Yesterday was just a “Get There” day.
“Get There” days are some of my favorite days of all. Time to explore a bit without a hurry hurry hurry on the agenda.
And when I’m driving myself, my journey can take me a bit off of the direct path and include things of meaning to me.
Being an unabashed lover of history, and wanting to understand what previous generations went through in the forming of our country, I am always stopping to read the little grey marker signs along the highway (When it is safe to pull over) or visiting historic sites.
And yes, that even includes the giant bare naked bum of “The Vulcan” in Birmingham as well as civil war battlefields.
Starting my day right with breakfast with a friend!
Bull Run battlefield at Manassas.
I’m not going to give a run down of Civil War history and what happened here. But if you find yourself in the area around Manassas, near DC – This is a beautiful place to think and reflect, and center your soul.
Visit the Manassas Battlefield Park website for more info here.
The Henry House.
On July 21, 1861, the first major battle of the Civil War took place at and around this home in the railroad community of Manassas Junction. The First Battle of Bull Run ended with the death of more than 5,000.
Judith Carter Henry, 84 or 85 years old and bedridden, refused to leave her upstairs bedroom as the battle was fought on the surrounding hill. As Confederate snipers used the house; Judith Henry was killed by a Union cannon shell meant for the snipers. She was the first civilian killed at First Bull Run, July 21, 1861.
After the battle, the house was allegedly chipped into pieces and carried off by sightseers as souvenirs. The remains of the house were burned during the Second Battle of Manassas.
The Henry Hill Monument
One of the Nation's First Civil War Monuments, the Henry Hill Monument was dedicated by Union veterans on June 13, 1865 adjacent to the ruins of the Henry House.
Henry House was rebuilt in 1870, partially overlapping the original house site. In the 1890's, the Henry family was charging to give tours of the surrounding battlefield.
The Sons of Confederate Veterans purchased the home in 1922 for use as a visitors center. In 1940 they donated the house to the National Park Service. [source]
Sounds of the day.
The “Stone House” beyond.
This is the historic house that gave the Stone House Quilters their name!
It was just a beautiful morning to be out and paying my respects to those who lost so many lives on both sides during the first major battle of the civil war.
From here my drive up to Hagerstown for my presentation last night was a piece of cake!
And now to get the thoughts of war and loss and carnage out of your heads, how about some show & share?? As a farewell to Manassas, and a thank you to the Stone House Quilt Guild, I want to share the beautiful quilts that were brought both to our workshops and to Monday evening’s meeting:
I’ll look forward to seeing these ladies again in the future! Some of them sooner rather than later as they’ll be coming to my week long event at Mary’s Quilt Shop in Bedford, PA in July. I’m counting down the weeks, girls!
Last night’s group!
A new group, another round of fun with eager and excited quilters! Today we’ve got Scrap Crystals from MORE Adventures with Leaders & Enders up on deck and I know we are going to have a grand day.
When the workshop is over, I’ll be hoping into my van and heading up the road toward Linthicum. It’s a short stay in Hagerstown, but it will be memorable!
Quiltville Quote of the Day!
Vintage quilt found in Grapevine, Texas.
Every day is another fork in the road. Make sure you take the right one!
Get out there and make this Wednesday a great one!
6 comments:
Oh Bonnie, I was waiting for you to tell how the Henry family moved 200 miles away from their Manassas home to Appamattox, because they had had enough of the fighting. And then the battles came to their neighborhood, and their new house was the site of the official surrender at the end of the Civil War! This information is in the museum at the Bull Run Battlefield. I used to live in Manassas.
Enjoy your trip!!
I learned something today. I thought the Stone House Quilters was named after the old stone house on the Occoquan River in Occoquan VA.
Wow, I just love your show and share videos. I get so motivated to get finishing, and then I see another of your designs I want to make. I'm going to have to luve a lot longer to get them all done!
While I made my enprovence quilt just as Bonnie designed and love it I also like the other color choices in the slide show!
So much History! Thanks for taking thst fork on your way. Packing for our Retreat with you. My Local guild is so jealous of me...
OMGosh, I did that dino quilt for my son when he was little - maybe 20 years ago or so!
I love history and hate that some Civil War monuments are being torn down because they honor the Confederate dead. History happened, we should learn from it, not hide it.
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