Upcoming Events

Third Annual "'Yankees in Falmouth!' (And a Few Confederates Too!)" Living History Event

September 18-19, 2010

From Union and Confederate living historians portray various aspects of Civil War events in Falmouth and Stafford County at the Moncure Conway House and grounds in historic Falmouth. The two-day events include infantry and artillery firing demonstrations; Civil War artifact displays; talks by National Park Service and Rappahannock region historians; and camp-site interaction with living historians. This year's programming will include presentations on the Union soldiers who served in Falmouth and Stafford County during the war and on the women and men of the U.S. Christian Commission who served here. There will also be a dedication ceremony of historic signage by 2nd United States Sharpshooters near the site of their April-September 1862 service. The Moncure Conway House, boyhood home of the South's most prominent abolitionist, humanitarian and author, will also be open. Come see this unique Civil War history event on the banks of the beautiful Rappahannock River! Living history organizations or individuals wishing to participate in this year's or future events, please contact Norman Schools at Small47@aol.com. General information is also available from Al Conner at Azconner@aol.com.

Archaeological Excavation at the Magistrate’s Office

Saturday, October 16 & Sunday, October 17, 2010; 10am–4pm
123 Cambridge Street, Falmouth, Virginia

The circa 1830s Magistrate’s Office is one of the oldest extant buildings in Falmouth and the oldest county-owned municipal building in Stafford. Also known as the Little Courthouse and the Custom’s Office, the building is a mere twelve feet by sixteen feet in plan with one room on the first floor and another room on the second floor. The second floor was originally accessed by climbing a ladder that lead to a small opening in the ceiling. The diminutive size of this building has always attracted interest. Its history is even more interesting.

Although there is mention of a tobacco inspection station fronting on Cambridge Street in 1752 and the 1790 town plan of Falmouth indicates a wooden building for municipal use on this lot, the earliest written record found of the current brick building is an article in the then Free Lance newspaper, dated 1895. The article, discussing a murder case, makes this statement: “The little room for the quaint old town of Falmouth, where for more than a hundred years the justices of the great old county have held their courts, was literally packed with humanity...”. There are oral history accounts of Falmouth residents that remember watching court proceedings of the local magistrate through the windows of this same building in the 1930s when they were little boys, and a 1937 Works Progress Administration document states that the building was “used as a voting precinct, and sometimes small courts are held here…..”. No other details on the building are known, including how it was constructed and its place in the larger landscape of Cambridge Street (historic Route 1).

The Moncure Conway Foundation will sponsor an archaeological excavation around the Magistrate’s Office to uncover much needed information on the building’s past (last year’s planned event was rained out). The event is open to the public and includes the opportunity to explore the archaeological site and self-guided tours of the interior of the building. Anyone interested in the history of Falmouth or archaeology in general is encouraged to attend!

Sponsored by the Moncure Conway Foundation & the National Park Service

This event is to generate attention to Falmouth's rich historic heritage.