The 42nd Sons of the Revolution Triennial
October 1 – 4, 2015
Schedule of Events / Guest Information
On behalf of the Sons of the Revolution in the
Commonwealth of Virginia, the Virginia Society’s
Executive Committee and our Board of Managers; we
welcome you to the 42nd Triennial Meeting. We
couldn’t be more pleased to host this year’s event in
our very own Colonial Williamsburg. Home to our
General Society Headquarters and the Historic Triangle
(Yorktown, Williamsburg and Jamestown) - the
Tidewater Region is ripe with history. We hope that
you enjoy your visit to historic Colonial Williamsburg
and; more importantly, we hope you enjoy the
camaraderie of Society Members and guests.
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Contents*
Subject / Activity
Page #
Hotel Information and Rooms
3
Weather and Attire
3
Daily Calendar of Events (Business Meetings)
4
Dinner and Reception Venues
5
Guest Speaker – Brian Kilmeade
6
Colonial Williamsburg Multiday Pass
6
Prepaid (guided) Excursion (Jamestowne)
7-8
Self-Guided Excursions
9-15
*Subject to Change
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Hotel Information and Rooms
A member of the esteemed Historic Hotels of America and recipient of 4 stars from Forbes Travel Guide
– The Williamsburg Lodge is the perfect hotel getaway.
The Williamsburg Lodge offers something for every member of your family. For example, you may enjoy
storytelling and other activities in the lobby with your kids. Or maybe you would prefer to just relax?
The Lodge provides 323 guest rooms and suites with modern amenities, including free WiFi. Each room
has an iron and ironing board, Keurig® brewer, flat-screen television, and digital clock radio. Fresh
sheets and towels along with maid service are provided daily.
Just steps from the Revolutionary city – the Lodge is now accepting reservations for members of the
Sons of the Revolution. For more information on the Williamsburg Lodge or to book a room, please visit
our member’s only registration website at:
https://aws.passkey.com/event/13897790/owner/31763/home
Weather and Attire
General Attire: October is considered one of the most favorable times of the year to visit Central
Virginia - and Colonial Williamsburg specifically. During the fall the weather is normally sunny and quite
pleasant for walking around the many sites that Colonial Williamsburg has to offer. Weather can be
crisp in the early morning or late afternoon; while warm during the middle of the day. Averages range in
the 50’s (low) to 70’s (high) during the months of October. Please check forecasts as well – for an off
chance of rain.
Meeting and Dinner Attire: Meeting attire will be business casual during the day, with reception and
dinner being more formal. Specifically, dinner attire on Thursday and Friday night is cocktail attire
(Jacket and tie) with Saturday night attire formal - Black Tie (White Tie optional). As always, Medals and
Society insignia encouraged on Saturday night.
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Daily Calendar of Events
Thursday, October 1st
10:00 am – 5:00 pm
1:00 pm – 5:00 pm
5:00 pm – 10:00 pm
Registration
Breakout Subcommittee meetings (TBD)
Pennsylvania Color Guard Reception/Dinner – Two
Rivers Country Club
Friday, October 2nd
7:00 am – 8:30 am
7:00 am – 11:00 am
8:00 am – 3:00 pm
9:30 am – 3:00 pm
5:30 pm – 10:00 pm
Continental Breakfast
Registration
Business Mtg #1 (including lunch)
Guest’s Tour to Jamestown (including lunch)
Reception & Dinner – Williamsburg Lodge
Saturday, October 3rd
7:00 am – 8:30 am
8:00 am – 12:00 pm
12:00 pm – 4:00 pm
5:30 pm – 10:00 pm
Continental Breakfast
Business Mtg #2
Free Time (self-guided tours, sightseeing, exploring)
Formal Reception & Banquet – Williamsburg Lodge
Sunday, October 4th
8:45 am – 9:00 am
9:15 am – 10:15 am
10:30 am – 11:00 am
Processional to Bruton Parish Church
Holy Eucharist, Rite II – Bruton Parish Church
Farewell Sherry in Bruton Parish Library
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Dinner and Reception Information
Friday October 1, 2015: Two Rivers Country Club (Cocktail Attire)
The Pennsylvania Color Guard welcomes all registered members and guests to a special evening at Two
Rivers Country Club – located on The Governor’s Land. Nestled between the James River and the
Chickahominy River (two rivers) – the club and its backdrop will serve as the perfect start to an
enjoyable weekend for Society members and guests.
Along with the natural splendor of its surroundings, the Two Rivers Country Club and its location enjoys
a significant history dating back thousands of years. In recent centuries, it was particularly important in
the early days of Jamestown and the Virginia Colony. Archaeological excavations and research provide
valuable insights to the Indian village once here, which was the closest one to Jamestown when the
English arrived in 1607. Subsequent occupants of the land are today considered among America’s
founding families.
Friday October 2, 2015 and Saturday October 3, 2015: The Williamsburg Lodge
Join your fellow Society members and guests for two wonderful evenings of camaraderie at the
Williamsburg Lodge. On Friday October 2nd a reception and dinner will take place in the Williamsburg
Lodge’s Colony Room (Cocktail Attire). On Saturday, October 3rd a formal reception and dinner, with
special guest speaker and entertainment, will take place in the Williamsburg Lodge’s Virginia Room
(Black Tie – White Tie Optional).
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Guest Speaker – Brian Kilmeade
Brian Kilmeade is a Fox News television personality who co-hosts Fox's morning show, Fox & Friends. He
also hosts the Fox News Radio program Kilmeade and Friends.
A 1986 graduate of C. W. Post of Long Island University in Brookville, New York, Kilmeade is also author
of George Washington's Secret Six: The Spy Ring That Saved the American Revolution, a historical novel
based on facts of the Culper Ring, who were spies that worked for General George Washington during
the American Revolution.
When Washington beat a hasty retreat from New York City in August 1776, many thought the American
Revolution might soon be over. Instead, Washington rallied—thanks in large part to a little-known, topsecret group called the Culper Spy Ring. He realized that he couldn’t defeat the British with military
might, so he recruited a sophisticated and deeply secretive intelligence network to infiltrate New York.
Drawing on extensive research, Kilmeade and co-author Don Yaeger have offered fascinating portraits of
these spies: a reserved Quaker merchant, a tavern keeper, a brash young longshoreman, a
curmudgeonly Long Island bachelor, a coffeehouse owner, and a mysterious woman. Long
unrecognized, the secret six are finally receiving their due among the pantheon of American heroes.
This is my kind of history book. Get ready. Here’s the action.” —BRAD MELTZER, bestselling author
of The Fifth Assassin and host of the popular History Channel TV series, History Decoded.
Colonial Williamsburg Multiday Pass
The Multiday Pass is the way to go! As part of your registration, you and your registered guest will
receive a multiday pass. This pass is all-inclusive and allows you unlimited visits through the end of the
year. It grants you access to our 22 historic trade sites, interpreter-led tours of our family homes and
government buildings, more than 100 English gardens, and our Art Museums. Your Multiday Pass also
gets you a 10% discount on most tours, evening programs*, and carriage rides. Additional benefits
include:
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

Complimentary Shuttle Service
Interpreter-led tours of the Governors Palace, the Capital Building, and all Gov’t Buildings
Admission to their two world class art Museums
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Guided (Prepaid) Excursion
Friday October 3rd Optional Excursion (registration required)
Tour of Historic Jamestowne
Tour of Jamestown Settlement
9:30 am-3:00 pm
Your group’s tour will begin as they gather in the lobby of The Lodge where they will be greeted by a
professional tour guide. The guide will escort the group onto an awaiting deluxe motor coach for a short
ride down the Colonial Parkway to Historic Jamestowne Island, the first settlement in Virginia.
Upon arrival, your group will tour the island and see the actual archeological dig, which is still making
new discoveries every day. As announced on national television and top magazines, the Rediscovery
team has made the most profound archeological discovery in this century. They will share this find – the
real James Fort and the skeleton they have unearthed. Objects belonging to Jamestowne colonists 400
years ago, unearthed from the long lost James Fort site are presented to the public for the first time in
the Archaearium, a new exhibition facility at Historic Jamestowne. The new facility showcases the
findings of the world-renowned archaeological discoveries at the first permanent English settlement in
the New World and the birthplace of America. Your group will have a few minutes to browse through
the gift shop before boarding the mini shuttle for a quick ride to the Glass Blowing House, located on the
Island. Glassblowing was one of the Jamestown colonist’s first attempts at industrialization and
manufacturing in America. In 1608, the Virginia Company of London brought several glassblowing
artisans to Jamestown to set up glassworks in the new colony.
In 1954, the ruins of the long-abandoned glass furnaces were discovered in Jamestown. Years later, an
operating 17th century style glass house was reconstructed near the ruins. Modern-day artisans dress in
colonial costumes produce masterful pieces of glass, much like the colonists did 400 years ago.
After a short stop at the Glass Blowing House, the group will re-board the mini shuttle and the next stop
will be Center Street Grill.
Upon arrival to the Center Street Grill your group will be seated in the private room, where they will
order from a limited menu.
Cost: $75.00 per person and includes the following:
Round Trip Transportation, driver gratuity and taxes
(1) Professional Guide
Admission to Historic Jamestowne Island and Glasshouse
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Lunch at Center Street Grill, server gratuity and taxes
Sterling Staff on site to oversee event
Professional Coordination by Sterling Event Planners
Suggested Timeline:
9:45 am
10:00 am
10:15 am
12:00 pm
12:30 pm
12:45 pm
1:45 pm
2:00 pm
Guests gather in lobby of the Lodge, greeted by a Sterling Staff Member and
(1) professional guide
Guests escorted to awaiting deluxe mini coach and depart hotel
Arrive to Historic Jamestowne Island, tour of Island
Depart Island, stop at Glasshouse
Depart Glasshouse for Center Street Grill
Arrive to Center Street Grill, lunch
Depart Center Street Grill for Merchant Square
Arrive to Merchant Square, shopping on own
Guests who do not want to shop will be taken to hotel; Guests who are shopping will be given
directions on where to meet the shuttle to be transported back to hotel
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Self-Guided Excursions
(Please note: Fees for the suggested historic site tours are not included with Triennial registration.
Fees for plantation tours are very reasonable and well worth the cost of admission.)
Virginia’s James River Plantations
Treasures from three centuries are available at the James River Plantations along scenic Virginia
Route 5 in Charles City County. Plantations include Sherwood Forest Plantation, Westover
Plantation, Shirley Plantation and Berkeley Plantation.
The county, strategically located between the James and Chickahominy Rivers and close to the
colonial capitals of Jamestown and Williamsburg, was the first westward expansion of Englishspeaking America.
The county was established in 1619 and its plantations and farms along the James River have
survived the Revolutionary War, the War of 1812 and the War Between the States. The county's
gracious manor houses, all privately owned and preserved historic National Register properties,
are open for visitors to experience and enjoy today.
Despite its proximity to historic Williamsburg and Richmond,
the capital of Virginia, Charles City has remained a rural oasis.
Extensive timberlands, tidal waters and thousands of acres of
richly cultivated farmland are preserved here.
Ironically, there is no city in Charles City County. The heart of
the community is its early l8th-century courthouse, a 250-year
old cultural link between past and present.
Charles City has been home to Indians and early settlers, planters, slaves and free blacks,
Presidents and signers of the Declaration of Independence, emancipators, educators and
agronomists. Descendants of these founding fathers still live in the county today.
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Benjamin Harrison, signer of the Declaration of Independence, and Presidents William Henry
Harrison and John Tyler were born and lived here. General Robert L. Lee spent much of his
boyhood here, and agriculturist Edmund Ruffin, who fired the first shot of the Civil War,
practiced his innovative techniques on Charles City soil. Lott Cary, the first African American
missionary to Africa and founding father of Liberia, was born here. One of the first free black
communities in America was located in Charles City, as well as the third oldest organized free
black church.
Charles City County -- its beauty, history and tradition make it a must stop on any Virginia tour.
(http://www.jamesriverplantations.org/)
Sherwood Forest Plantation
Sherwood Forest Plantation was the home of the 10th U.S. President John Tyler from 1842 until
his death in 1862. Sherwood Forest Plantation has been the continuous residence of the Tyler
family since the President purchased it in 1842. Known to be the longest frame house in
America, it is over 300 feet long. Sherwood Forest Plantation reflects the lifestyle of this mid19th century Presidential family. Beautifully wooded landscape and 12 dependencies surround
President Tyler's home. (http://www.jamesriverplantations.org/)
Sherwood Forest Plantation's grounds are open 9:00 am-5:00 pm daily. Located on State Rt. 5,
14501 John Tyler Highway, Charles City, VA. 30 minutes from Williamsburg and 45 minutes
from Richmond. 804-829-5377. 3 miles west of the courthouse in Charles City County - Tyler
Country.
Westover Plantation
Westover was built circa 1730 by William Byrd II (1674-1744), the founder of Richmond. It is
noteworthy for its secret passages, magnificent gardens, and architectural details.
Byrd's life illustrated aspects of both British colonial gentry and an emerging American identity.
His education included the classics, apprenticeship with London global business agents, and
legal studies. He served for years as Virginia Colony's official agent in London where he opposed
increasing the power of royal governors.
Upon his return to Virginia, Byrd expanded his plantation holdings, was elected to the House of
Burgesses, and served on the Virginia Governor’s Council, the upper house of Virginia’s colonial
legislature. He commanded county militias and led surveying expeditions along the VirginiaCarolina border and the Northern Neck of Virginia.
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The grounds and garden of Westover are open 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily, but the house is not open
to the public. Located on State Rt. 5, 7000 Westover Road, Charles City, VA 23030 - (804) 8292882. (http://www.jamesriverplantations.org/)
Shirley Plantation
Shirley Plantation is Virginia's first plantation. Founded in 1613, only six years after the first
permanent English settlement at Jamestown, the crown grant carved Shirley Plantation out of
the Virginia frontier. The chronicle of Shirley Plantation best exemplifies the period in our
nation's history between the settlement at Jamestown in 1607 and the movement towards
American independence from Great Britain in 1776. During its long history and under the
leadership of one family, Shirley Plantation has survived Indian uprisings, Bacon's Rebellion, the
American Revolution, the American Civil War, and the Great Depression.
The guided tour of the Great House highlights original family furnishings, portraits, silver,
and hand-carved woodwork as well as stories of the Hill Carter family, eye witnesses to eleven
generations of American history. As one architectural historian contends, “Shirley Plantation is
the most intact 18th century estate in Virginia". Several features such as the "Flying Staircase"
and the Queen Anne Forecourt are the only remaining examples in North America of this
architectural style. Included on the self-guided grounds tour are formal gardens and eight
original colonial outbuildings. (www.shirleyplantation.com)
Take Route 199 West in Williamsburg. Proceed on Route 199 West to Route 5 West. Turn left
onto Route 5 West. Proceed on Route 5 West. Turn Left onto Shirley Plantation Road and follow
the signs to the visitor parking lot. 501 Shirley Plantation Road, Charles City, VA 23030. (804)
829-5121; minimal fees.
Berkeley Plantation
The original Georgian mansion, built in 1726 by Benjamin Harrison IV (1693-1745), is composed
of brick fired on the plantation and occupies a beautifully landscaped hilltop site overlooking
the historic James River. Berkeley is the birthplace of Benjamin Harrison V (1726-1791), a signer
of the Declaration of Independence, and William Henry Harrison (1773-1841), ninth president
of the United States. It is also the ancestral home of Benjamin Harrison (1833-1901), twentythird President of the United States.
The date of the building and the initials of the owners, Benjamin Harrison IV, and his wife,
Anne, appears in a date-stone over a side entrance. The mansion is said to be the oldest threestory brick house in Virginia that can prove its date and the first with a pediment roof. The
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handsome Adam woodwork and the double arches of the “Great Rooms” in the mansion were
installed by Benjamin Harrison VI in 1790 at the direction of Thomas Jefferson.
Berkeley is the is also the site of America’s first Thanksgiving in 1619 (sorry, Massachusetts) and
was also the site where “Taps” was composed by Union general Daniel Butterfield and first
played by bugler Oliver W. Norton who were encamped on the plantation at Harrison’s Landing
in July 1862 during the War Between the States.
The Plantation is open from 9:30 – 4:30 and is located on historic state Rt. 5; 12602 Harrison
Landing Road, Charles City, VA 23030; (804) 829-6018; minimal fees
Yorktown Battlefield
Discover what it took for the United States to be independent as you explore the site of the last
major battle of the Revolutionary War. Here at Yorktown, in the fall of 1781, General George
Washington, with allied American and French forces, besieged General Charles Lord
Cornwallis’s British army. On October 19, Cornwallis surrendered, effectively ending the war
and ensuring independence.
EXPLORE YORKTOWN BATTLEFIELD
There are two self-guided auto tours that will allow you to enjoy and learn the history of the
Siege of Yorktown at your own pace. A 7-mile Battlefield Tour Road, which takes about one
hour, will give you a first-hand look at where the events of the siege took place. See both
original and reconstructed earthworks and siege lines built and used by troops of both sides.
Stand on the very site where the allied troops took British Redoubts 9 and 10 during a surprise
night attack on October 14th, a decisive event which helped turn the tide toward an Allied
victory. Overlook Surrender Field, where the British troops laid down their arms, surrendering
8,300 troops and effectively ending the American Revolution. A second, 9-mile Encampment
Tour Road, which takes about one-half hour, reveals the locations of the allied encampments
during the siege, including Washington's Headquarters. A trail connects to the Newport News
park trail system for additional biking, hiking, and jogging.
While touring the battlefield, you can also include stops at the British Royal Welch Fusilier's
Redoubt; the French Memorial; Yorktown National Cemetery (Civil War era); the Yorktown
Victory Monument, erected in 1881 in honor of the 1781 French and American victory; and
Historic Yorktown, which was fortified and defended by the British during the siege.
A brochure with additional information, maps, and directions for the auto tour roads is
provided at the Yorktown Visitor Center with payment of the entrance fee.
( http://www.nps.gov/york/planyourvisit/things2do.htm )
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Yorktown Victory Center
Near the battlefield where allied American and French forces won the decisive battle of the
American Revolution in 1781, the Yorktown Victory Center chronicles the Revolutionary period,
from colonial unrest to the formation of the new nation.
The story of America’s evolution from colonial status to nationhood is told through films,
exhibits and participatory experiences inside a new museum building and outdoor living history
at a re-created Continental Army encampment and Revolution-era farm. The state-operated
museum of the American Revolution is an excellent starting point for a tour of Yorktown.
Work is now underway on transforming the Yorktown Victory Center into the American
Revolution Museum at Yorktown. By late 2016, expansive permanent exhibition galleries and a
new introductory film will debut the recently completed building, and visitors will be welcomed
in expanded and upgraded settings for the encampment and farm. The Yorktown Victory
Center remains in daily operation throughout construction, which is occurring in phases and
included a move from the original museum building to the new facility in March 2015.
(http://www.historyisfun.org/yorktown-victory-center/)
Located just 20 minutes from the Williamsburg Lodge, the Victory Center is open year-round 9
a.m. to 5 p.m. daily (9 a.m. to 6 p.m. June 15-August 15), except Christmas and New Year’s
days; 1000 Colonial National Historic Parkway, Yorktown, VA 23690; minimal fees
The Muscarelle Museum of Art
The Muscarelle Museum of Art, located at Lamberson Hall on the campus of The College of
William & Mary, is a culturally-rich art institution, serving as a dynamic resource for our
community, a working laboratory for The College, and a platform for visiting exhibitions and the
Museum’s own collection.
The College of William & Mary received its first gift of art in 1732. Throughout the centuries,
numerous gifts of art were received by the College and dispersed throughout the campus. The
College art collection held many treasures including historically significant American and English
Colonial painters and sitters as well as modern works such as White Flower by Georgia O’Keeffe
given by Mrs. John D. Rockefeller, Jr. in 1934. Early advocates for preservation and cataloguing
the College’s art treasures included Dr. Earl Gregg Swem and Thomas Thorne. Later, in the
1970s, Dr. Miles Chappell along with art history students conducted a larger survey to
determine what artworks The College owned. The survey revealed that over nearly 300 years,
The College of William & Mary had amassed a sizeable collection of art and established the
need for a museum to preserve and protect them.
The Muscarelle Museum of Art was made possible by generous funds from alumni and friends.
The Museum opened in 1983 with Dr. Glenn Lowry (current director at the Museum of Modern
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Art, MoMA, in New York), serving as the first Director, who oversaw the major building
construction. The major benefactor was Joseph L. Muscarelle (W&M ’27) and his wife Margaret,
who generously supported the formation of a museum and whose family has continued their
support throughout the years. (www.Muscarelle.org)
Located at 603 Jamestown Road, just minutes from the Williamsburg Lodge. Hours are 8:00 am
– 5:00 pm (M-F) and 8:00 am – 4:00 pm (Sat and Sun); minimal fee
Williamsburg Premium Outlets
With over 135 outlet stores, you are sure to find something of interest. Stores include, but are
not limited to, the following: Ann Taylor, Banana Republic, BCBG Max Azria, Burberry, Coach,
Calvin Klein, Cole Haan, DKNY, Dooney & Bourke, Guess, Hugo Boss, J.Crew, Michael Kors,
Nautica, Nike, Polo Ralph Lauren, Tommy Hilfiger and more.
The Premium Outlets are located just 5 miles from the Williamsburg Lodge at 5715 Richmond
Road, Williamsburg, Virginia 23188.
Championship Golf
The Golden Horseshoe Golf Club
The Golden Horseshoe Golf Club is pure golf. Offering three courses (45 walkable holes)
completely free of surrounding real estate and boasting accolades such as GOLF Magazine’s
“Top 500 Golf Holes in the World,” and “Top 100 Resort Courses in America” by Golfweek
Magazine—the Gold and Green courses provide a challenge not to be missed. The Golf Club
includes two on-site restaurants as well.
The Golden Horseshoe’s signature course, the Gold Course, opened in 1963 and the work of
Robert Trent Jones Sr., who called it his “finest design,” this is one of the best examples of
traditional golf course architecture in the world.
Located in the heart of Colonial Williamsburg at 501 South England Street, Williamsburg,
Virginia; (800) 648-6653.
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Kingsmill on the James
With two renowned 18-hole golf courses (The River Course and the Plantation Course), a
celebrated golf academy, and year-round golf schools, Kingsmill Resort offers the exciting
variety and challenge you want to take your game to the next level.
For three decades, The River Course has hosted the world’s best players on both PGA and LPGA
tours. Home of the former PGA’s Anheuser-Busch Golf Classic and the current LPGA Kingsmill
Championship, the River Course has been reborn thanks to the efforts of original architect Pete
Dye. The renowned course designer tinkered just enough with his layout, bringing out the
subtle details that make for a truly unforgettable round of golf and earning a Golfweek
Magazine Top Ten Virginia Course distinction. (www.kingsmill.com)
Located just 5 miles and less than 15 minutes from the hotel at 1010 Kingsmill Road,
Williamsburg, VA 23185; (757) 253-3906.
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