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 […]
Fairfield Mantel Returns Home
The Fairfield manor house is most recognized for its massive diagonally-set chimney stacks. which stand out to anyone who sees them. The house had several sets, including two doubles and two triples, although one set was lost around 1839 when the west wing came down. These iconic elements of this once grand building are only […]
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 […]
Cemetery Preservation in Mathews
The Fairfield Foundation is coordinating a Cemetery Preservation Day in Mathews County. Read on to learn how you can be a part of this exciting project! The Brooks cemetery is overgrown with trees and brush. The New Point Comfort Natural Area Preserve in Mathews County is beautiful for many reasons. The boardwalk provides fantastic views […]
Two New Fairfield Preservation Initiatives: Documenting and Preserving Sites Across the Middle Peninsula
The Fairfield Foundation has long supported preservation efforts on the Middle Peninsula and surrounding areas through public archaeology, historical research, oral histories and preservation advocacy. As our Center for Archaeology, Preservation, and Education (CAPE) nears completion we are redoubling our efforts within the community to broaden our impact and demonstrate the value of historic places. […]
Preserving Fairfield from the Ground Up!
Last week we hosted our second Adventures in Preservation (AiP) workshop of 2017 and made great progress at Fairfield Plantation. We opened a new excavation block on the south end of the house foundation, and continued work around a collapsed chimney that we’ve been excavating for the past two summers. The AiP participants (aka “Jammers”) started […]
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 […]
Extraction and Excavation: Archaeology of a Collapsed House Ruin
The house is magnificent. It is everything that you would want in an 18th-century Virginia manor- symmetry, mass, rhythm- and it sits boldly on an elevated landscape surrounded by extensive cropland rimmed with forest and descending towards complex terraced gardens and a wide creek in the distance. It also stands out in the Flemish-bond land of Tidewater, with its rough, […]
Fairfield, Abingdon, and Carter’s Grove, 1924
One of the most interesting emails we’ve received in the Fairfield Foundation’s sixteen year existence arrived on March 9th at 11:09 pm. The subject line was simple: Old Pictures. It started our minds racing, especially after more than 15 years of researching the history of Fairfield plantation, and the Burwell, Thruston, and other families that lived […]
Expanding the Boundaries of Preservation at Walter Reed Birthplace
One of the most satisfying moments for any preservationist is knowing, beyond a doubt, that they have preserved a part of the past for the benefit of future generations. At the Fairfield Foundation, we look at preservation in the broadest sense possible – whether saving a building, preserving an old document, or recording stories through […]
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