In Memoriam

The Reverend Michael James Malone died peacefully at his home in Petersburg, Virginia.  He was president of the Northern Neck Branch and Essex County, now known as Preservation Northern Neck and Middle Peninsula.  He encouraged us to write our book Historic Sites in Virginia’s Northern Neck and Essex County.  Michael also initiated the Summer Speaker Series, and began the tradition of giving grants to enable the preservation of historic buildings however humble that are a part of our past.  A memorial service will be held at St. John’s Episcopal Church in Petersburg on August 14 at 2 p m.

Join us for our Summer Speaker Series

PNNMP Director Dave Butt will speak about antique tools with connections to Northern Neck families and their houses on on Tuesday, August 19at 6:00 p.m.  You may bring any tools to be identified as to their purpose or age.  Mr Butt may be able to give an approximate appraisal as to their value.

The Speaker Series is free and will be held in Wellford Hall,, St. John’s Church in Warsaw. Bring a covered dish to share and join old and new friends for our sociable potluck supper prior to Dave’s talk.  (For questions, you may call Becky Marks at 804-925-5599)

Stay tuned for MORE DETAILS & OTHER Upcoming Events!

PAST EVENTS 2024

Wilton House

On March 20, 2025, PNNMP held it’s Annual Meeting.  There was a brief business meeting followed by lunch and a special presentation by Andrew Packet, “George Washington In His Own Words”.
On December 1, PNNMP, David & Diane Bostic hosted an open house at Wilton on Jackson Creek (870 Wilton Road, Hague, VA). David gave a brief presentation and talk at 2pm highlighting the progress made thus far on his very extensive restoration and the road ahead.

On Saturday, September 7 at 10 am, PNNMP and Yeocomico Church presented a free seminar on installing smoke/fire alarms in historic structures.   David Butt, the presenter, has just overseen the installation of smoke/fire alarms in Yeocomico Church in Kinsale. He covered the process used to ensure the integrity of the building is maintained.

On Tuesday, August `13, PNNMP hosted a free seminar and potluck supper regarding colonial tools and techniques used in furniture making and colonial building construction. PNNMP’s guest speaker, Dave Butt, is a recognized authority, preservationist and furniture maker with extensive knowledge regarding authentic restoration of historic buildings and antique furniture. Restoration/Preservationist William Fullerton will also speak. The presentation will include the physical display and techniques regarding the following colonial-era woodworking tools and antique items:

  • Wood planes, hand drills and other tools used to replicate the look, effect and patina of antique construction and furniture making – antique handmade tools versus modern tools
  • Fasteners such as rose head hand-forged nails, hand-forged screws, and much more
  • Hinges (hand-forged H/L hinges, butt hinges, brass ball hinges, etc.) and the interesting history of hinges
  • Joinery such as dovetail, mortise and tenon, butt joints, etc.
  • Furniture (some reproductions of authentic side tables, chairs and benches made by Dave Butt and rocking chairs made by Mr. Jenkins of Montross), and
  • Hand carvings (intricate work of hand chiseling and carvings) and the fascinating history regarding this decorative feature

THE ANNUAL MEETING was held March 21 at St. John’s Church, Warsaw.  The day began with a brief business meeting followed by lunch and then a presentation on “The History and Artistry of Traditional Gilt Frames,” by Conservators F. Carey Howlett and Sandy Jensen, including the history and styles of traditional
gilt frames and the variety of nuanced techniques used to gild them.  The talk included a case study of the large gilt frame they designed and fabricated for the reproduction of Charles Willson Peale’s life-sized portrait of William Pitt at Stratford Hall.

New Historic siteS book IS AVAILABLE!

In 2020, PNNMP committed to producing a second edition of the popular “Historic Sites in Virginia’s Northern Neck & Essex County,” a treasure trove of information on houses built by the state’s first inhabitants. The University of Virginia Press, who published the first edition, has now published the Second Edition! in coordination with PNNMP.  All of the counties have been re-inventoried, including diligent field and literature research.  We are pleased to report that 43 “new” sites have been located giving this new edition a grand total of 487 historic site profiles, along with expanded and updated material reflecting the most current knowledge of the historic sites.  It’s available from Amazon and local historical societies and museums.

Follow us on Facebook to keep up with the news!

PAST EVENTS – 2023

LUNCH AND TOUR OF THE MORATTICO WATERFRONT MUSEUM, October 7, 2023. Tina Bustos, MWM Curator, her husband Marsell, and Connie Conley, MWM Corresponding Secretary joined us for lunch and casual conversation, followed by a docent-led tour of the museum and a self-guided tour of the village.  The Morattico Historic District is a Virginia Historic Landmark and listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Pitt PortraitPITT, PEALE AND THE PATRIOTS SYMPOSIUM, September 9, 2023, Stratford Hall Council House.  This afternoon symposium provided an in-depth look at many fascinating aspects of the portrait of Whig statesman William Pitt (1708-1778). Pitt, an active proponent of American colonial rights, who was especially against the Stamp Act of 1765. The keynote lecture by Dr. J. Patrick Mullins of Marquette University explored the historic importance of the portrait and its emblemology. Other distinguished speakers includeed Lucinda Dukes Edinberg (Curator, Hammond-Harwood House Museum), Bradley Stevens (realist painter and accomplished portraitist), F. Carey Howlett (Conservator of Historic Furniture and Architectural Interiors), and Sandy Jensen (Conservator of Gilded Objects).

On July 20, Brianna Morris, Executive Director of the Westmoreland County Museum, gave a talk on the 1767 portrait of Sir William Pitt, Lord Chatham of the British House of Commons, which hangs in the Westmoreland County Museum. She discussed how a group of Westmoreland County patriots commissioned a work of art that documents an important point in the revolutionary era.

On August 6, Dave and Diane Bostic gave a tour of their historic home Wilton, and hosted a discussion of their progress and revelations that have been discovered regarding changes that have occurred over the centuries and decades at Wilton.

A great 2023 Annual Meeting! PNNMP held it’s Annual Meeting Saturday, March 11, at St. John’s Episcopal Church in Warsaw. It featured a talk by Calder Loth, Senior Architectural Historian, Retired  from the Virginia Department of Historic Resources on Palladianism with a focus on its influence on Virginia architecture, with specific examples on the Northern Neck. In addition, past President Ed White gave a debut of the newly-published Second Edition of Historic Sites in Virginia’s Northern Neck and Essex County, A Guide, which he authored. He was also presented with a Chesapeake cup in honor of his many contributions to PNNMP over the years, including his long service and leading role as President. Grants for the year 2022 were also distributed. A grant was given to David Bostic to help repair the floor system support of two rooms at Wilton, a mid 18th century house in Westmoreland County. A grant was given to Page L. Knight for repairs to Arlington Farm. The main block dates to the 18th century with additions added in the mid 19th century.

 

Other Past Events

Anniversary CakePNNMP REACHED A MILESTONE IN 2022! Preservation Northern Neck & Middle Peninsula is pleased to announce its ten-year mark as an organization dedicated to the furtherance of historic preservation in Virginia’s Northern Neck and Essex County. The all-volunteer, nonprofit charitable corporation was organized in 2012 but had been doing good works long before that as a branch of APVA/Preservation Virginia. It is particularly unique in its grant program which has awarded $48,146.00 to institutions and individuals to assist them in maintaining the treasures of the past. Grants are made annually to individuals and organizations for all aspects of building preservation and restoration and document, fabric and art conservation. This program expanded with recent generous support from Mason and Lula Cole Charitable Trust.

PNNMP Board on 10th Anniversary

Despite the public health challenges of the last couple of years, PNNMP has continued its programs of speakers and tours, including:

  •  We held a tour of Arcadia House and Garden in Heathsville.
  • Amy Connolly, Collections & Exhibits Manager, Stratford Hall, spoke on the conservation of a circa 1790 silk waistcoat owned by Thomas Lee Shippen (1765-1798.) The project to conserve the light green silk waistcoat trimmed in blue and yellow, with working pockets and a deep stand-up collar, received support from the PNNMP Competitive Grants Program in 2021. Its owner was a grandson of Thomas Lee (1690-1750), the original owner of Stratford Hall.
  • David Butt spoke on Mitigation of Rising Damp at Yeocomico Church, 1233 Old Yeocomico Road, Tucker Hill.
  • Karen Hart, Executive Director of the Lancaster Historical Society/Mary Ball Museum, and Melanie Marquis, Programs and Operations Assistant, gave an overview of the Historic District in Lancaster, with a tour of the Old Clerk’s Office and Old Jail.
  • We sponsored a tour of   Yeocomico Church (1706) at 1233 Old Yeocomico Road, Tucker Hill, Virginia 22488. Yeocomico is the fourth oldest standing church in the Virginia. David Butt, a woodworker and preservationist, who is rebuilding the fabric of the church was the guide. The work he has undertaken exposed the original walls that have only been seen two times before. They date from 1655 and 1655 to possibly 1656.
  • Also on the tour was Arlington Farm (1790) in Kinsale, a late eighteenth century frame house owned by Page Lees Knight.
  • We also are continuing our important grant program to help preserve the important historic resources of the Northern Neck and Middle Peninsula – one of the first settled areas in Virginia where George Washington was born.

Stay “in the know” and support preservation efforts in the historic Northern Neck and Middle Peninsula by becoming a member!