Our arrival in Virginia was timed perfectly for one very important, planned reason, and for a surprise Fall celebration of American Arts and History that has been happening since 1944 (two years longer than Chuck's been happening).

The Waterford Fair is the mid-Atlantic’s quintessential fall festival with demonstrating fine heritage and contemporary craft artisans, living historians, a juried art show, historic properties tour, local libations, and entertainment for all ages. Waterford, by the way, was founded in 1733. What an incredible place at which to celebrate.


Strolling musicians added such merriment.





While the men waited, I toured one of the homes that were offered for inside ogling.
"Built circa 1823 by William Nettle, this three-bay, two-story residence remained in the Nettle family for over half a century, with his widow residing here until 1879. In 1898, Dr. E.H. Heaton purchased the property and added the smaller wing to the left. This addition served as a medical office for many years and was later utilized as a clock repair shop."

Okay, so this invitation is why we are in Virginia this weekend. The timing could not have been more perfect for me to participate in my big brother's 80th surprise party. Which, by the way, was a total and complete surprise and so special to be a part of. With 42 guests, some we actually knew, the evening was one of great celebratory delight. My sister-in-law did an amazing job giving Chuck the party he really wanted.
While I acted as the official photographer, trying to capture the magic of the night, this last photo taken by Steve of me, Chuck, and my nephew Brett, is my all-time favorite of the evening. What a party!

When embarking on this trip, our goal was to experience/discover our Nation's history since we are still celebrating America's 250th. Battlefields are where many (hard) history lessons are learned. Antietam National Battlefield was one not to be missed.

The Battle of Antietam, a 12-hour clash on September 17, 1862, is significant as the bloodiest single day in American history with nearly 23,000 casualties.
With a series of losses, this strategic Union victory forced Confederate General Robert E. Lee to retreat across the Potomac River, ending his first invasion into Northern territory (the Maryland Campaign).
President Lincoln needed a battlefield success to issue his preliminary emancipation order without it appearing like a desperate measure. Antietam provided that opportunity, shifting the Union war goal from merely preserving the Union to actively abolishing slavery.
By stopping Confederate military momentum, the outcome discouraged Great Britain and France from officially recognizing the Confederacy and intervening in the war on its behalf. How important that 12 hour period was for the course of our history.

After watching an incredibly informative movie and touring the fascinating exhibits in the Visitors Center, we walked the immediate grounds before embarking on a driving tour of the battlefield.

Dunker Church (1852), a modest house of worship for pacifist German Baptist Brethren, became a focal point for Union attacks the morning of the battle.
While difficult to look at, this photo is important and one of the 70 photographs of the battlefield captured by Alexander Gardner. He had arrived just two days after the battle. This was the first time an American battlefield had ever been photographed before the dead had been buried. Gardner, 41 years old at the time of the battle, was employed by Mathew Brady who owned a photography gallery in Washington, D.C. during the Civil War.

Fort Necessity National Battlefield marks the site of the opening battle of the French & Indian War in 1754. This clash between British, French, and American Indian forces ended French power in North America and set the stage for the American Revolution. It was also the site of young George Washington's first military engagement and also Washington's only surrender. We had no idea.

The history of how it all came to be was an interesting one. There had been a lot of  build-up to the conflict. Great Britain and France both claimed the Ohio River Valley.
In May 1754, a 22-year-old Lieutenant Colonel George Washington led a surprise attack on a French scouting party, with one of his allies controversially killing the commander, Joseph Coulon de Jumonville.

Fearing French retaliation, Washington and his men hastily built a small, circular wooden stockade in a low-lying meadow known as the Great Meadows (which Washington purchased couple of decades later).
A little more background history that I found incredible- The Battle occurred on July 3, 1754 when about 600 French soldiers and their Native American allies attacked the roughly 400 British regulars and Virginia militia stationed at the fort. Poor Positioning, the fort was built in a depression, made it a poor defensive position that allowed the French to fire safely from the surrounding tree line while the British trenches flooded in heavy rain. With soaked gunpowder, dwindling supplies, and mounting casualties, Washington agreed to surrender by midnight. Washington signed a capitulation paper written entirely in French that inadvertently translated his actions at Jumonville Glen as an "assassination". And yet, he still became President. Who knew?!By 1818 the road had been completed to the Ohio River at Wheeling, which was then in Virginia. Eventually the road was pushed through central Ohio and Indiana reaching Vandalia, Illinois in the 1830s where construction ceased due to a lack of funds. The National Road opened the Ohio River Valley and the Midwest for settlement and commerce.
When the National Road first opened, financing was provided by the government. Overtime, that funding stopped and it was up to the states to keep up their stretch. Maryland's answer was LaVale Toll Gate House, the first (and last standing) toll house on America's first federal road .
The gate arm holders still stand.

It was the eastern starting point of the National Road (established in 1806) which carried settlers into the Ohio Country.

It was also the site of Fort Cumberland, George Washington’s first military headquarters during the French and Indian War.
During the 1800s, Cumberland united the C&O Canal, the B&O Railroad, and the National Road, making it Maryland's second-largest city and earning it the nickname the "Queen City".
The Chesapeake and Ohio (C&O) Canal was started in 1828 as a dream of passage to Western wealth. Operating for nearly 100 years, the canal was a lifeline for communities along the Potomac River as coal, lumber, and agricultural products floated down the waterway to market. After closing due to competition from the railroads and the destruction of floods, the area languished in disrepair until it became a target for a parkway in the 1950s. Supreme Court Justice William O. Douglas rallied support for developing the canal as a linear park, and in 1971, it became a National Historical Park.
Three unique parts of American history were learned within just one state- Maryland. How very, very cool.

And what fun to find David J. Lewis' home. In 1912, Congressman Lewis proposed a law which later became the system under which the parcel post was organized by the Department of the Post Office. I do love mail and any history related to it.