Henricus Welcomes New Historical Interpreter to Virginia Indian Site

This July Henricus Historical Park welcomed Jessica Fields as Historical Interpreter in the Virginia Indian site. She will be responsible for interpreting the way of life of Powhatan Indians in the re-created village of Arrohateck. Virginia Indian culture had a significant impact on neighboring English settlers living at the Citie of Henricus beginning in 1611. Fields will introduce visitors to canoe-making, planting and cooking in addition to tours of furnished longhouses, known as “yehakins,” for extended families. In 2010, the Virginia Indian site was expanded to include new yehakins; ramadas or lean-tos; fireplaces and hide frames; and plantings such as rustica tobacco and other native species. Fields will offer demonstrations for daily visitors, students participating in SOL-aligned education programs and during special events and camps. She received a Bachelor of Arts degree in anthropology from Longwood University with archaeological experience on woodland Indian sites around Virginia. To learn more about Virginia Indian life at Henricus, visit www.henricus.org.

Openings on History & Nature Boat Tours of the James River

Openings are available on Saturday, August 4 and Saturday, September 1 at 1 p.m. and 2 p.m. for history and nature boat tours of the James River. Tours take place on the Discovery Barge II, a covered 24-foot boat captained by Mike Ostrander of Discover the James, an established provider of educational eco-tours and fishing trips. Excursions will feature local wildlife and 17th-century through modern day history at Henricus and Dutch Gap. Participants will step back in time and explore the habitats of native bald eagles and listen to stories of 12-foot sturgeon fish among other fascinating aspects of the James River. All excursions last 45-minutes and begin at the floating dock at Henricus Historical Park. Each tour costs $25 per person and children under six years of age are not permitted. Registration is required by calling (804) 318-8728. Payment is required at the time of registration. Tickets may then be picked up at least one hour before the tour at the visitor center at Henricus. For more information about Henricus Historical Park, voted 2012 Best Park by readers of Richmond.com, visit www.henricus.org.

Henricus Historical Park Breaks Ground on Re-Created Church & Meeting Hall

On Monday, May 7, dignitaries gathered to break ground on the re-created 1611 colonial Church & Meeting Hall at Henricus Historical Park. In colonial culture, the church structure was the focus of civic activity within the settlement and served as a place of worship, court of law and meeting space. At the event, major donors were recognized including the Mary Morton Parsons Foundation, Windsor Foundation and counties of Henrico and Chesterfield. Honorary Town Architect, Thomas K. McLaughlin, Jr., who passed away in January, was thanked for his many contributions including the design of Mt. Malady, Rocke Hall, Ordinary and Church & Meeting Hall. McLaughlin’s family was presented with resolutions from Henrico and Chesterfield counties along with a commemorative shovel from the chair of the Henricus Foundation. Following the groundbreaking ceremony, lunch was served to more than 100 guests during entertainment from Kelly Kennedy & Friends.

Calling All Educators!

Please join Henricus Historical Park for the following free events for teachers, administrators and home school educators this week. Please contact Victoria Sweeney in the education department with any questions (804) 318-8797 or sweeneyv@chesterfield.gov.

Teacher Open House
Thursday, April 19, 2012 (3-6 p.m.)
Educators and administrators including immediate family are welcome to attend. Experience education at Henricus Historical Park through a variety of hands-on demonstrations including children's crafts. Historic site will be open for tours. Light refreshments provided. Free admission.

Home School Open House
Friday, April 20, 2012 (1:30-5 p.m.)
Educators and administrators including immediate family are welcome to attend. Experience education at Henricus Historical Park through a variety of hands-on demonstrations including children's crafts. Historic site will be open for tours. Light refreshments provided. Free admission.

For more information about camps and education programs at Henricus Historical Park, please visit www.henricus.org.

Remembrance Day Ceremony for Lives Lost at Henricus During 1622 Virginia Indian Offensive

Today, Henricus Historical Park conducted a Remembrance Day Ceremony to pay homage to the lives lost at the Citie of Henricus during the Virginia Indian Offensive on March 22, 1622. During the ceremony, the Cross of Saint George flag representing England was raised and lowered to half-mast. A wreath was laid to remember the colonial and Virginia Indian lives lost. Names of the dead from Falling Creek, Colledge Lands, Sheffield's Plantation, Pierce's Plantation and Henrico Island were read aloud. A total of 65 people or 20-25% of the Virginia Colony population died during the raid. Names of the Virginia Indians who lost their lives are not known but were remembered. Bagpipes and a moment of silence closed the ceremony. Additional information about the 1622 Virginia Indian Offensive will be presented during an event at Henricus on Saturday, March 24 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. with a candlelight tour from 7-8 p.m. Please visit http://www.henricus.org/ for additional information.

Charles Lewis Grant Named Executive Director of Henricus Historical Park

The Henricus Foundation with Chesterfield and Henrico Counties are pleased to announce that Charles Lewis Grant has been named Executive Director of Henricus Historical Park after a nationwide search. Grant served as acting executive director since July 2010 and throughout the site's 400th commemoration. He previously served as operations manager of the living history museum for two years.

"It is an honor to represent the second successful English settlement in North America and educate visitors about the significance of the Citie of Henricus," said Grant. "I'm proud of the diverse talent, rich history and beautiful natural surroundings at Henricus Historical Park and the Dutch Gap Conservation Area."

During his tenure, Grant directed and managed the planning, operation and coordination of programs, staff and facilities. Prior to Henricus Historical Park, Grant served as president of Custom Collectibles, Ltd., and senior project manager at The American Historical Foundation. Grant has undergraduate and master's degrees from Radford University and Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, respectively.

Henricus Historical Park Bids Farewell and Thanks to Architect Tom McLaughlin

Henricus Historical Park mourns the loss of Mr. Thomas Kesler McLaughlin, Jr., who died at home on January 5, 2012, after two years of treatment for non-Hodgkins lymphoma. McLaughlin served as town architect at Henricus Historical Park and designed several of the re-created colonial structures. He is survived by his wife, daughter, son, sister and brother-in-law, among his extended family. A memorial service will be held at the Branch House, 2501 Monument Avenue, Richmond, Va., 23220 on January 10, 2012, 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. Here is a link to his obituary from the Richmond Times-Dispatch:
www.legacy.com/obituaries/timesdispatch/obituary.aspx?n=thomas-kesler-mclaughlin&pid=155403552

John Pagano Named “Employee of the Year” by Chesterfield County Department of Parks and Recreation

On December 16, John Daniel Pagano, historical interpretation supervisor at Henricus Historical Park, was named "Employee of the Year" for 2011 by the Chesterfield County Department of Parks and Recreation. Pagano was nominated by Charles Lewis Grant, acting executive director of the living history museum. Grant selected Pagano for his instrumental efforts in helping the counties of Chesterfield and Henrico with the 400th anniversary of the Citie of Henricus. Pagano designed, choreographed, recruited and implemented special programs to highlight the unique "firsts" that occurred at Henricus. Four of the events were new and Pagano developed innovative ways to present these topics to the public. He single-handedly recruited 125 historical interpreters for the site's 400th commemoration during Publick Days in September. Throughout the year, Pagano represented Henricus in dozens of media interviews and at various public appearances. He became the historical interpretation supervisor at Henricus Historical Park in 2007. Pagano is a trained special education teacher and has worked as an actor and historical consultant on hundreds of films.

Henricus Militia Commander Receives Community Leadership Award

This month, Woodmen of the World Richmond/ Chesterfield Lodge 159 presented Dennis Strawderman with a Community Leadership Award. Charles Lewis Grant, acting executive director of Henricus Historical Park, was at the presentation to highlight Strawderman's exceptional civic service on behalf of the museum. A former Marine, Strawderman commands the all-volunteer Henricus Militia and often portrays Sir Thomas Dale who founded Henricus as a military fort in 1611. Militia service was compulsory for all free males capable of bearing arms in the colony. Today, the 23-member Henricus Militia offers infantry, artillery and colonial river commerce demonstrations for Henricus Historical Park and the surrounding community. To learn more about the Henricus Militia visit http://www.henricusmilitia.com/. Since 1952, Woodmen of the World lodges have expressed gratitude to outstanding citizens of the community - those who have gone the extra mile in civic service and community betterment efforts. Nationally, Woodmen of the World Life Insurance Society is the largest fraternal benefit society with open membership in the United States (http://www.woodmen.org/).

Henricus Receives Livestock Donation from Chesterfield County Farm Bureau to Initiate "Agriculture in the Classroom" Partnership

Today Henricus Historical Park received two female adolescent goats from the Chesterfield County Farm Bureau to initiate a partnership with the Virginia Foundation for Agriculture in the Classroom (AITC). "Grasshopper" and "Doll Baby" are from O'Berry Farm, a Chesterfield County Farm Bureau producer member.

AITC is national program which brings agriculture education to life through real-world applications. Funded by Virginia's agriculture community, the foundation provides elementary and middle school educators with free teaching materials that are aligned with Virginia's Standards of Learning and can be integrated into current curricula. Henricus Historical Park will begin offering "Agriculture in the Classroom" programming this summer.

Participating in today's event were Charles Lewis Grant, acting executive director, Henriucs Historical Park; Howard Nester, Jr., president, Chesterfield County Farm Bureau; Karen Davis, executive director, AITC; and Pat and Cheryl O'Berry, O'Berry Farm. To learn more about SOL-aligned education programs for pre-K-12 at Henricus Historical Park, visit http://www.henricus.org/.