Williamsburg, VA, Mini-Reunion October 8-11, 2015

Registration now open for our Williamsburg, VA, mini-reunion.

You are invited to join us for another in a successful series of ’69 mini-reunions. We will again be learning and experiencing facets of America’s history while reconnecting with our classmates and their spouses and guests.

This year we will gather in America’s Historic Triangle, located on the peninsula bordered by the James and York rivers in eastern Virginia, about a 2 1/2 hour’s drive south of Washington DC.  Airlines have service to either Richmond, less than an hour’s drive from Williamsburg, to a limited degree to Williamsburg Newport News International Airport, and to Reagan International Airport in Arlington Co., VA.  Airport transportation may be arranged through Williamsburg Chauffeur Service, 757-927-5049 or online at www.williamsburgchauffeur.com. 

Our itinerary, which may be subject to change, is summarized in the following:

Thursday, October 8, 2015

Everyone will arrive at the Williamsburg Lodge, 310 S England St, Williamsburg, VA 23185, phone 757-220-7976, and check into reserved rooms. At 7:00 PM we will gather at a welcome reception in the Williamsburg Lodge for cocktails and heavy hors-d’oeuvres along with a cash bar. If you still want dinner afterwards, it will be on your own.

Friday, October 9th, 2015

After breakfast on your own at the Lodge, we will gather at 9:00 am in the Arrival Hall, where we will be greeted by our professional tour guides, who will escort us to two motor coaches for a short drive down the Historic Colonial Parkway to Jamestowne Island.

We will tour the island and see the actual archeological dig, which is still making new discoveries every day. As announced on national television and in top magazines, the Rediscovery team has made one of the most profound archeological discoveries in this century. They will share this find – the real James Fort and the skeletons and artifacts they have unearthed, including the remains of four individuals buried in the original church. Objects belonging to Jamestowne colonists 400 years ago, unearthed from the long lost James Fort site, are presented to the public in the Archaearium, a new exhibition facility that showcases the archaeological discoveries at the first permanent English settlement in the New World and the birthplace of the United States of America.

After viewing the findings, we will be invited into the auditorium where Dr. Bill Kelso, director of archaeology for the APVA Jamestown Rediscovery, will give a presentation of the dig and discoveries. At the conclusion of his presentation, he will open the floor for questions.

From more than 30 years before he became director of archaeology for the APVA Jamestown Rediscovery archeological project, Bill built a reputation as one of America’s foremost historical archaeologists in the field of Early American history. He has served as director of archaeology at Colonial Williamsburg’s Carter’s Grove, Monticello and Poplar Forest. He was also Commissioner of Archaeology for the Virginia Historic Landmarks Commission.

In 1993, he left Monticello and persuaded the Association for the Preservation of Virginia Antiquities (APVA) to hire him to find James Fort, on Jamestown Island, Virginia. Coincidentally, the APVA was embarking on its second century of service and wanted to make a significant contribution to the 400th anniversary in 2007 of the landing at Jamestown. In a major shift away from past policies, the APVA Board of Trustees decided to launch a ten-year archaeological search for James Fort with Kelso at the helm. Until then, the APVA had largely discouraged excavations on their land and advocated not disturbing the "hallowed” ground.

The excavation began in 1994, and by 1996, Kelso and a small staff of archaeologists had enough evidence to announce that they had discovered the remains of James Fort, dispelling the long-held belief that the fort was lost to the James River.

Kelso has lectured throughout the U.S. and Europe and authors an annual summary of the discoveries at Jamestown. A bluegrass enthusiast, banjo player and runner, he resides in Jamestown with his wife Ellen. We should note that Bill is currently on call for special projects for National Geographic and if he is called in, one of his able assistants will take his place. 

At 12:30 PM we will board the motor coaches and depart for Yorktown. Upon arriving at Riverfront on the York River, we will make our way to join the crew of the Yorktown Schooners Alliance & Serenity. Boxed lunches will be given out as we board the boats. We can lend a hand at setting sail, take the helm and steer the ship, or look for dolphins and osprey as we glide along the shores of the York River. We will relive sailings of the Golden Age as we cruise past the Victory Monument and Battlefield where our country won its independence.

After a two-hour sail and tour of the Battle of Yorktown as it took place on the York River, we will again board the motor coaches to begin a tour of the Yorktown Battlefield and Visitor Center.

The Yorktown Visitor Center is the orientation point for our visit to the battlefields. We will be given a guided tour of the museum exhibits, which focus on the 1781 Siege of Yorktown, the Battle of the Capes, and the campaign table used by British General Cornwallis during the siege. General Washington's Campaign Tents are also on display in the museum. At the conclusion of the tour, we will be driven a short distance to the surrender field after which we will board the motor coaches to return to Williamsburg.

A reception and dinner at the Williamsburg Lodge will begin at 6:00 PM. William and Mary College President, Taylor Reveley ‘65, and his wife Helen will join us. Taylor will address us at the beginning of our dinner, and after dinner we will be treated to an address by a surprise guest. Both presentations will remind us why Williamsburg is such a significant place.

After the program, there will be time to lounge over an after-dinner beverage at the Lodge’s bar before retiring to rest up for Saturday.

Saturday, October 10, 2015

At 9:00 AM we will gather in the Arrival Hall where five professional tour guides will greet us. The guides will split us into groups of 20-25 and will escort us onto the historic streets of Williamsburg, where we will learn how Colonial Williamsburg has become what it is today.

We will get a first-hand look at life in 18th Century America. The tour will highlight the history of the restoration of Williamsburg and the lifestyles of its people in Colonial America. Established as a living museum, Colonial Williamsburg was restored in the 1930’s with the help of John D. Rockefeller, Jr. and Reverend Goodwin of the Bruton Parish Church. At that time, Williamsburg had become a failing city, with all of its commerce and business moving to Richmond. It was the dream of both Mr. Rockefeller and Reverend Goodwin to restore Williamsburg to its splendor in the 18th Century.

As we walk through these historic streets and exhibits, we will be given an in-depth narration of the beginning of Williamsburg and the work that continues today.

From 12:30 to 1:30 pm we will be provided with a box lunch from the Williamsburg Cheese shop, a favorite for the best homemade bread, cheeses and sandwiches.  Following our tour, we will be escorted back to the Lodge to freshen up.

At 6:30 pm, as we gather again in the Arrival Hall, we will hear the magical sounds of the Fife and Drum Corps. We will follow them as they march us to King’s Arms Tavern on Duke of Gloucester Street. Upon arrival at the King’s Arms, we will dine on colonial fare by candlelight .

The wait staff will be adorned in colonial attire and as we are seated, they will assist in tying the large, white tavern napkins around our necks. This is how they dined in the 18th century! During dinner, colonial balladeers will entertain us at different intervals of the evening. They will play instruments such as the mandolin or violin (no banjos) and may even sing a tavern song or two!

After dinner, we will be free to walk along Duke of Gloucester Street as we make our way back to the Lodge for some time together, conversation and a night cap before retiring for the night.

Sunday, October 11, 2015

On Sunday, breakfast at the Lodge will be on your own before departing Williamsburg and the Historic Triangle. Golf will be arranged that morning at Ford’s Colony, a 54-hole country club located a short distance from Historic Williamsburg and on the way to I-95 and points north and south. Tee-times will be about 9 AM but can be adjusted based on the consensus of those who wish to play.

Clay & Pinky McEldowney