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You are here: Home / Archives for Oral History

February 25, 2019 By Fairfield Foundation

Irene Morgan: Virginia’s Freedom Fighter

            In 1944, a woman named Irene Morgan was riding a bus from Hayes to her home in Baltimore.  Ms. Morgan was at a hard point in her life.  She was a mother to several children and had just suffered a painful and dangerous pregnancy ending in miscarriage.  After an operation associated with this, she […]

Filed Under: Preservation Tagged With: 20th century, Black History Month, Civil Rights, Gloucester County, local history, Oral History

October 26, 2018 By Fairfield Foundation

Gone Before We Knew to Look: Searching for Green Book Sites in Rural Virginia

This project arose out of a seemingly random email.  Dr. Jessica Taylor (Virginia Tech) caught a reference to the Watkins Motel and Florist at Gloucester Courthouse when she was conducting background research for our collaborative oral history project on Main Street (supported by the Gloucester Main Street Preservation Trust).  She passed along a link to […]

Filed Under: Education, Preservation Tagged With: Architectural Conservation, education, Engagement, fairfield foundation, local history, Oral History, Preservation

November 20, 2016 By Fairfield Foundation

Mobjack: Starfish, Pickled Herring and Hidden Stories of Mathews County

One of the best parts of our work is the idea that you can discover something new and exciting every day.  Most of you see this excitement from our archaeological excavations, and if you visit our facebook page you can see how frequent these discoveries occur.  But there are other discoveries to be had, ranging from fascinating oral […]

Filed Under: Preservation Tagged With: Architectural Conservation, Engagement, local history, Mathews County, Oral History, Preservation, Research

February 2, 2015 By Fairfield Foundation

Archaeology in Mathews County: What do we know? Where do we go from here?

“You can’t set foot in Mathews County without tripping over a piece of history.” Many of you have heard this before, and you’d be hard pressed to argue against the sentiment.  Mathews County, along with Gloucester, Middlesex, and perhaps the majority of the Old Dominion is so infused with history that it is an important part of how […]

Filed Under: Archaeology, Education, Preservation Tagged With: Archaeological Assesment, archaeology, Artifact assemblage, Artifacts, Community, Engagement, Historic, Inventory, local history, Mathews County, Oral History, prehistoric, public archaeology, Research, Site Visit, survey, Virginia Indian

October 22, 2014 By Fairfield Foundation

Mathews County Oral History and Folklore: Old House Woods and More!

This week for the first time, University of Florida students, along with Fairfield intern alum Jessica Taylor, will record oral histories and folklore in Mathews and Middlesex Counties. Nine undergraduates, two graduate students, and one senior research staffer are all extremely excited to fall in love with Virginia history. If you see them, say “Hi”! […]

Filed Under: Education, Events, Preservation Tagged With: Engagement, fairfield foundation, Folklore, Ghost Stories, Guest Post, Mathews County, Old House Woods, Oral History, Preservation, Student Research, University of Florida

May 6, 2014 By Fairfield Foundation

The Main Street Oral History Project

We recently launched a special page on our website dedicated to local oral history.  Our first contribution to this initiative is The Main Street Oral History Project: preserving and presenting the remembered history of Gloucester’s Main Street community, through its people, places and buildings.  It began with the 1930 Edge Hill Service Station, which is currently […]

Filed Under: Education, Preservation Tagged With: CAPE, Edge Hill Service Station, gloucester, Interviews, Main Street, Oral History

February 17, 2014 By Fairfield Foundation

Finding African-American Cemeteries and What to do Once You’ve Found Them

Antioch Church in Gloucester was built by African-Americans who had been slaves at Fairfield and other local farms.  While there are many marked burials here, mostly from the 20th century, earlier cemeteries in the area have yet be located. On February 8th we had the opportunity to give a brief presentation to the Middle Peninsula […]

Filed Under: Education, Preservation Tagged With: archaeology, education, Engagement, Fairfield Plantation, Oral History, Preservation

October 30, 2013 By Fairfield Foundation

Rotten Eggs and Other Mischief: Halloween Traditions on Gloucester’s Main Street

The following is the third installment in a series of blog posts focused on the 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. Prior to conducting the interviews, Jessica outlined for us the importance of oral history. […]

Filed Under: Education Tagged With: CAPE, Edge Hill Service Station, Gloucester County, Halloween, Main Street, Oral History

September 23, 2013 By Fairfield Foundation

“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 […]

Filed Under: Preservation Tagged With: Edge Hill Service Station, Gloucester Courthouse, Main Street, Oral History

June 11, 2013 By Fairfield Foundation

We Need To Talk: The Importance of Oral History

The following is a guest blog by Jessica Taylor, doctoral candidate at University of Florida, and Lead Interviewer on our project to record oral histories about the Edge Hill Service Station and Gloucester’s Main Street community. As easy as it is to have a conversation about the old days over dinner, the prospect of doing an […]

Filed Under: Preservation Tagged With: CAPE, Edge Hill Service Station, Engagement, gloucester, Guest Post, Oral History

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Upcoming Events

Apr
1
Sat
10:00 am Daffodil Festival Public Archaeo...
Daffodil Festival Public Archaeo...
Apr 1 @ 10:00 am – 4:00 pm
We are so excited to be resuming our public excavations during the Daffodil Festival in 2023! Come visit us in the green space in front of County Office Building 2, close to the sidewalk, as[...]
10:00 am Timberneck Open House @ Machicomoco State Park
Timberneck Open House @ Machicomoco State Park
Apr 1 @ 10:00 am – 2:00 pm
Timberneck House in Machicomoco State Park will be open for tours from 10-2 on Saturday, April 1, in conjunction with the Daffodil Festival celebration in Gloucester! No foolin’!
10:00 am Walter Reed Birthplace Tours @ Walter Reed Birthplace
Walter Reed Birthplace Tours @ Walter Reed Birthplace
Apr 1 @ 10:00 am – 2:00 pm
The Walter Reed Birthplace will be open for tours on Saturday, April 1, in conjunction with Daffodil Festival celebrations in Gloucester! Stop by between 10-2 to tour the house and to learn more about Dr.[...]
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From the blog

  • The Plant-Cutter Riots and Fairfield Plantation March 9, 2023
  • King William Courthouse and Quarles Tavern Archaeology January 25, 2023
  • Mary Willis Burwell’s Portrait Returns to Gloucester October 26, 2022
  • Looking Towards the Future: A Peek Inside the Development of Fairfield’s New Online Museum October 18, 2022
  • Summer Archaeology Camps 2022 October 5, 2022

Center for Archaeology, Preservation and Education (CAPE)

Opening Hours:

Grounds are open to the public to view our building exterior and signage. The CAPE is open for tours on Thursdays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. or at other times by appointment. Lab nights at the CAPE are on 1st and 3rd Tuesdays from 6-9pm.
6783 Main Street
Gloucester, VA 23061

News From the Blog

  • The Plant-Cutter Riots and Fairfield Plantation March 9, 2023
  • King William Courthouse and Quarles Tavern Archaeology January 25, 2023
  • Mary Willis Burwell’s Portrait Returns to Gloucester October 26, 2022

Looking for Something?

Contact Us

For more information about Fairfield and other historic resources on the Middle Peninsula, please contact us. We can arrange tours of the Fairfield site and deliver presentations on a variety of topics related to local history and archaeology.

The Fairfield Foundation
P.O. Box 157 White Marsh VA 23183
Phone:
(804) 815-4467
Email:
fairfield@fairfieldfoundation.org
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