Fairfax County General :
Fairfax Underground
Welcome to Fairfax Underground, a project site designed to improve communication among residents of Fairfax County, VA. Feel free to post anything Northern Virginia residents would find interesting.
Welcome to Fairfax Underground, a project site designed to improve communication among residents of Fairfax County, VA. Feel free to post anything Northern Virginia residents would find interesting.
Revolutionary War Re-enactment at Gunston Hall last week
Posted by:
Spirit of '76
()
Date: May 08, 2013 11:06AM
Did anyone have a chance to check out the Revolutionary War Re-enactment at Gunston Hall last week?
Attachments:
Attachments:
Re: Revolutionary War Re-enactment at Gunston Hall last week
Posted by:
Curious Party
()
Date: May 08, 2013 11:35AM
I've been to Mt Vernon, Monticello, and Montpelier.
Is Gunston Hall worth checking out?
Is Gunston Hall worth checking out?
Re: Revolutionary War Re-enactment at Gunston Hall last week
Posted by:
Curious, Too
()
Date: May 08, 2013 11:37AM
No, I hadn't heard about it.
How was it? How many actors? What types of demonstrations?
How was it? How many actors? What types of demonstrations?
Re: Revolutionary War Re-enactment at Gunston Hall last week
Posted by:
G. Mason
()
Date: May 08, 2013 12:00PM
Curious Party Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I've been to Mt Vernon, Monticello, and
> Montpelier.
>
> Is Gunston Hall worth checking out?
Meh... It's a real nice house and property and all, but not much to it beyond that. Not as much other "stuff" of interest as there is at Mt. Vernon or Monticello.
One good thing is that there's rarely anybody there and the people working are knowledgeable so you get kind of personal tours at times and there's no rushing you through like some other places.
Guess it depends on what you're looking for. For adults who have a little more than the usual passing interest in such things then probably so. For a typical family hauling up from elsewhere with the kids, probably not. You can also hit Pohick Bay and Mason Neck and some other things in the area while you're there.
-------------------------------------------------------
> I've been to Mt Vernon, Monticello, and
> Montpelier.
>
> Is Gunston Hall worth checking out?
Meh... It's a real nice house and property and all, but not much to it beyond that. Not as much other "stuff" of interest as there is at Mt. Vernon or Monticello.
One good thing is that there's rarely anybody there and the people working are knowledgeable so you get kind of personal tours at times and there's no rushing you through like some other places.
Guess it depends on what you're looking for. For adults who have a little more than the usual passing interest in such things then probably so. For a typical family hauling up from elsewhere with the kids, probably not. You can also hit Pohick Bay and Mason Neck and some other things in the area while you're there.
Re: Revolutionary War Re-enactment at Gunston Hall last week
Posted by:
Spirit of '76
()
Date: May 08, 2013 02:10PM
By itself, it’s not really worth going to check out unless they have an event going on. Here are some more pics of the event…
Attachments:
Attachments:
Re: Revolutionary War Re-enactment at Gunston Hall last week
Posted by:
Spirit of '76
()
Date: May 08, 2013 02:17PM
Curious, Too Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> No, I hadn't heard about it.
>
> How was it? How many actors? What types of
> demonstrations?
They had both the British, Scottish, and Hessian (German mercenaries) as well as the various Colonial troops with mock battles, Artillery Demos, and large tours of the "battlefield" as well as the houses that are part of the normal Gunston Hall visit. Here's some more information if you're interested...
Gunston Hall
http://www.gunstonhall.org/
Gunston Hall was once the center of a 5,500-acre tobacco and corn plantation. Its owner, George Mason IV (1725-1792), was a fourth generation Virginian who became a senior statesman and author of the Virginia Declaration of Rights, Mason was among the first to call for such fundamental American liberties as religious toleration and freedom of the press.
Today, Gunston Hall is a National Historic Landmark owned by the Commonwealth of Virginia and administered by a Board of Regents appointed from The NSCDA. Mason’s home, constructed between 1755 and 1759, is an outstanding example of Georgian architecture. Visitors receive a guided tour of the mansion with outbuildings, 550 acres of grounds and hiking trails to visit. A variety of onsite events are presented throughout the year. We offer classroom and group tours daily. Located just 24 miles south of Washington, DC in Lorton, Virginia.
-------------------------------------------------------
> No, I hadn't heard about it.
>
> How was it? How many actors? What types of
> demonstrations?
They had both the British, Scottish, and Hessian (German mercenaries) as well as the various Colonial troops with mock battles, Artillery Demos, and large tours of the "battlefield" as well as the houses that are part of the normal Gunston Hall visit. Here's some more information if you're interested...
Gunston Hall
http://www.gunstonhall.org/
Gunston Hall was once the center of a 5,500-acre tobacco and corn plantation. Its owner, George Mason IV (1725-1792), was a fourth generation Virginian who became a senior statesman and author of the Virginia Declaration of Rights, Mason was among the first to call for such fundamental American liberties as religious toleration and freedom of the press.
Today, Gunston Hall is a National Historic Landmark owned by the Commonwealth of Virginia and administered by a Board of Regents appointed from The NSCDA. Mason’s home, constructed between 1755 and 1759, is an outstanding example of Georgian architecture. Visitors receive a guided tour of the mansion with outbuildings, 550 acres of grounds and hiking trails to visit. A variety of onsite events are presented throughout the year. We offer classroom and group tours daily. Located just 24 miles south of Washington, DC in Lorton, Virginia.
Re: Revolutionary War Re-enactment at Gunston Hall last week
Posted by:
RydellRoad
()
Date: May 08, 2013 02:46PM
Gunston Hall is well worth visiting. Much nicer than Mount Vernon. No crowds - not as commercial. The kids enjoyed the visit.
Re: Revolutionary War Re-enactment at Gunston Hall last week
Posted by:
Heroic Age
()
Date: May 08, 2013 03:05PM
In addition to Gunston Hall, there are some other historic points down the road. Here are some pics of the Hall. I can't find a picture of the sign about 1/2 a mile down the street that lists an indian attack.
GUNSTON HALL
Gunston Hall (1755-1759) is the architectural gem built for George Mason IV by William Buckland and William Bernard Sears. The mansion stands as a testament to a single architectural moment in colonial Virginia. After its completion in 1759, few changes were made. As a result, Gunston Hall remains as a vital example of the Georgian style washed upon Virginia’s shores. The two English craftsmen, Buckland and Sears, brought with them the styles popularized in London with Sears’s skill in carving and Buckland’s designs derived in part from source books. They produced eclectic interiors that illustrated the full spectrum of the English Rococo including a Central Passage with “French Modern” and Neoclassical elements, a porch in the “Gothik” style, and two public rooms—one in the “Chinese Taste” and the other containing elements of Palladianism. These two men also produced the furniture for the “Chinese” Room—a rare feature for the period. In addition to importing talent from England, Mason also purchased English furnishings for use in the mansion. The sheer number of Mason pieces provides a vivid picture of what Gunston Hall looked like when the family lived there from 1759 to 1792.
Attachments:
GUNSTON HALL
Gunston Hall (1755-1759) is the architectural gem built for George Mason IV by William Buckland and William Bernard Sears. The mansion stands as a testament to a single architectural moment in colonial Virginia. After its completion in 1759, few changes were made. As a result, Gunston Hall remains as a vital example of the Georgian style washed upon Virginia’s shores. The two English craftsmen, Buckland and Sears, brought with them the styles popularized in London with Sears’s skill in carving and Buckland’s designs derived in part from source books. They produced eclectic interiors that illustrated the full spectrum of the English Rococo including a Central Passage with “French Modern” and Neoclassical elements, a porch in the “Gothik” style, and two public rooms—one in the “Chinese Taste” and the other containing elements of Palladianism. These two men also produced the furniture for the “Chinese” Room—a rare feature for the period. In addition to importing talent from England, Mason also purchased English furnishings for use in the mansion. The sheer number of Mason pieces provides a vivid picture of what Gunston Hall looked like when the family lived there from 1759 to 1792.
Attachments: