You are invited to the 61st annual Germanna Foundation Conference and Reunion!
The Germanna Foundation invites you to make plans to attend their biggest event of the year: their four-day annual conference and reunion held July 12-15, 2018.
Every year for the past 61 years, those with a connection and interest in the Germanna story gather together where it all began over 300 years ago at Fort Germanna in Virginia. There on the furthest edge of the then western frontier, groups of Germans came to America to settle at the Fort and the surrounding areas. Their descendants later settled throughout all America.
It is fitting that this year’s theme is “Germanna on the Frontier” as we explore the Colonial frontier and give the rising generation a deeper appreciation of Germanna’s role in shaping the American character.
Registration for the event closes on Sunday, July 8. We hope you can come and look forward to seeing you in July!
View the 2018 Reunion Brochure by clicking on the Full Screen icon (third icon from the right).
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Download Brochure (pdf)
MAIL-IN PAPER REGISTRATION FORM
Print off paper registration form and mail in form along with your check made out to the Germanna Foundation. Download Paper Registration Form
ONLINE REGISTRATION FOR ALL EVENTS – $220 per adult; $190 per child 12 and under
We are now using EventZilla to for easier promotion and registration of Germanna events. See our complete event list at: http://www.eventzilla.net/user/germannafoundation. The site allows you to securely register and pay online, but there is a small service/processing fee included. If you prefer, you can always mail in the paper registration form to avoid paying the fee.
To register securely online for all events–the entire reunion and conference (except I Dig Germanna)–click on this button:
Register for 4-Day Reunion–ALL EVENTS
ONLINE REGISTRATION FOR ONLY SELECT EVENTS
Or, to only register for select events, click on the button after the event listings below. IMPORTANT: Only use the below buttons if you did NOT register above for the entire reunion.
SCHEDULE
Thursday, July 12, 2018
Registration Open House
11:00 am – 3:00 pm
Fort Germanna Visitor Center
2062 Germanna Hwy (Route 3), Locust Grove, VA
Drop by the Brawdus Martin Fort Germanna Visitor Center to pick up your registration materials. While you are here, take this opportunity to hike the trails, browse the library, and check out the interpretive display. Please note: The Germanna Foundation Visitor Center will be closing early, at 3:00 pm on this date.
Fort Germanna / Enchanted Castle Archaeological Site Open House
Noon – 4:00 pm
Fort Germanna / Enchanted Castle Site
Gordon Farm Road, Locust Grove, VA
Drive across Germanna Hwy (Route 3) to explore the Fort Germanna / Enchanted Castle site. Germanna Foundation Staff Archaeologist Dr. Eric Larsen, summer intern staff, and Virginia Commonwealth University Field School students will be on hand to lead informal site tours showcasing their seasonal work. Will they #FindtheFort? Closed toe shoes are required. Other protective gear and bug spray are highly recommended. Beware of chiggers, ticks, snakes, and poison ivy. Directions will be available at the Visitor Center during Registration.
Clore Family Gathering
2:00 pm – 4:00 pm
262 Washington Street, Locust Grove, VA
An informal get together for Clore descendants will once again be hosted by Skip and Joy Poole at their home in Lake of the Woods. Directions will be available at the Visitor Center during Registration. This is a free event but RSVP is required. RSVP to Clore Gathering
Fishback/Rector Family Gathering
3:30 pm – 5:00 pm
Best Western Hotel (791 Madison Road), Culpeper, VA
An informal get together for Fishback and Rector descendants will be hosted by Fran Rowell in the large meeting room at the Best Western Hotel in Culpeper. Dennis Loba (aka Lt. Gov. Alexander Spotswood) and Blackbeard have been invited. There will be coffee, tea, water and soda, but the primary drink will be the “Toddie” that Gov. Spotswood likes. It is his recipe which includes run and tonic water. For food, there will be chicken tenders, pigs in a blanket, crab dip with pita bread, assorted cheeses, seasonal fresh fruit, a variety of mini sandwiches, potato and pasta sales and cookies. Bring family history/genealogy photos and documents you would like to show others and have Fran later digitize for the Germanna database. This is a free event but RSVP is required. RSVP to Fishback/Rector Gathering
Board of Trustees Reception by Invitation
5:00 pm – 7:00 pm
Fort Germanna Visitor Center
2062 Germanna Hwy (Route 3), Locust Grove, VA
This invitation-only event serves as a Thank You from the Board of Trustees to our most generous supporters and volunteers, and to introduce local officials to Germanna. All donors at the Explorer giving level ($500 per year) and above will receive personal invitations.
Friday, July 13, 2018
Germanna Heritage Tours
Depart/Return at Best Western Culpeper
791 Madison Road, Culpeper, VA
All three tours will depart and return to the Best Western Culpeper. If you didn’t arrive in town early enough to pick up your registration materials, they will be available. Please note that the tours will be departing at different times.
Seats on the bus tour are limited and have sold out in the past so please register early. Participants should wear comfortable shoes and be prepared to walk up to half a mile, climb stairs, and stand. Boarding begins 15 minutes before departure and tours will depart on time to ensure adherence to the tour schedules for the convenience of hosts at various stops.
• HERITAGE TOUR: Frontier Culture Museum Tour
8:00 am – 4:00 pm
Travel to the Frontier Culture Museum of Virginia at Staunton with its former Director of Research and Collections (Germanna Trustee Katharine Brown) as guide. At this living history outdoor museum, you will visit original, authentic 18th century farmhouses brought from the European cultures that settled the colonial American frontier: England, Germany, and Ireland, see reproductions of African and Native American settlements, and see original Virginia farm houses as those cultures blended in the early 19th century. You will experience how YOUR Germanna ancestors lived in Germany and in America. Special emphasis will be placed on the German farm from the Palatinate, not far from villages from which Germanna settlers emigrated. Total amount of walking in the day is about ¾ of a mile. A few golf carts are available for those with some walking difficulty. Box lunch and museum admission are included. Please visit wwwfrontiermuseum.org before registering for this tour. $65 per person Register for Frontier Tour
• HERITAGE TOUR: First Colony Tour
9:00 am – 4:00 pm
First stop on this tour will be where it all began for the First Colony at the Fort Germanna site with Archaeologist, Eric Larsen. The question as to why the 1714 immigrants were brought here will be answered by your Trustee Tour Guide, Barbara Price. We will follow the road that our ancestors took to Germantown, then on to Elk Run Church with our host, Ed Dandar. Elk Run Church was the local parish church that our ancestors were required to attend and in close proximity to Germantown. As we meander south, we will be met by a local historian in the town of Jeffersonton, the site of the Little Fork Colony, and end our tour at the historic Little Fork Church with not only ties to Germanna, but also to Lady Butler Brayne Spotswood Thompson and Salubria. Up to a mile of walking will be required on dirt roads and uneven ground, so please wear sturdy shoes. Be mindful of poison ivy, mosquitos, chiggers, ticks and, possibly, snakes at the Fort Germanna site. Bug spray is recommended. Box lunch included. $65 per person Register for First Colony Tour
• HERITAGE TOUR: Second Colony Tour
9:00 am – 4:00 pm
Join your guide, Trustee Stephen Chanko, for a tour to Second Colony territory in Madison County, Virginia. Drive through some of the prettiest spots in the Robinson River Valley and the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains as the tour takes you past the early land patents. Enjoy a leisurely visit at historic Hebron Lutheran Church. By popular request, a delicious family-style lunch at Graves Mountain Lodge is planned. Additional stops to be determined. $65 per person Register for Second Colony Tour
Photo and Document Scanning
10:00 am –2:00 pm
Fort Germanna Visitor Center
2062 Germanna Hwy (Route 3), Locust Grove, VA
Photo and document scanning will be available in the Fort Germanna Visitor Center library on Friday for those not taking a tour. Do you have antique family photos, family bible records, or documents relating to your Germanna descended ancestors? Want to share them with the Germanna Foundation but don’t have the equipment to scan them? A volunteer will be available to scan them for you.
Note: This service will also be available at the Daniel Center during the Saturday Conference.
Germanna Foundation Banquet & Auction
6:00 pm – 10:00 pm
Lake of the Woods Clubhouse
205 Lakeview Parkway, Locust Grove, VA
The Annual Banquet is the main social event of the reunion weekend. After a day of touring outdoors, join us in air-conditioned comfort overlooking Lake of the Woods. Begin the evening enjoying the social hour with cash bar followed by a buffet dinner. Bid on a variety of items during the silent and live auctions. $60 for per person 13 years and older, $45 per child 12 years and younger. Register for Banquet and Auction
Saturday, July 14, 2018
Germanna on the Frontier Historical & Genealogical Conference
8:30 am – 3:30 pm
Germanna Community College Daniel Technology Center
18121 Technology Drive, Culpeper, VA
Start the day with coffee & donuts, socialize, shop in the Vendor Hall, and enjoy a full schedule of informative lectures. If you have not already done so, registration materials may be picked up at the Germanna booth in the Vendor Hall. Boxed lunch included. Photo and document scanning will be available at the Daniel Center during the Conference. Do you have antique family photos, family bible records, or documents relating to your Germanna descended ancestors? Want to share them with the Germanna Foundation but don’t have the equipment to scan them? A volunteer will be at the Daniel Center during the Conference to scan them for you. $60 per person. Register for One-Day Conference
Conference Sessions:
• Ashley Abruzzo, Journey to the Land of Lincoln: Germanna Settlers in Illinois
As Illinois celebrates its bicentennial, Illinois native Ashley Abruzzo will present on the various Germanna families who settled there. With assistance from Germanna descendants, she has collected family histories and images to narrate the lives of these settlers. Where in Illinois did they live? Did any serve in the military? What were their occupations? Did they rub elbows with any famous politicians? All that and more.
• John Blankenbaker, Germanna Short Stories
Through a series of short stories, our Germanna people are presented in novel ways. Still we will see that they are much like the people you know today. They weren’t always angels and model citizens and they came from varied backgrounds. Some of the stories have humorous elements while some have their tragic moments. An entertaining and educational presentation.
• Glenn Cress, Interpreting DNA Test Results
Your DNA test results includes the names of others (who have tested) who match with your DNA. These names may include close relatives as well as distant cousins. Vendors provide only estimates of the actual relationships. The main focus of this presentation is to review some of the techniques/tools that can be applied to help analyze/interpret your DNA test results for y-DNA, mt-DNA, and at-DNA.
• Kevin Duffus, Blackbeard’s Last Battle
The notorious pirate Blackbeard stands among the best-known figures of early colonial American history, yet no one still knows who he really was. To this day, his identity, his origins, and his motivations for committing acts of piracy remain in contention. Did he hail from England, Jamaica, or the Carolinas? Was his surname Teach, or Thatch, or something else entirely? Was he an undistinguished common sailor suddenly thrust into command of a pirate ship? Was he a former Royal Navy sailor and an aristocratic, Anglican slave-owning planter who inexplicably turned Jacobite and pirate? Or was he a mariner on a salvage mission lured to piracy by a mob of looters, and who later became a pawn in an attempted political coup in proprietary North Carolina? These conflicting interpretations have provoked hostile debate. At stake are the credibilities of monolithic institutions and museums, the reputations of researchers and authors, the financial stakes of publishers, and the future of a popular historical narrative. History carved in stone is never easily disconfirmed, especially when history’s icons have been sculpted and burnished by centuries of myth and folklore. For more than 45 years, award-winning research historian Kevin Duffus has followed the wake of the notorious pirate’s journey through history. Along the way he has discovered significant clues and pivotal waypoints in the Blackbeard records that point to a startling conclusion—one that many scholars do not want the public to know.
• Carole Nash, Area Native Americans
Learn about Native Americans of the Germanna settlement area from one of our Germanna cousins, Madison County native and Carpenter descendant Dr. Carole L. Nash of James Madison University. Dr. Nash is well known in the Virginia archaeological community and has spent her career studying the Native Americans of western Virginia.
Germanna Oktoberfest and Pirate Fun
6:00 pm – 10:00 pm
Salubria, 19173 Salubria Lane (off Route 3), Stevensburg, VA
Put on your dirndl and lederhosen or your best pirate gear and head to the grounds of historic Salubria for this casual, family friendly dinner. Celebrate our German heritage and partake of some pirate fun. Tour the mansion during the pre-dinner cocktail hour. Back by popular demand, traditional Oktoberfest fare catered by Bavarian Chef is on the menu. Schmeckt so gut! Sample Blackbeard’s punch if ye dare! After dinner enjoy entertainment provided by the Low’n’Brows, a local German band. $55 per person 13 years and older, $40 per child 12 years and younger. Register for Oktoberfest
Sunday, July 15, 2018
Worship Service at Hebron Church followed by Lunch
10:00 am
Hebron Lutheran Church
899 Blankenbaker Road, Madison, VA
Join fellow descendants and current members of the congregation for a meaningful worship service at historic Hebron Lutheran Church. Lunch will be provided following the service by the women of the congregation. They ask that you please register so they have enough food on hand for all. A separate, free will offering in the parish hall to cover the expenses of providing the lunch will be appreciated and help them continue the good work they undertake. Free event but RSVP is required. RSVP to Hebron Church Lunch
Living History
1:00 pm – 4:00 pm
Our favorite historical re-enactor, Dennis Loba, and his cohorts are in the midst of planning a display just for us. How will they top the 2016 Knights of the Golden Horseshoe encampment? What will they have in store for us in 2018? Details will be available at the Reunion.
Monday, July 16 – Wednesday, July 18, 2018
Post- Reunion I Dig Germanna
3-Day Archaeology Workshop
9:00 am – 5:00 pm daily
Fort Germanna / Enchanted Castle site
Your chance to play in the dirt! Join staff archaeologist Dr. Eric Larsen and assist in supervised field work at the Fort Germanna / Enchanted Castle site. The fine print: Due to necessary training which will be given the first day, participants must commit to all three days of the workshop. Participants must be 16 years of age or older (age 14-15 allowed if accompanied by parent/guardian), and in good health as field work is conducted outside with limited shelter and facilities. $100 per person. Register for I Dig Germanna
Accommodations
A limited number of rooms at each of the following motels have been reserved at a special rate. To receive the discounted rate, you must mention “Germanna Foundation Reunion” and make your reservation by June 12, 2018. Rates include breakfast. We recommend making your reservations early.
Reunion Directions and Drive Times (pdf)
Best Western Culpeper – $79.99
791 Madison Road, Culpeper, VA, 540-825-1253
Holiday Inn Express Culpeper – $129.99
778 Madison Road, Culpeper, VA, 540-825-7444
Quality Inn Culpeper – $99.99 + tax
890 Willis Lane, Culpeper, VA, 540-825-4900
Microtel Inn & Suites – $84.99 + tax
885 Willis Lane, Culpeper, VA, 540-829-0330
Local Tourism Websites
- Culpeper County – VisitCulpeperVA.com
- Madison County – Madison-VA.com
- Orange County – VisitOrangeVirginia.com
- Virginia – Virginia.org
Past Germanna Reunions:
- 2017:
- 2016:
- 2015:
- 2014:
