Prince George County Regional Heritage Center Inc

THE ORGANIZATIONS PRIMARY EXEMPT PURPOSES ARE EDUCATION AND THE CONTINUAL DEVELOPMENT AND OPERATION OF A MUSEUM DEDICATED TO PRESERVING AND PRESENTING THE HISTORY AND HERITAGE OR PRINCE GEORGE COUNTY, VIRGINIA.

FIRE AND EMS MUSEUM: THE CENTER BEGAN THE PROCESS OF INTERVIEWS WITH SURVIVING VOLUNTEERS OF THE ORIGINAL FIRE/EMS SERVICES IN THE COUNTY. THEIR STORY VERSUS THE PROFESSIONALS OF TODAY WILL PROVIDE AN EDUCATIONAL AND INSPIRING LOOK AT THE DEDICATION AND SACRIFICE INVOLVED IN EARLY SERVICE VERSUS THE PROGRESSION OF TECHNOLOGY, SKILLS, AND KNOWLEDGE THAT HAS BEEN NECESSITATED BY THE COUNTYS GROWTH AND EXPANSION. DEMOLITION OF THE HISTORIC OLD JAILS INTERIOR, AKA AS THE FOOD BANK, WAS COMPLETED WITH A CAREFUL PROCESS THAT ULTIMATELY REVEALED REMNANTS OF AN OLD JAIL CELL, A JAIL GUN SAFE, AND SOME INTERESTING ARCHITECTURAL ELEMENTS THAT WILL ALL BE BUILT INTO THE STORY OF THE NEW MUSEUM.

THE VIRGINIA CZECH AND SLOVAK FOLKLIFE FESTIVAL IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE VIRGINIA FOUNDATION FOR THE HUMANITIES DREW A RECORD CROWD IN OCTOBER 2016. THE FESTIVAL-GOERS ENJOYED THE PRESENTATIONS OF VARIOUS ASPECTS OF THE CULTURE: AUTHENTIC FOODS, DANCE, MUSIC, AGRICULTURAL DISPLAYS, AND SPECIAL PERFORMANCES BY THE WASHINGTON DC SOKOL CHILDRENS DANCE TROUPE. THE EXHIBIT THAT IS A PERMANENT PART OF THE CENTERS GALLERIES WAS ENHANCED TO SHOW TWO MAPS: ONE DEPICTING A DETAILED MAP OF ORIGIN FOR THOSE SETTLING IN PRINCE GEORGE/DINWIDDIE FROM BOHEMIA; THE SECOND A MAP OF THE CENTERS SERVICE AREA SHOWING ORIGINAL SETTLERS AND THEIR FARM LOCATIONS. PHOTOGRAPHS SCANNED FROM LOCAL FAMILY ALBUMS WERE ENLARGED AND ADDED TO THE PERMANENT EXHIBIT. AS A PRE-FESTIVAL EVENT, THE CENTER HOSTED THE CULTURAL ATTACH TO THE CZECH EMBASSY WHO SPOKE TO OVERFLOW CROWDS.

ARCHAEOLOGY AT BRANDON PLANTATION: AT THE REQUEST OF THE OWNERS, THE CENTER DEVELOPED A TEAM TO DETERMINE BOUNDARIES OF AN OLD CEMETERY, CHURCH PASTURES, WHERE VISIBLE GRAVE STONES DATE TO THE LATE SEVENTEENTH CENTURY. THE SITE IS OF TREMENDOUS HISTORIC SIGNIFICANCE AS INDICATORS CONTINUE TO SUPPORT THE THEORY THAT THIS WAS THE ORIGINAL SITE OF MARTINS BRANDON PARISH ON THE LAND THAT WAS A GRANT TO JOHN MARTIN, EARLY JAMESTOWN SETTLER, IN 1616. WORK IS CONTINUING BASED ON GROUND PENETRATING RADAR FINDINGS. THE ARCHAEOLOGY PLAN HAS TO BE DEVELOPED CAREFULLY IN COOPERATION WITH THE FARMING OPERATION AS THE CEMETERY IS NOW IN THE MIDDLE OF A LARGE FIELD THAT IS CULTIVATED THROUGHOUT MUCH OF THE YEAR.