monroe, Clark Gable and Vivian Leigh, Joan Crawford and Bette Davis, Mae West, Elvis Presley, Jayne Mansfield and numerous others will be represented. He will give you a sense of how he created his collection, starting from the local five-and-dime, and building it to an archive that Appalachian Regional Community Television calls "the best kept secret in Southwest Virginia." Realizing many collectors wish to acquire and keep documents, photographs, quilts, wedding gowns or military uniforms, Weisfeld will discuss how to curate and care for your cherished collectibles, especially paper and fabric; giving advice on safe framing, storage options and resources; and getting you on the road to careful -- and timeless -- preservation of your valuables. By reservation only; $5 recommended donation.
"19th Century Furniture", Wednesday, July 30: 7-9 p.m. This lecture at William King Regional Arts Center (WKRAC) provides context for the exhibition, "A Century of Furniture: The Rose Cabinet Shops." Presenting the lecture will be Betsy White, executive director of WKRAC, and Ken Farmer, an auctioneer who specializes in American furniture and folk art as well as sales of fine art and decorative art. White led the Arts Center's Cultural heritage Project research effort and recently authored a book on that research, Great Road Style: The Decorative Arts Legacy of Southwest Virginia & Northeast Tennessee. Since 1995, Farmer has served as a guest appraiser on the PBS television series Antiques Roadshow and appeared on the Oprah Winfrey show as an appraiser.
"A Century of Furniture: The Rose Cabinet Shops", Tuesdays: 10 a.m.-9 p.m.; Sundays 1-5 p.m.; Monday & Wednesday-Saturday: 10 a.m.-5 p.m. This exhibition at William King Regional Arts Center features the work of the Rose family of cabinetmakers. John Erhart Rose (c. 1767-1860) apprenticed in Philadelphia, owned a shop in Abingdon, and also worked in Knoxville, Tenn. His sons continued making furniture in Abingdon in the second half of the 19th century. The family's furniture spanned more than a century, creating and modifying styles such as Federal, Empire and Gothic Revival. The father made high-style furniture, illustrating his training in Philadelphia, a significant historic craft center in 17th, 18th and 19th century America. Furniture made by his sons represents Virginia's backcountry style in the second half of the 19th century.
"From Cumberland Gap to the Chesapeake: Legends and Landmarks of Virginia", Tuesday, Aug. 5: 12 noon at Zazzy'z Bookstore; Thursday, Aug. 7: 7 p.m. at Abingdon United Methodist Church. Local authors Kathy Shearer and Joe Tennis will explore stories of the coalfields, Clinch Mountain, the Cumberlands, and the shores of the Chesapeake Bay. Books will be available for sale and signing at both locations.
Tennis, of Bristol, will talk about the landmarks and legends of Route 58, as profiled in his new book, "Beach to Bluegrass: Places to Brake on Virginia's Longest Road," including The Crooked Road, Whitetop Mountain, Abingdon, Barter Theatre, Mount Rogers ponies, Virginia Beach, and the Great Dismal Swamp. Tennis is also the author of "Southwest Virginia Crossroads" and "The Marble and Other Ghost Tales of Tennessee and Virginia."
Shearer, of Emory, Va., has written extensively on the Russell County coal towns of Dante and Wilder and co-authored a book of vintage postcards, "Far Southwest Virginia: A Postcard Journey," with Frank Kilgore. Through her publishing company, Clinch Mountain Press, Shearer has put into print two books by the late columnist Jack Kestner and a memoir by Clyde Carter, a coal miner and preacher who grew up in Chaney Creek, a remote hollow in Russell County.
"Boats on the North Fork", Sunday, Aug. 10: 2-4 p.m. Before trains and tractor-trailers, flatboats on the North Fork of the Holston River once provided freight transportation of Southwest Virginia salt, produce and other goods to markets along the river system that extended as far as New Orleans. Dan Kegley, avocational archaeologist and President of the Wolf Hills Chapter of the Archeological Society of Virginia, will discuss that history as well as new efforts to tell the river's story. The presentation will take place at the Museum of the Middle Appalachians in Saltville. 276-496-3633.
Tours & Field Trips
Historic White's Mill, Daily: 10 a.m.-6 p.m. At this widely recognized landmark, the miller will discuss historical facts, explain the daily operations, and show samples of milled grains. Milled products are for sale. Features include The Old Store, buggy rides, and a self-guided nature trail by the Old Mill Stream. While mills are an increasing rarity on rural landscapes, it is even more unusual to discover a mill that continues to be an important symbol for a modern community. Listed on both the National and Virginia Register of Historic Places, White's Mill is the only known water-powered commercially run mill remaining in Southwest Virginia. The White's Mill Foundation is restoring the structure for use as a museum and park. Donations welcomed.
Historic Parks Mill, Daily: 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Come visit this 18th century water-powered grist mill still in operation on Fifteen Mile Creek in Washington County, Va. The original mill was built around 1780 by Oliver Alexander and then in 1810 operated by the Parks family until it was destroyed by fire during the Civil War. The current three-story structure dates from 1865. The site is approximately three miles from town. Follow State Route 75 under the I-81 overpass at Exit 17, then turn left on Parks Mill Road, and go another mile.
Fields-Penn 1860 House Museum, Daily: Noon-4 p.m. History comes to life through guided tours that interpret the lifestyles of the home's original owners, James and Susan Fields, and later, George and Estelle Penn. Built in 1860 by James Fields, a brick mason, the home features Georgian, Italianate and Greek Revival architectural details. The Parlor, Dining Room and Bedchambers represent 19th-century family life in Southwest Virginia. Other highlights include an herb and kitchen garden, a fully-restored kitchen and a loom room featuring home textile production. The Museum also displays the William King Regional Arts Center's collection of regional decorative arts, as well as objects original to the home. Admission $3 adults, $2 ages 6-12. Tours every half hour.
Strolling Through Sinking Spring Cemetery, Saturdays, July 26 & Aug. 2: 10-11:30 a.m. Joe Preston, recipient of the Teacher of the Year award and a Washington County native, will lead this walk through American history from the 1770s to the present. The site is on land where the first Sinking Spring Presbyterian Church was built in 1774. The tour begins at the Rev. Charles Cummings cabin (circa 1774), and includes the War Between the States graves, and the final resting places for early Abingdon families, two Virginia governors, distinguished citizens, and more. Rain or shine. Bring an umbrella, water and wear walking shoes.
Duncansville One-Room School Museum, Saturdays & Mondays: 10:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m.; Sundays: 1:30-5:30 p.m. By 1875 a nationwide interest in providing education for American children had a firm hold. In rural areas farmers banded together to build one-room schoolhouses for their youngsters who lived too far from town to attend established educational facilities. Just such a school was built in 1889 on land owned by Henry and Amanda Duncan, given by them to be used as a school. It was discontinued in 1954 when many of the one- and two-room schools in the county were consolidated with larger schools. In 1999, Ray Duncan, who owned the building, deeded it to the Washington County School Board. Known as the Duncanville School, the building was restored and moved in 2000 to its present location opposite the E.B. Stanley Middle School in Washington County, Virginia. It has been furnished with memorabilia of the period. Retired teachers will man it during the Festival.
Civil War Era Garden Tour, Sunday, July 27: 3-3:30 p.m.; rain date: Sunday, Aug. 3. Join Master Gardener Daveena Sexton Jamison for a tour of the garden at the Fields-Penn 1860 House Museum. The garden is a demonstration project of the Washington County, Virginia Master Gardeners, in collaboration with William King Regional Arts Center. The garden combines elements of both the Post-Revolution (1776-1850) and Victorian (1850-1900) design periods. Hear how master gardeners researched the garden's development, view a restoration site plan prepared by a landscape architect, and take home a related garden guide available free of charge. Learn how plants were used in food preparation, for medicinal purposes, in the production of home textiles, and as decorations for holidays and other special occasions. Most of all, enjoy the beautiful array of sights and scenes as you view the plantings at the height of summer -- from the garden's famed hollyhocks (seeds available for sale) to comfrey, lavender, pot marigolds, and more. Heirloom tomatoes, rhubarb, annual flax, and coneflower are just some of the highlights. Afterwards, visitors are invited on a guided tour of the house museum at 3:30 p.m.
Historical Society of Washington County Library, Abingdon Railway Passenger Station, and O. Winston Link Exhibit Saturdays: 11 a.m.-4 p.m.; Monday-Friday: 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Built in 1910-1911, the Station at Depot Square features a display of O. Winston Link photography, "A Day On the Abingdon Branch." It also houses the Society's library, a leading center in the region for genealogical and historical research including local and regional history, published genealogies, family histories, a large collection of area photographs and an extensive database.
Museum of the Middle Appalachians, Tuesdays & Thursdays, July 29 & 31, Aug. 5 & 7: 11 a.m. & 2 p.m. The museum in Saltville, Va. will offer special one-hour tours during the Highlands Festival. Exhibits include local geology, fossils, Ice Age paleontology, Native American culture, colonial settlement, Civil War battles, the salt and chemical industry and ecology — all linked by the presence of salt. $3 adults, $2 children. 276-496-3633.
Walking Tour of Historic Abingdon,(Wednesdays, July 30 & Aug. 6: 9:30-11 a.m. & Sunday, Aug. 3: 7-8:30 p.m. Meet tour guide Randy Smith on the front lawn of Martha Washington Inn. Historic sites will include Barter Theatre, churches, prominent residences, early businesses and industries, The Tavern, The Bank, The Cave House, and the Washington County Courthouse. Wear walking shoes and bring water.
Norfolk & Western Steam Locomotive, Class M, #433, Sunday, Aug. 3: 1:30-5 p.m. This historic steam engine was built in 1907, and worked for the N&W Railway until 1958 when it was retired and moved to its current location at the Abingdon entrance to the Virginia Creeper Trail. The N&W Class M, nicknamed "Mollies", are featured in O. Winston Link's photographic collection, A Day on the Abingdon Branch. A portion of this collection is on display at the Historical Society of Washington County Library on Depot Square. In 2002, members of the Virginia Creeper Trail Club in partnership with the Washington County Preservation Foundation and with the support of local businesses cosmetically restored the engine. This exhibit is open through courtesy of the Abingdon Department of Parks with the assistance of dedicated volunteers.
For Kids of All Ages
Losing Your Marbles, Saturday & Sunday, Aug. 2-3: 1-3 p.m. This activity takes place at the Fields-Penn 1860 House Museum.
Skipping Through History with Capt. Joseph Black & Friends: A Kid's Stroll Into Abingdon's Past, Sunday, Aug. 3: 1:30-2:30 p.m. Join costumed interpreters at the Youth Tent 10-15 minutes before the start of this living history tour. Joseph Black, a founder of Abingdon (formerly Black's Fort), will lead an easy, interpreted stroll through the more "kid friendly" aspects of the Colonial and Civil War periods of the town's history. Included will be stops at The Tavern, the Martha Washington Inn, Barter Theatre, the site of (Joseph) Black's Fort, and many other points of interest. Designed to surprise and delight as well as inform, narration is geared to elementary and middle school students as interpreters help children relate more vividly to the remarkable history of the oldest town west of the Blue Ridge Mountains. The tour will conclude in the yard of the Fields-Penn House where participants will be invited to enjoy games from earlier times at the "Playground of the Past." Note: Children under 12 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian.
Unveiling Ceremony: Black's Fort Sign Dedication, Sunday, Aug. 3: 2:30-3 p.m. Join us for an entertaining dedication of an historic marker describing Black's Fort (c. 1774) and one of Abingdon's founders, Capt. Joseph Black. The ceremony will take place on or very near the actual site of the Fort, now shared by a steam locomotive and the head of the Virginia Creeper Trail. Special guests will include direct Joseph Black descendant David Black of Maryville, Tenn. (the home of Capt. Black after he left Abingdon); Capt. Joseph Black (portrayed by Dr. John Dreyzehner); and representatives and dignitaries of the Town of Abingdon and the Historical Society of Washington County, Va.
Playground of the Past, Sunday, Aug. 3: 3-5 p.m. Children of all ages are invited to enjoy games from the past with costumed interpreters on the lawn of the Fields-Penn 1860 House Museum. Featured activities will include skittles (the forerunner of bowling), lawn bowling, hoops, ring toss, puzzles, bubble blowing, hand held toys, and more.
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