2025 Capital Campaign

Dear Friends,

Looking back at my youth, some of my fondest memories are of participating in school field trips with my classmates. I can vividly remember the trips to battlefields, museums, historic sites, and even a fossil pit and salt marsh in North Carolina. Several items from gift stores during these visits, still provide a tactile reminder of my trip, along with the great memories. It’s wonderful that Pamplin Historical Park provides K-12 educational programming to school children from across the nation, which lays the foundation for these same memories to be made today. Sharing the stories of the common Civil War soldier, the enslaved and teaching about the causes for the war and Reconstruction is all part of our educational field trips at Pamplin Historical Park. Hundreds of thousands of students have visited the park and learned about these historical points over the years. Now we plan to expand on the story of the common American soldier and you can help support this important educational effort.

As the United States begins celebrations for our 250^th birthday, the park prepares to launch new 18^th century and science-based programming in the fall of 2025. America’s first commander-in-chief and president, George Washington obviously valued education by his statement, “A primary object should be the education of our youth in the science of government. In a republic, what species of knowledge can be equally important? And what duty more pressing than communicating it to those who are to be the future guardians of the liberties of the country?” By George he’s got it, and like all of our educational programming, these new offerings will support the interactive and participatory learning techniques with approved Virginia Standards of Learning.

The new programs include; “American Revolution: Why They Fought,” “Bartering and International Trade,” and “Revolutionary Era Arms and Soldier’s Life.” These programs will allow students to compare and contrast the rationales of patriots, loyalists and those civilians who simply wanted to remain neutral. They will also address the role of slavery and the enslaved or freedmen who fought on both sides of the conflict. Another new and exciting program is “Simple Machines”, which focuses on the sciences for third grade students. This program will challenge students to identify simple machines through touring the park’s galleries, museums and structures. While learning about Civil War history, students will identify the wheel and axle, lever or screw on the supply wagon, or the inclined plane on the fortification exhibit.

Like all of the park’s educational programs, these new offerings will be interpreted in costume and require 18^th century clothing, equipment, weaponry and hands-on materials that are not currently in the education department’s inventory. This is where you can help us in sharing the experience of the common American soldier, from the founding of the nation, through the American Civil War. You will also introduce a whole new grade of students visiting the park, to learn about America’s rich national heritage while studying the sciences.

That is why I ask you to make a gift today to our 2025 Capital Campaign: Revolutions. Only you can help us to reach our goal of $45,000. We are a 501 (c) (3) charitable organization, and we are not a government-funded historic site. Loyal and generous supporters like you have sustained Pamplin Historical Park in the past, and now will propel learning to new grades of schoolchildren, from across the country. We simply cannot do this without you.

Only you can help us to share the experiences and stories of the common American soldier in this 250^th anniversary year, celebrating the establishment of the United States Army, Navy and Marine Corps. Your generous gift today will enable us to additionally tell the socio-economic factors of the American Revolutionary and Civil Wars, along with the science of simple machines.

Working together, we will make this a reality for schoolchildren on their field trips to Pamplin Historical Park. Your support will create lasting memories for these children, and I hope that one day they too will look back fondly and remember what they experienced, and learned at Pamplin Historical Park.     

Here are the ways that you can make a donation:

Donate online at www.pamplinpark.org
Call (804) 861-2408
Send a check to 6125 Boydton Plank Rd., Dinwiddie, VA 23803

Sincerely,