A Quick Stop in Williamsburg, VA

We had a opportunity to make a quick stop in Williamsburg, VA this past weekend. The weather was perfect for a walk through the historic part of town. Since we only had a couple of hours we did not purchase the pass to get into the historic buildings, we saved that for a another trip.

Williamsburg is a beautiful place and was a joy to walk around, even got to enjoy a silly moment.

Guilford Courthouse National Military Park | Greensboro, NC

I attended the 230th Anniversary Observance of the Battle of Guilford Courthouse. The event was held at the Guilford Courthouse National Military Park in Greensboro, NC and was my first battle reenactment. I enjoyed the afternoon taking photos and walking around the wonderful park. My three hour tour was not enough for this place, it definitely could have been an all day event.

On March 15, 1781 the largest, most hotly-contested battle of the Revolutionary War's Southern Campaign was fought at the small North Carolina backcounty hamlet of Guilford Courthouse. Guilford Courthouse proved to be the highwater mark of British military operations in the Revolutionary War. Weakened in his campaign against Greene, Cornwallis abandoned the Carolinas hoping for success in Virginia. At Yorktown, seven months after his victory at Guilford Courthouse, Lord Cornwallis would surrender to the combined American and French forces under General George Washington. - You can learn more about Guilford Courthouse online at the National Park Service

The following photos are of the battle reenactment.

After the battle I enjoyed a walk around the park and though some of the camps. I was able to see what daily life would have been like and also catch a glimpse of some of the characters.

Historic Stagville | Durham, NC

Last Saturday was a great day to get out and enjoy some of the local history. We drove out to Historic Stagville and enjoyed a nice walk around the property. 

Stagville is North Carolina's largest pre-Civil War plantation and one of the South's largest. It once belonged to the Bennehan-Cameron family, whose combined holdings totaled approximately 900 slaves and almost 30,000 acres by 1860. Today, Stagville consists of 71 acres, on three tracts. On this land stand the late 18th-century Bennehan House, four rare slave houses, a pre-Revolutionary War farmer's house, a huge timber framed barn built by skilled slave craftsmen, and the Bennehan Family cemetery. - NC Historic Sites Website

Photo of the front of the late 18th Century Bennehan family house and the view of the back of the house walking up from the visitors center.

Next we headed toward the timber framed barn with its quite unusually decorations.

Here is a photo of one of the other smaller barns on the property. This one did not have  the unusually front decoration as the larger barn, but still very beautiful.

As we turn to leave the barn areas to walk back up to the house we see this thorn tree. I believe it is a Locust Thorn Tree, I would have to say it was very thorny and I wouldn't want to run into it.


Next stop.... the Bennehan Family Cemetery. I find cemeteries to be very peaceful and love to look at the grave stones and the beauty in them.

Also on the property are a couple of tables, so this would be a nice place to spend the afternoon with a nice picnic lunch. Check out their website for more informations and upcoming events. 

Fort Dobbs | Statesville, NC

We visited Fort Dobbs in Statevsille, NC for a historic stop of our weekend. The site is beautiful and has a nice picnic area for families to stop by, have a lunch, and learn a little about our history. The two gentlemen at Fort Dobbs, dressed in period clothes, were working on a few period chores when we arrived. Both men were very nice and did a nice presentation of the history of Fort Dobbs. If you get a chance check their website for upcoming events and stop by. The Fort is located not far off the main road and is a pleasant place to stop for a break in your day.