Heritage Alliance to Host Summer Suppers on Historic Lawns from May-September

The Heritage Alliance is excited to kick-off a new dining experience in Jonesborough with its Summer Supper series. The suppers will take place from May-September on five different historic lawns. Summer Suppers is an exclusive series and seating is very limited. Tickets for Summer Suppers can be purchased through the Town of Jonesborough’s ticketing website at jonesborough.com/tickets.

 

The first Summer Supper will take place on May 22nd at 6:00 pm at Febuary Hill, located at 102 W. College Street. Tickets for the event are $45.00 per person. This includes a lovely, three course meal, as well as beverages, live music, and a chance to explore the grounds and sections of the home. Other dates and locations include: June 12th on Spring Street, July 24th at the Warner Institute, August 14th at the Historic Embree Farm in Telford, and September 18th at a home on East Main Street. All suppers will start at 6:00 pm, and tickets for each supper are limited to 26 guests. If you are interested in attending more than one supper, you must purchase separate tickets for each date. The Heritage Alliance will observe all CDC safety guidelines throughout the event. Supper locations are subject to change.

 

The Summer Suppers represent a new fundraiser for the Heritage Alliance. The funds from ticket sales will help the non-profit organization continue their educational programs, whether they be in-person or virtual. Ticket sales are non-refundable, but they are considered a donation. In the case of inclement weather, tents will be utilized on the lawn and the Heritage Alliance will only reschedule the event in case of extreme or dangerous weather.

 

We hope you will consider spending a summer evening in Tennessee’s Oldest Town.

History Happy Hour Online with In-Person Livestream at Depot Street Brewing

This month’s History Happy Hour springs into action with a look at honey and mead! The program will take place at 6:30 pm on Thursday, May 20th.

Join us as we welcome Kim Floyd and Jeff “Puff” Irvin for their presentation, “A Friend in Mead is a Friend Indeed.” They will look at some of the history and significance of mead as well as some of the science that goes into the process of producing the beverage. Kim Floyd is the director of the North Carolina Craft Beverage Museum, and Puff Irvin is the Director of the Craft Beverage Institute of the Southeast at Asheville Buncombe Technical Community College.

 

 

This presentation will be available via Zoom and Facebook live. The livestream will also be available at Depot Street Brewing in Jonesborough. Come and learn the history of some of your favorite beverages at a local brewery. If you prefer to view the program online, the Zoom login information is available on Facebook and the Heritage Alliance website. You can connect directly with the program via Zoom or watch the live stream on the Chester Inn’s Facebook page. This program is free and open to the public

Depot Street Brewing is located at 904 Depot Street in Jonesborough.

 

Topic: History Happy Hour
Time: May 20, 2021 06:30 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)

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History Happy Hour to Hold Hybrid In-Person and Online Program on April 15

History Happy Hour will be back in-person on Thursday, April 15th with Dr. Robert Turpin from Lees-McRae College and his research, “Black Cyclists in the United States, 1880-1910.” Dr. Turpin’s presentation will share the history and accomplishments of Black cyclists during this era and will go beyond Marshall “Major” Taylor who was a well-known cyclist from the 1900s. Like all of our History Happy Hour presentations, this topic is unique and we can’t wait to know more.
This month’s program will be available in-person at the Jonesborough Visitor’s Center (117 Boone Street). The program will start at 6:30 p.m. in the auditorium. Per CDC safety guidelines, seats will be distanced and masks are required inside the Visitor’s Center. We have limited seating in the auditorium, up to 30 people, so please make sure you arrive early if you’d like a seat. The program will also be available online via Zoom and Facebook live. The Zoom login information is available through the Chester Inn Museum’s Facebook event and the Heritage Alliance’s website. You can connect directly with the program via Zoom or watch the live stream on the Chester Inn’s Facebook page. This program is free and open to the public!
Topic: History Happy Hour
Time: Apr 15, 2021 06:30 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)
Meeting ID: 825 0910 2750
Passcode: History
One tap mobile
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Dial by your location
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Meeting ID: 825 0910 2750
Passcode: 8704513
Find your local number: https://us02web.zoom.us/u/kdVbnWC8XK
This project is funded under an agreement with the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation, Tennessee Historical Commission.
Featured image from biography.com.

Useable Past: Achieving Inclusive Regional Development

Useable Past: Achieving Inclusive Regional Development Free Online Workshop on April 29

Register Here: https://bit.ly/3sqxrOp

Over 100 million visitors come to Tennessee, in a non-pandemic year, and the State typically earns over 20 billion dollars in revenue from tourists. It’s important that visitors, whether they are families, couples, or individuals seeking adventure, feel safe and represented in the places they visit and stay. Heritage Tourism is a large part of why people travel, they want to know their history, but this is a field that has struggled to be inclusive and welcoming to folks of all backgrounds. From the 1940s to the 1960s, the Green Books provided a road map for African American tourists so they could feel secure while traveling. Today, there are several groups that continue this endeavor for multiple communities. How can we, as leaders in the field of tourism in Northeast Tennessee work to set an example for other areas as an inclusive region? Useable Past seeks to showcase efforts and examples in Northeast Tennessee when it comes to inclusive tourism, difficulties faced, as well as action steps we can all take to continue to move forward as a region.

 

 

This free workshop will take place online from 9:00 am – 10:30 am on Thursday, April 29th. Speakers include Alicia Phelps, Executive Director of Northeast Tennessee Tourism Association, William Isom, Director of Black in Appalachia, and Dr. Candace Forbes-Bright, Assistant Professor of Sociology and Anthropology at East Tennessee State University (ETSU). Dr. Daryl Carter, Director of the Africana Studies program at ETSU, and Jules Corriere with the McKinney Center will moderate the Q&A session following the presentations. Participants must register in advance to receive the Zoom link. The conversations from the April event will continue in a second Useable Past workshop on May 27th.

This workshop series is a collaboration between the McKinney Center, the Heritage Alliance of Northeast Tennessee and Southwest Virginia, the Langston Centre, and the Africana Studies program at ETSU. The McKinney Center at Booker T. Washington School provides a comprehensive program through Jonesborough’s Mary B. Martin Program for the Arts which teaches various art skills to all participants through a quality program of instruction open to all segments of Jonesborough’s population. The Heritage Alliance is a non-profit 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. The Langston Centre is a cultural facility that promotes multicultural awareness and workforce development through arts, education, and leadership activities. The Africana Studies serves a critical role for the College of Arts & Sciences and ETSU by offering high-quality academic course offerings, superb programming, and opportunities for personal growth through service.

Virtual Trivia Night on April 22!

Click HERE to Register.

 

The Heritage Alliance is pleased to offer a history-themed team trivia challenge on Thursday, April 22 at 7:00 PM. This is the third online trivia event sponsored by the organization, who first offered the program in December 2020. The event encourages friendly competition for participants who answer questions pertaining to general historical knowledge.

 

 

Teams (of up to six people) can register for this virtual trivia experience up until the evening of the event, which will kick off at 7:00 PM and last approximately 1-2 hours. Joe Spiker, Head Docent of the Chester Inn State Historic Site and Museum, and Megan Cullen Tewell, Programming Coordinator at the Heritage Alliance, host the event via Zoom, tallying points and administering prizes to the winners. The event is family-friendly and open to all ages. Cost is $5 per team, although additional donations are appreciated.

 

You can sign your team up for trivia at Heritageall.org. Link to sign up for the event is at the top of the page. Like and follow the organization on Facebook for more information.

Heritage Alliance & Chester Inn Museum Receive Honors for Programming Excellence

We are so proud of the award-winning work that Heritage Alliance staff members have produced this past year. On March 17, 2021, the Tennessee Association of Museums (TAM) recognized Joe Spiker, Head Docent at the Chester Inn Museum and State Historic Site, and Megan Cullen Tewell, Programming Coordinator at The Heritage Alliance, who were honored with awards of excellence for recent programs and exhibitions. The Heritage Alliance was also an active participant in the conference. Tewell and Spiker gave a presentation on flexible programming, while Executive Director Anne G’Fellers-Mason moderated several of the sessions, led a roundtable discussion for site directors and other executives, and gave a presentation with the Bristol Public Library and Birthplace of Country Music Museum on collaborations.

 

 

Spiker received an award of recognition in the AV Film/Documentary Series category for the web series, “With the Victorians.” The Chester Inn was also recognized in the Temporary Exhibit category for the virtual exhibit, “If You Don’t Watch Out: The Influenza Pandemic in and Around Washington County, September 1918 to February 1919.”  Tewell was commended for her work on the “Homecooked History” web series in the Video/Blog category. A Taste of Tennessee: A Community Curated Cookbook received an award in the Publication category as well.

 

 

The Heritage Alliance is no stranger to commendation, having received numerous awards from TAM in the past. However, these recent recognitions take on additional meaning and significance in light of the 2020-2021 COVID-19 pandemic and the challenges that it has created. Regardless, Heritage Alliance staff continues to produce quality programming, materials, and experiences that share local history with the community—and now they have the certificates to prove it.

 

 

You can catch both “Homecooked History” and “With the Victorians” on the Chester Inn Museum’s YouTube channel, and the virtual flu exhibit on the Heritage Alliance’s website. You can also contact the Heritage Alliance for a copy of A Taste of Tennessee cookbook. Congratulations to our winners!

History Happy Hour Online March 18th

History Happy Hour returns on Thursday, March 18th at 6:30 pm!

We kick our 2021 schedule off with Dr. Ashley Rattner and her presentation, “Benjamin Lundy, East Tennessee, and the Early Abolitionist Press.” Lundy was an abolitionist and an editor who spent his early career in Ohio and Missouri. He founded the abolitionist publication, The Genius of Universal Emancipation, and relocated to east Tennessee in the 1820s before moving on to Maryland. He continued his publication and influenced other abolitionist publishers including William Lloyd Garrison.

Our first presentation will be online-only, and will be available via zoom and Facebook live. The Zoom login information is available on Facebook and the Heritage Alliance website. You can connect directly with the program via zoom or watch the live stream on the Chester Inn’s Facebook page. This program is free and open to the public!

This project is funded under an agreement with the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation, Tennessee Historical Commission.

 

Topic: History Happy Hour
Time: Mar 18, 2021 06:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)

Join Zoom Meeting
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Meeting ID: 825 0910 2750
Passcode: History

One tap mobile
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Meeting ID: 825 0910 2750
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Find your local number: https://us02web.zoom.us/u/kdVbnWC8XK

History Happy Hour Returns for Fifth Season

The Chester Inn Museum’s award-winning speaker series History Happy Hour is returning for a fifth year!

This program has been one of the highlights of the museum’s programming since its debut in 2016. “We are excited to bring this program back for another year,” head docent Joe Spiker says. “Each year we try to put together an amazing lineup featuring talented presenters and interesting topics, and this year is no exception.” He adds, “We want to provide a space for the community to gather and engage with a variety of topics and establish a platform to showcase the many regional organizations that are engaged in historical work and research.”

Each presentation is on the third Thursday at 6:30 pm each month from March through November. Presentations may be virtual or in-person, and specifics for each presentation will be available as the scheduled dates approach. “We were really fortunate to transition last year’s schedule to a virtual series,” Spiker says. “This year we are taking things on a month-by-month basis, especially early on. The best way to remain current on program information is on the Chester Inn’s Facebook page.” Each presentation is free and open to the public.

This year’s program features returning favorites as well as new presenters. Dr. Angela Keaton from Tusculum, Dr. Rene Rodgers from the Birthplace of Country Music Museum, and alumni from the Langston Centre highlight speakers returning to the series for another year. New organizations represented this year include the Cedar Grove Foundation in Elizabethton, Lees McRae College in Banner Elk, N.C., and both the Craft Beverage Institute and Museum in North Carolina. The full schedule can be found at www.heritageall.org and on the Chester Inn’s Facebook page.

This Chester Inn State Historic Site and Museum is funded under an agreement with the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation, Tennessee Historical Commission.

Chester Inn Museum Opens with New Exhibits

The Chester Inn State Historic Site & Museum is now open for 2021, and visitors can expect to find two new exhibits on display!

 

The first exhibit is “Black in Appalachia: African American History in Kingsport,” a travelling exhibit on loan from the Kingsport Archives. They partnered with the group Black in Appalachia to compile a 10-panel exhibit covering five different aspects of African American life in Kingsport. The exhibit explores the roles that community leaders and organizations played in shaping the African American experience in the city. It will be on display through July 4th.

 

 

The second exhibit is “From Here to There: A Brief History of Transportation in Jonesborough.” This exhibit features archival photographs and artifacts relating to the different eras of transportation throughout Jonesborough’s history. It traces the evolution of travel from horse and carriage through railroad and automobile and explores the impact that road, railroad, and air travel had on the area.

 

 

The museum opened on Monday, March 1st, and is operating under its normal spring hours. In March and April the museum will be open on Fridays, Saturdays, and Mondays from 11:00 am to 6:00 pm, on Sundays from 1:00 pm to 5:00 pm, and will be closed on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays. There is no admission price, but there is a suggested $2 donation per visitor. We recommend that visitors wear face coverings while visiting the museum, and we are happy to provide one for a $1 donation. Keep up to date with the museum by following the Chester Inn on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube!

 

This project is funded under an agreement with the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation, Tennessee Historical Commission.

February 18 History-Themed Trivia Night

The Heritage Alliance is pleased to offer a history-themed team trivia challenge on Thursday, February 18 at 7:00 PM. This is the second trivia event sponsored by the organization, who first offered the program in December 2020. The event encourages friendly competition for participants who answer questions pertaining to general historical knowledge.

 

 

Teams (of up to six people) can register for this virtual trivia experience up until the evening of the event, which will kick off at 7:00 PM and last approximately two hours. Joe Spiker, Head Docent of the Chester Inn State Historic Site and Museum, and Megan Cullen Tewell, Programming Coordinator at the Heritage Alliance, host the event via Zoom, tallying points and administering prizes to the winners. The event is family-friendly and open to all ages. Cost is $5 per team, although additional donations are appreciated.

 

You can sign your team up for trivia at Heritageall.org. Link to sign up for the event is at the top of the page. Like and follow the organization on Facebook for more information.