Friends of Colvin Run Mill Winter-Spring 2018

Transcription

1 Friends of Colvin Run Mill Winter-Spring 2018 INSIDE MASON MADDOX RETIRES COMING EVENTS Feb 10: Premium Tea & Chocolate Pairing, 1-3 pm. $35, Registration required (call ). Presented by Laurie Bell, certified tea specialist as one of her many presentations at the Mill. Feb 11, & 25; and Mar 4: Syrup boil down ; 12-2 pm. Weather permitting. Fee: $5.00 Mar 24: Limited Production Teas. Registration and fee ($35) required. Call Presented by Laurie Bell, certified tea specialist as one of her many presentations at the Mill. Apr 8 & 22: Grinding; 12-3; $7 adults; $5 children. And first and third Sunday May through October thereafter. Apr 1: Blacksmith demos; free. Call the site at for further information about events, visit its web site at: gov/ parks/colvinrunmill or review listings in ParkTakes (on-line or hard copy), the County s monthly catalogue of recreational opportunities. Mason Maddox and Kitty O Hara Having served for over thirty years with the Fairfax County Park Authority and some twenty years as the miller at Colvin Run Mill, Mason retired from the Park Authority in January His expertise in the structure of a water powered grist mill and the processes of milling grains into flour are renowned throughout the milling community, here and abroad. As a member of the Board of the Society for the Preservation of Old Mills (SPOOM) and as an instructor for annual milling educational classes, Mason has contributed enormously to the maintenance of the knowledge base of this unique industrial process. Amazon Smile - Designate FOCRM when making purchases on Amazon Smile and Amazon will donate a small amount of the purchase price to the Friends. 1

2 FROM THE PRESIDENT: BOARD ELECTIONS Two new members of the board were elected: Dan Dyke and Larry Herman. Dan has been volunteering as a docent in the mill and at the sales booth for the Mill at the Reston Farm Market. Larry has been doing yeoman s work sprucing up the various garden plots around the site. At its January 10th meeting, the Board elected Gene Bacher, President; Dan Dyke, Vice President; Mary Allen, Secretary; and Kitty O Hara, Treasurer. The current board members would be absolutely delighted to have new members! If you have a few hours a month and would like to help us plan and fund enhancement to the mill and its educational opportunities, please contact us immediately. Call Gene Bacher, the President at or for more information and/or to indicate your interest. In other news, the Park Authority continues the development of a policy statement on the need for Friends groups to obtain liability insurance. At the January meeting, we conducted a risk assessment to determine in what ways FoCRM could be vulnerable. This will inform any decisions to be made. The project to provide spotlights for the gear train in the basement may now be funded by the Park Authority. Installation date is still to be determined. Finally, my personal thanks to Kitty for her service as both President AND Treasurer during the past year. AWESOME!!! Gene Bacher, President, Friends of Colvin Run Mill 2 Ross Weatherly Tries Out the Quern Thanks to donations made at the General Store and a very generous donation by Ross and his family, this hand powered milling stone will let visitors experience the energy needed to grind wheat kernels into flour and better understand the value of using water power!! Ross, our first Dusty Miller, is learning the miller s trade through volunteer work during the grinding season. Need for gardeners and other volunteers The site is always looking for volunteers to help establish and maintain the grounds and gardens, to help with student programs, give tours of the site and of the mill, and/or man the store. If any or all of these opportunities fit your interests and availability, please contact Kathryn Blackwell at to work out the details.

3 News You Can Use Ship s Company demonstrates use of grains as component of nutrition for colonial navy Meet the staff Pam Gennari joined the staff of Colvin Run Mill in Her part-time duties include storekeeping, giving tours, scheduling volunteers and helping plan events. She also works full-time at a private school in Leesburg, VA. In her off-time she enjoys reading, taking walks, and keeping up on current events. Left to rights: William Knight (Naval Agent), Michael DeCarlo, Lieutenant Benjamin Bartgis, Thea Chimento, Philip Hosea (CRM Employee) and Captain Myron Peterson. Not Pictured: Cole Grinnell Colvin Run Mill Historic Site was honored to host The Ship s Company on Sunday, November 12 th. At the Mill sailors Michael DeCarlo and Cole Grinnell used Colvin Run Mill Ship s Stuff (bran-flower mix) to make a suet pudding called Boiled Baby. They handed out samples of ships biscuit (hardtack) that they had also produced from CRM Ship s Stuff, and talked with the public about sailor s nutrition and life at sea during the War of Chelsea Tegels joins Colvin Run Mill as the new Museum Educator. She will be working with school programs, Girl Scouts programs, and other educational and outreach projects. She grew up and went to college in Iowa before moving to DC in 2014 to get a Master s in History from Georgetown. Her first museum experience was at Living History Farms in Des Moines, Iowa, where she worked as a Historical Interpreter. While in graduate school, she interned at the National History Center, American Historical Association, and The Kluge Center at the Library of Congress. She has worked part-time at Colvin Run Mill Historic Site since October, and continues to work as a Tour Guide in the Greater DC area. She lives in Falls Church and in her off-time enjoys running, needlework, trying new cuisines and drinks, and reading 19th century novels. Up at the Miller s House the officers, Lieutenant Benjamin Bartgis and Captain Myron Peterson, furnished the Blue Room and there held conversations with Naval Agent William Knight and local lady Thea Chimento. The public came and went while asking questions and hearing all about becoming an officer in the brand-new US Navy, how the navy bought goods and services, and the social realities of the Early Republic. Michael DeCarlo demonstrates the preparation of a Boiled Baby for visitors at the Mill. The day concluded with all members of The Ship s Company sharing the Boiled Baby! 3

4 $$$$$$$ Friends of Colvin Run Mill Financial Statement 2017 FOCRM ended fiscal year 2017 with assets of approximately $39,000. Income from donations and small sales of mill booklets amounted to $10,946. Our administrative expenditures for the year (fund raising, communication and other administrative costs) totaled $1,884. The largest single expense was $709 for printing more copies of the cookbook available at the General Store. Proceeds from sales will come back to FOCRM. Expenses in support of Colvin Run Mill Historic Site activities totaled $3,400. We fund programs, staff training, miller s clothing, and lanterns for the site made with copper gutters taken from the miller s house during the restoration work. For fiscal year 2018, we have a proposed program budget of $5,500 (and have already approved the purchase of up to 15 more lanterns for the site) and proposed administrative budget of $1,050. Donations to FOCRM are always welcome. (go to our web site at: While the Park Authority continues to improve and upgrade the site., there are lots of small items that simply do not fit in the county s budget. The FOCRM funds help fill that gap. Thank you for your support! Don t forget the Maple Syrup boil downs on Sunday, February 11 and 25 and again on Sunday, March 4, 12:00 to 2:00. There is a five dollar fee. In the case of questionable weather (the boil down occurs outside), call to find out the status. Site and Miller s House Interpretation The staff continues to develop a plan for what to include in the two first floor rooms in the restored Miller s house. The first step is to create an interpretive strategy for the whole site and they need your feedback. The following was provided by site staff as they begin work on this exciting project! The purpose of a site-wide interpretive strategy is to present meaningful interpretation that underscores the value of the park. The Park Authority wants to inspire and involve our visitors in history; to welcome all visitors and encourage repeated visitation; to have fun, engaging and positive experiences at the site; to introduce new programming; and to expand audience demographics. The Park Authority staff is working on three themes as they relate to the ideas of Time, Technology and Transitions,: Theme 1: Colvin Run Mill is a tribute to working people. Theme 2: Technology advances, and technology changes people s everyday lives. Theme 3: Colvin Run Mill is the center of many different types of communities. Do these themes make sense? Do you have any ideas as to how the park staff can create interesting interpretation, events, or exhibits that you as a Friend of Colvin Run Mill would like to see or share with others? If so, please send an to Kathryn Blackwell at: kathryn.blackwell@fairfaxcounty.gov. 4

5 SANTA AT THE MILL With a fortuitous dusting of snow, the Mill perfectly embodied the holiday season. The staff, following tradition, decorated a tree with home made ornaments, Santa plied his trade by promising gifts, hot chocolate was dispensed in great quantities, and crafts and projects abounded. Put it on your calendar for next year!!! 5