There are three prominent structures located on the north side of Main Street in Gloucester that are often called the Booker buildings. Each has its own history, and they have endured changes through the years, but all were built and maintained by the Booker family. Sadly, the buildings are currently slated for destruction, as the […]
The CAPE crosses the finish line!
With the recent ribbon cutting at the CAPE we have reached the exciting end of a long journey. In 2010 we purchased the Edge Hill Service Station and embarked on a dream to transform this 1930s gas station into a regional center for the archaeological, preservation and education efforts of the Fairfield Foundation. The […]
Genevieve’s Adventures in the Courthouse Archives
The following is a guest blog written by Fairfield Foundation intern and volunteer Genevieve Brei, detailing her adventures exploring some of Gloucester’s written records. As soon as I touched the Gloucester County Courthouse Minute Books, I knew that I was hooked. Fellow bibliophiles will confirm that there is nothing quite like handling old manuscripts, feeling […]
The Coolest Artifacts (Part 1): Wine Bottle Seals
We are frequently asked “what is the coolest artifact you’ve ever found?” One of our favorites, and easily in our Top 10, are wine bottle seals. Resting on the shoulders of the dark green wine bottles of the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries, they range from simple two-letter stamped impressions to intricate heraldic symbols. The […]
Virginia Archaeologists converge on the Middle Peninsula
Last Friday, the Fairfield Foundation and the Gloucester Main Street Preservation Trust (GMSPT) co-hosted the winter meeting of the Council of Virginia Archaeologists (COVA). COVA is Virginia’s professional archaeology organization, and is dedicated to the preservation and study of Virginia’s archaeological resources through fostering public awareness, advancing archaeological knowledge, and facilitating interaction between professional and avocational archaeologists and Virginia’s Department of […]
What is the C.A.P.E?
The Center for Archaeology, Preservation and Education (The CAPE!) at the former Edge Hill Service Station in Gloucester is going to be our new home and headquarters. But it will be so much more than that! As a regional preservation center and archaeology lab, the CAPE will be a place where the public can learn […]
“The cool guys in Gloucester, the cool girls in Mathews”: Oral History Reveals Courtship Strategies of Gloucester Youth in the 1940s and 50s
In August, The Fairfield Foundation wrapped up interviews for an oral history project directed by University of Florida graduate student Jessica Taylor, aimed at recording oral histories about the Edge Hill Service Station and Gloucester’s Main Street community. What struck Jessica as a common thread through many of the interviews was the interplay between the spread […]
Archaeology in Action at the Courthouse Green
Historic Preservation Blooms During the Daffodil Festival
The Fairfield Foundation shared some of its past discoveries and future endeavors with those who attended the Daffodil Festival last Saturday. While the Daffodil Parade streamed down Main Street, volunteers at the Edge Hill Service Station handed out pin wheels to children and talked with passers by about our plans to restore the station into […]
