You are cordially invited to attend the ribbon-cutting of the new Hitt Archaeology Center on the grounds of the Fort Germanna Visitor Center complex on Thursday, May 9, 2019 at 3:00 pm. Please RSVP by April 29:
Germanna Time Capsule Ceremony
On March 28, 2019, the Germanna Foundation Time Capsule was immured inside a wall in the the new Hitt Archaeology Center, next to the Fort Germanna Visitor Center in Locust Grove, VA. The capsule will be opened in 50 years, in July of 2068, during the Foundation’s 111th annual reunion. Skip Poole, Germanna Foundation Trustee […]
Germany Trips
The Germanna Foundation’s annual trip to Germany is an exceptional experience. The ancestral villages of the participants become the itinerary for each year’s trip. The next trip takes place 17-29 June 2019. One of the tour guides is a Germanna trustee, descendant, and expert on Germanna genealogy and the other is a German native who […]
Germanna Foundation Holds Ground-Breaking Ceremony for the New Hitt Archaeology Center
During a short break in the weather of Hurricane Michael barreling through Virginia on Thursday, October 11, 2018, the Germanna Foundation held the ground-breaking ceremony at the future site of the Hitt Archaeology Center. This new facility, made possible by a generous gift from Russell and Joan Hitt, will be built next to the Fort […]
Dutch Ambassador Visits Fort Germanna Visitor Center
It was a great honor to have Ambassador Henne Schuwer from the Kingdom of the Netherlands to the Fort Germanna Visitor Center on Saturday, March 24, 2018. Germanna Foundation President Marc Wheat welcomed him and gave him a tour of the visitor center/museum/library. Germanna has a deep and unusual connection with the Kingdom of the Netherlands: […]
“Germanna on the Frontier” Reunion & Conference in July
It’s the Germanna Event of the Year! The annual reunion and conference where Germanna “cousins” from all over the country and world come back to where it all started in Virginia at Fort Germanna. A full four-day schedule of events is planned for socializing, learning and having fun. This year’s 61st reunion is called “Germanna […]
Historic Germanna 101
Germanna descendant and Germanna Foundation Membership Development Manager Ashley Abruzzo will present an overview on the history of the Germanna Colony, how the Germanna Foundation was created, and its present-day mission to preserve, protect, and educate the public on Virginia’s early German-American heritage. The event will be held at the Central Rappahannock Regional Library Salem Church […]
Kids Colonial Camp at Germanna
Looking for a fun summertime activity for your kids or grandkids ages 6 to 14 years old? Have them attend a one-day only Kids Colonial Camp at Saturday, July 15, 2017 from 8 am to 4 pm at the Fort Germanna Visitor Center on 2062 Germanna Hwy (Route 3) in Locust Grove, VA. The Visitor Center […]
Germanna Historical Conference July 15, 2017
On Saturday, July 15, 2017 from 8:30 am to 3:30 pm, the Germanna Foundation will be holding its annual Historical Conference at the Germanna Community College Daniel Technology Center located at 18121 Technology Drive in Culpeper, VA. There will be many vendors at the conference focused on area history, books, historical memorabilia, clubs/organizations, parks, and much […]
Hebron Lutheran Church Foundation
Madison, VA — The Hebron Lutheran Church Foundation joins in the celebration of 300 years of a Lutheran church in the hills of the Virginia Piedmont, and asks that well-wishers on both sides of the Atlantic participate in the work of the Foundation to ensure the church’s continuity in the centuries to come. “In this […]
Attend Special Event at Hebron Lutheran Church April 30
As we prepare to celebrate the 300th anniversary of the Second Colony arriving at Germanna at the Germanna Foundation’s 60th annual conference and reunion this July, we are also celebrating the 300th anniversary of Hebron Lutheran Church in Madison, Virginia – all during the 500th anniversary of the Lutheran Reformation. At Hebron, many of our […]
2017 Reunion/Conference Registration Now Open
Registration for the biggest Germanna event of the year — the 60th annual Germanna Foundation Conference and Reunion — is now officially open! This year we are celebrating the 300th anniversary of the arrival of the 1717 Second Germanna Colony. We have a great line-up of events, activities and lectures that you won’t want to miss. Many events […]
Germanna Hosts Civil War Trust Park Day
On Saturday, April 1, 2017, history buffs, community leaders and preservationists will team up with the Civil War Trust at more than 130 sites in 30 states to answer the call to service on Park Day. Celebrating over 20 successful years, Park Day has attracted volunteers of all ages and abilities bound by their dedication […]
Hebron Lutheran Church’s 300th Anniversary
Hebron Lutheran Church in Madison, VA, the oldest Lutheran Church in continuous use in the United States and founded by members of the 1717 Second Germanna Colony before they arrived in Virginia, is celebrating its tricentennial in 2017. Hebron Church leaders have been hard at work on events commemorating the founding, and have worked closely with […]
Knights Of The Golden Horseshoe Expedition on TV
The Germanna Foundation had a wonderful time with the producers and hosts of “Best of America by Horseback” at our Visitor Center and at the top of the Blue Ridge in Shenandoah National Park. Hosted by Tom Seay and Kristen Biscoe (both descendants of Germanna colonists Michael Holt and Anna Scheible), “Best of America by Horseback “has […]
Knights of the Golden Horseshoe Living History Encampment – Sept 17-18
The Germanna Foundation Board of Trustees hosted a living history colonial encampment open to the public at no charge at their Brawdus Martin Visitor Center grounds on Saturday, September 17 and Sunday, September 18, 2016 from 10 am to 4 pm each day. This event celebrated the 300th anniversary of the Knights of the Golden Horseshoe […]
Knights of the Golden Horseshoe Expedition Ride Reenactment
(Dale Duvall/Culpeper Times) Virginia Colonial history will be re-visited as horseback riders from across the United States gather to re-enact Colonial Governor Alexander Spotswood’s Transmontaine Expedition up and over the then imposing Blue Ridge Mountains. It was 300 years ago that this expedition paved the way and began the never ending westward expansion of America. Starting […]
Thanks Virginia Commonwealth University
We treated Dr. Bernard Means and his VCU archaeology field school students to a pizza party picnic at the Fort Germanna/Enchanted Castle excavation site on Thursday, July 28th – the final day of VCU’s field work at Germanna this summer. Our seasonal staff, under the direction of Germanna’s archaeologist, Eric Larsen, Ph.D., and this season’s […]
I Dig Germanna Archaeology Workshop
Craig Wolford (center right) and Gil Kenner (center left) received their certificates of completion, trowels, and “I Dig Germanna” T-shirts for successfully completing our first I Dig Germanna Archaeology Workshop 18-20 July from Dr. Eric Larsen, Germanna staff archaeologist (l) and Germanna COO Steve Hein (r). Working under the supervision of Dr. Eric Larsen and […]
Thank you for giving to Germanna during the 2016 Community Give
Thank you to our supporters and members for donating to Germanna during the Community Give online fundraising campaign this week! Your donations will help support our archaeology field work this year. The Community Give experienced some technical issues during the day on Tuesday that prevented some supporters from giving, and the campaign was […]
Germanna Reunion Registration is Open!
Plan your Own Expedition of Discovery to the Germanna Reunion and Conference July 14-17. Join with Germanna descendants and others from around the country, even the world. Celebrate the 300th anniversary of Alexander Spotswood’s Knights of the Golden Horseshoe Expedition at the Germanna Reunion and Conference. Click here for details, including the schedule of events, pricing, […]
PBS Series “Finding Your Roots” Episode to Feature Germanna Descendant
This week’s episode of the PBS Series Finding Your Roots, the “Pioneers,” will reveal some interesting German ancestry information about one of the episode’s stars. The show airs for the first time on Tuesday evening, Feb 23rd. Watch it, and then watch here for more… You can also check out the Germanna Facebook page. For […]
Germanna Archaeologist Dr. Eric Larsen to Speak at German-American Heritage Museum
Please join Museum and Germanna Foundation members, friends, and others for an interesting lecture concerning the history and archaeology of Germanna on Thursday, March 17th, at 6:30pm at the German-American Heritage Museum in Washington, DC. This lecture series is sponsored in part by Germanna Trustee Sven Eric Utsch, and Dr. Larsen’s position is underwritten by a […]
Fort Germanna featured in D.C. museum exhibit
The Fort Germanna story is one of rich history, not just for Orange County, but nationally. Built in 1714, Germanna was the first German settlement in Virginia, making it a fitting exhibit at the German-American Heritage Museum’s “German Entrepreneurship” series on view in Washington, D.C. through March. (Story published in the Orange County Review by […]
Germanna Archaeology Site in the News
Many of our 2015 reunion attendees had the opportunity to visit the Fort Germanna/ Enchanted Castle archaeological site during an open house with staff archaeologist Dr. Eric Larsen and special guest Dr. Bernard Means from Virginia Commonwealth University’s Virtual Curation Lab. Orange County Review reporter Amber Galaviz covered the event. Read her “Digging Germanna” article […]
