Friday, April 19, 2024, 5:30 PM-9PM.
Brandy Station Foundation Annual Meeting & Dinner at the Brewery Pub at Old House Vineyards,
18351 Corkys Lane, Culpeper, VA 22701
Opens at 5:30 PM for social gathering and appetizers. The dinner begins at 6:30 PM with catering provided by Green Ribbon Catering. A cash bar is provided by Old House Vineyards staff. Cost: $45 per attendee. Please make reservations early as we are set at a count of 50 with our caterer.
At the meeting, the membership will vote on the Board of Directors for the year 2024-2025 presented by the Nominating Committee and any other matters to be brought before the Membership. Please remember that in order to vote at the annual meeting, you must be a BSF member in good standing and have paid your dues on the date of or before the meeting.
Our speaker is BSF Advisory Committee Member Dr. Michael Hill on Brevet Lt. Colonel Alexander T. Augusta, M.D. the first African-American surgeon and the highest ranking African-American officer in the Union Army at the time.Dr. Hill is a native Washingtonian, raised in Northeast D.C. He graduated from Saint Andrew’s School in Middletown, Delaware in 1971; from Williams College, Williamstown, Massachusetts in 1975 and received his M.D. from George Washington University Medical School in 1979. Hill retired in 2019 and is now a docent at The National Museum of Civil War Medicine in Frederick, MD and a member of the Society of Civil War Surgeons. He has been a reenactor with the 54th Massachusetts Infantry Regiment and he participated in the filming of the movies “Glory” and Sommersby”.
Please make reservations by April 12, 2024 by emailing the Brandy Station Foundation at bsfgh1863@gmail.com or calling Treasurer Peggy Mocarski at 540-222-1705 and paying at the event.IF YOU PREFER, you may pay online click here.
President’s Corner
Greetings,
It is with great excitement that I greet you as we kick off 2024. First, I would like
to take this opportunity to express my gratitude for serving as the President of the Brandy Station Foundation in 2023. We accomplished a great deal and none of it would have been possible without the hard work and dedication of the Board of Directors and our many volunteers. And last but not least, to you the members of the Brandy Station Foundation. Whether you joined last year or have been a part of the foundation for many years, I offer my heartfelt thanks.
With the coming of the 2024 season, there will be many more opportunities to
carry out the mission of the Brandy Station Foundation. A top priority this past
year has been upgrades to the Graffiti House. I would like to take this Opportunity to provide an update on the repairs to the Graffiti House and share a few activities planned In the coming year. We are in the final stage of repairing and replacing the siding at the Graffiti House in the coming days. We anticipate commencing the painting in the next few weeks weather permitting.
The final phase is the repair/replacement of the rear and left side perimeter of the foundation system which is scheduled to take place in late Spring or early Summer. In addition, there are plans to renovate the bathroom to be ADA compliant and take additional steps to safeguard the graffiti upstairs as well as making hand held devices available for those unable to view the graffiti on the second floor.
First among our list of events planned for this year is Park Day 2024. The event is scheduled for April 6th. Similar to last year, this year’s project will focus on the
grounds at the Graffiti House. We are fortunate to be located in close proximity to one of the most traveled routes between Washington, D.C. and Charlottesville. The first view that many motorists see of our location is the Graffiti House sign facing U.S. 29. On Saturday, 6 April, we are planning to relocate the Graffiti House sign to a new location. It will be in close proximity to the existing sign but provide a better view of the sign and the Graffiti House. If you have time available, please join us for a few hours starting at 10:00 AM on Saturday, April 6th.
On Friday, April 19, we will be holding our Annual Meeting and Dinner at the Old House Vineyards. We are pleased to be returning to the venue again the year. It’s a great setting and the staff is very accommodating for the activities planned for the evening. It’s a great opportunity to meet members of the Board of Directors, engage with fellow members and learn more about the activities planned during the year for the Brandy Station Foundation. There will be a 50/50 Raffle and an opportunity to bid on several Civil War related prints among other activities. Our guest speaker this year is Dr. Michel Hill. Dr. Hill is a member of our Advisory Committee and a retired physician after many years of service to our community.
He is a currently a docent at The National Museum of Civil War Medicine in Frederick, Maryland and a member of the Society of Civil War Surgeons.
In May, we kick off our Sunday Guest Speaker Series with Paul Warmack. Paul is a member of our Board of Directors and is no stranger to those who have attended our popular Spirit Night annual event at the Graffiti House. We welcome Paul as he joins our Sunday Guest Speaker series for the first time. We look forward to hearing a number of the riveting incidents he experienced while exploring the paranormal at the Graffiti House. In June, we are planning Civil War Days at the Graffiti House on Saturday, June 8th. It will be a family friendly event with food, speakers, re-enactors, living history encampment, exhibits and tours and much, much, more. Please mark your calendars and plan to attend this exciting event with your entire family. Please visit our website for a complete list of our events and speakers for the coming year.
Finally, in June there will be an official turn over ceremony with the Commonwealth of Virginia to create the Culpeper Battlefields State Park. Phase 1 of the park is focusing on the Fleetwood Hill area and nearby acreage owned by the American Battlefield Trust in Brandy Station. The Brandy Station Foundation is donating three parcels, Golden Oaks 1, 2, and 3; this land is situated on the eastern portions of the land that saw very significant cavalry fighting between Union and Confederate forces during the Battle of Brandy Station on the afternoon of June 9, 1863. It was on this property that significant charge and counter charges occurred which ultimately had a great impact on the outcome of the battle. The late BSF President Robert Luddy and the late attorney Edwin Gentry, who served on the BSF Board and as Vice President, were instrumental in placing these parcels under conservation easement following the purchase of the land. The Brandy Station Foundation has been supportive of this park initiative going back to December 15, 2015 when the Board of Directors approved a letter from former BSF President Joseph McKinney to Mr. Mark Coombs, State & Local Relations Manager for the Civil War Trust. Joe summarized the Brandy Station Foundation’s position in this way: “ We strongly support the establishment of a Brandy Station and Cedar Mountain Battlefields State Park in Culpeper and believe it is an important step forward for our organization, Culpeper County, and visitors to our historic sites. We look forward to working with you, other Alliance members, and state authorities to make the park a reality”.
After years of legislative meetings, studies and finally funding being appropriated, in early June 2024 the Culpeper Battlefields State Park will become a reality. At this time, the exact date, time, and location of the ceremony has not been determined. We will keep you informed regarding this momentous occasion as the details become available. I offer my gratitude to the members of the Brandy Station Foundation Board back in 2015 for their vision and commitment to the project. There is comfort in knowing that future generations will have the opportunity to walk on hallowed ground while learning about the history of our country.
Howard Lambert
President, Brandy Station Foundation
Upcoming Brandy Station Foundation Events
Graffiti House hours are on the website: www.brandystationfoundation.com
Saturday, April 6, 2024, 10AM-1PM. Park Day at the Graffiti House. This is an
annual hands-on volunteer event to help Civil War and other historic sites shine
their brightest. The Brandy Station Foundation will hold its Park Day on Brandy
Station Foundation property across from the Graffiti House. The Graffiti House
sign will be relocated near its present location. If you can help that day, please call
the Foundation at 540-317-5581 or email bsfgh1863@gmail.com. Thanks for
participating and volunteering to enhance the Graffiti House!
Friday, April 19, 2024, 5:30 PM-9 PM. BSF Annual Meeting and Dinner at the
Brewery Pub at Old House Vineyards, 18351 Corkys Lane, Culpeper, VA 22701
(near the Stevensburg area of Culpeper County).
Sunday May 19, 2024 2 PM at the Graffiti House: Paul Warmack on exploring the
paranormal at the Graffiti House, BSF Sunday guest speaker series.
June 8, 2024 (Time to be announced). Civil War Days at the Graffiti House. Details
will be posted on the BSF website: www.brandystationfoundation.com