Today the Culpeper Star Exponent’s top story in their print version is Germanna’s 300th anniversary:

Germanna marks 300th anniversary with celebration

The Germanna Foundation’s 57th annual reunion and conference kicked off this week with a special celebration marking its 300th anniversary of when the German colonists first settled in America.

In honor of the event, a delegation from Siegen, Germany (where the colonists originated) traveled to the United States to attend the reunion and conference in Culpeper.

“It’s wonderful being a part of this 300th jubilee,” said Marc Wheat, Germanna Foundation President. “This is very reminiscent of the Biblical beliefs where people were called back to their ancestral land. These descendants get to walk on the land of where their ancestors became Americans. This is a wonderful and meaningful place for people and we are grateful to have this and thankful for being in Virginia for 300 years.”

A welcoming ceremony also took place at the Germanna Visitor Center and afterward the group toured the original site where the colonists lived – Fort Germanna and area archeologist Kerri Barile provided a guided tour of Governor Spotswood’s historic mansion.

Local leaders from Culpeper, Orange, Madison and Spotsylvania also joined in the festivities. On Saturday, the Germanna Foundation will host its historical and genealogical conference all day at Germanna Community College’s Daniel Technology Center on Technology Drive in Culpeper.

Local residents are invited to attend as speakers will be talking about local history, genealogy, and the archaeology of Germanna.

The cost is $60 per person. For more information call 540-423-1700 or visit germanna.org/2014-conference-and-reunion.

Earlier this year, Germanna descendants learned about a historic grave marker of Johanes Walk discovered in the Southridge Village in the town of Culpeper.

After considerable research, Wheat said on Thursday that the infant’s marker will be returned to a Moravian cemetery in North Carolina.

By Rhonda Simmons
rsimmons@starexponent.com
(540) 825-0771 ext. 125
Friday, July 18, 2014