Students Experience History

On Friday October 23rd., a beautiful fall day, approximately 25 Central High School juniors participated in a history tour arranged by Ms. Alice Sheley and Mr. Frank Hurst of the Tavern Museum Council in cooperation with Dr. Carol Carter, Superintendent of King & Queen County Schools, and Mr. Chuck Hudson, head of the history department. The tour began at historic Newington, located on the Mattaponi River, and the birthplace of Carter Braxton, a signer of the Declaration of Independence. There they viewed many artifacts found at the site and a restored storage house constructed of “balast stones” brought over from England during the colonial era. Ms. Beverly (Bly) Straube, an archaeologist in the Virginia tidewater region, provided insights into the importance of the site and the discoveries made there. The group then traveled to the Tavern Museum for a tour and scavenger hunt constructed by Mr. Hudson to emphasize the County history exhibited. Mr. Frank Hurst informed the group of upcoming scholarship and archaeology opportunities.