Museum and White House of the Confederacy

After the Civil War ended everything from the Confederate White House was sold at auction. . . all but three things which have never left the White House, one of them being a fireplace. The Preservation Society has been able to locate about 70% of the original furnishings to the house and were about to restore them. Again because of copy right laws we could not take pictures from inside the house and only the outside.
On the Walls of the White House are pictures of George Washington. They revered George and saw him as the Grandfather of the Confederacy. The Confederates thought that they were fighting for their own freedoms to a different kind of Free World.

Outside the White House of the Confederacy.

Keria looking out of a Scare Crow at the end of the Confederacy Museum.

Virginia Mourning her death.

A wooden leg and some medical tools.

Jefferson Davis' Jacket, the President of the Confederacy.

Pieces of the Confederate Flag.

Paraphernalia used in the Battle of Gettysburg.

Paraphernalia used the the Battle of Shiloh.

Paraphernalia used the the Battle of Manassas.

One of the earlier Confederate Flags, it seemed to close to the American Flag so they discontinued its use.

Canal Cruise

Since we have been in Richmond this is something we have wanted to do, and since we were just across the street after touring the Edgar Allan Poe House, we decided to see if we could fit it into our day. Most of the information we learned while on the Cruise we had already learned while doing the Canal Walk, it was still pretty cool though!

"Cotton" Our Caption. . . Hmmm wonder why he's called Cotton?

This picture shows an interesting representation of our Transportation History: A 18th Century Canal System under a 19th Century Railway System under a 2oth Century Freeway, and up above 21st Century Aviation and Space Travel.

Passing through the Canal Lock for the Flood Wall.

Longest suspended Railway possibly in the World. This Railway is suspended above ground for seven miles!

We can't remember what this bridge is called, only that it was modeled after a Leonardo DaVinci design of a bridge system.

Statue of the Man who named Richmond.

A Blue Heron.

A Turtle.

These rings are replicas used of rings used before the Canal System. They would throw a rope to someone standing on land, then the person on land would put the rope through the ring, and then pull the rope and propel the Boat upstream.

Our boat the Martha Washington and our Captains hiney.

This box is a replica that once held a man by the name of Henry Brown who was known as Box Brown. Brown decided to escape Slavery after his wife and three children were sold in 1848. With the help of a white Shoemaker, Brown was boxed up in this 2 feet square by 3 feet high box, and taken to the Depot, where he was loaded onto a freight car. The crate was turned upside down several time and Brown almost suffocated, but he finally arrived safely at the abolitionist address in Philadelphia. Brown went on to become a well known anti-slave activist. His helper Samuel Smith was later arrested after attempting to box up two more fugitives from slavery.

Edgar Allan Poe House (Old Stone House)

This actually is not the house the Edgar Allan Poe grew up in, but is a house that is dedicated to his work and has some pieces including and old stair case from the house he grew up in. We couldn't take any pictures from inside the house because of copy right laws. :(
As most of you know Edgar Allan Poe had a very hard life, at the age of two his mother a young actress died of TB. Allan was actually the last name of the family that adopted Edgar.
We learned something interesting about Edgar Allan Poe, he was quiet the athlete and swam the James River often, one of the times he swam upstream six miles, a feat that has yet to be repeated.
Most of us have heard that Edgar was a drunk and addicted to drugs. These people seem to think differently, they say that because of his high intolerance to alcohol he could only have one drink of wine and it would make him sick for days, the museum also says that he was not addicted to drugs. Weather or not this is true I don't know. Near the end of Edgar's life, he disappeared for four days. When he was found he was delirious and remained so right up until moment before he died when he yelled the name of another gentlemen. (I can't remember the name.) His death to this day remains a mystery.


This is the front of the Edgar Allan Poe House, built probably in 1737 by Jacob Edge it is the oldest building still standing in Richmond.

The Courtyard was modeled after one of his Poems, sorry I can't remember which one! ;(

A Shrine of Edgar Allan Poe and the end of the Courtyard.

Outside, on our way back to the Truck.

Halloween

This year Keira was pretty adamant that we not carve a scary face pumpkin. Our conversations about carving the pumpkins would go like this" Me "Keira should we carve a scary face pumpkin?" Keira "NO! a Happy Face Pumpkin!" So we carved a Happy Face Pumpkin and a Scary Bat.

Scooping out Pumpkin guts, Ohh gross!!

Our Pumpkins, they turned out pretty cool, eh?

Keria was very excited about being Snow White this year! She talked about it, and asked to wear her dress almost every day this month!! I am finding out that it is very hard to get a good picture of our two year old, just more interesting things to do than pose for boring old Mom! ;) In the pictures of Keira sitting in her Rocking Chair, she was actually watching The Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown (which has been a favorite for the past few days) and laughing at Snoopy so I jumped at the chance to get her smiling and staying still! and actually got some pretty good shots! :)

Chesterfield Berry Farm

Entering into Jack the Pumpkin Corn Maze.

Keira tying to bury herself in corn. . . she got the idea from other kids who were burying themselves.

The Barrel Ride, Every time Keira passed the crowed she would wave and say bye! bye!

First time on a Tricycle. She did pretty good, mostly she would peddle backwards, but she did good.

By far Keira's most favorite part of the Farm! She would ask to bounce on the "bouncy, bouncy castle" LOL!!

As Keira was feeding the sheep, she would stick her hand through the fence and say "here sheep, eat!"

Our Pumpkins.

Picking out the Pumpkins.

The Pumpkin Patch.

Keira's first Hay Ride.