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RichmondRoanoke

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RaphineRaphine Colonial BeachColonial BeachWaynesboroWaynesboro

OccoquanOccoquan

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FREDERICKSBURG

DOWN HOME IN

by Lee Woolf, Contributing Writer

DOWN HOME SERIES

Again in the year 2006, we’re making our way around the region, each issue visiting a small town and meeting some of the folks who make up the heart of electric co-op country.On this year’s fifth stop, we’ll be ...

History is to Fredericksburg whatautumn leaves are to the BlueRidge Parkway or the ocean is to

Virginia Beach.It’s not the only reason to visit, but it

defines the region’s character and enhancesall the other aspects of a visitor’s experience.

If George Washington or James Monroe

were to return to Fredericksburg today,many of the buildings in a 40-block area ofthe city that is designated as a NationalRegister Historic District would look famil-iar. Some of those buildings also have scarsfrom an 1862 Civil War battle that includeda devastating artillery barrage and deadlyhouse-to-house fighting. Visitors can stand

FREDERICKSBURG

AT A GLANCE...POPULATION: 21,100 as of 2004

LAND AREA: 10.5 square miles

FOUNDED: 1728

ELEVATION: 1,075 feet

FUN FACT: The FredericksburgAgricultural Fair is billed as the“Oldest Fair in America.” Held inlate July, it will have its 268thanniversary in 2006.

where Robert E. Lee watched from theheights south of town as his Confederatetroops delivered one of the most lopsidedvictories of the war.

Some local residents embrace their townas “America’s Most Historic City.” Butother places stake claim to that title, as well.So, when a regional tourism group selected

Cooperative Living/June 200638

Nestled in a lush green landscape justoff I-95, Fredericksburg is abouthalfway between Richmond andWashington, D.C.

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a brand name in 2005, they settled onsomething simple and to the point:“Fredericksburg Timeless.” The idea was tolink the region’s rich history with opportu-nities for shopping, dining, entertainmentand recreation. Think old-town charmsprinkled with modern-day conveniences.

“We were seeking a brand that wouldidentify the unique selling points that the cityhas to offer and not focus on just one thing,”says David Holder, the city’s director oftourism and economic development. “Wefeel like we have a perfect timeless mix ofhistoric sites and modern amenities.

“This is a place you can visit and be your-self — or be a kid again, if you like — andhave fun any way you choose. I think peoplecan come here and escape the stress of lifetoday and lose track of time. And that’simportant with so many busy lifestyles.”

So far, the brand name seems to be work-ing. Statistics indicate that about 262,000tourists visited Fredericksburg’s attractions in2005, while revenue from meals and lodgingtaxes rose 8 percent over the previous year.

LOCATION, LOCATION …Fredericksburg sits roughly halfway be-

tween Washington, D.C., and Richmond —about 50 miles from each via Interstate 95 orU.S. 1. The city’s population is about 21,000and it is the hub of a fast-growing region thatincludes neighboring Spotsylvania, Stafford,Caroline and King George counties.

Any discussion of the town probablyshould begin with the RappahannockRiver, which represents the city’s northernborder as it meanders from the Blue Ridgemountains toward the Chesapeake Bay.Capt. John Smith explored the Rappa-

hannock to present-day Fredericksburg in1608, but Native Americans were living inthe region as early as 7,000 B.C. Fishing forshad and herring is a popular spring ritualthat links past and present.

Fredericksburg was established in 1728and was named for Crown PrinceFrederick, the son of George II ofEngland. Local historian Paula Felderwrites that initially, the town “was a tiny,raw, dusty river port with the same charac-teristics that we associate with the laterfrontier towns of the West.”

George Washington came to live at a fam-ily property across the Rappahannock fromFredericksburg in 1738 when he was sixyears old. The site is called Ferry Farm —where legend says young George was ableto throw a coin across the river and couldnot bring himself to tell a lie about cuttingdown a cherry tree. Washington’s familyhas a strong connection to Fredericksburgand he was a frequent visitor as an adult.His mother Mary, sister Betty and brother

June 2006/www.co-opliving.com

Clockwise from top: While visiting “timeless” Fredericksburg, you can learn about Colonial medicalpractices at the Hugh Mercer Apothecary Shop, board a 100-foot paddle boat for a cruise on theRappahannock River, or take a trolley tour highlighting the city’s rich history.

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Cooperative Living/June 2006

Charles all lived in the city, and their for-mer homes are among the city’s most pop-ular attractions today.

Another important historic site is theJames Monroe Museum and MemorialLibrary. Monroe came to Fredericksburgat age 28 in 1787 and stayed for threeyears. He practiced law in Fredericksburgand served on city council before movingto Albemarle County on his way tonational prominence.

The city continued to prosper into the1800s, and in 1837, the Richmond, Fred-ericksburg and Potomac Railroad reached asfar north as Fredericksburg. According to his-torian Felder, this was the beginning of thenorth-south transportation corridor thatwould dominate the town’s future.

CITY UNDER THE GUNS“Of all the Southern towns made famous

by blood, none would be more famous than

Fredericksburg,” wrote John Hennessy inan article last year for Blue & Gray magazine.Hennessy is the chief historian for theFredericksburg and Spotsylvania NationalMilitary Park.

“No community in America sufferedlonger or more variously at the hands of civilwar; its wartime ordeal started as inconven-ience and affront, but ended amidst horror,poverty and death … More than a centurylater, the Civil War remains Fredericksburg’scentral event — a defining epoch whoseimprint remains vivid and visible.”

The city became a killing ground inDecember 1862, when Union Gen.Ambrose Burnside tried to dislodge Lee’sArmy of Northern Virginia from the heightssouth of town. First, he had to eliminateConfederate sharpshooters who were pre-venting his men from constructing pontoonbridges across the Rappahannock. To dothat, he directed an artillery barrage that laidwaste to the town. Frustrated by tenaciousstreet fighting once they did cross the river,the Federals went on a destructive lootingspree as most of the remaining civilians triedto escape through Confederate lines.

On Dec. 13, Burnside struck Lee at twopoints. But Gen. Thomas J. “Stonewall”Jackson’s men held firm on the Confederateright flank and the Rebels of Gen. JamesLongstreet slaughtered the Federals duringtheir repeated attempts to capture Marye’sHeights. When silence finally fell over the

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Beyond its historical appeal, Fredericksburgoffers a choice selection of shopping and diningvenues. Old Town is lined with a mix of antiquestores, galleries, specialty shops and restaurants,while Central Park, just off I-95, houses over 160retailers and around 50 restaurants.

battlefield, the Federals had suffered morethan 12,000 casualties, compared to about5,000 for the Confederates.

Three more major Civil War battles —Chancellorsville, Wilderness and Spot-sylvania Court House — were fought within20 miles of Fredericksburg during 1863 and 1864. Combined, these engagementsinvolved more than 750,000 men and pro-duced 100,000 casualties. The economicimpact of the Civil War on the civilian pop-ulation can’t be overstated. It was the 1940sbefore census figures in the region reachedpre-war levels.

In a column marking the anniversary ofLee’s birthday last January, local newspapereditor Ed Jones wrote, “With historic preser-vation and Civil War tourism very much inthe headlines, this area can claim a wonder-fully mixed identity: a growing outpost ofWashington where the War Between theStates is still a breaking news story.”

A FLOURISHING COMMUNITYDespite its historical legacy, Fredericks-

burg today is anything but a stale andsleepy town.

The Old Town section offers an invitingmix of antique stores, art galleries, specialtyshops and restaurants. A new parkinggarage nearby is a nice convenience, andplans for a modern downtown hotel are onthe drawing board.

The city’s chief commercial engine thesedays is Central Park, which is located just offI-95. It offers more than 160 retailers, includ-ing many national chain stores and franchis-es, about 50 restaurants and a variety of fam-ily entertainment options. Central Park ispart of the larger Celebrate Virginia project.When complete, it will span 2,400 acres onboth sides of the river and will include hotels,restaurants, golf courses, a corporate campusand the National Slavery Museum, sched-uled to open in 2007. The spacious newFredericksburg Expo & Conference Centeralready is attracting a variety of events.

Also helping the city remain young atheart is the University of Mary Washington,a liberal arts school of about 4,000 studentsthat will celebrate its centennial in 2008.

“Fredericksburg is not a place youwould call a ‘college town,’ but the influ-ence of the University of Mary Washingtonis significant,” says Ron Singleton, UMW’ssenior vice president for advancement anduniversity relations.

From student volunteerism to elder-studyprograms, UMW has strong ties to the

Any exploration of Old Town should begin atthe FFrreeddeerriicckkssbbuurrgg VViissiittoorr CCeenntteerr at 706

Caroline St., where a 14-minute audiovisual pro-gram will provide an overview of the area’s histo-ry. Visitors can stroll the brick sidewalks to nearbyantique shops and restaurants, or journey throughthe historic district by trolley orhorse-drawn carriage. Anotheroption is a riverboat trip downthe Rappahannock.

KKeennmmoorree PPllaannttaattiioonn aannddGGaarrddeennss at 1201 WashingtonAve. is one of the finest 18th-century houses in Virginia. Itsceilings display some of themost elaborate plasterwork tosurvive from the Colonial era.George Washington’s only sis-ter, Betty, lived here with herhusband, Fielding Lewis.

America’s fifth president,James Monroe, began hiscareer practicing law inFredericksburg. Among theitems on display at the JJaammeessMMoonnrrooee MMuusseeuumm aanndd MMee--mmoorriiaall LLiibbrraarryy is the desk heused in writing the speech thatoutlined the Monroe Doctrine.

TThhee FFrreeddeerriicckkssbbuurrgg AArreeaaMMuusseeuumm at 907 Princess AnneStreet is another must-see. Inaddition to local history fromthe Colonial and Civil Wareras, one exhibit runningthrough Labor Day focuses onVirginia dinosaurs.

Other interesting stops inOld Town include the HHuugghhMMeerrcceerr AAppootthheeccaarryy SShhoopp, where visitors get a liv-ing-history interpretation of Colonial medical prac-tices; the MMaarryy WWaasshhiinnggttoonn HHoouussee, whereGeorge’s mother lived the last 17 years of her life,and the RRiissiinngg SSuunn TTaavveerrnn, which was built byGeorge’s brother, Charles Washington, as ahome in 1760 and later became a popular tavernwhen Fredericksburg was a bustling port city.

If you are inspired by architecture, Fred-ericksburg is blessed with several impressivechurch buildings. A walk along PPrriinncceessss AAnnnnee SStt..will take you past FFrreeddeerriicckkssbbuurrgg BBaappttiisstt CChhuurrcchh,completed in 1855 in the Gothic Revival style;

IF YOU GO ...

41June 2006/www.co-opliving.com

Cannon fire still rings in the historical hamlet,where the Civil War’s imprint remains vivid. SStt.. GGeeoorrggee’’ss EEppiissccooppaall CChhuurrcchh, finished in 1849

in the Romanesque style; and the PPrreessbbyytteerriiaannCChhuurrcchh, erected in 1833 in the Greek Revivalstyle. All three served as hospitals during the CivilWar. In addition, AAqquuiiaa CChhuurrcchh in StaffordCounty, built between 1751 and 1757, is consid-

ered one of the finest exam-ples of Colonial architecturein Virginia.

The FFrreeddeerriicckkssbbuurrgg aannddSSppoottssyyllvvaanniiaa NNaattiioonnaall MMiillii--ttaarryy PPaarrkk is comprised ofabout 9,000 acres from fourmajor Civil War battlefields.Visitor centers at bothFredericksburg and Chancel-lorsville offer films andexhibits. Don’t miss the statueof Sgt. Richard Kirkland atFredericksburg.

The park headquartersis just across the Rappa-hannock River at CChhaatthhaamm,a Georgian-style mansionthat served as a Unionheadquarters and hospitalduring the Civil War. Othernearby stops in StaffordCounty include FFeerrrryy FFaarrmm,the site of George Wash-ington’s boyhood home, andBBeellmmoonntt, the home and stu-dio of artist Gari Melchers.

And finally, don’t miss twoFredericksburg landmarks:GGoooollrriicckk’’ss MMooddeerrnn PPhhaarrmmaa--ccyy at 901 Caroline St., theoldest continuously operatingsoda fountain in America,

and CCaarrll’’ss at 2200 Princess Anne St., which isfamous for its soft frozen custard.

CCoonnttaacctt iinnffoo:: Fredericksburg Visitor Center (1-800-678-4748); Fredericksburg Area Tourism(1-800-654-4118 or www.visitfred.com); Fred-ericksburg and Spotsylvania National MilitaryPark (540-373-6122 or www.nps.gov/frsp). n

From top: 1) The Rising Sun Tavern is fun for allages — tavern wenches entertain in lively 18th-century style. 2) Kids get into the act at FerryFarm. 3) Fredericksburg is home to an extensivearts community, with classes readily available.

Fredericksburg community. The 176-acrecampus, complete with a community jog-ging trail, has been ranked by college guide-books as one of the nation’s most beautiful.Singleton notes that more than 300 lectures,concerts and special events are held on the

UMW campus each year, nearly all of whichare open to the community.

The university’s art, drama and musicalofferings contribute to Fredericksburg’sthriving cultural scene.

“One thing that has surprised me during

Cooperative Living/June 200642

the two years I’ve been here is both thequality and quantity of local artists,” saysHolder, the city tourism director. “Both thevisual and performing arts are very goodand growing. This is something we need tocapitalize on. I think it adds another ele-ment to the appeal of the city for both visi-tors and other artists.”

If there is such a thing as the “voice ofFredericksburg,” a good case could be madefor Brian Strobel, who has been the morn-ing DJ on popular radio station WFLS-FMfor almost three decades.

“I think one of the reasons I have stayedin Fredericksburg these many years is that Igrew up in a small town [Hornell, N.Y.] andI wanted to continue to live in that kind ofatmosphere,” says Strobel. “Even thoughthe Fredericksburg area has grown somuch, the city has retained its small-towncharm. I really like the fact that I see somany people I know every day in town andget a chance to chat and feel like a part of acommunity. I don’t feel swallowed up like Iwould in a big city. And this is a great placeto raise a family.” n