Chesterfield 2007

Amanda Daniels

By 1610, settlers at Jamestown had withstood nearly four years of harsh weather, disease and famine. Sir Thomas Dale set out to find new ground, which he found on a tall bluff overlooking the river in present-day Chesterfield County. Dale described this site as “convenient, strong, healthie and sweete,” and by 1611, it was settled and named the Citie of Henricus, the second permanent English settlement in the New World.

Chesterfield County and the Heritage Alliance are commemorating the 400th anniversary of Jamestown and the 400 years of history with the Chesterfield 2007 campaign, which, beginning this month, is promoting the county’s rich past and many historical sites, including the Citie of Henricus, the location of today’s Henricus Historical Park. In doing this, Chesterfield 2007 is partnering with Richmond Region 2007 and Virginia 2007.

Chesterfield 2007 has four main areas of focus: signature events, exhibits, marketing and publicity and a “sister community” initiative with Gravesham Borough, England, the final resting place with Virginia Indian princess Pocahontas. With funding allocated by the Board of Supervisors, Chesterfield 2007 is executing plans to make this year’s lineup of events and programs a great success.

Signature Events
Numerous events will take place throughout the year, including a lineup of six major events that will get under way in March.

The Chesterfield County Museum, which has been closed for renovations for several months, will be reopening in March with a private celebration on March 8. The following day, the museum will be open to county employees from noon-6 p.m.

May 20-26, a replica of the Godspeed, one of the three ships that landed at Jamestown, will be visiting. The ship will be docked at Henricus Historical Park May 20-22 and at Richmond Intermediate Terminal May 23-26. The festivities will include a landing party featuring musical performances, educational exhibits and other Jamestown commemoration booths. There also will be tours of the Godspeed. Admission will be free.

Pocahontas State Park will host the Chesterfield 2007 Pocahontas Festival on June 2, 1-7 p.m. The festival will feature performances by Chesterfield County students. A number of student organizations will be represented. There also will be a special performance by the Richmond Symphony at the park that evening.

The Chesterfield County Chamber of Commerce is partnering with the Heritage Alliance to host a wine festival this summer (date and location to be announced). The wine festival will include re-enactors and other historic elements. Musical performances and various craft vendors are expected. Representatives from Virginia’s wineries will showcase and sell their wines.

Two major events will be taking place in October. Eppington Heritage Day is planned for Oct. 6, 1-5 p.m. The annual event will feature performances, re-enactors and other special activities throughout the day. On Oct. 20-21, the Chesterfield County Airport will host the Chesterfield County Air Show. The show will have a historic theme this year.

Exhibits
Included in the renovations of the Chesterfield County Museum were an overhaul of its exhibits. Expected to open to the public this March, the museum will serve as a first stop for county visitors, providing them an overview of Chesterfield County history and promoting visits to other sites within the county.

At Henricus Historical Park, there will be a new exhibit located in the education center. This exhibit will serve as a resource for teachers as they accompany students on field trips. It is designed to be kid-friendly.

A new traveling exhibit was developed featuring three new panels focusing on the history of Falling Creek Ironworks, the Mid-Lothian Mines and Eppington. The exhibit will travel to libraries, schools and events throughout the county, and will be featured at the Chesterfield 2007 signature events.

Virginia 2007 and Virginia Cooperative Extension have developed a program to commemorate the 400th anniversary by encouraging residents to plant “Anniversary Gardens” of red, white and blue in their communities. Chesterfield 2007 and Chesterfield County Cooperative Extension are partnering to plant Anniversary Gardens at several historic sites throughout the county. There are also plans to carry the color scheme throughout the county with annual flowers at libraries, schools and the Chesterfield County Government Complex.

Marketing and Publicity
To date, there have been several projects completed for Chesterfield 2007. A new historic Chesterfield County brochure has been developed and distributed to visitors centers throughout the state, and the Heritage Alliance Web site has been redesigned and updated.

During the past two years, a series of calendar bookmarks have been printed and distributed at county libraries and historic sites. In addition, a new brochure highlighting the 2007 events is expected out next month.

In addition to county’s own efforts to market and promote 2007 events, several volunteer writers are contributing to the “Countdown to Jamestown” series in Chesterfield Living Magazine. The articles highlight the top 10 events in Chesterfield County’s history.

Twinning
To continue our current partnership with Gravesham Borough, England, several delegations will be visiting Chesterfield County this year. A government delegation will be visiting in May to participate in the Godspeed event. At the same time, members of the Gravesham Twinning Association will be staying with local families and attending special events. A student delegation also is expected to visit this spring.

For more information about Chesterfield 2007, call (804) 796-7045 or visit www.chesterfieldtourism.com.

This site is sponsored by Chesterfield Heritage Alliance.
For more information, call the Chesterfield County Department of Parks and Recreation at (804) 748-1623
Copyright 2006 © Chesterfield Heritage Alliance. All rights reserved.