Pamplin Historical Park

Black History Month at Pamplin: Virginia's Enslaved Cooks
2018-02-24 13:00 - 14:00 (America/New_York) | Pamplin Historical Park, 6125 Boydton Plank Road, Petersburg, VA, 23803, United States
Dr. Kelley Deetz will speak on her recently published book, Bound to the Fire: How Virginia’s Enslaved Cooks Helped Invent American Cuisine. A limited number of books will be available for purchase and signing. Following Dr. Deetz’s talk, Wisteria Perry will provide a tour of the recreated Tudor Hall kitchen quarter and explain how plantation kitchens functioned.
Black History Month events are included with regular paid Park admission or active Park memberships.

Pamplin Members Gala
2018-02-23 19:00 - 21:00 | Pamplin Historical Park, 6125 Boydton Plank Road, Petersburg, VA, 23803, United States
Pamplin Historical Park & The National Museum of the Civil War Soldier is hosting its first 2018 Membership Gala.
Park members are invited to RSVP by February 20, 2018 and the general public wishing to attend can purchase an annual Park membership starting at $45.00 anytime prior to the event or at the door. Discounted memberships for active duty military, seniors, students and teachers start at $25.00 for a one year membership. Visit our membership page for more options or call (804) 861-2408 to RSVP or for more information.
The evening will feature a State of the Park address by Executive Director, Jerry ‘Dez’ Desmond, door prizes, a silent auction, hors d’oeuvres and an open bar with beer and wine. A display of rarely shown artifacts from the Park collection will also be on display for attendees to enjoy.
Special thanks to our sponsors: Brickhouse Run, Bucket Trade, Casemate Publishing, Dixie Restaurant, Escape Olde Towne, Firehouse Subs, Gold’s Gym, Longstreet’s, Osprey Publishing, Resort Spa, Saucy’s BBQ, Target, Therapeutic Massage Center & Boutique, Trapezium, W. Britain Company for supporting the event.

Black History Month at Pamplin: African-American Genealogy Workshop
2018-02-17 15:00 - 16:00 | Pamplin Historical Park, 6125 Boydton Plank Road, Petersburg, VA, 23803, United States
“Beyond Harriet Tubman and Booker T. Washington – Uncovering Your Own Black History.” African-American genealogy workshop led by Natonne Elaine Kemp.

Black History Month at Pamplin: Sojourner Truth
2018-02-17 14:00 - 15:00 | Pamplin Historical Park, 6125 Boydton Plank Road, Petersburg, VA, 23803, United States
Charmaine Crowell-White will provide a first-person portrayal of famed abolitionist and women’s rights activist Sojourner Truth. Born Isabella in the late 1790s, in New York State, Truth escaped to freedom and became a noted champion of human rights.
Black History Month events are included with regular paid Park admission or active Park memberships.

Valentine Tea
2018-02-10 14:00 - 15:30 | Pamplin Historical Park, 6125 Boydton Plank Road, Petersburg, VA, 23803, United States
At Pamplin Historical Park’s Valentine Tea ladies and gentlemen in period dress will teach guests 19th-century etiquette while they enjoy gourmet tea and snacks. Attendees will also learn about the history of Valentine’s Day and traditions of romantic courtship during the Civil War era.
Park Members $20
Non-Park Members $24
Reservations required by Feb. 7, 2018. Seating at 2:00 pm.

Black History Month at Pamplin: Elizabeth Keckley
2018-02-10 13:00 - 14:00 | Pamplin Historical Park, 6125 Boydton Plank Road, Petersburg, VA, 23803, United States
Join Wayne Tucker as he speaks on the intriguing life of Elizabeth Keckley. Keckley was born enslaved and lived in Dinwiddie County and Petersburg as a young girl. She eventually purchased her freedom with her seamstress skills after being moved to Missouri. With her freedom, she became the premier dress maker in Washington D.C., just before and during the Civil War. Keckley’s impressive work led to her selection as the personal White House dressmaker, close friend, and confidante of Mrs. Lincoln.
Black History Month events are included with regular paid Park admission or active Park memberships.

Volunteer Open House at Pamplin
2018-02-09 09:30 - 13:00, 2018-02-08 13:00 - 16:30
Pamplin Historical Park and The National Museum of the Civil War Soldier is offering fun volunteer opportunities to help preserve history, and promote education! As John F. Kennedy said, “We celebrate the past to awaken the future.” Park staff will share information on volunteer opportunities at the Park and hold on-site interviews on Saturday, Feb. 3 from 9:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., Sunday, Feb. 4 from 1:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m., Thursday, Feb. 8 from 1:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. and Friday, Feb. 9 from 9:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.at The National Museum of the Civil War Soldier, located at 6125 Boydton Plank Road, Petersburg, VA 23803.
These volunteer recruitment open houses are held in preparation for the busy spring field trip and travel season. Volunteers are vital in assisting Park staff with visitor needs, especially during the busy school season.
Volunteers may assist in a variety of areas that focus on the Park’s goal to help preserve history and promote education. Volunteers from all walks of life are welcome to attend: mature teenagers who want to expand their life experience, retirees who have time to do something they have always wanted to do, unemployed citizens who want to keep their skills sharp, and college students who want to give back to the community.
For more information contact Christine Wuebker, Sr. Education, Interpretation and Volunteer Specialist, at 804-861-2408 or email cwuebker@pamplinpark.org.

Petersburg Civil War Round Table at Pamplin
2018-02-05 19:00 - 20:00 | Pamplin Historical Park, 6125 Boydton Plank Road, Petersburg, VA, 23803, United States
The mission of the Petersburg Civil War Roundtable is to serve as a community facilitator for the dissemination and discussion of historical topics related to the Civil War era. This period’s military, social, economic, and political historical relevance is clearly apparent in our present lives. The Roundtable seeks to provide a more thorough understanding of this era and to better inform citizens of today.
The Petersburg Civil War Roundtable (PCWRT) will meet the first Thursday of each month (except June, July, and August) at Pamplin Historical Park and the National Museum of the Civil War Soldier from 6:30 pm-7:30 pm.
* Please note the exception for this month on both date and time.
Annual membership is $40.00. Individuals who are already members of Pamplin Historical Park can become members of PCWRT for $20.00. Non-members can attend for $5.00 each meeting. Call (804) 861-2408 for more information.
The speaker for February is author Ed Ayers who will speak about his book The Thin Light of Freedom: The Civil War and Emancipation in the Heart of America.
Future Speakers TBA.

Volunteer Open House at Pamplin
2018-02-04 13:00 - 16:30
Petersburg, Va. – Pamplin Historical Park and The National Museum of the Civil War Soldier is offering fun volunteer opportunities to help preserve history, and promote education! As John F. Kennedy said, “We celebrate the past to awaken the future.” Park staff will share information on volunteer opportunities at the Park and hold on-site interviews on Saturday, Feb. 3 from 9:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., Sunday, Feb. 4 from 1:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m., Thursday, Feb. 8 from 1:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. and Friday, Feb. 9 from 9:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.at The National Museum of the Civil War Soldier, located at 6125 Boydton Plank Road, Petersburg, VA 23803.
These volunteer recruitment open houses are held in preparation for the busy spring field trip and travel season. Volunteers are vital in assisting Park staff with visitor needs, especially during the busy school season.
Volunteers may assist in a variety of areas that focus on the Park’s goal to help preserve history and promote education. Volunteers from all walks of life are welcome to attend: mature teenagers who want to expand their life experience, retirees who have time to do something they have always wanted to do, unemployed citizens who want to keep their skills sharp, and college students who want to give back to the community.

For more information contact Christine Wuebker, Sr. Education, Interpretation and Volunteer Specialist, at 804-861-2408 or email cwuebker@pamplinpark.org.

Volunteer Open House
2018-02-03 09:30 - 13:00

Petersburg Civil War Round Table at Pamplin (Rescheduled)
2018-01-11 18:30 - 19:30 | Pamplin Historical Park, 6125 Boydton Plank Road, Petersburg, VA, 23803, United States
Pamplin Historical Park & The National Museum of the Civil War Soldier has established a new Civil War Roundtable and it’s first meeting will be held on January 11th at 6:30 p.m. in the Park’s Education Center. This first meeting was originally scheduled for 1/4/18 and was postponed due to weather conditions.
The mission of the Petersburg Civil War Roundtable is to serve as a community facilitator for the dissemination and discussion of historical topics related to the Civil War era. This period’s military, social, economic, and political historical relevance is clearly apparent in our present lives. The Roundtable seeks to provide a more thorough understanding of this era and to better inform citizens of today.
The Petersburg Civil War Roundtable (PCWRT) will meet the first Thursday of each month (except June, July, and August) at Pamplin Historical Park and the National Museum of the Civil War Soldier from 6:30 pm-7:30 pm. Annual membership is $40.00. Individuals who are already members of Pamplin Historical Park can become members of PCWRT for $20.00. Non-members can attend for $5.00 each meeting. Call (804) 861-2408 for more information.
The PCWRT’s inaugural meeting will feature guest speaker, Jerry Desmond, Executive Director of Pamplin Historical Park, who will be speaking on Union Brig. Gen. James H. Wilson’s March and April 1865 Raid into Alabama and Georgia.

Toys For Tots Collection
2017-11-28 08:00 - 2017-12-09 17:00 | Pamplin Historical Park, 6125 Boydton Plank Road, Petersburg, VA, 23803, United States
Pamplin Historical Park & The National Museum of the Civil War Soldier is proud to be a collection point for Toys for Tots from November 20 through December 9, 2017. Park admission is not required to drop off a gift.
Visitors are invited to bring a new unwrapped gift during this time to the Park for distribution to under-privileged children whose parents cannot afford to buy gifts for Christmas. This coincides with the mission of the Toys for Tots program which “is to collect new, unwrapped toys during October, November and December each year, and distribute those toys as Christmas gifts to needy children in the community in which the campaign is conducted.”
The stated goal is to “deliver, through a new toy at Christmas, a message of hope to less fortunate youngsters that will assist them in becoming responsible, productive, and patriotic citizens.”
The Toys for Tots program was founded in 1947 and is operated by the United States Marine Corps Reserve. As of 2016, the Toys for Tots Program and Foundation have collected and distributed more than 512 million toys.

Reflect & Respect: African-American History Weekend
2017-11-18 09:00 - 2017-11-19 17:00 | Pamplin Historical Park, 6125 Boydton Plank Road, Petersburg, VA, 23803, United States
Come learn about the richness of African-American history and heritage at Pamplin Historical Park and The National Museum of the Civil War Soldier. There will be plenty of educational and entertaining offerings both days, including tours, presentations, living history performances, music, storytelling, demonstrations and much more.
Harriet Tubman will be portrayed by Charmaine Crowell-White at the Park’s Field Quarter Cabin. Tubman was a “conductor” on the Underground Railroad and rescued 300 slaves to freedom. She also served as a spy for the Union during the Civil War. Join Charmaine Crowell-White as she brings this American icon to life.
Living-historian, Wisteria Perry will perform period demonstration cooking and share African-American storytelling traditions in the Tudor Hall Plantation kitchen and Field Quarters.
Joseph McGill of the Slave Dwelling Project will share his experiences from visiting and preserving slave dwellings across the nation as he reflects on the original slave quarters at the historic Banks House. McGill has reached 90 sites in over 18 states and engages diverse audiences by conducting programs, giving lectures, and spending nights in the dwellings himself.
Living-historians will portray African-American soldiers of the original 5th U.S.C.T. which served with Union forces during the Civil War. They will perform drill demonstrations, rifle firing and present a lecture titled, “Victors Not Victims: The U.S.C.T. in the Civil War”.
Civil War musical selections will be performed by the Haversacks & Hardtack String Band. Through the stories and songs of the common Civil War soldier that rose from bloody battlefields; from those that emanated from quiet parlors of the folks back home, and transcended the anguish of the slave quarter–music from this period in history gave hope for better times, consoled endless sorrow, and inspired the ideal of freedom.
This special event is included with regular museum admission or is free to Pamplin Historical Park members.

Healing Blue & Gray
2017-11-11 13:00 - 14:00 | Pamplin Historical Park, 6125 Boydton Plank Road, Petersburg, VA, 23803, United States
Neither the Union or the Confederacy was prepared for the huge numbers of sick and wounded soldiers produced by the Civil War armies. Come hear Park historian Gary Helm discuss the state of medical science in 1861 and some of the procedures courageously conducted by surgeons to help save as many lives as possible. Included with regular paid Park admission or free for Park members.

Death of an Assassin Book Signing
2017-11-05 13:00 - 14:30 | Pamplin Historical Park, 6125 Boydton Plank Road, Petersburg, VA, 23803, United States
From the depths of German and American archives comes a story one soldier never wanted told. The first volunteer killed defending Robert E. Lee’s position in battle was really a German assassin. After fleeing to the United States to escape prosecution for murder, the assassin enlisted in a German company of the Pennsylvania Volunteers in the Mexican-American War and died defending Lee’s battery at the Siege of Veracruz in 1847. Lee wrote a letter home, praising this unnamed fallen volunteer defender. Military records identify him, but none of the Americans knew about his past life of crime.
Before fighting with the Americans, Lee’s defender had assassinated Johann Heinrich Rieber, mayor of Bönnigheim, Germany, in 1835. Rieber’s assassination became 19th-century Germany’s coldest case ever solved by a non–law enforcement professional and the only 19th-century German murder ever solved in the United States. Thirtyseven years later, another suspect in the assassination who had also fled to America found evidence in Washington, D.C., that would clear his own name, and he forwarded it to Germany. The German prosecutor Ernst von Hochstetter corroborated the story and closed the case file in 1872, naming Lee’s defender as Rieber’s murderer.
Relying primarily on German sources, Death of an Assassin tracks the never-before-told story of this German company of Pennsylvania volunteers. It follows both Lee’s and the assassin’s lives until their dramatic encounter in Veracruz and picks up again with the surprising case resolution decades later.
This case also reveals that forensic ballistics—firearm identification through comparison of the striations on a projectile with the rifling in the barrel—is much older than previously thought. History credits Alexandre Laccasagne for inventing forensic ballistics in 1888. But more than 50 years earlier, Eduard Hammer, the magistrate who investigated the Rieber assassination in 1835, used the same technique to eliminate a forester’s rifle as the murder weapon. A firearms technician with state police of Baden-Württemberg tested Hammer’s technique in 2015 and confirmed its efficacy, cementing the argument that Hammer, not Laccasagne, should be considered the father of forensic ballistics.
The roles the volunteer soldier/assassin and Robert E. Lee played at the Siege of Veracruz are part of American history, and the recordbreaking, 19th-century cold case is part of German history. For the first time, Death of an Assassin brings the two stories together.
Ann Marie Ackermann will be speaking on the subject of her recently published book, Death of an Assassin. Copies of the book will be available for purchase and author signing. The event is free with your Pamplin Historical Park membership or paid park admission.

Voices from the Shadows
2017-10-28 19:00 - 21:00, 2017-10-27 19:00 - 21:00 | Pamplin Historical Park, 6125 Boydton Plank Road, Petersburg, VA, 23803, United States
Experience the Park after dark as costumed guides lead you on a spine-chilling tour of the Park’s historical sites. Listen to haunting stories from the 19th century as you embark on a hair-raising tour by lantern light.
Reservations required.

Battlefields Tour of Grant's 5th Offensive
2017-10-20 09:00 - 17:30
Join Park Historians Tim Talbott and Gary Helm as they hit the road for a one-day tour on October 20, 2017 and the public is invited to join them. The tour will combine a walking/driving tour of the wartime fortifications southeast of Richmond, concentrating on what historians have come to call General Grant’s Fifth Offensive actions north of the James River
Combined with other maneuvers southwest of Petersburg, the Fifth Offensive fighting north of the James River developed along a series of fortifications constructed to protect the capital city. The first stop will be the New Market Heights (also known as Chaffin’s Farm) battlefield, where on September 29, General David Birney’s Union forces, which included several USCT (African-American) regiments, which achieved an initially successful penetration of Lee’s defenses. Fourteen African-American soldiers were bestowed the Medal of Honor for their heroic actions at New Market Heights.
The next stop is Fort Harrison and like neighboring New Market Heights, Union forces captured Fort Harrison on September 29. However, the Confederates held their ground further north, which kept the lost terrain to a minimum. This will be a moderately rigorous trek appealing to nature lovers, with some “field walking” as well as both primitive and developed hiking trails.
The tour begins at 9:00 a.m. and ends at approximately 5:30 p.m. A picnic lunch is provided at one of the battlefields and is included with the registration fee.
Space for this tour is limited. The tour is $79 for park members and $89 for non-park members. Registrations are required and accepted on a first-come, first-served basis.

"Midnight In America" Book Signing Event with Jonathan White
2017-10-07 13:00 - 14:00 | Pamplin Historical Park, 6125 Boydton Plank Road, Petersburg, VA, 23803, United States
The Civil War brought many forms of upheaval to America, not only in waking hours but also in the dark of night. Sleeplessness plagued the Union and Confederate armies, and dreams of war glided through the minds of Americans in both the North and South. Sometimes their nightly visions brought the horrors of the conflict vividly to life. But for others, nighttime was an escape from the hard realities of life and death in wartime. Come out and hear historian Jonathan W. White explain what dreams meant to Civil War–era Americans and what their dreams reveal about their experiences during the war. He shows how Americans grappled with their fears, desires, and struggles while they slept, and how their dreams helped them make sense of the confusion, despair, and loneliness that engulfed them.
After the presentation Mr. White will be signing copies of his recently published book, Midnight in America: Darkness, Sleep, and Dreams during the Civil War. A limited number of copies of the book will be available in the Civil War Store for purchase for the author signing. The event is free with your Pamplin Historical Park membership or paid park admission.

“Richmond Shall Not Be Given Up” Book Signing with Doug Crenshaw
2017-10-07 11:00 - 13:00 | Pamplin Historical Park, 6125 Boydton Plank Road, Petersburg, VA, 23803, United States
In the summer of 1862, with the eastern Confederate army on its heels, and the Union army nearing the Southern nation’s capital city, a dramatic turn occurred with a series of battles. Come out and hear historian and author Doug Crenshaw describe these fights in which Robert E. Lee took command of the newly named Army of Northern Virginia and aggressively attacked Gen. George McClellan’s Army of the Potomac.
After the presentation, Mr. Crenshaw will be signing copies of his book, Richmond Shall Not be Given Up: The Seven Days Battles. June 25-July 1, 1862 which is part of the Emerging Civil War Series. Copies of this book will be available in the Civil War Store for purchase and author signing. The event is free with your Pamplin Historical Park membership or paid park admission.

Round Ball to Rim Fire
2017-09-23 13:00 - 14:00 | Pamplin Historical Park, 6125 Boydton Plank Road, Petersburg, VA, 23803, United States
The eighty years between the American Revolution and the beginning of the Civil War saw significant developments in weapons technology. These changes affected the range and accuracy as well the dependability of the weapon that the American soldier carried into battle. Come hear Park historian and period weapons expert Gary Helm trace these developments as demonstrated on working reproduction firearms from the Civil War era. Included with regular paid Park admission of free with Park membership.

Meade and Lee After Gettysburg Book Signing
2017-09-23 11:00 - 12:00 | Pamplin Historical Park, 6125 Boydton Plank Road, Petersburg, VA, 23803, United States
Join author Jeffrey Hunt as he speaks about his recently published book: Meade and Lee After Gettysburg: The Forgotten Final Stage of the Gettysburg Campaign, from Falling Waters to Culpeper Court House, July 14-31, 1863 at Pamplin Historical Park.
The period of the Civil War in Virginia sandwiched between the traditional ending date of the Gettysburg Campaign and the arrival of U. S. Grant is routinely overlooked. The operations conducted during that period have been overshadowed by the bloodshed in Pennsylvania, the large-scale Confederate victory at Chickamauga in September, and the disastrous Southern defeat at Chattanooga two months later. Author Jeffrey Wm Hunt, in his new Meade and Lee After Gettysburg: Vol. 1: From Falling Waters to Culpeper Courthouse, July 14 to October 1, 1863, helps rectify this glaring oversight.
This event is included with regular Park admission or free to Park members.

$1 Admission Weekend
2017-09-23 09:00 - 2017-09-24 17:00 | Pamplin Historical Park, 6125 Boydton Plank Road, Petersburg, VA, 23803, United States
Pamplin Historical Park & The National Museum of the Civil War Soldier is celebrating Museum Weekend on September 23-24, 2017 with $1.00 general admission. Why would a world-class museum reduce its admission to just $1.00? Some residents in the region say that they’ve never visited the Park, even if they’ve lived in the area for some time. This reduced admission rate will allow the entire community an opportunity to access this amazing facility and share in our rich national history from the Antebellum period through the Civil War.
9:00 am to 5:00 pm – Visitors can experience the award-winning Duty Called Me Here exhibit with seven galleries and explore both the museum, historic homes and Park with new devices from Orpheo. These devices provide audio and images on a five inch screen at over 80 locations throughout the 424-acre campus.
Additional special programming includes:
11:00 am – Join author Jeffrey Hunt as he speaks about his recently published book: Meade and Lee After Gettysburg: The Forgotten Final Stage of the Gettysburg Campaign, from Falling Waters to Culpeper Court House, July 14-31, 1863. The talk will be followed by a book signing with a limited number of books available for purchase.
1:00 pm – Round Ball to Rim Fire Program: Come hear Park historian and period weapons expert Gary Helm trace the eighty years of weapons technology between the American Revolution and the Civil War. Helm will trace and demonstrate the changes on working reproduction firearms from the Civil War era.
Saucy’s BBQ will on site all weekend to provide beverages, pork, beef, chicken, and ribs, but it owes its name to its savory, perfectly-blended barbecue sauce. Visitors can purchase and enjoy their meals or refreshments from Saucy’s and then walk off the calories on nearly five miles of trails in the Park.

War upon Our Border: Two Ohio Valley Communities Navigate the Civil War - Book Signing & Lecture
2017-09-16 11:00 - 14:00 | Pamplin Historical Park, 6125 Boydton Plank Road, Petersburg, VA, 23803, United States
The American Civil War played out in countless communities across the divided nation. How those locales experienced the conflict depended on many factors other than just geography. Come hear Stephen Rockenbach, Professor of History at Virginia State University, discuss how Corydon, Indiana, and Frankfort, Kentucky, evolved over the conflict’s four years due to the turmoil and social upheaval that the Civil War brought to these two towns.
A limited amount of copies of Dr. Rockenbach’s book will be available for purchase at The Civil War Store for author signing.
The event is free with your Pamplin Historical Park membership or paid park admission.

Mother's Day Tea
2017-05-13 | Pamplin Historical Park, 6125 Boydton Plank Road, Petersburg, VA, 23803, United States
Bring Mom for a special treat the Saturday before Mother’s Day. Hosted by our living history interpreters, you’ll enjoy an afternoon of gourmet teas and tasty treats while learning 19th-century ladies traditions, etiquette, parlor games, and antebellum society life. Live music and a period fashion show are new additions for attendees to enjoy.
Reservations required. Payment must be made in advance, $20 for Park Members and $24 for non-members. Seatings at 10:00am and 2:00pm. Space is limited.

History Talk and Book Signing
2017-04-29 13:00 - 15:00 | Pamplin Historical Park, 6125 Boydton Plank Road, Petersburg, VA, 23803, United States
We sometimes forget that the Civil War played out on the home front as well as on the battlefield. In fact, for Southern civilians, the home front too often became scenes of conflict. Please join us as author Courtney Soling Smith discusses the research that served as the basis for her recently released novel, Lies Based on True Stories. Her talk, “Digging Up History: Uncovering Interesting Facts about Daily Life during the Civil War,” will begin at 1:00 pm and will be followed by a book signing. The program is free with paid admission or membership.

12th Annual Spring Tour: Defending Richmond
2017-04-27 - 2017-04-30
Join A. Wilson Greene and local historians as we examine the various efforts to capture the Confederate capital. Highlights include visits to the Seven Days Battlefields, North Anna, Haw’s Shop, Totopotomoy Creek, and Cold Harbor. We will also explore the Confederate defenses north of the James and at Drewry’s Bluff. Also on the agenda are visits to the White House of the Confederacy, Tredegar Iron Works, and Belle Isle Prison.
Please click here for a flyer with additional details.
