Washington County During WWI – New Exhibit in Museum

“I have been in the front line trenches under fire in No Man’s Land . . .”: Washington County During World War One will be on display in the Jonesborough/Washington County History Museum from Memorial Day Weekend 2017 through 2018.  This exhibit shares the stories of Washington County residents as they traversed the perils of World War One, both overseas on the battlefield and on the home front.  The exhibit includes a notebook full of additional letters, newspaper articles, and pictures that could not be included in the exhibit.  You can access the resources by clicking here.

Old Jonesborough Cemetery Tours Return May 27!

Old Jonesborough Cemetery tours return on May 27!  Available at 2:30 p.m. every Saturday through the end of October, tours include the history of Rocky Hill and College Hill cemeteries, 1800’s burial customs, the lives of the people buried there, and so much more.  This season, you might even meet a spirit or two among the tombstones who will want to share his or her story.  Tickets are $3.00 per person and can be purchased at the Chester Inn State Historic Site & Museum on Main Street.  You’ll meet your tour guide at the top of East Main Street; follow the brand new sidewalk up the hill, in the Old Jonesborough Cemetery.  Proceeds from the tour help fund the ongoing preservation and maintenance of the cemeteries.  Combo tickets for $7.00 per person are available when you purchase both a Cemetery Ticket and another tour option.

      

For more information on the tours, or to schedule a tour for a larger group or another day, please contact the Heritage Alliance at 423.753.9580.

The Heritage Alliance of Northeast Tennessee and Southwest Virginia is dedicated to the preservation of the architectural, historical, and cultural heritage of our region and to providing educational experiences related to history and heritage for a wide range of audiences.  For more information, please call our office at 423.753.9580, or contact the organization via email at info@heritageall.org.  Additional information can also be found online at http://www.heritageall.org/.

Chester Inn Museum and Town Tours on Summer Hours!

The days are getting longer, and so are the hours at the Chester Inn State Historic Site and Museum in Jonesborough!  From May through the end of October, you can visit the museum on Monday and Wednesday through Saturday from 11:00 – 6:00 and on Sunday from 1:00 – 5:00.  The site will be open six days out of the week, and exhibits will rotate throughout the summer.

Visitors will also have a chance to take a Historic Jonesborough Walking Tour at 2:00 on Sundays.  Additional tours are available at 1:00 on Monday, Friday, and Saturday, and the Jonesborough Mythbusting Tour is available the first Saturday of the month.  Evening tours starting at 7:00 p.m. will be available every Thursday from June 1st through the end of September.  There’s so much history to experience in Jonesborough!

For more information on the schedule, please contact the Heritage Alliance at 423.753.9580, or the Chester Inn Museum at 423.753.4580.  To schedule a tour for a larger group, or another day/time, please contact the Heritage Alliance directly.

Jonesborough Mythbusting Tour First Saturday of Month

The new Jonesborough Mythbusting Tour will be available the first Saturday of the month at 1:00 p.m.!  The tour premiered on April Fool’s Day, and it was so much fun, the Heritage Alliance is doing it again! This unique tour will not be available every week, so make sure you catch it when it’s here!  Jonesborough is the Oldest Town in Tennessee and the Storytelling Capitol of the World, so it’s only natural that the Town has some big myths that need busting.  On the other hand, 238 years of history has produced some outrageously true stories.  Think you can separate the myths from the facts?  Put your detective skills and knowledge to the test with us.  How outrageous is Jonesborough’s history?  Come along and find out!

Jonesborough’s Mythbusting Tour will start at 1:00 p.m.  Tickets are only $5.00 per person and can be purchased directly at the Chester Inn State Historic Site and Museum on Main Street.  For more information, please contact the Heritage Alliance at 423.753.9580, or the Chester Inn Museum at 423.753.4580.

The Heritage Alliance of Northeast Tennessee and Southwest Virginia is dedicated to the preservation of the architectural, historical, and cultural heritage of our region and to providing educational experiences related to history and heritage for a wide range of audiences.  For more information, please call our office at 423.753.9580, or contact the organization via email at info@heritageall.org.  Additional information can also be found online at http://www.heritageall.org/.

 

Jonesborough Mythbusting Tour

On April 1st, a new tour will put Jonesborough’s history to the test.  Jonesborough’s Mythbusting Tour will debut on April Fools’ Day and be offered at various other times throughout the year. This unique tour will not be available every week, so make sure you catch it when it’s here! Jonesborough is the Oldest Town in Tennessee and the Storytelling Capitol of the World, so it’s only natural that the Town has some big myths that need busting.  On the other hand, 238 years of history has produced some outrageously true stories.  Think you can separate the myths from the facts?  Put your detective skills and knowledge to the test with us.  How outrageous is Jonesborough’s history?  Come along and find out!

Jonesborough’s Mythbusting Tour will start at 1:00 p.m.  Tickets are only $5.00 per person and can be purchased directly at the Chester Inn State Historic Site and Museum on Main Street.  For more information, please contact the Heritage Alliance at 423.753.9580, or the Chester Inn Museum at 423.753.4580.

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The Heritage Alliance of Northeast Tennessee and Southwest Virginia is dedicated to the preservation of the architectural, historical, and cultural heritage of our region and to providing educational experiences related to history and heritage for a wide range of audiences.  For more information, please call our office at 423.753.9580, or contact the organization via email at info@heritageall.org.  Additional information can also be found online at http://www.heritageall.org/.

“What Did the Women Do?”: Using Museum Theatre to Share Multiple Perspectives from the Past

We’re excited that our blog is live on the American Association of State and Local History’s website!  Check it out here!

History Happy Hour at the Chester Inn Museum

The Heritage Alliance of Northeast Tennessee and Southwest Virginia is launching History Happy Hour at the Chester Inn State Historic Site and Museum on Thursday, March 23!  History makes us happy, and we want to share that happiness with you.  This new, monthly program will feature a wide range of topics, including First Lady Eliza Johnson, the Alaska purchase, and much more!  The region is full of history, and people who know about history, and History Happy Hour is a chance for them to share their exciting knowledge with the wider public.  The program is a collaborative effort between local organizations, so audiences will have the chance to interact with multiple groups.

History Happy Hour will be held at the Chester Inn Museum.  Admission is free, and the program will start at 6:30 p.m.   The goal of the program is to offer insightful history to the public, foster a collaborative relationship with various individuals and organizations, and increase the role of the Chester Inn State Historic Site and Museum as a community meeting place.  To stay up to date on our program schedule, follow the Chester Inn Museum and the Heritage Alliance on Facebook.

The spring schedule is set and features history lovers and practitioners from the Andrew Johnson National Park in Greeneville, Tennessee.  On Thursday, March 23, Kenrda Hinkle will speak about First Lady Eliza Johnson.  On Thursday, April 20, Stephanie Steinhorst will share information on the Alaska Purchase, and on Thursday, May 25, Andrea Nott will showcase the slave narratives of Rachel Kennedy and Viney Gahagan Brown.

Kendra is the curator for the Andrew Johnson National Historic Site.  Stephanie is the Chief of Interpretation and Education for the Andrew Johnson National Historic Site and Andrea has done independent research with the Andrew Johnson National Historic Site on various topics including slavery.

The Heritage Alliance of Northeast Tennessee and Southwest Virginia is dedicated to the preservation of the architectural, historical, and cultural heritage of our region and to providing educational experiences related to history and heritage for a wide range of audiences.  For more information, please call our office at 423.753.9580 or the Chester Inn Museum at 423-753-4580.  You can contact the organization via email at info@heritageall.org.  Additional information can also be found online at http://www.heritageall.org/.

New Season Kick Off for Town Tours & Chester Inn Museum

The Historic Jonesborough Town Tours and the Chester Inn Museum both kick off their 2017 on Friday, March 3.  The Chester Inn Museum will feature three new exhibits and will also be launching a program called History Happy Hour that will start later in the month.  Stay tuned for more details!  The new exhibits showcase artifacts from World War I (2017 marks the centennial of America’s entrance into the war), history on the First National Bank and its transformation into the Washington County Archives, and a special sneak peek into the new archives with some of the most interesting documents the archivists have come across!  Make sure you check out these exhibits before they’re gone!  Exhibits in the museum will rotate quarterly.

The Historic Jonesborough Town Tours will depart from the Chester Inn at 1:00 on Mondays, Fridays, and Saturdays during the months of March and April.  A full, extended schedule for the year, including summer evening tours, is pictured below.  Join our costumed guides as they tell the story of Tennessee’s Oldest Town and the people who built their lives here.  Tours are $5 per person, children under the age of 8 are free.

The Heritage Alliance will also be adding new tours this year, including a Railroad Tour and a Jonesborough Mythbusting Tour.  Stay tuned for more details on those exciting options!

Town Tour Poster 2017

Chocolate Fest Returns to Jonesborough and the Chester Inn Museum

Chocolate Fest is back this year in Jonesborough!  The festival will take place on Saturday, February 11 from 11-4.  The Chester Inn State Historic Site and Museum will be one of the stops you can get chocolate from that day.  The Museum will be open from 11-4 with a Historic Jonesborough Town Tour at 1:00.  Tickets for the Town Tour are $5.00 per person and are available at the Chester Inn.  Tickets for Chocolate Fest are available by calling (423) 753-3819 or (423) 913-2663.  Learn some history while enjoying some delicious chocolate!

Annual Meeting Set for February 16

Our Annual Membership Meeting will be held on Thursday, February 16, at 6:30 at the Jonesborough Visitor’s Center.  Join us for the best potluck meal of the year. Bring a side dish or dessert to share and spend the evening with us as we celebrate the year that was and look ahead to 2017.  Heritage Alliance Members and Volunteers will receive a postcard invite in the mail.  The program for the evening will include a brief business meeting, success stories from 2016, and a special scene from With These Hands.  Please RSVP no later than Thursday, February 2 by calling 423-753-9580, or emailing amason@heritageall.org.

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