The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation Earned Media Coverage

August 28, 2014

7 Colonial Cities for the Historian

8/21/14

By Cherese Weeks

Looking for a city dressed in colonial-era décor? Well we have seven of them that provide a great taste of history and such architectural beauty you’ll be begging for more.

Colonial cities are all the rage for tourists interested in venturing into the heritage of a destination, and with touches of classic pieces dominating their landscapes, they add a bit if mystic to their beautiful facades. When you can be blessed with the fragrance of the past, why not discover the traditions and culture of these cities that aim to never lose their antique appeal?

Williamsburg, VA

No visit to Williamsburg is complete without visiting Colonial Williamsburg, which acts as an open history book filled with age-old legends that are concealed inside of its 18th century buildings.

Each street tells its own story, including the Governor’s Palace which was once the home of Thomas Jefferson, the Royal Governors in addition to other important figures. The Bruton Parish Church also sits in Colonial Williamsburg, and offers a glimpse of religion during the colonization of Virginia.

Along with many restored architectonic structures, the town’s façade is dominated by taverns, workshops, a silversmith and much more to create a world where people can relive one of Williamsburg’s most unforgettable eras.

http://www.travelpulse.com/news/features/7-colonial-cities-for-the-historian.html

Peter Greenberg Worldwide–Kingsmill Resort, Williamsburg, VA–August 23, 2014

This week, Peter Greenberg Worldwide broadcasts from Kingsmill Resort in historic Williamsburg, Virginia. But there is a lot of news to report as well–Mike Boyd talks about the latest developments in airfares in an airline environment that’s shrinking in size, and what it means for smaller cities.

Dr. Bill Kelso joins us to explain how the discoveries he’s made with the Jamestown Rediscovery project have proved the existence of one of the earliest buildings in U.S. history. Also joining us is Greg Lohse from the Schooner Alliance who explains why (and how) one of the best ways to see the Williamsburg area might just be from a ship cruising its waters.

And then…Chef Rhys Lewis of Taste Studio will talk about perhaps the most appropriate definition of an already overused term — “farm to table.” All this and more, when we travel toKingsmill Resort in Williamsburg, Virginia.

Have a travel question? Then ask Peter. Call 888-88-PETER (888-88-383), email him at peter@petergreenberg.com, or tweet your questions to @petersgreenberg (include #askPeter).

Check out this week’s guest list, listen to the latest all-local podcast, and stream the full show below.

For the most up-to-date information on travel in a 40-minute podcast, check out Travel Today with Peter Greenberg available on iTunes, Stitcher, and right here. New podcasts available every week! Click on the button to hear the latest.

http://petergreenberg.com/pgw-radio-live-stream-page/

Williamsburg Gardens

History in Bloom

Williamsburg is a historic Virginia town known for its quaint beauty, pristine red-bricked walkways and green space.

Blooming and growing things are prevalent here, especially in the summertime. Specific areas like Downtown Colonial Williamsburg and a few other sites nearby offer a look into natural preservation and cultural reference showcased by beautiful, well-kept gardens.

http://visitsouth.com/lifestyle/article/williamsburg-gardens

Colonial Williamsburg makes a great family destination because of the variety of things to do for people of all ages, especially in regards to activities centered around our country’s early history. While exploring museums, taking carriage rides, and braving ghost walks, you will be surrounded by green space. Garden tours are offered at various times throughout the year, but for those who decide to forego the tours or have not yet been on one, here is a bit of history behind the making and upkeep of the gardens.

Back in the 1800s, Williamsburg was one of the most prosperous and populated towns in the colonies. Compared to larger metropolitan areas like Philadelphia and Charleston at the time, it remained small, rustic, and lush. When the first colonists arrived and began cultivating the land, they created a new style for their garden beds – a kind of fusion between North American plants and a simplistic European layout. The result was a different type of flowerbed combining flowers, boxwoods and edible plants placed in clean, geometric shapes.

Whether you are looking to take photos, learn about native plants, or research in order to create a garden of your own, Williamsburg is a great place to come for learning and enjoyment. For more gardens, take a look at the College of William and Mary, home to the very first gardens in the area, the Williamsburg Botanical Gardens, which offers both scenic greenery and a native butterfly exhibit, and Busch Gardens, known for its famous flower-surrounded attractions and a commitment to natural preservation.

- See more at: http://visitsouth.com/lifestyle/article/williamsburg-gardens#sthash.rSyAWMqI.dpuf

http://visitsouth.com/lifestyle/article/williamsburg-gardens

NBC Baltimore

8/24/14

NBC Baltimore highlighted the Kids Stay, Play and Eat Free Offer in a segment on last-minute Labor Day family getaways

http://bit.ly/1qGgDLl

Ferguson Pledges Funds to Education with Colonial Williamsburg, an Achievable Dream

8/22/14

By Hannah S. Ostroff

A major national plumbing company based in Newport News has re-upped its commitment to education in the region.

Ferguson, the largest wholesale plumbing distributor in the U.S., has renewed community partnerships with the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation and An Achievable Dream.

For Colonial Williamsburg, Ferguson will be funding field trips for about 5,600 fourth-grade students from Gloucester, Hampton, Mathews County, Newport News, Poquoson and York County public schools. The grant will cover admission and transportation costs to the Revolutionary City for the 2014-15 school year, and the lessons are set to match with Virginia Standards of Learning.

“We are grateful and delighted that Ferguson has again partnered with us to ensure that the young people in our area public schools continue to have this vital educational experience,” said Colin Campbell, Colonial Williamsburg’s president and CEO, in a news release. “The Ferguson Cares program, the company’s community engagement initiative, is a superb example of corporate responsibility. We are proud to be part of it.”

Ferguson has also pledged $1.1 million to An Achievable Dreams, a school that works in partnership with Newport News Public Schools to provide education and encouragement to youth facing socioeconomic hardship. Ferguson has supported the program since 1993 through monetary contributions, volunteer hours and service on its board.

Part of the future assistance will go toward a new school for An Achievable Dream in Virginia Beach. Ferguson will also visit the academy during the year to share skills and advice, along with inviting students to tour the company and meet its executive team.

“Education is a large part of Ferguson’s Corporate Social Responsibility program,” said Ferguson CEO Frank Roach in a release. “We strive to give our young people the tools they need to succeed academically and seek to develop long-lasting partnerships with the school systems and educators in Hampton Roads. Whether it’s a hands-on learning experience at Colonial Williamsburg, a mentor or a scholarship, it is vital to the development of our community, because success comes full circle.”

http://wydaily.com/2014/08/22/ferguson-pledges-funds-to-education-with-colonial-williamsburg-an-achievable-dream?cat=hometown/

4 Sunday, August 24, 2014 DAILY PRESSLOCAL NEWS

RICHMOND–A little bit extrafrom the trial of Bob andMaureenMcDonnell, week four:

The jury lost another memberlastweek,moving the thirdofonlyfour available alternates into theregular, 12-member jury.

It was a family emergency thistime, out of state, announced byFederal Judge James R. SpencerMonday.

Tuesday morning, the judgetold jurors that he was happy tosee themall.

“Iwantyou toknowthat I liftedeach one of you up in prayer lastnight,” he said.

Family treeIf you wanted a McDonnell

family tree from this trial, lastweek was the time to pay atten-tion.

Youngest sister MaureenMcDonnell—yes,BobMcDonnellmarried a woman with the samename as his sister — handled theintroductionsTuesday.

Bob is the oldest. Ken, hisbrother, is anAir Force officer anddoctor. Eileen worked in theDepartment of Defense and isnow a government contractor.She’s been in thegallerymostdaysof this trial.

Nancy joined her sister on oneof the front rows thisweek. She’s a

preschool teacher inLynchburg.Then there’s Maureen, whom

the siblings call “Mo.” Eileen, bytheway, is“Boo.”

“We all have nicknames, Dan,”sister Maureen told McDonnellattorneyDanSmall.

FamilyfinancesWhere did Bob McDonnell get

themoneyhe used last year to payJonnie R.Williams Sr. back for allthe loans, and many of the gifts,thatgot theminall this trouble?

Sister Maureen said last weekthat at least some of it came fromher. Several of her tax returns areinevidence,inadefenseattempttoshow that MoBo Real Estate —“Mo” and Bob’s joint business —wasn’t desperate for the $70,000in loans itgot fromWilliams.

Sister Maureen made morethan $500,000 in 2012 in salaryalone, thatyear’s returnshows.

The governor’s sister said shesoldsomestocklastyearandwroteWilliams a check, though itwasn’tclear whether she covered all thecosts.

“We paid it back last summer,”shetestified.“Itwasquiteeasy.”

SisterMaureensaidsheandherbrother simply decided to borrowmoney fromWilliams, and others,to cover shortfalls in their realestate business. Other people’smoney is always the best moneywhentheinterestratesarelow,shesaid.

Plus, sister Maureen washeaded toward divorce in early2012. She said her husband haddefaulted on a loan she cosigned,leaving her worried about hercredit rating if they turned to atraditional lender.

Williams lentMoBo $50,000 inMarch and an additional $20,000inMay, both timeswithout paper-work beyond some unsignedhandwrittennotes.

By early 2013, brother and sisterwerelookingformoreloansfortheMoBo properties, refinancingmortgage debt with amajor bank.It is unclear why sisterMaureen’screditwasnolongeraconcern.

MoBo Real Estate paid dozensof late fees on its mortgages be-cause thegovernor’s thenbrother-

in-law, Michael Uncapher, didn’tkeep a close eye on the books, heandothershavetestified.

Why didn’t sister Maureen, asuccessful businesswoman, andBob McDonnell, the governor ofVirginia, take that responsibilityaway fromhim?Theydidn’t knowhowbadithadgotten, theysaid.

Not even after the president ofTowneBank, Virginia BeachMay-orWill Sessoms, called “a handfulof times,” including on the day oftheir father’s funeral, to notemissed deadlines, sister Maureentestified.

Assistant U.S. Attorney JessicaAber was incredulous. Had theMcDonnellsheardofautopay?sheasked.

Sister Maureen said they dis-

cussedtakingthebooksawayfromher husband. But Uncapher saidhe’d do better, “and he was verybelievable,”shesaid.

ExpertondefenseIt is fair to say that the cross-

examination of J. Allen Kosowskydid not go well. Kosowsky is theaccountantandexpertwitness thedefensepaidmorethan$60,000totestify that theMcDonnells didn’treallyneedWilliams’money.

At one point, Judge Spencerinterrupted proceedings to askKosowsky a question about thewayhelookedatcreditcarddebt.

“How is it that you determinedthatthis isagoodthing?”thejudgeasked. “What I’m hearing fromyou is that he had the ability tocreate a debt, and that made himbetteroff.”

Spencer also jumped in to sum-marize some of the governor’stestimony, aboutwhatpeoplewhodonate to political campaigns ex-pect inreturn.

“AsIrecollecthisanswer,every-body that gives you something,wants something,” Spencer saidafter an objection interrupted thegovernor’s testimony.

The former governor had in-deed said something along theselines. But he was quick to draw aline between this general politicalwisdom and the specific case ofJonnieR.WilliamsSr.

“Mr.Williamsaskedmeforveryfew things directly for the wholetimeI’veknownhim,”hesaid.

Faincanbereachedbyphoneat757-525-1759.

Tidbits of testimony from the McDonnell trial

TRAVIS FAIN/DAILY PRESS PHOTO

Former Gov. Bob McDonnell is surrounded by a throng of reporters andphotographers after leaving the courthouse Thursday in Richmond.

Expert witness for the defenseendures tough cross-examinationBy Travis Faintfain@dailypress.com

WILLIAMSBURG — No onewhoworks for ColonialWilliams-burg’s vast and perpetually busycollections department signs upfor the job because they think itwill be easy.

Starting with nearly 70,000examples of American andBritishfine, decorative and mechanicalart, this world-famous culturalhoard also includes about 5,000pieces of American folk art, morethan 20 million archaeologicalartifacts and 15,000 architecturalfragments.

The long-term survival of eachdepends on professional care andfeeding.

Throw in 528 buildings and thenever-ending task of studying,monitoring and conserving a hostof rare objects ranging from his-torical structures to 250-year-oldgarden seeds looks even moreepic.

But with the opening of a newmaterials analysis lab, the rela-tively modest corps of severaldozen conservators, techniciansand volunteers who carry outthe bulk of this work now has asmall battery of advanced newscientific instruments that canhelp themdothe jobmoresmartlyand quickly.

Overseen and operated by Co-lonial Williamsburg’s first full-timematerials analyst, these samedevices are also opening newwindows into the 18th centuryworld through their uncanny abil-ity to unravel the physical secretsof many objects with an accuracyand speed that would have beenunthinkable only a fewyears ago.

“The XRF is a great piece ofequipment — completely pointand shoot — and it will give you alot of very accurate informationabout an object very quickly,”Colonial Williamsburg director ofconservation David Blanchfieldsaid, describing a hand-held in-strument known as an X-rayfluorescence spectrometer.

“If you point it at a piece ofmetal — say a piece of silver — itwill tell youexactlywhat it’smadeof in 30 seconds. And that’sinvaluable when you’re decidinghow to take care of an object.”

Scientific bentOutfittedwith a suite of labora-

tory-grade cabinets furnished byGeorgia-based LOCScientific, thenew materials center inside theWallace Collection & Conserva-tion Building looks more likesomething you’d see in a majorhospital or industrial lab than in acultural andhistorical institution.

It also represents the cuttingedge of change in a field that hasevolved rapidly over the past fewdecades from the job of restora-tion to conservation — and froman art to a science, Blanchfieldsaid.

Three decades ago, ColonialWilliamsburg operated only oneconservation lab — and that wasdevoted towood and furniture.

That numberhas grown toninesince the opening of the founda-tion’s 75,000-square-foot Wallacecollections complex in 1997, en-

ablingconservators toaddarchae-ological materials, musical in-struments and mechanical arts,objects, paintings, paper, textilesand upholstery as well as preven-tive conservation to their missionof preserving an often irreplace-able cultural legacy.

Even before the facility wascompleted, the staff envisionedthe need for a materials lab andlobbied for the allocation of adedicated space that could beused for that purpose sometime inthe future.

But not until recently did thefoundation begin acquiring vari-ous pieces of equipment andconducting analyses of its ownrather than contracting the workout to other sources.

“It’s been a pretty dramaticchange,” says Ron Hurst, vicepresident for collections, conser-vation andmuseums, describing ashift that startedwith the acquisi-tion of theXRF in 2007.

“Twenty years ago, you wouldhave been talking about a room-size proposition and a cost of$1million compared to somethingthat today costs $50,000 and isabout the size of a hair dryer.”

Probing the pastFollowing that change in direc-

tion, it didn’t take long to realizethat the XRF and the sophisti-cated analytical instruments thatfollowed in 2009 and late 2013 —largely through the generosity ofCalifornia donors Clint and MaryTurner Gilliland — needed adedicated specialist and lab spaceif they were to be employed totheir fullest.

So in January the foundationhired Kirsten Travers Moffitt — agraduate of theWinterthurMuse-um/University of Delaware ArtConservationProgram—whohadspent three years at ColonialWilliamsburg studying and ana-lyzing painted surfaces in theAbbyAldrichRockefeller FolkArtMuseum’s early 1800s CarolinaRoom as well as numerous His-toric Area structures.

“This is one of the few in-stitutions in the world wherearchitectural paint analysis is aparamount goal,” said Moffitt,whose prior conservation experi-ence ranges from period wallpa-pers and decorative painting tometals.

“And here it’s not simply aboutanalyzing the colors and findingoutwhat they looked like but howthey were used and what theymeant in the 18th century. So it’svery exciting.”

Revealing secretsEquipped with a state-of-the-

art infrared micro-spectrometer,fluorescence microscope andmicroscope colorimeter as well asthe XRF, Moffitt has alreadyconducted numerous pigmentanalyses for the foundation’s pa-per, archaeological materials andfurniture labs as well as identify-ingmetals and othermaterials forthe objects conservator.

She’s also performed paintanalyses for the architectural re-

search and architectural re-sources departments, using herinstruments to not only view thepaint layers in cross section butalso identify their ages, ingredi-ents and original colors.

Among the discoveries thatresulted was the existence of anearlier color and simpler case-work than was previously sus-pected inside the public rooms ofthe Geddy House on Duke ofGloucester Street.

“Previousstudieshadidentifieda kind of gray color on the trim.But I found evidence of a brightgreen, very expensive verdigrispigment that had been used onlyon the inner trim and the doors,”Moffitt said.

“That told us that the trim hadoriginally been simpler — andthen added on to later — giving usa much better idea about thephysical history of the space.”

Other analyses have includedvarious kinds of materials, resi-dues and coatings, resulting infindings that have not only helped

conservators, curators and otherresearchers better understand anobject’s composition and condi-tion but also provided insightsinto its history and authenticity.

In one recent case, Moffitt’sinstruments helped untangle themystery of an otherwise unidenti-fiable bottle repair that neededattention after starting to turnyellow.

“It was an 18th century glassapothecary bottle with an oldrepair to theneck.Butwecouldn’tfigure out how old the repair wasor how it was done,” objectsconservatorTinaGessler said.

“When the analysis told us itwas epoxy, we were surprised —because it looked like it had beenrepaired much earlier. But oncewe knew what it was we knewexactlywhat to do.”

Erickson can be reached at757-247-4783. FindmoreHamptonRoads history stories atdailypress.com/history andFacebook.com/hrhistory.

CW lab unravels secrets of 1700sByMark St. John Ericksonmerickson@dailypress.com

JUDITH LOWERY/DAILY PRESS PHOTOS

Kirsten Moffitt, materials analyst and associate conservator of painted objects at the Colonial Williamsburg conservation lab, uses an XRF (X-rayfluorescence spectrometer) to check which elements are present in a Britannia 95.84 percent silver spoon tray circa 1720.

Elemental information from the Prussian Blue sample slide under the microscope shows up on the computermonitor, right.

Join Colonial Williamsburg’s Edward Joyner every Friday at 4:15 pm for

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