Visitor & Newcomer Guide
EXPLORE BRUNSWICK COUNTY, VA
Fall 2020
Brunswick’s Guide to:
Recreation • History • Nature • Our People Things to Do • Places to See • and more!
explorebrunswickva.com
FREE
Features
Contents
Expansion of Virginia’s Civil Rights in Education Heritage Trail. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Valentines, Virginia special love. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Plan to visit the Brunswick Byways Visitor Center. . . . . . . . . . . 12 Why I call Brunswick HOME: Gloria Merryweather-Woods . . . 13 Let’s cook. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 2021 Taste of Brunswick Festival . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 MAPS Brunswick County Byways Historic Sites & Points of Interest. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 Lake Gaston Area Historic Sites & Points of Interest . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 Brunswick County Towns Alberta, Broadnax & Lawrenceville . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 James Solomon Russell -- Saint Paul’s College Museum. . . . . . . 20 Brunswick Museum reopens . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 Brunswick County Contacts. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 Fort Christanna: rich in history . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 Why we call Brunswick HOME: The Akers-Pecht family . . . . . . 27 Why we call Brunswick HOME: Rose and Grover Baird, Jr.. . . . 30 Lake Gaston: enjoy the good life. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Welcome
from the Editor
Welcome to the Summer/Fall 2020 edition of the Explore magazine. As I write this in late August I am reminded of the many things that have changed since March when the COVID-19 pandemic turned our world upside down. I think it is safe to say that everyone has been impacted in some way. When the Governor made the announcement that schools would not reopen I was in Pino’s and saw a young mother with tears in her eyes because she didn’t know what she was going to do about childcare for her three children. She also worried about having adequate Internet access in order for her children to participate in virtual learning. I have been asking people what they have learned about dealing with the pandemic and the answers have been varied. Some miss being free to socialize without fear of spreading the virus while others have enjoyed the slower pace and getting to know their children better because of the mandatory quarantine. Some have resisted the requirement to wear face coverings. I have a new appreciation for the word “congregation.” I miss participating in small group Bible study at Calvary Baptist Church in Emporia with members I have know some for 20 plus years. I know the restrictions are necessary but I miss the fellowship and studying the scripture with fellow believers. I kept some notes in preparation for writing this column. This the only time you hear from me because usually I am just the messenger. When the pandemic hit in late March I met my daughter and grandchildren at Southpark and we ordered lunch and ate in the car. I also made a list of things I remember do you? Glass Pepsi bottles you returned for cash, pay phones that worked, wax paper, rotary telephones, typewriters, having a land line, paper road maps, school lunches cost $.25 and
Sylvia Allen Managing Editor
Christmas display is
A LABOR OF LOVE
7
page
Walk, bike or horseback ride
The Tobacco 10 Trail page
The story of two ospreys 28 page
you used cash, room mothers served in the cafeteria, stores closed on Sundays and no air conditioning. My favorite was we had fresh buttermilk delivered every Saturday afternoon and Mom left the money (cash) in a 1/2 gallon Mason jar! She used the buttermilk to make delicious biscuits. How many regulations did that violate? We thought having toast instead of biscuits on Sunday morning was a treat! How did we survive? In this edition you will find some old favorites like Fort Christanna and the Valentines Post Office with new photos. New features include an update on the Civil Rights in Education Trail that features a new site in Brunswick County and a beautiful look at Christmas lights at the home of Susan and Bobby Smith who live in Freeman. They transform their yard into a beautiful wonderland of lights. The display will be open to the public around the beginning of December at no cost. There is an update on the James Solomon Russell/Saint Paul’s College Museum & Archives located in the Brunswick County Conference Center and several people shared “Why they call Brunswick home” with us. This magazine is a great example of a team effort. I am very fortunate to work with very talented people who contribute so much. I want to thank Darian Liles, Marketing Consultant; Susan Lambert, Graphics Designer, Lizbeth Nauta, Graphics Designer and Amy Elliott, Officer Manger, for their help. I also rely on Bobby Conner’s help in taking pictures, writing stories and helping to plan the magazine. We could not publish the magazine without the support of our advertisers. I appreciate everyone’s help. Thanks so much for your support for this magazine and the Brunswick Times-Gazette. You can share the magazine with your friends at explorebrunswickva.com. Let us hear what you think by calling (434) 634-4153 or emailing us at news@brunswicktimes-gazette.com.
Sylvia Allen Editor
Amy Elliott Office Manager
Darian Liles Marketing Consultant
©2020 Womack Publishing Co., Inc Explore Brunswick • Volume 50 Issue 2explorebrunswickva.com • P. O. Page Box 250, 2 2018 Explore 213 Main Street, Lawrenceville, VA 23868 • (434) 634-4153 • news@brunswicktimes-gazette.com
2 | Explore Brunswick County Virginia - Fall 2020
Welcome to the Town of Committed to Success
Town of Lawrenceville • 400 North Main Street • Lawrenceville, VA 23868 434.848.2414 • www.lawrencevilleweb.us • or check us out on Facebook Explore Brunswick County Virginia - Fall 2020 | 3
Expansion of Virginia’s Civil Rights in Education Heritage ® Trail Virginia’s Crossroads is proud to announce the major expansion of its groundbreaking Civil Rights in Education Heritage Trail.® Twelve new sites will be built on the trail’s original 41 locations, expanding the stories which recount how African Americans, Native Americans and women fought for the right to equal education. Along with adding new sites, all 41 original signs will be updated with newly uncovered information and media. In Brunswick County, Oak Grove School will join Fort Christanna, Southside Virginia Community College, Hospital and School of the Good Shepherd and Saint Paul’s College and James Solomon Russell-Saint Paul’s College Museum and Archives as stops along the trail. The pedestals will fe�ature new stories, like that of James Solomon Russell, who has ties to several sites on the trail. He attended Bishop Payne Divinity School in Petersburg with the help of Patti Buford, who started the Hospital and School of the Good Shepherd in Brunswick County. He was assigned as an Episcopal priest in Lawrenceville, where he eventually established, in 1888, Saint Paul’s Normal and Industrial School, later known as Saint Paul’s College. Saint Paul’s College trained many African American teachers who taught in schools throughout the region and state, including many of the schools included on the trail. He also was instrumental in the founding of St. Mark’s Episcopal Church in Mecklenburg County. Rita McClenny, President of Virginia Tourism Corporation, says, “The expansion of the Civil Rights
4 | Explore Brunswick County Virginia - Fall 2020
in Education Heritage Trail® comes at an incredibly important time, as travelers seek authentic under-told and untold stories that helped shape the history of our country. Travelers will be able to discover important legacies from the fight for equal education, taking a deeper dive into the moments that changed our country forever. Travelers will be able to safely explore Virginia’s history as many sites are outdoors or offer a socially-distanced environment for learning. This is a wonderful and significant addition for Virginia’s tourism industry and for Virginians alike.” As visitors follow this self-guided trail, they will patronize local businesses and enjoy the host of amenities, sites, and stories that our region offers helping to drive our local economies. This is especially poignant as COVID-19 has greatly reduced traditional travel and tourism activities. Magi Van Eps, Chair for Virginia’s Crossroads said that, “as the drive market becomes more of a focus for tourism, heritage trails like the Civil Rights in Education Heritage Trail® are an essential attraction to safely guide visitors to historic and heritage sites, as well as other tourism venues during these interesting and exciting road trips.” Each sign relays unique content which was developed by each participating locality. Virginia’s Crossroads contracted with Communication Design, Inc. in Richmond Virginia and Civil War Trails, Inc. who have brought together its award-winning collection of small, employee owned artisans to design, fabricate, and install the signs. A host of directional signs and an updated brochure
®
T R A I L H E R I T A G E E D U C A T I O N
his father’s footsteps, the younger Russell continued to
School in Petersburg. Within a year of graduation, he
expand the college. In 1957, it became known as Saint
had managed to raise enough funds to buy land in
Paul’s College, a fully integrated four-year liberal arts
Brunswick County and erect
institution, offering such courses as pre-law and premedicine. From 1971 to 1981, Dr. J. Alvin Russell Jr., became
room building still stands
the third generation
today and is referred
of the Russell family to
to as the Saul Building,
serve as president of the college. The
after the Rev. James
AMELIA COUNTY
CHARLOT TE COUNT Y
AM1 Russell Grove Presbyterian Church and School
CR1
AM2 Mrs. Samantha Jane Neil 16501 Church Street, Amelia, VA 23002
school. By 1893, the
Solomon Russell-
school had grown into
Saint Paul’s College
the Saint Paul’s Normal
(Left Bottom) Group shot, ca. 1929.
and Industrial School. In
Photos courtesy of James Solomon Russell-Saint Paul’s College Museum and Archives Inc.
the ensuing years, Russell traveled
Central High School
Charlotte County Library Southside Virginia Community College John H. Daniel Campus 200 Daniel Road, Keysville, VA 23947
Winonah Camp/Mozella Price Home 102 Carver Lane, Appomattox, VA 24522
AP2
CR 3
CITY OF EMPORIA / GREENSVILLE COUNTY GR1
CR4
26317 W. Washington Street, Petersburg, VA 23803
BRUNSWICK COUNTY BR1
Southside Virginia Community College Christanna Campus
DN2 Rocky Branch School DN3 Early Education in Dinwiddie County
BR 2
LN2 LN3
Oak Grove School Saint Paul’s College and James Solomon Russell-Saint Paul’s College Museum
DN4 Southside High School
100 Athletic Field Road, Lawrenceville, VA 23868
Fort Christanna Historical Site 3875 Fort Hill Road, Lawrenceville, VA 23868
BR5
Hospital and School of the Good Shepherd 236 Pleasant Grove Road, Brodnax, VA 23930
BUCKINGHAM COUNTY BK1
One-Room Schoolhouse On Lee Wayside Road, Buckingham, VA 23921
BK 2
Buckingham Training School Stephen J. Ellis Elementary School for African Americans 245 Camden Street, Dillwyn, VA 23936
BK 3
Carter G. Woodson Birthplace Near 2325 C.G. Woodson Road, New Canton, VA 23123
CIT Y OF PETERSBURG PB1
Earliest Known Public High School for African Americans in Virginia BK3
McKenney Library
CM2 CM1
PB4
BK1
Bishop Payne Divinity School
CH1
Virginia State University
First Baptist Church
On Matthews Jefferson Drive at East River Road, VSU, VA 23806
HX 2 L.E. Coleman African American Museum Mountain Road School No. 1
APPOMATTOX C.H.
1921 Cartersville Road, Cartersville, VA 23027
3011 Mountain Road, Halifax, VA 24558 1030 Mary Bethune Street, Halifax, VA 24558
CM3 Jackson Davis 1490 Anderson Highway, Cumberland, VA 23040
HX4
PE4 PE5
The Civil Rights in Education Heritage Trail® is managed by Virginia’s Crossroads. To fully experience the tour, allow time to enter buildings that are publicly accessible, and to visit other attractions in the Virginia’s Crossroads region, visit us online.
AM2 AM1
PE2 PE1 PE4 PE3 PE5
CH1
R.R. Moton High School
CHARLOTTE C.H.
CR2
BLACKSTONE
DN4
NT1
DINWIDDIE C.H.
VICTORIA
LN1
Prince Edward County Public Schools
The Beneficial Benevolent Society of the Loving Sisters and Brothers of Hampden Sydney 99 Kingsville Road, Farmville, VA 23901
PE8
460
PETERSBURG
DN3
NT2
LN3 CR3
PB4 PB3
NOTTOWAY C.H.
LN2
Hampden-Sydney College Opposite Everett Stadium on College Road, Hampden Sydney, VA 23943
PE7
DN2
NT3 CR1
PB1 PB2
DN1 PE8
Farmville Female Seminary Association
Near 1499 Zion Hill Road, Farmville, VA 23901
PE6
308 Ragland Street, South Boston, VA 24592
1874 Anderson Highway, Cumberland, VA 23040
Beulah AME Church
900 Griffin Boulevard, Farmville, VA 23901
Washington-Coleman Elementary School
CM4 Cumberland Educational Advancement Center & Community Center
PE6 PE7
On High Street, in front of Ruffner Hall, Farmville, VA 23901
1927 Jeffress Boulevard, South Boston, VA 24592
HX5 Mizpah Presbyterian Church
FARMVILLE
115 South Main Street, Farmville, VA 23901
PE3
HX 3 Mary M. Bethune High School
2018 Cartersville Road, Cartersville, VA 23027
CM2 Hamilton High School
PE2
7114 Chatham Road, Nathalie, VA 24577
CUMBERL AND COUNTY CM1 Rosenwald School at Cartersville
Meadville Community Center
288
AMELIA C.H.
AP3 AP1 AP2
P R I N C E EDWA RD COU N T Y
HA L I FA X COU N T Y HX1
RICHMOND
CUMBERLAND C.H. LYNCHBURG
100 South Main Street, Farmville, VA 23901
CHESTERFIELD COUNT Y
522
401 S West Street, Petersburg, VA 23803
PE1 Note: Although there are locations you can visit in the counties listed below, they are currently not active members of Virginia’s Crossroads.
CM3 CM4
BK2
684
13
BUCKINGHAM C.H.
The Peabody-Williams School 629 South Jones Street, Petersburg, VA 23803
Near 18078 Highway 58, Boydton, VA 23917 3906 Highway 903, Bracey, VA 23919
to Saint Paul’s Polytechnic Institute in 1941, when it
137 South Sycamore Street, Petersburg, VA 23803
PB3
Near 5120 Highway 47, Chase City, VA 23924
12318 Boydton Plank Road, Dinwiddie, VA 23841
until his retirement in 1928. The school’s name changed
Near 421 Harrison Street, Petersburg, VA, 23803
PB2
MK 3 St. Mark’s Episcopal Church & Carroll-Boyd School
in 2019.
worldwide speaking and raising funds for the school,
Ingleside Training Institute
St. Matthew’s Lutheran Church Christian Day School 1364 Free State Road, Meherrin, VA 23954
MK 2 Boydton Academic and Bible Institute
was established
Near 507 Miller Street, Burkeville, VA 23922
50 K-V Road, Victoria, VA 23974
MK1 Thyne Institute
Museum and Archives The Saul Building, 1972.
C O U N T Y
BR4
Lunenburg County Training School
Mt. Nebo Church Near 515 Mt. Nebo Road, Blackstone, VA 23824
NT3
MECKLENBURG COUNT Y
14101 Boydton Plank Road, Dinwiddie, VA 23841
22331 Christanna Highway, Lawrenceville, VA 23868
BR 3
The Peoples Community Center
Blackstone Female Institute Fourth Street at South Amelia Avenue, Blackstone, VA 23824
NT 2
Near 6009 Rocky Branch Road, Sutherland, VA 23885
109 Campus Drive, Alberta, VA 23917
NT1
1021 Tidewater Avenue, Victoria, VA 23974
DINWIDDIE COUNTY DN1 Southside Virginia Training Center
N O T T O W AY C O U N T Y
115 Ruffin Street, Emporia, VA 23847
LN1
Salem School 4050 Salem School Road, Red Oak, VA 23964
Carver-Price School The First African American School in Appomattox Near 2623 Old Courthouse Road, Appomattox, VA 24522
Greensville County Training School
LUNENBURG COUNT Y
102 Carver Lane, Appomattox, VA 24522
AP3
2013. The James
(Left Top) Graduating class of 1921.
515 Thomas Jefferson Highway, Charlotte Court House, VA 23923
CR 2
college closed in
important donor to the (Above) Woodshop class, ca. 1920.
112 LeGrande Avenue, Charlotte Court House, VA 23923
A P P O M AT T O X C O U N T Y
Saul of Philadelphia, an
B R U N S W I C K
I N
succeeded him as president of the college. Following in
slavery, Russell attended the Bishop Payne Divinity
start his school. This two-
AP1
R I G H T S
program. At that time, Russell’s son, Dr. J. Alvin Russell,
deacon, the Rev. James Solomon Russell. Born into
a simple building on it to
8701 Otterburn Road, Amelia, VA 23002
C I V I L
was granted authority to offer a four-year degree
school founded by a newly ordained Episcopal
Prince Edward State Park for Negroes 788 Twin Lakes Road, Green Bay, VA 23942
vacrossroads.com
V I R G I N I A
Saint Paul’s College began as a small parochial
L A W R E N C E V I L L E ,
Saint Paul’s College and James Solomon Russell-Saint Paul’s College Museum
HX1 HX2
HALIFAX
HX4 HX5
HX3
CR4
MK1
CHASE CITY SOUTH HILL
BR1 BR2 BR5 BR4
SOUTH BOSTON
BR3 LAWRENCEVILLE
GR1 EMPORIA
MK2 MK3
The Rev. James Solomon Russell, ca. 1925.
will help guide guests to each site. Brochures can be found at the visitor centers in many of the localities of Virginia, including the Brunswick Byways Visitors Center and at the Virginia Welcome Centers. The Civil Rights in Education Heritage Trail® was established in 2004, and is owned and managed by Virginia’s Crossroads, a tourism marketing consortium comprised of the localities of Amelia, Appomattox, Brunswick, Buckingham, Charlotte, Dinwiddie, Lunenburg, Mecklenburg, Nottoway, and Prince Edward, and also includes the City of Petersburg and Greensville/Emporia, Virginia State Parks and Appomattox Court House National Historical Park. For additional information on The Civil Rights in Education Heritage Trail®, Civil War driving tours of the Route of Lee’s Retreat or Wilson-Kautz Raid, outdoor recreational opportunities, events, attractions and accommodations in South Central Virginia visit vacrossroads.com.
Explore Brunswick County Virginia - Fall 2020 | 5
A Christmas wonderland Susan and Bobby Smith invite the public to tour the Christmas display at their home at 150 Freemans Place that is located across from the Freeman Post Office and the Eastside Convenience Center on Governor Harrison Parkway. There is no charge. The turnout last year to see the display was outstanding. The display will be ready this year around the first week of December. It is worth the trip to see the many beautiful displays. The lights will be up until the first of the year. Make plans now to enjoy this labor of love. (Bobby Conner photo)
6 | Explore Brunswick County Virginia - Fall 2020
Christmas display is a labor of love By Sylvia Allen Editor Susan and Bobby Smith love Christmas and last year they transformed their backyard and surrounding area into a Christmas wonderland. Plans are in the works to prepare a display this year ready around the first week of December. They are extending an invitation for the public to come and enjoy the beautiful display. Last year the display was featured on Facebook drawing tons of people from the surrounding area. They live at 150 Freemans Place across from the Freeman Post Office and the Eastside Convenience Center on Governor Harrison Parkway. Once you turn into the mobile home park just look for the lights that light up the sky. The display will be up until after the first of the year. There is no charge. Remember to wear comfortable shoes. Bobby said work begins on the display soon after Halloween. He estimated there are approximately 100,000 lights. He uses a 12-foot ladder and a 16-foot pole with a hook to put the lights into the trees. Some of the lights are in the form of icicles and the light streams up and down. “We have a Halloween display and we start working on the Christmas lights right after Halloween. We enjoy seeing people enjoy the Christmas lights, especially seeing the expression on the faces of the kids. They enjoy running through the area, just having fun,” Bobby said. Susan called seeing the display “an experience.” Bobby said most of the lights are LED to conserve energy. Music plays at the different displays and they positioned the speakers so the music from one display doesn’t interfere with the display located nearby. Each display has a story. “We can tell you where we bought most of the displays. We start planning for next year the day after Christmas when decorations are 50 to 75 percent off. We have been known to be at a store very early in order to get the best buys. Sometimes stores will give us a display or sell it to us at a very reduced price,” Bobby said. The display is located on private property and Bobby and Susan ask that guests be mindful and respectful. They greet guests and encourage them to take their time walking through the display. They turn the lights off around 9 p.m. Bobby said there is a golf cart to transport people with special needs through the display. When Christmas is over the lights and displays are taken down and stored in a tractor trailer. The only lights that are not taken down are the ones on the gazebo. For more information or to schedule a visit call (804) 894-1381.
Explore Brunswick County Virginia - Fall 2020 | 7
Valentines, Virginia sends special love Valentine cards start arriving in early January at the Valentines Post Office. Cards are sent from all over the United States and from foreign countries to receive a special stamp of love. The post office with its special holiday name applies special postmarks. Typically the Post Office postmarks over 25,000 valentines each year. Each valentine is hand stamped with a heart cachet in the upper left corner and the postmark is shaped like a valentine. Established in 1887, the Valentines, Virginia, Post Office was originally located in the Valentine Family Store, in the southern part of Brunswick County, and named after the first Postmaster, William Henry Valentine, who served in the small rural post office until his death in 1911. His wife, Emma Rawlings Valentine, took over the post from 1911 to 1914, and then was passed to son, Herbert E. Valentine, and then to another son, Lewis Valentine, who carried on the family tradition. In 1924, the post office was moved to Robert J. Clary’s store a mile down the road from the original location where he served as postmaster. After Mr. Clary’s retirement, William R. Wright became postmaster and designed the special valentines postmark. Through the efforts of Mr. Wright and his wife Frances, the postmark grew in popularity and has brought the community much notoriety. Many newspaper and magazine articles have been written and television news stories have covered the little post office in Valentines and its famous postmark. The 1995 Love Stamp was first issued by the United States Postal Service on February 1, 1995, at the Valentines Post Office. It hosted the official first-day-ofissue dedication ceremony for the stamp and postmarked 75,000 requests for first-day-of-issue postmark cancellations.
8 | Explore Brunswick County Virginia - Fall 2020
Over the years, the post office has hosted many weddings and countless other special events. Many local elementary school children have visited and mailed their cards directly through the post office. In 2008, the Virginia General Assembly through House Joint Resolution 27 gave special recognition to the post office and community of Valentines, designating February 14, 2008 and each succeeding year, as Valentines, Virginia Day in the Commonwealth. The last line of the resolution sums up best the meaning of the post office to the community: The citizens of Valentines, Virginia, are immensely proud of the role that the Valentines, Virginia, Post Office provides in making Valentine’s Day a special day for countless children, families, romantics, and collectors.
GET THAT SPECIAL POSTMARK If you can’t make it to Valentines, but you’d like the special postmark on your Valentine’s cards, mail your addressed cards to the Valentines post office in a large envelope. You can put stamps on each of the cards or enclose a check for the price of the stamps. Postmaster Kathy Fajna will hand-cancel the cards with the Valentines postmark and rubber-stamp each with a special red, heart-shaped seal. Mail your cards to: Postmaster, 23 Manning Drive, Valentines, VA 23887
143 W. HICKS STREET • LAWRENCEVILLE, VA • (434) 532-8282
Enjoy our latest collection of items you are sure to love! Jams • Jellies • Preserves • Fruit Butters • Sauces & Salsas Pickles & Relish • Honey • Peanuts • Country Hams & Meats Richland Dairy Products • Hoop Cheese • Candy • Coffee • & Much More!
We are excited to provide a locally owned and operated choice for all of your real estate needs.
Come see us next door! CHRIS BAIRD | BROKER
434-277-2742
info@LakeGastonRealty.net Explore Brunswick County Virginia - Fall 2020 | 9
Walk, bike or horseback ride the Tobacco Heritage Trail
10 | Explore Brunswick County Virginia - Fall 2020
The Tobacco Heritage Trail reaches from Lawrenceville to La Crosse and by connector highway into South Hill giving walkers, bicyclist, and equestrians a safe place to travel and enjoy the beautiful scenes across Southside Virginia. This is a non-motorized trail converted from abandoned railroad beds. The Tobacco Heritage Trail has also been designated as a Virginia Birding and Wildlife Trail. On the trail you can see rabbits, turtles, birds, butterflies, wild turkeys, deer, and the occasional snake. When using the trail please remember to observe wildlife from a distance. Do not follow or approach them. Never feed animals. Feeding wildlife damages their health, alters natural behaviors and exposes them to predators and other dangers. The trail offers scenic sights, resting areas, parking areas, a rest room facility and the sounds of quiet and nature only found away from the highways of life. Some portions of the trail are handicap accessible.
If you wish to become a friend or volunteer of the trail, call (434) 447-7101 or visit www.tobaccoheritagetrail.org.
Explore Brunswick County Virginia - Fall 2020 | 11
Plan to visit the Brunswick Byways Visitor Center The Brunswick Byways Visitor Center has numerous displays and information to share regarding Brunswick’s rich history, cultural heritage, and natural resources and will inform the traveling public about the county’s two Virginia Byways – Christanna Highway (Route 46) and Lake Gaston Byway (Highways 903/626). Inside the center, visitors will find two and three-dimensional exhibits, graphics, artifact cases, hands-on interactive exhibits, an enlightening welcome video, as well as brochures and maps to help direct visitors to the county’s various attractions and amenities. Visitors will also find exhibits featuring several of our hometown celebrities such as Governor Albertis Harrison, Jr., Justice Cleo Powell, Susan Clarke Schaar, Bryant Stith, Darius Hargrove, Dominique Hardy, Henry Rice, the late Willie Wright and many more. The traveling public and Brunswick citizens are encouraged to utilize the visitor center to welcome their families and guests to the area. The center is also a great place for local schools to engage students and staff by scheduling field trips to the center
to educate youth about the many historical assets, recreational opportunities, and rich cultural heritage in Brunswick County. The Brunswick Byways Visitor Center also serves as home to Brunswick’s first ever LOVEwork which was unveiled during a joint business after-hours event held in April 2019. The Brunswick County Board of Supervisors revealed the artwork while also encouraging visitors to stop and snap a photo with the LOVEwork on the lawn at the center to share with family and friends during their travels here in Brunswick County. The Brunswick Byways Visitor Center is located at 13516 Christanna Highway, Lawrenceville, VA 23868. The visitor centers hours of operation are Monday – Friday 8:30 a.m. until 5 p.m., Saturday and Sunday 9 a.m. until 1 p.m. Winter hours include individual Sunday closures which begin the Sunday before Thanksgiving through the last Sunday in March. To reach the Brunswick Byways Visitor Center call (434) 848-2728 and for additional information visit the following websites: www.brunswickco.com or www.visitbrunswickcova.com.
12 | Explore Brunswick County Virginia - Fall 2020
Why I call Brunswick
HOME
My ancestors were born here. My roots are here. I am the fifth generation of my family to be born in Brunswick County, Virginia. I was born in 1946 and I have seen many changes in Brunswick County. Schools were segregated when I was in Elementary School and High School. I attended Saint Paul’s College. Leaving Brunswick County was my strong desire when I was younger, just as it was for most young people. I did leave in 1978 when I got married, however, I visited often. I lived in Pennsylvania, Nebraska and North Carolina but my heart was always in Virginia where my roots and my family lived. When I became a widow in 2011 I moved back home to stay a few months before I moved to Richmond. As time went by, I did not want to give up this area. Peaceful living with minimum crime and drama. With transportation I can be in the surrounding areas in a reasonable time frame. Family means everything to me and I am just a “country” Brunswick County girl. “You can take the girl out of the country but you can’t take the country out of the girl.”
Bru
Gloria Menyweather-Woods Dolphin, Virginia
k Times-Gazet te wic ns
VOTED BEST LOGGING COMPANY
PLACE
20
20 ce Read ers’ Choi
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S. R. Jones, Jr. Land & Timber, Inc. is a buyer of land, standing timber and pulpwood thinnings. We pride ourselves on being a full service forestry company. our parent company, S. R. Jones, Jr. & Sons, Inc., has been logging in Southside Virginia and northeastern north Carolina for over 45 years. All of our crews are Sharp Logger Certified by the Virginia Forestry Association, and will harvest your timber in compliance with Virginia’s Best Management Practices. A forester from our company would like to evaluate your tract of timber, at no cost to you. our foresters are experienced in making recommendations regarding the needs of your tract that will maximize harvesting profit. We are also available to assist you with decisions about and the process of replanting your tract once cut. Should our staff determine that the best option for your tract is additional time for timber growth, we also offer a timber management program (TMP), for qualifying tracts. enrollment in this program is free, and there is no obligation to you other than to notify our company when you decide to sell your timber. This program includes periodic checks on your tract and advice as to the appropriate time to thin or clear cut based on your individual needs. Remember, there is no obligation once you contact us and no strings attached. Should you and our foresters decide now is the time to harvest your timber, the purchase price is paid to you before the first tree is cut (other options are available as well). Take advantage of this opportunity to be certain your timber is growing healthy and to obtain an accurate value of your trees by conscientious professionals! Give us a call today!
Explore Brunswick County Virginia - Fall 2020 | 13
let’s cook recipes “SOUP FOR THE WINTER”
“Soup is good for us and with winter coming-COVID -19 and flu season let’s have a delicious and nutritious bowl. Since soups are mostly liquid, they’re a great way to stay hydrated and full. They give your immune system a boost. Soups can help you fight off colds and flu, and they’re a great soother and easy to digest for times when we are sick, too! Most soups are loaded with disease-fighting nutrients.”
Fast Chicken Soup
8 servings It’s from scratch - so fast and easy! - You can make a fresh “soup du jour” on a busy weeknight.
Ingredients 2 1 1 3 2 2
quarts chicken broth quart water rotisserie chicken from the deli tablespoons vegetable oil or olive oil large onions, cut into medium dice large carrots, peeled and cut into rounds or half rounds, depending on size 2 large stalks celery, sliced 1/4 inch thick 1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves 1 Tablespoon minced garlic
Directions
Bring broth and water to a simmer over medium-high heat in a Dutch oven or stock pot. Meanwhile, separate chicken meat from skin and bones; reserve meat. Add skin and bones to the simmering broth. Reduce heat to low, partially cover and simmer until bones release their flavor, 20 to 30 minutes. Strain broth through a colander into a large container; reserve broth and discard skin and bones. Return pot to burner set on medium-high. Add oil, then onions, carrots, celery, and garlic. Sauté until soft, about 8 to 10 minutes. Add chicken, broth and thyme. Bring to a simmer. (Can be refrigerated up to 3 days in advance. Return to a simmer before adding the extras of your choice.)
14 | Explore Brunswick County Virginia - Fall 2020
with Chef Angie
Chef Angie
Potato Soup
Serves 4-6 “Winter is coming-a delicious hot bowl of potato soup. I serve this soup as a special treat as it is not recommended for people counting calories.“ Ingredients: 1 pound bacon cooked until crisp, chopped 2 stalks celery, diced 1 onion, chopped 3 cloves garlic, minced 8 potatoes, peeled and cubed 4 cups chicken stock, or enough to cover potatoes 3 tablespoons butter 1/4 cup all-purpose flour 1 cup heavy cream 1 teaspoon dried tarragon 3 teaspoons chopped fresh cilantro Salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
In a Dutch oven, cook the bacon over medium heat until done. Remove bacon from pan, and set aside. Drain off all but 1/4 cup of the bacon grease. Cook celery and onion in reserved bacon drippings until onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir in garlic, and continue cooking for 1 to 2 minutes. Add cubed potatoes, and toss to coat. Sauté for 3 to 4 minutes. Return bacon to the pan, and add enough chicken stock to just cover the potatoes. Cover, and simmer until potatoes are tender. In a separate pan, melt butter over medium heat. Whisk in flour. Cook, stirring constantly, for 1 to 2 minutes. Whisk in the heavy cream, tarragon, and cilantro. Bring the cream mixture to a boil, and cook, stirring constantly, until thickened. Stir the cream mixture into the potato mixture. Puree about 1/2 the soup, and return to the pan. Adjust seasonings to taste.
2021 Taste of Brunswick Festival is Saturday, Oct. 9, 2021 2020 Taste of Brunswick Festival cancelled By Sylvia Allen Editor Reluctantly the Taste of Brunswick Festival Planning Committee made the decision to cancel the festival planned for Saturday, Oct. 10, 2020 because of COVID-19. One of the highlights of the day is the Brunswick Stew Cook-Off with several stewmasters competing all hoping to win first place. Stew is ready by 11 a.m. and sold by cup and bowl and quarts are available for sale after 11 a.m. The reigning champion, Clarke Bennett and the Danieltown Stew Crew, will cook stew on the capitol grounds for Brunswick Stew Day on Wednesday, Jan. 27, 2021 if the event is held. The festival was held last year at the Lawrenceville-Brunswick Municipal Airport instead of Southside Virginia Community College, Christanna Campus, Alberta, drawing thousands from Brunswick County and the surrounding area. The Brunswick County Board of Supervisors allocated funds to make improvements to the airport site including adding more electrical outlets and water. Those improvements were delayed because of the pandemic. The supervisors also allocate funds every year for the festival in the Brunswick County Consolidated Budget as a sign of support. The Brunswick County Sheriff’s Office presented a new traffic plan for 2021 that included entering and exiting from two locations to accommodate the large number of vehicles.
Many believe the success of the festival is a result of several groups working together to promote Brunswick County. Planning for the festival begins with monthly meetings in March and the committee meets more frequently as the date for the festival nears. For more information about the festival call the Brunswick Chamber of Commerce at (434) 848-3154 or visit www. tasteofbrunswickfestival.com. Emporia 434.634.2828 Hopewell 804.458.1213
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Explore Brunswick County Virginia - Fall 2020 | 15
16 | Explore Brunswick County Virginia - Fall 2020
Explore Brunswick County Virginia - Fall 2020 | 17
18 | Explore Brunswick County Virginia - Fall 2020
Rd Lit tle mo nt
Masons Mill Rd
Brunswick County Towns Alberta, Brodnax, & Lawrenceville
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Explore Brunswick County Virginia - Fall 2020 | 19
James S. Russell – Saint Paul’s College Museum & Archives
The James Solomon Russell-Saint Paul’s College Museum & Archives is located in the Brunswick County Conference Center, 100 Athletic Field Road, Lawrenceville, Virginia. The museum has on display many rare artifacts and pictures of James Solomon Russell and Saint Paul’s College from the late 1800s to 2013, when the college closed. There is no charge for admission and is open to all alumni groups, students and the general public. The James Solomon Russell/Saint Paul’s College Museum had a ribbon cutting ceremony and grand opening in August, 2019 and has been granted non-profit status by the IRS. . The Brunswick County/Lake Gaston Tourism Association had previously worked with officials at Saint Paul’s College before it closed to secure and store the historical artifacts, records, photographs, memorabilia and other items documenting the life of James Solomon Russell and the history of the college. “This new museum is a great asset to this community, both to alumni groups and all visitors who want to research and browse the works of this distinguished intellectual pioneer and hopefully inspire our youth to pinpoint this place to make their mark,” said Chairman James Grimstead. Call James Grimstead at (434) 848-2173 for more information or to become involved with the museum or visit the museum website www.jsrussell.org.
20 | Explore Brunswick County Virginia - Fall 2020
Brunswick Museum reopens It was a great day as the Brunswick Museum & Historical Society, Inc., reopened to the public on Wednesday, Aug. 7, 2019. The museum has been closed for quite sometime, but after much effort with the help of many volunteers, the museum is now open on Wednesday and Saturday from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. The museum houses three distinct display rooms. You’ll find exhibitions from the Civil War to include a cannon ball found on a Petersburg, Virginia battlefield that has since been donated by Mike Sadler. Not to mention, there is a 1948 silver communion set from Trinity St. Mark’s Church, memorabilia from our local fire and emergency services, and a room dedicated to well known individuals in Brunswick County, such as the late Governor Albertis S. Harrison, Jr., Sheriff James Woodley, and many more. There are many other exhibits that include the rich history on Fort Christanna that was established in 1714 and was the westernmost point of the British Empire. The museum even features a map of Brunswick County in 1720, but you’ll have to stop and see the importance of this prized possession. The museum is free and open to the public. They are currently seeking volunteer docents to maintain the hours of the museum. Membership levels start at $15 for students, teachers,
and seniors over 65. Individual membership is $20 and the family membership is $40. There are various levels of membership for friends, patrons, historians, corporate businesses, and memorial donations. Brunswick Museum & Historical Society, Inc. sponsors many school programs for students of all ages and hostings of community organizations throughout the year. If you would like to become a volunteer docent or join their membership, contact Rebecca Akers, President, at (434) 8480964 or RTewims@aol.com
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Explore Brunswick County Virginia - Fall 2020 | 21
Brunswick County C Fire/Police/Rescue: 911
Brunswick County Sheriff’s Office Non-Emergency Sheriff Brian Roberts Tel: (434) 848-3133 120 East Hicks Street Lawrenceville, Va. 23868 ___________________
County Administrator’s Office
Charlette T. Woolridge, Ph.D., County Administrator Leslie Weddington, Assistant County Administrator Tel: (434) 848-3107 228 North Main Street P. O. Box 399 Lawrenceville, Va. 23868 Alfreda Jarrett Reynolds Director of Economic Development, 228 North Main Street Lawrenceville, Va. 23868 (434) 848-3107 Dixie Walker Tourism Coordinator Brunswick Byway Visitor Center 13516 Christanna Highway Lawrenceville, Va. 23868 (434) 848-2728 Animal Control Department James Maclin, Animal Control Officer Tel: (434) 848-0912 595 Planters Road Lawrenceville, Va. 23868 Building Official Harrison Jamison Tel: (434) 848-2962 228 North Main Street P.O. Box 399 Lawrenceville, Va. 23868 Planning Department George Morrison, III Tel: ( 434) 848-0882 228 North Main Street P. O. Box 399 Lawrenceville, Va. 23868
Solid Waste Department Chandra Vaughan - Director Tel: (434) 848-3562 107 Mallard Crossing Road Lawrenceville, Va. 23868
Commonwealth’s Attorney Lezlie S. Green Tel: (434) 848-3122 P.O. Box 797 Lawrenceville, Va. 23868
Clerk of Circuit Court Jacqueline Seward Morgan Tel: (434) 848-2215 Fax: 434) 848-4307 216 North Main Street Lawrenceville, Va. 23868 General District Court Susan Martin, Clerk Tel: (434) 848-8376 202 North Main Street Lawrenceville, Va. 23868
USDA/Farm Service Agency Brunswick FSA Office Herbert Brown, Jr. Tel: (434) 848-2223 1727 Lawrenceville Plank Road Lawrenceville, Va. 23868
Virginia Cooperative Extension Service Brunswick County Tel: (434) 848-2151 100 Tobacco Street Lawrenceville, Va. 23868
Brunswick County Department of Social Services Tel: (434) 848-2142 201 Sharp Street, Suite 100 Lawrenceville, Va. 23868
Brunswick County Health Department Tel: (434) 848-2525 1632 Lawrenceville Plank Road Lawrenceville, Va. 23868
Brunswick County Voter Registrar David Clary Tel: (434) 848-4414 100 Tobacco Street, Room 103 Lawrenceville, Va. 23868
22 | Explore Brunswick County Virginia - Fall 2020
Brunswick County Library Becky Walker, Director Tel: (434) 848-2418 Fax: (434) 848-4786 133 West Hicks Street Lawrenceville, Va. 23868
Brunswick County Treasurer’s Office
Jacqueline Mangrum, Treasurer Tel: (434) 848-2512 228 North Main Street P. O. Box 130 Lawrenceville, Va. 23868
Brunswick County Commissioner of Revenue
Camilla Clayton-Bright, Commissioner of Revenue Tel: (434) 848-2313 228 North Main Street P. O. Box 669 Lawrenceville, Va. 23868
Brunswick County Public Schools
Dr. Kristy Somerville-Midgette, Division Superintendent Tel: (434) 848-3138 1718 Farmers Field Road Lawrenceville, Va. 23868
Brunswick Chamber of Commerce Tel: (434) 848-3154 400 North Main Street Lawrenceville, Va. 23868
Brunswick County Industrial Development Authority Tel: (434) 848-0248 116 West Hicks Street P. O. Box 48 Lawrenceville, Va. 23868
Contacts EMERGENCY NUMBERS: Police/Fire/Rescue Squad/911
NON-EMERGENCY NUMBERS:
Brunswick Volunteer Rescue Squad (434) 848-3020 Central Volunteer Rescue Squad (434) 577-3079 Alberta Rescue (434) 949-7541 Ebony Volunteer Fire Department (434) 636-2643 Gasburg Volunteer Fire Department (434) 577-2561 Dolphin Volunteer Fire Department (434) 848-4171 Lawrenceville Volunteer Fire Department (434) 848-3651 Triplet Volunteer Fire Department (434) 577-9195 Alberta Volunteer Fire Department (434) 949-7541 Brodnax Volunteer Fire Department (434) 729-3172
HOSPITALS:
VCU Health Community Memorial Hospital, South Hill (434) 4473151 Southern Virginia Regional Medical Center, Emporia (434) 348-4400
Nursing Homes:
Envoy of Lawrenceville (434) 8484766
COMMUNITY SERVICES:
Brunswick County Health Department (434) 848-6545 www.vdh.virginia.gov/lhd/southisde Brunswick County Social Services (434) 848-2142 www.commonhelp.virginia.gov Virginia Department of Veteran Services (434) 447-3231 Virginia Employment Commission (866) 832-2363 VCU Cancer Research and Resource Center (434) 532-8190
Brunswick County Solid Waste/ Recycling Centers
MEDICAL DOCTORS:
Dr. Juan Rivas, Southside Community Health Center, Alberta (434) 949-7211 Dr. William Harrison - Brunswick Family Practice, Lawrenceville (434) 848-0072 Dr. Christopher Ackerman Lawrenceville Primary Care, Lawrenceville (434) 848-0771
VETERINARY CLINICS:
Dr. Robert Dennis, DVM Brunswick Veterinary Clinic (434) 848-2876
EDUCATION:
Brunswick County Public Schools (434) 848-3138 Brunswick Academy (434) 8482220 Southside Virginia Community College (434) 949-1000
SERVICES:
Ante 619 Pairs Drtve Emporia, VA Alberta 8318 Boydton Plank Road Alberta, VA Brodnax Convenience Center 3421 Evans Creek Road Brodnax, VA Dolphin 8531 Liberty Road Dolphin, VA Ebony 116 Doctor Purdy Road Blackridge, VA Freeman 1121 Freeman Cross Road Freeman, VA Gasburg 5685 Gasburg Road Gasburg, VA
Brunswick County Victim/Witness Assistance Program (434) 8489999
South Brunswick 9162 Christanna Hwy Lawrenceville, VA
NEWS:
Red Oak 1039 Lew Jones Road Alberta, VA
Brunswick Times–Gazette (434) 848-2114 or (434) 634-4153
TOWNS:
Town of Alberta 53 Main Street Alberta, Va. 23821 (434) 949-7443 Town of Brodnax 28 Main Street Brodnax, Va. 23920 (434) 729-3191 Town of Lawrenceville 400 North Main Street Lawrenceville, Va. 23868 (434) 848-2414
Totaro 620 Fox Lane Lawrenceville, VA Triplet 1877 Western Mill Road Lawrenceville, VA Warfield 7315 Sturgeon Road Warfield, VA There are containers to recycle plastic, aluminum and cardboard at the center. Centers are open Monday, Friday and Saturday from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., Wednesday and Sunday from 1 p.m. to 7 p.m. and closed Tuesday and Thursday for maintenance. For more information call the Brunswick County Solid Waste Management Department at (434) 848-3562 or the county administrator’s office at (434) 848-3107.
Explore Brunswick County Virginia - Fall 2020 | 23
rich in history The Fort Christanna Historical Site, located on Fort Hill Road two miles south of Lawrenceville just off Christanna Highway (Route 46), was built by Governor Alexander Spotswood both to provide protection to early settlers in the wilderness that became Brunswick County, and to give shelter to the many fragments of displaced Native American tribes allied with the English. The fort was set up as a trading company and for a while was a busy hub for trade in furs. In 1714, the site of Fort Christanna on Virginia’s western frontier was the farthest eastern outpost of the British Empire. The 3.5 acre, five-sided fort
was built within a 36 square mile tract of land on the Meherrin River, set aside for the Saponie and Occaneechee Indians who settled at the Fort. Spotswood employed 12 young men who rode out daily along with some Indian men to patrol the area and keep the new settlers moving into the area safe from attack. These rangers also helped conduct trade at the fort. Within the three acres of the palisaded fort walls were many structures. There were blockhouses at each of the five corners, a forge, probably warehouses and storage buildings for trade goods and supplies. Governor Spotswood’s fort included the creation of an Indian School to educate the Native American children living nearby. At his own expense Spotswood paid the salary of the schoolmaster, Charles Griffin who taught his students English and religion. A visitor in 1716 reported that the Indian students knew the Lord’s Prayer and could recite the Anglican catechism. As many as 100 students were in the Indian School at Fort Christanna. Having Indian children from many tribes within the walls
24 | Explore Brunswick County Virginia - Fall 2020
NORTH
of the fort was, in part, a strategy to prevent DIRECTIONS TO FORT CHRISTANNA Indian attack. By 1717 the fort and the school From Richmond: Take I-95 south to Petersburg. Take Exit at Christanna had lost its support in London and RICHM OND 51 to I-85 south. Follow I-85 south for 40 miles to Exit ² I Virginia, however. The Indian School closed, 28. From the exit ramp, turn left and follow US 1 for 1.6 miles, then take a left onto Virginia Route 46, towards and its schoolmaster went back east to teach Lawrenceville. Follow 46 through Lawrenceville, and for Indian students at the College of William and Æ I another 2 miles, then turn right onto Route 686. Site will be about 1 miles on the right. Mary. $ e " ! Near the fort was a village for the Indians, From Emporia: Follow US 58 West, 20 miles, then turn left onto Virginia Route 46 near Lawrenceville. Follow 46 for 2 members of many small tribes that had been miles, then turn right onto Route 686. Site will be about 1 forced from their homes to the east. Some 600 COLONIAL HEIG HTS miles on the right. people lived there in homes they constructed I É From South Hill: Follow US 58 East, 16 miles, then turn HOPEWELL from native materials. They lived off of hunting, right onto Virginia Route 46 near Lawrenceville. Follow ! fishing the river, and trade in furs and crafts. The 46 for 2 miles, then turn right onto Route 686. Site will be EX IT 51 about 1 miles on the right. É I Fort Christanna experience brought to the tribes of the region new ideas, a new language, a new I PETERSB URG Æ religion, and new dependency on Europeans trade goods. The old tribal ways and traditions fast fell away as the Virginia colony expanded. But the tribes whose children were educated at q I Victoria Fort Christanna adapted and endured. Several tribes in Virginia and North Carolina today o ? are proud descendants of those students at the K enbridge Christanna Indian School. $ d " ! Alberta After the Virginia legislature withdrew its $ e " ! ! support, in 1718, a private company ran it EX IT 28 J arratt for a time, and then that failed. By this time Brunswick was growing in population from ? x « I Lawrenceville EM PORIA many settlers, and in 1720 was chartered as a South Meherrin River Hill B rodnax county. Protection from hostile Indians was no Iron Bridge Rd FORT $ BRUNSWICK BYWAYS longer necessary. Many Indians drifted off to CHRISTANNA La VISITORS CENTER « I Crosse Fort Hill Rd join other tribes, although some remained, livRoute 686 ing on the old, deserted site. q I w ? In time, the fort’s palisade walls and buildings Á I fell, and the site reverted to forest land. Even after its decline, however, stories of the fort were 0 4 8 16 M iles kept alive by residents of Brunswick County. In 1928 the Colonial Dames of Virginia bought terrace welcome area and information kiosk. Interpretive 3.25 acres of land and a monument was placed signage has been installed at the brick terrace area and along on the grounds. That marker was a concrete block studded the fort wall paths describing Alexander Spotswood’s role in with arrowheads, which people vandalized. It was replaced the establishment of the fort, Native American presence at the by the present monument with cannon in the 1950s. site, construction of the fort and the role of Brunswick County In 2001, the Brunswick County Board of Supervisors, in and the National Society of the Colonial Dames of American order to protect the original three acre fort site, purchased 22 in the State of Virginia. Through the Common Wealth Award acres of surrounding property. In 2006, to further protect the from the Garden Club of Virginia, the Brunswick Garden site, two and a half acres, directly across the road from the Club has constructed an outdoor learning center for use by site was purchased by the Board of Supervisors. teachers, students and others to discuss the history of the In 1979-1981 an archeological dig on the site under the Fort Christanna and the Indian people who frequented the direction of Dr. Mary C. Beaudry affirmed the outlines of fort. The site is also included as a stop on the Christanna the palisade wall and provided some information about life Loop of the Virginia Birding and Wildlife Trail and is a stop there. In 2002-2004 archaeology led by Dr. Chris Stevenson on the Civil Rights in Education Heritage Trail. There are showed much more about the trade and life of the people of engraved granite benches that have been donated by civic the fort. organizations or in memory or honor of individuals placed Today, after several years of development, and considerable throughout the area for visitors to relax and enjoy the many help from local companies and the Board of Supervisors, the scenic and natural sights and sounds. The park is open sunup site has been transformed into a 25 acre historical and recto sundown, and all are welcome to visit and see enjoy the reational park, with trails around the perimeter of the walls historical, recreational and scenic assets of the site. where the five sided fort was located. A new parking area Visit www.brunswickco.com for more information. with handicap parking has been constructed, with a brick
^
Explore Brunswick County Virginia - Fall 2020 | 25
Distributed locally by:
Ad Name: Teamwork - General Item #: PBW20089289 Job/Order #:613123-210897
Pecht Distributors, Inc. 514 New Street Lawrenceville, VA 23868
(434) 848-2322
26 | Explore Brunswick County Virginia - Fall 2020
Closing Date: 11.11.9 QC: SM Pub: The Tidewater News
Trim: 10.25x10.5 Bleed: None Live: 9.75x10
The Akers-Pecht family
Why we call Brunswick
HOME Robbie Pecht and Rebecca Akers have lived in the same neighborhood in Brunswick’s county seat, Lawrenceville, for 37 years where they have raised their three daughters, Anna, Dottie, and Kathryn. Robbie’s family has had a family business in Lawrenceville since 1929. Rebecca is an educator who has worked at Saint Paul’s College and also in the public school system as an administrator. Rebecca enjoys a small town because she knows her neighbors and they look out for each other. Once she and Robbie were out of town during the winter when their pipes burst with water running down their driveway into the street. A neighbor alerted Robbie’s family, and the pipes were repaired by the time they returned to Lawrenceville. Rebecca and Robbie like to walk their two dogs through their quiet neighborhood. Robbie likes living in Brunswick County because it has easy access to the beach, the mountains, and also the amenities of nearby Richmond and Raleigh. Anna says that Brunswick stew is a national treasure and likes that everyone knows each other and says hello to each other. She says you can’t go to Food Lion without running into someone you know and having a chat. Dottie has enjoyed growing up with the same friends from The Country Mouse School (preschool) through graduation from high school. Kathryn likes the fact that there isn’t any traffic, and you can do your errands quickly. Some see a rural community as a place you wouldn’t want to live, but for the Akers-Pecht family, Brunswick is home.
Meherrin River Regional Jail is a state of the art adult detention center serving the counties of Brunswick, Dinwiddie and Mecklenburg. The Jail is NOW HIRING!! For more information on available positions and our outstanding benefits package, please visit www.mrrj.org or call Rhonda Fitchett at 434.949.6707
Charles C Wright Ins Agcy Inc Charles Wright, Agent 112 South Mecklenburg Avenue South Hill, VA 23970 Bus: 434-447-4433 State Farm, Bloomington, IL 1211999
Explore Brunswick County Virginia - Fall 2020 | 27
The story of two By Bobby Conner
Explore Brunswick County Virginia Fall 2020
With all the social distancing, stay at home orders and closing of schools due to the Coronavirus, it’s a great time to take a look around us at all the nature that returns with the warm spring/summer weather. This is the story of determination and the struggle between the need to build a nest by a pair of Ospreys and the safety and maintenance of electric power lines. Ospreys have a variety of common names, including fish hawks, sea hawks, and eagle hawks. Female ospreys have a necklace of brown feathers across their white chest. The male Ospreys have a solid white chest. They spend their summer months along East Coast estuaries and other bodies of water, arriving sometime during the month of March where they remain until September or October. Typically, Ospreys feed primarily on live fish, which they catch by plunging into water using their claws to hook the fish. Eggs are typically laid in April and are incubated by the female for 35-37 days. The young remain in the nest for approximately 8 weeks after hatching. Most young are capable of sustained flight by late June or early July; yet, after fledging from the nest, the young remain dependent on the parents for up to 2 months. The older adults begin their migration south first, spending their winter months in South America. The recently born Ospreys leave several weeks after the adults, finding their way south as well. Ospreys are protected by the U.S. Migratory Bird Treaty Act. The Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries (DGIF or Department) and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), respectively, exercise state and federal authority over conservation and management of Ospreys in Virginia. This area has seen an increase in the number of Ospreys nesting and raising offspring. They feed off fish in ponds and around Lake Gaston and Buggs Island. “Nesting Ospreys have been on the rise along Buggs Island and Lake Gaston for the past 10 to 15 years,” said David Lipscomb, Vice President of Member and Energy Services for Mecklenburg Electric Cooperative. “Every April we see multiple pairs of the birds seeking out MEC power poles as their nesting site. They are diligent workers and drop lots of small limbs on
Ospreys top of our poles.” This particular pair of Ospreys arrived in the community of Ebony the last week of March and began their search for a place to build their nest. For about a week, the pair tried to establish a nest atop an electric distribution line pole in the middle of a pasture on Robinson Ferry Road. The sticks that they were placing on the pole were also lying on the electric lines on the pole. The pole carries a main line through Ebony and also feeds another electric line running from the same pole down another road and also to another home. Mecklenburg Electric personnel were concerned that if the sticks and grass that the Osprey had begun placing on top of the pole got wet, it would cause a major power outage or fire at the pole. The pair of Ospreys wouldn’t give up, each day they would bring building materials for the nest to the top of the pole and the next day the lineman would remove them. According to the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries publication, Osprey Nest Management in Virginia: A Guide for Landowners, two types of nest are identified. An active Osprey nest is defined as a nest containing one or more eggs or occupied by dependent (flightless) young and cannot be disturbed or removed. An inactive Osprey nest is defined as a nest without any eggs or dependent (flightless) young and includes nests under construction. Inactive nests may be removed or relocated at any time without authorization or consultation. Since the Ospreys nest in Ebony had not been established with eggs or young, Mecklenburg Electric Cooperative was able to remove the limbs from the pole and consider relocating the nest. “Needless to say, limbs and electricity don’t mix,” said Lipscomb. “The limbs lying on the power line cause the breaker to trip and de-energize the line and take out power to hundreds of homes down the line.” Over the weekend of April 3, the Ospreys worked continuously trying to build their nest. Mecklenburg Electric Cooperative workers determined that the only way to try and get the birds to nest in a safer place was to erect a pole with a nesting box attached to the top. The pole would be placed near the existing electric line pole that the Ospreys were attempting to establish a nest on. Mecklenburg Electric Cooperative has installed several nesting platforms around the Lake Gaston area to keep Ospreys from nesting on power poles and lines. “Our goal is to mitigate the disruption of blinks and outages by providing the Ospreys with another option. Nesting platforms provide just that,” said Lipscomb. We’ve built a number of these platforms and the birds adopt them as home quite quickly and then return year after year. These platforms allow nature and technology to co-exist, it’s a win-win for the birds and the homes down the line.” On Friday morning April 10, a crew from Mecklenburg
Electric arrived to put up the pole in hopes that the pair of Ospreys would make their nest in the new nesting box. The new pole with nesting box is the same height as the electric pole where they were attempting to build a nest. Before setting the pole, workers attached the nesting box to the top of the pole. The square box has a mesh wire bottom so that it doesn’t hold water. A hole was dug and the pole was picked up with a boom on a truck and set into place. One of the crew members from Mecklenburg Electric used a bucket truck to lift himself up to the nesting box where he placed the sticks and grass that had been removed from the electric pole. The idea was to encourage the Osprey to build in the box. After the Mecklenburg Electric Cooperative crew left, the pair of Ospreys spent a good part of the day flying around the new nesting box. By late afternoon, the male landed on the box and soon the female landed beside him. They both spent the next several hours, before dark, bringing sticks and grass to the box. In less than a week, the Ospreys had completed the nest and had started breeding. The female laid three eggs and spent the next month sitting on the eggs. The eggs hatched and the two ospreys had three young chicks. Only two survived, which is not unusual for a younger pair of parents. The male brought fish and other food to the female who in turn would feed the chicks. After going through a fast rate of growth, the two juvenile ospreys, with much coaxing from their parents, finally flew from the nest on August 5, 2020. They will stay with their parents for several months before taking off on their own. Sometime next March the pair should return to the same box and start the process all over again. We could all learn from the determination of the two Ospreys. No matter what the circumstance it will eventually all work out and thanks to some major help from Mecklenburg Electric Cooperative, it did.
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Rose and Grover Baird, Jr.
Why we call Brunswick
HOME By A.S. Elliott
On October 10, 2020, Rose and Grover Baird, Jr. will celebrate 55 years of marriage. This half a century plus has been spent lovingly in Brunswick County. “We have lived and worked our whole lives here.” Rose said as she began to discuss a life blessed surrounded by family and good friends in Brunswick County. Rose Baird was born Rose Hammack and was raised in Gasburg. Grover Baird, Jr. was born and raised in Blackridge. Both had childhoods centered around church, family, and farms in Brunswick County. As married adults, the pair chose to build a house and live on the Baird family homeplace in Blackridge. Here they raised two beautiful daughters. Their eldest, Tracey Baird Kazelskis and her husband, Scott, live in Richmond and have twin girls, Morgan and Brooke. Their youngest, Pam Baird Vogltanz and her husband, JJ, live in Ringgold and have Madison, Jameson, and Jordan Grace. “We live in the garden spot of the world” Grover Jr. is fond of saying to everyone. He knows this in his heart too. After serving in the Army on dangerous duty in Vietnam from 1966 to 1967, he said that if he ever got back to Blackridge, he was going to stay there forever. He has kept his word. Both chose to work for multi-generational Brunswick companies. Grover Jr. is retired from running the big boredwell drilling machine for Moseley and Nash Well and Septic and Rose recently retired as bookkeeper and office manager with Brodnax Lumber Company. This has given them well deserved time to relax. Rose has enjoyed traveling with friends over the past two years and Grover can be found in his garden and with the family dog, Buddy, a Labrador-Great Pyrenese mix doing yard work. They enjoy being at Lake Gaston whenever they can together. Time with friends at Pleasant Hill Christian Church in Gasburg and at the lake gives Rose and Grover Jr, opportunities to gush about their grandchildren. The youngest, Jordan Grace, is a senior at Danville High School. Her bother, Jameson, is a junior at Liberty University and the eldest grandchild, Madison, is a Cardiopulmonary Exercise Physiologist working at Centra Gretna Hospital. She also works with EMS. The twins, Morgan and Brooke (this multi-birth blessing runs in the Baird family), are now juniors at Virginia Tech University. Rose feels her daughters received good educations in Brunswick County leading to college degrees from University of Richmond for Tracey and Medical College of
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Virginia for Pam. So one can see where the grandchildren get their drive to excel with such positive influences. Come October this year as the family gathers to celebrate Rose and Grover Jr.’s wedding anniversary, they will no doubt reflect together on memories of picnics by the lake, sharing their garden bounty with family and friends, cooking Brunswick Stew with the grandchildren, and loving their life in Brunswick County.
TOWN OF
ALBERTA
Once upon a time Alberta had vibrant rail traffic through the heart of town.
The 1917 Wooden Alberta Caboose will serve as a tribute to our local history.
Casual strolls to visit us are always welcome.
Come and visit Alberta soon!
Lake Gaston
enjoy the good life
Lake Gaston celebrated its 50th birthday in 2013, with the original ribbon cutting being held on June 26, 1963. In the years that have followed, the lake area has grown to become a desired destination for visitors as well as new residents. Lake Gaston, which straddles the Virginia/North Carolina border between Interstates 95 and 85, is 35 miles in length, with approximately 350 miles of shoreline surrounding over 20,000 acres. The average depth of the lake is 45 feet with a maximum of 95 feet. It is the second lake in a series of three lakes resulting from dams built for hydroelectric power. Lake Gaston is fed by water from Kerr Lake to the west, and supplies water to Roanoke Rapids Lake downstream. The lake was built in the early 1960’s for flood control, hydroelectric power and recreation. A portion of Lake Gaston is located in Brunswick County along its southern border. Lake Gaston offers ideal facilities for fishing, hunting, camping, boating and an array of water sports. There are no horsepower restrictions on the lake. Lake Gaston is stocked with game fish which include striped bass or rockfish, large mouth bass, bream, crappies, and several varieties of catfish and sunfish. There is a Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries public boat launching ramp located just off Gasburg Road on Pea Hill Creek in Gasburg and another on Hendrick’s Mill Road at Poplar Creek just west of Ebony. Several marinas are located around the lake with one located on Hendrick’s Mill Road at Poplar Creek. Rental homes, from small cabins to larger homes that sleep six or more people, are available around the lake through the
many real estate companies that serve the lake area. Camping is available at Lake Gaston Lodges and by membership at The Club, Lake Gaston Resort both located in Gasburg. Many restaurants are located on both the Virginia and North Carolina sides of the lake. They range from pizza and sub restaurants to elegant waterfront bistros. Golfing is available at Lake Gaston Golf Club in Gasburg. Local communities near the lake include Ebony and Gasburg in Virginia and Littleton and Norlina in North Carolina. Larger towns are in the outlying area and include Lawrenceville, South Hill, and Emporia in Virginia and Roanoke Rapids, Warrenton and Norlina in North Carolina. Within a little more than an hour’s drive are Raleigh and Rocky Mount in North Carolina and Petersburg and Richmond in Virginia. Come enjoy some boating, fishing, sun and all the relaxation your heart, body and soul desire on beautiful Lake Gaston.
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