Patrick Henry's Scotchtown

12/17/2024

12/11/2024

Don't miss the opportunity to see Scotchtown and visit our gift shop for all your gift needs before we close for the season on Sunday, December 15th!

We will be open this Friday and Saturday from 10am-5pm and Sunday from 11am-5pm. Last tours start at 4pm. To ensure availability, please book your tours in advance or call our gift shop at 804-227-3500 to reserve your tour time.

https://preservationvirginia.org/tickets/patrick-henrys-scotchtown

Keep watching for announcements about all the exciting programs and special 250th related events in 2025!

12/08/2024

We are always bringing in new items to our gift shop and this one is special - locally handmade wool leashes by Real Keen Leashes! 100% of each sale’s proceeds go directly to support the maintenance and care of the sheep at Scotchtown! Thank you for supporting us and this local artist.

12/03/2024

It's Giving Tuesday. Please consider donating today and be an advocate for preservation and education!

It's Giving Tuesday, where your money goes further at Preservation Virginia. We were awarded a generous matching gift of $10,000, but we need your help to make the match! Your donations support the preservation of not one, but SIX historic sites open to the public, our robust advocacy program, assistance on preservation issues and training the next generation of historic trades professionals.

If doubling your donation wasn't enough, Giving Tuesday supporters also receive FREE historic site passes to gift to your friends and loved ones. These guest passes provide admission to one of five of our locations at no additional cost: Bacon's Castle, John Marshall House, Patrick Henry's Scotchtown, Cape Henry Lighthouse and Smith's Fort.

December makes up a significant portion of our fundraising for the year, helping grow our advocacy and education work across the Commonwealth. Every dollar makes a difference. Please consider giving to history this Tuesday, December 3rd, and thank you so much!

Please donate at https://preservationvirginia.org/support/donate/?mc_cid=9eae6d39fe&mc_eid=UNIQID

12/01/2024

Today, 261 years ago, Patrick Henry defended the planters of Hanover County against the Reverend James Maury in the Parson's Cause.
To understand the Parson's Cause, some context is necessary. In the 18th century the Anglican Church was Virginia’s established church, and its clergy were entitled to a public salary each year. The planters of Virginia would pay this tithe in to***co, as they would many other debts. This is because planters did not always have much cash on hand, but they had plenty of to***co which sold readily. This arrangement worked out nicely until the 1750s, when several droughts affected the colony and caused the price of to***co to fluctuate wildly. In 1758 for example, a bushel of to***co sold for three times what it had previously! With less to***co to spare, the planters asked the House of Burgesses to pass the Twopenny Acts, laws allowing them to pay their taxes– including this tithe– in cash rather than to***co at the previous market rate. This was a temporary effort designed for the relief of the people of Virginia, but some clergymen took exception as the Twopenny Acts effectively served as a pay cut. These clergymen took their grievances to authorities in England, and King George III (on the advice of his Privy Council) revoked the law. This action gave the disgruntled clergymen the legal standing to sue for back pay.
This brings us to the Hanover Courthouse in December of 1763. The Reverend James Maury had sued for the back wages he would have made if he had been paid in to***co rather than in cash. A month earlier the court had agreed he was entitled to these back wages and the question up for debate now was how much he would receive. The vestry was represented by a young country lawyer named Patrick Henry, who had earned his license only three years earlier. Henry argued in court that clergymen such as Maury were not deserving of the money being sought and that they would gladly take from their poorest parishioners if given the chance. Apparently, his argument sat well amongst the jurors as James Maury was awarded a single penny in the suit, the lowest amount possible.
Although the Parson's Cause is today something of a footnote in the early history of the American Revolution, this was the case that put Patrick Henry on the map as an advocate for the liberties of the American colonies. In 1763, much of the tension between the colonies and Great Britain was still to come. Henry’s victory in the Parson's Cause led to his 1765 election to the House of Burgesses, where he would again make waves with the Stamp Act Resolves.
Patrick Henry was a powerful orator, but what did he say to persuade the jury during the Parson's Cause? What arguments would he use during his political career to advocate for American liberties and eventually for American independence? To learn more about Patrick Henry’s life and career, come to Scotchtown, his home from 1771-1778. Our comprehensive tours discuss Patrick Henry’s life, career, and legacy and aim to provide a thorough view of daily life for all of Scotchtown’s inhabitants, both free and enslaved.
Contributed by: Miller Bowe and Patrick Laird
Image: "Patrick Henry arguing the Parson's Cause" by George Cooke, 1834

12/01/2024

This Saturday December 7th, come celebrate the season with us at our Holiday Cheer at Scotchtown and visit our gift shop which will feature special discounts for all your shopping needs!

11/28/2024

On behalf of Patrick Henry’s Scotchtown, we wish to express our heartfelt appreciation and thanks to our friends, guests, supporters, volunteers and staff for all your support.
Happy Thanksgiving to you all!

11/26/2024

Looking for something to do this weekend? Scotchtown is open for tours Friday and Saturday from 10am-5pm and Sunday from 11am-5pm. Tours of Patrick Henry’s home start on the hour with the last tour of the day starting at 4pm.

See you there!

11/23/2024

The rain has moved through and today will be a lovely day to learn about dyeing practices in Colonial America and Patrick Henry's Scotchtown in the 18th century. Join our staff in this all-day long Colonial Colors Dyeing Demonstrations program as we discuss our sample dye and textile gardens and demonstrate various natural dyes to replicate at home!

This special program is included with regular admission pricing, and Preservation Virginia members are completely free!

11/22/2024

Fun Fact Friday!
Did you know that Dorothea Dandridge Henry, Patrick Henry's second wife, was related to a number of well known people? Not only was she the first cousin, once removed, of Martha Dandridge Custis Washington, but she was the 15th great-granddaughter of Robert the Bruce who was King of Scotland from 1306-1329!

Images: Statue of Robert the Bruce at Stirling Castle, sculpted by Andrew Currie and painting of Dorothea Henry by Asahel Powers, 1826

11/17/2024

Saturday, November 23rd from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., come learn about dyeing practices in Colonial America and Patrick Henry's Scotchtown in the 18th century. Join our staff in this all-day long Colonial Colors Dyeing Demonstrations program as we discuss our sample dye and textile gardens and demonstrate various natural dyes to replicate at home!

This special program is included with regular admission pricing, and Preservation Virginia members are completely free! Our friends in Hanover should certainly take advantage of their membership to catch this unique program!

11/14/2024

We are learning more about our early history with recent dendrochronology studies performed at Scotchtown!

11/08/2024

Preserving a home that is nearly 300 years old takes constant maintenance and care. Today work continued on the reglazing of several of the windows.

Reglazing window panes involves replacing the putty between the window frame and the glass. The putty breaks down over time, compromising the window's seal and weatherproofing ability.

11/07/2024

On this day in 1775, the last Royal Governor of Virginia would issue an important proclamation that stoked the anxieties of Virginian enslavers and would shape the course of the Revolutionary War.

Lord Dunmore became the royal Governor in September of 1771, succeeding the popular Lord Botetourt who had just passed away. Dunmore took power at a time of mounting tensions between the colonies and their mother country, and would prove to be a very unpopular figure, particularly among independence-minded Virginians. This included Patrick Henry. Henry and Dunmore would face off on many occasions, most famously in the Spring of 1775, when Dunmore seized the gunpowder from Williamsburg’s public magazine; in response, Patrick Henry led a militia to the capital to demand the powder be restored. Dunmore released a proclamation rendering Henry an outlaw. Despite this, Henry would continue unbothered on his journey to the Continental Congress.

In November of 1775, Dunmore issued the document now simply called “Dunmore’s Proclamation” in response to the rising tensions. It put the colony into a state of martial law, but more importantly, it offered Virginia’s enslaved population a tantalizing offer: the slaves of rebelling Patriots were declared free on the condition that they join Dunmore in his defense of His Majesty’s Government.

This was a landmark proclamation, but it is essential to recognize its limitations: the freedom Dunmore offered was contingent on military service, and so children, women, and the elderly were not eligible. Dunmore (himself an enslaver) did not issue the proclamation out of a principled opposition to slavery; it was a move calculated to punish Virginians who were resisting the king, and people whose enslavers remained loyalists were not included. At the same time, this offer would entice hundreds of people to self-emancipate and struck fear into the hearts of white Virginians across the colony. Slavery was firmly entrenched in Virginia; five years later, in 1780, more than 220,000 people were enslaved throughout the state, making up 40% of the population.

By the time Dunmore issued his proclamation, Patrick Henry was serving as leader of Virginia’s militia, and his response to Dunmore’s proclamation would be published on November 20th. In it, Henry described Dunmore’s proclamation as “fatal to the publick safety,” reflecting the anxieties of white Virginians who feared insurrection from the enslaved population. As a countermeasure, Henry recommended extra attention be paid to enslaved people and also called for constant patrols to monitor their movements.

Dunmore’s Proclamation did not have the effect the governor intended. White Virginians who feared uprisings were incensed by the proclamation, and many became supporters of independence. Dunmore was able to organize the formerly-enslaved people who did join him into the Ethiopian Regiment, which saw action at the Battle of Great Bridge, where they were defeated. Dunmore would flee to Great Britain in 1776.

To learn more about Patrick Henry’s life and career, come to Scotchtown, his home from 1771-1778. Our comprehensive tours discuss Patrick Henry’s life, career, and legacy, and aim to provide a thorough view of daily life for all of Scotchtown’s inhabitants, both free and enslaved.

Contributors: P. Laird and M. Bowe

11/01/2024

Sharing an exciting announcement from Preservation Virginia!

The longtime director of fundraising for Preservation Virginia will now lead the organization as chief executive officer. Will Glasco was selected to be the next CEO after having been on the staff of Preservation Virginia for 10 years, following a national search led by Aspen Leadership Group.

Growing up in Richmond, Virginia, Glasco has spent his 16-year career in history museums. After joining Preservation Virginia in 2014, he served as director of development and most recently as chief operating officer. Previously he was with the American Civil War Museum, and currently serves on several nonprofit and professional development boards, including Historic Turkey Run House, the Rural Plains Foundation and the Virginia Association of Fundraising Executives. A writing major, Glasco is now studying for a graduate degree in American History from Gettysburg College.

“I’m honored to be given the responsibility of stewarding this impactful organization into the future, and we have a lot planned in the coming years,” said Glasco. “Consulting on preservation issues, advocating for preservation policy and stewarding our six historic sites open to the public are top priorities.”

In December 2023, current CEO Elizabeth S. Kostelny announced her plans to retire. Kostelny has been with the organization since 1990, and her accomplishments include growing the archaeology program at Historic Jamestowne, expanding community engagement on historic preservation issues and leading the organization through several significant fundraising campaigns.

“With thoughtful input from community leaders, board members and the staff team, the mission of Preservation Virginia has grown exponentially in the last 20 years,” said Kostelny. “I’m confident in the board’s selection and know that Will Glasco will continue the important legacy we’ve worked so hard to build.”

Glasco begins his tenure as CEO in November 2024. Join us in congratulating Will the next time you see him out and about! To read the full press release, visit our website at https://preservationvirginia.org/press_release/preservation-virginia-names-will-glasco-as-ceo/

10/27/2024

Myths, Legends and Other Stories! is November 9th where you can test your knowledge and win a prize. Tickets are limited for this after hours event so get your tickets today!

Event time - 5:30-7pm