The

Brandy Station Foundation

Annual Report

For

2008

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Any comments or inquires concerning this report should be directed to:

Brandy Station Foundation

P.O. Box 165

Brandy Station, Virginia 22714

Or

540-727-7718

This report is also available on the Brandy Station Foundation website

http://www.brandystationfoundation.com

  LETTER TO THE MEMBERSHIP

January 1, 2009

“Despite the Economic Downturn…                …the Brandy Station Foundation continues to grow!”

The past year of 2008 saw some significant continued growth in the tourist related activities at The Graffiti House, visitor center for the Brandy Station battlefield.

                                                            2007                2008                % Increase

            Visitors:                                     2,838                 3,306                          16.5

            Gift Shop Sales:                       $6,760             $10,408             54

            Visitor Donations:                    $7,213                $8,320             15.3

This unexpected growth was facilitated by our staff of volunteers, both old and new, who donated their time and talents to enrich the experiences of our visitors.

Activities at The Graffiti House included our Seminar Series (April through October), Living History events, battlefield Tours and special event programs.  In April, we held a birthday party for the 150 year-old Graffiti House that was attended by nearly 200 guests, and in June, on the 145^th anniversary of the Battle of Brandy Station, a dinner/ball was hosted at the Inn at Kelly’s Ford attended by over 100 guests, many in period dress.

In the spring, the Foundation received the final version of  The Architectural Report for the Historic Graffiti House  conducted by Dalgliesh, Gilpin and Paxton of Charlottesville, VA and funded by our grant from the Commonwealth of Virginia.  The report included an estimated cost to perform a complete rehabilitation of The Graffiti House at $1.2 million.  As a much needed first effort in the entire process, Tidewater Preservation, Inc. of Fredericksburg, VA was hired in the summer to stabilize three (3) second floor locations of historic plaster that were in imminent danger of failure.

The next project, in 2009, is to stabilize the first floor and staircase (Phase One), and then to proceed with stabilization of the second floor (Phase Two).  The estimated cost of this stabilization work is $45,000.  Until this structural work is completed, we must, reluctantly, limit the number of visitors at any one time permitted to visit the second floor sites of graffiti.

Through the generosity of the ‘Tiquers’, a group from Lake of the Woods that have provided an appraisal event each of the past two falls, their national organization provided a $2,500 grant that was used to acquire a Civil War period officer’s desk and chair which are now installed in the rear second floor bedroom at the Graffiti House.

The Foundation has designed and published a new map of the Battles of Brandy Station, with separate maps showing the troop movement actions at: Beverly Ford Road, St. James Church, Fleetwood Heights, Stevensburg, and Yew Hills.

Hence, much was accomplished in 2008, yet much remains to be investigated, researched, implemented and funded.  The Brandy Station Foundation deeply appreciates the continuing growth in our membership rolls and in your unwavering financial support of The Graffiti House and the Foundation as we seek new ways to execute our missions of Preservation, Education and Community Service.

For the Board of Directors,

Robert L. Jones

Vice President

Brandy Station Foundation (BSF) Annual Report

Year 2008

Strategic Goals:

The Board of Directors has formulated four strategic goals which focus all of the activities of

the BSF members, directors and volunteers.  These are to:

            (1) Conserve, protect and nurture the historic rural character of the Brandy Station

                         area within Culpeper County, Virginia;

(2) Preserve and protect the Brandy Station and Kelly’s Ford Battlefields and                               related sites of         historical significance for the appreciation and education of future

            Generations;     

            (3) Recognize the courage and dedication of the Confederate and Union soldiers                                       who fought and served here;

            (4) Advance knowledge and understanding of the history of the battles, the region                                                and its environment.

2008 Accomplishments towards the Strategic Goals

            Historic Preservation:

Graffiti House Interpretation – Implementing the recommendation from the Gilpin Report, three second floor sites were identified as being in imminent danger of failure. The corrective remedy was plaster stabilization and was contracted to Tidewater Preservation, Inc. of Fredericksburg during the summer.

                        The BSF owns 8.0 acres of land located adjacent to Kelly’s Ford

                        on the Rappahannock River.  This land was the location of fighting during                                     the March 17, 1863 (Kelly’s Ford) and November 7, 1863 (Rappahannock

                        Station) battles as well as the transient point for Federal troops under

                        General David Gregg during the June 9, 1863 Battle of Brandy Station.

                         The land has been cleaned, trails established and signage erected for

                         public education of the history of the Kelly’s Ford area.

                        The BSF continued the stewardship of the historic St. James Church

            site (2.0 acres) from the Vestry of the Christ Episcopal Church of Brandy

                        Station. The land has been cleaned, trails established and signage updated.

                        Additional efforts will be made to enhance site interpretation to visitors.

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Grants –

A)  Using the findings from the Architectural Report for the Historic Graffiti House and funds from the $15,000 grant from the Commonwealth of Virginia, a phased program of repairs to the Graffiti House has been enacted.  Architectural and Engineering drawings have been procured, using the remaining grant funds, for first floor, stairway, and second floor stabilization.  When this work is completed, the building will be in compliance with current Culpeper County building code requirements for floor loadings.

B)  In 2008, a Civil War period officer’s desk and chair, upholstered in period fabric, was obtained for display in the Graffiti House through a grant of $2,500 from the ‘Tiquers’. This group from the Lake of the Woods has organized an appraisal event each of the last two falls with the appraisers donating their fees from each event.  The ‘Tiquers’ were successful in procuring this grant from their national organization.

C)  The BSF requested $85,000 in funding from the Commonwealth Transportation Board for construction of a vehicle pull-off area with pedestrian facilities at the Fleetwood Heights property.  The Virginia Legislature’s T-21 grant allocation provides $68,000 of the funding requested. This multiple year project concludes in 2011.

Educational Excellence:

                        Attendance – In 2008 visitation at the Graffiti House rose to 3,306; an

                        increase of approximately 16.5% over 2007.

The Ankers Learning Center named after longtime Brandy Station   residents and friends, Dot and Doc Ankers, features books, papers and other research materials related to the Brandy Station battlefield and area.

The Center houses a large screen TV which presents our 12 minute orientation movie on the Battle of Brandy Station.  Additional Civil War video productions are also available for public viewing. Our library continues to grow with numerous donations of period books/periodicals.

Bus Tours – Eleven (11) bus tours were conducted during this year

                         enabling two hundred forty one (241) people to tour the Graffiti House.

Battlefield Tours –Twelve (12) driving tours were conducted from spring to fall on segments of the battlefield - about fifty (50) people attended.

A Spirited Evening at Brandy Station -  On October 25, the Brandy Station Foundation held its second “Spirited Evening at Brandy Station”, with over 50 people (plus our spectral residents) attending. 

Besides the wonderful tales of the beyond told by story-tellers in the upper rooms, also in attendance were members of Virginia Paranormal Investigators (VPI), a Virginia based ‘ghost hunting group’.  VPI demonstrated their unique equipment, displayed images of some of their incidents and talked with the guests about the ghost hunting experience in general and some specific tales of VPI’s from own members. VPI has hunted at the Graffiti House on two separate occasions.

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                        Speaker Series – The BSF sponsored a speaker series at the Graffiti

                        House on the last Sunday of each month from June through October

                        2008. Eight (8) speakers lectured and the cumulative attendance was in

                        excess of one hundred seventy (170) people.

                        2008 Lecture Series:

                                    March 30         The Music of the Civil War

                                    April 27           Jubal Early’s Threat on Washington

                                    May 25            The Atlanta Campaign

                                    June 29            Cavalry Fights in Fauquier County

                                    July 27             West Point at the War’s Onset – Class of 1862

                                    August 31       The Union Executions at Beverly Ford

                                    September 28  Col. & Mrs. J. Egbert Farnum

                                    October 26      Recovering the Remains of Capt. Farley

Living History Programs – Several Civil War re-enactment groups were hosted at the Graffiti House throughout the year.  These living historians set up their camps and displays both outside and inside the house. Each unit that visited Brandy Station had a link to the town during the civil war, and many had an opportunity to visit the areas where the unit they were portraying saw action or passed through.

We thank the following units for their outstanding support:

                                    Company E, 17^th Virginia Infantry – The Fairfax Rifles

The Valley Rangers

The Little Fork Rangers

The 49^th Virginia Infantry “Billy Smith’s Own”

The 2^nd United States Infantry – The Regulars

The 124^th New York Infantry – The Orange Blossoms

145^th Anniversary of the Battle of Brandy Station - In June 2008, over 200 Union and Confederate re-enactors from up and down the eastern seaboard, the Midwest and Canada descended upon the very fields soldiers fought over and camped on 145 years ago.

The Federal forces were led by Colonel Darrell Markjohn and the Rebels were under the command of Colonel Joe Ferguson for the event. Conditions were not unlike events of June 1863; hot, muggy and hazy.  “We came to Brandy Station not to be entertained … but instead we came to honor our Civil War ancestors, who fought and died here 145 years ago. And in accomplishing that noble objective, we thoroughly succeeded,” said Clark C. (Bud) Hall.

Mr. Hall, who provided historical insight of the June 1863 clash, met the re-enactors at various locations on and around the battlefield and spoke of the events that took place at these sites, with the representative re-enacting units that fought the battle.  The soldiers had the opportunity to walk and ride and fight on the fields and locations fought over almost exactly 145 years ago.

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Membership and Friends:

The Foundation is composed of members and friends who are committed to the inspiration of current and future generations to honor the sacrifices of the past by the creation of a living battlefield memorial.  It is this membership and affiliation, represented by the elected leaders on its Board of Directors and appointed Advisory Panel, which forms the heart of the Foundation.

 During 2008, our membership grew by 19% to 703 members and friends.

                                          Membership Percentages

Board of Directors

Executive Council: President – Robert Luddy, Vice-President – Robert Jones,

Treasurer – Robert Pfile, Secretary – Mary Tholand

Board members: Michael Block, Jane Brookins, Della Edrington, Helen Geisler,

Ed Gentry, Peggy Misch, Bob Pfile, Shirley Pfile and Anthony Seidita.

Resources

The resources of the BSF consist of five pieces of property - the Graffiti House, the (1 acre) lot on Old Brandy Road, Gregg’s (Wyndham’s) Approach (14 acres), the Fleetwood Hill Overlook (18.9 acres), the Kelly’s Ford Overlook (8 acres) and the financial holdings shown on the 2008 Financial Summary.  Additionally, the BSF has leased and maintains 2 acres encompassing the site where the Saint James Church was located.

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Plans for 2009:

                        The Graffiti House:

 The Architectural Report for the Historic Graffiti House will be used as the foundational document for obtaining additional funding for the continuing preservation of the Graffiti House and its contents.  As funds permit, new projects will be implemented.

                        Fleetwood Hill Overlook:

The BSF continues development of a plan for the integration of the 18.9 acres of land located at the western foot of Fleetwood Hill with the

                        existing 14.0 acres (Gregg’s Approach) into a visitor friendly battlefield

park. As the plan develops, the BSF will work to install vehicle access and parking, signage, interpretive displays, and walking paths.  This plan will be funded by the Virginia Transportation T-21 grant.

                        St. James Church:

 The BSF will continue to develop the full historic and tourist potential of   the property while honoring the sacred religious nature of the site.  The BSF will further develop a historic plan for the property, clean out natural debris and erect appropriate signage.

                        Battlefield Tours:

                        Driving Tour Schedule for 2009:

                                    Beverly Ford & St. James Church:     April 4, May 30, July 25

                                    Kelly’s Ford & Stevensburg:              April 18, June 13, Aug. 8

                                    Fleetwood Hill:                                   May 2, June 27, Aug. 22

                                    Buford’s Knoll & Yew Ridge:           May 16, July 11, Sept. 5

Kelly’s Ford (Future Plan):

                        The BSF will implement a plan for the full historic and tourist potential of

                        this property through historic preservation, signage, interpretative

                        displays and walking paths when funds become available. 

The project will entail the construction of an entrance from State Road 620 to enter a 50 X 100 foot parking area.  A  series of historical markers and maps will  be erected on an overlook facing the Rappahannock River detailing the history of the land emphasizing developments within a pre-colonial phase, colonial and early 19^th century phase and last, a Civil War phase. Special emphasis will be given to the remnants of the Rappahannock River canal system and the remnants of the industrial center of Kellysville.              

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