Our first stop was the Grace Episcopal Church - originally built in 1697.
Several prominent people are buried in the church cemetery including Thomas Nelson (hero of Yorktown) and Nicolas Martiau (Huguenot founder of Yorktown).
The church was originally built of marl (center) from the York river bank, then reinforced over the years.
Our next stop was the Rosewell Ruins. This was the former home of Mann Page and his descendants, all prominent men of early Virginia. Thomas Jefferson was a family friend and frequent visitor and is said to have penned part of the Declaration of Independance while staying there.
The mansion was destroyed by fire in 1916 and is currently the site of an ongoing archeological project.
Drawings and models at the visitor center show that it was quite a mansion when it was built.
The next day was Yorktown Day - the 235th anniversary of the surrender of the British. There were several wreath layings and other patriotic celebrations throughout the day. A parade down main street was led by a group of reinactors and consisted of several patriotic groups.
This was followed by a ceremony at the Victory Monument with representatives from several patriotic groups, as well as the consul from France. A huge wreath was placed on the monument.
No comments:
Post a Comment