October History Happy Hour: Red Pandas in East Tennessee

Come join the Heritage Alliance and the Chester Inn on October 26th for our next to last History Happy Hour for 2017! Dr. Steven Wallace from the ETSU Geoscience Department and the Gray Fossil Site will be talking about the natural history of the region including Red Pandas. The program will be on Thursday October 26th at 6:30 pm at the International Storytelling Center in Jonesborough. It is free and open to the public.

History Happy Hour is a community program in its first year. It is presented by the Chester Inn State Historic Site and Museum in Jonesborough and features presentations on a wide range of local, regional, and national history topics. This month’s program focuses on natural history in East Tennessee which is an area of specialty for the Fossil Site and Museum in Gray. The site is an active Miocene-era fossil dig site dating back to 4.5-7 million years ago. It is one of the region’s best educational resources, but it is also a major national and international research facility.

A Spot On the Hill Returns for a Fourth Season

A Spot on the Hill, the original, research-based play returns this October to the Old Jonesborough Cemetery. Now in its fourth season, this edition features new characters. New faces include Annis A. Bovell Mathes, who experienced a truly Victorian tragedy, Major Nathaniel Taylor Jackson, who died during the Civil War, and an unknown visitor, to help tell the story of the “strangers” section that was set aside in 1849. You’ll meet them and many more! Guests are encouraged to bring blankets and chairs to sit on. Come and listen to real stories of real lives among real tombstones.

 

Performances for A Spot on the Hill will take place at 6:30 p.m. on October 20th, 21st, and 27th. There will be a 2:00 matinee performance on October 28th. Tickets are limited, and sell out fast, so make sure you buy yours today. Tickets are $8.00 and proceeds benefit the Heritage Alliance’s cemetery preservation and tombstone restoration fund. Audience members should arrive 15 minutes prior to show time. Parking is available at the First Baptist Church and Jonesborough Senior Center. It is a short walk up East Main Street to the cemetery from the First Baptist Church lot. A golf cart courtesy shuttle will be available for guests who park at the Senior Center. This program is not suggested for children under 10 years of age. In case of inclement weather, performances will be moved inside to the Jonesborough/Washington County History Museum.

Tickets must be purchased ahead of time. To purchase tickets, please call the Heritage Alliance at 423.753.9580, or the Jonesborough Visitor’s Center at 423.753.1010. Tickets can also be purchased online at https://townofjonesborough.thundertix.com/events.

 

History Happy Hour Fall Schedule

History Happy Hour continues this fall!  We’ve got three more dates full of fascinating, local history.  The September and October dates will take place at the International Storytelling Center, while the November program will be back at the Chester Inn Museum.  We hope you will join us!

Now Hiring: Part Time Docent Position at Chester Inn Museum

Company Name: Heritage Alliance of NETN & SWVA, Jonesborough TN

Title of Position: Docent/ Chester Inn Museum

Position Type: Part time – 20 hours per week, includes Saturdays and Sundays

Description of Responsibilities: Wide variety of museum related responsibilities, including visitor services, exhibition planning, installation, maintenance and interpretation, as well as general administrative duties.

Required Skills: Computer skills, including database and spreadsheet applications; public speaking; ability to provide programming to a wide range of audiences, including school groups.

How to Apply: Email Resume, Cover letter and two letters of reference to:dmontanti@heritageall.org

No phone calls please.

The Heritage Alliance is an equal opportunity employer, and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status or any other characteristic protected by law.

Legs In a Barrel: Murder Mystery Event

The Heritage Alliance of Northeast Tennessee and Southwest Virginia is excited to present an original, murder mystery event.  Legs In a Barrel follows the twists and turns of an actual, historic murder that took place in Jonesborough in 1909.  The body of a local resident was pulled from the French Broad River, and his body was returned to his family in Jonesborough.  Suspicion fell on his employee, who just happened to arrive in town the day before the victim’s funeral.  The suspect stayed with the victim’s family that night, but he was missing the next morning.  His legs were found sticking out of a rain barrel in Jonesborough where he’d apparently drowned sometime during the night.  With the prime suspect also dead, the case was closed and ruled a murder/suicide.  But was the case really so open and shut?  What about the other suspects?  What about the money the first victim was supposed to have had on him at the time of his death?  Who killed whom?

 

Put your detective skills to use during Legs In a Barrel.  This ninety minute, interactive show will introduce participants to all the suspects and the clues as they try to find the truth.  This show will take place at the Historic Eureka Inn in Jonesborough where hors d’oeuvres, desserts, and beverages will be served.  There will be three showings, August 25 at 7:30, and August 26 at 5:00 and 7:30.  Tickets are $43.00.  This event is a fundraiser for the Heritage Alliance in support of its educational programs and museums.

To purchase tickets, contact the Historic Jonesborough Visitor’s Center at 423-753-1010.  You can also purchase tickets online at https://townofjonesborough.thundertix.com/events, or you can call the Heritage Alliance at 423-753-9580. Guests will check in at the Chester Inn State Historic Site and Museum on Main Street.  The show will begin at the museum and guests will be escorted to the Eureka Inn for the rest of the mystery.  The event is casual dress, but participants are more than welcome to dress in period clothing from the early 1900s.  There are only 40 seats per showing, so make sure you get your tickets before they sell out!

History Happy Hour Summer Schedule

Make sure you check out History Happy Hour this summer at the Chester Inn State Historic Site and Museum.  We’ve got a wide range of topics, from baseball to natural history and more!  See the full, summer lineup below!

Thursday Evening Town Tours Are Back!

Jonesborough’s Historic Walking Tours are now available on Thursday evenings at 7:00 p.m.!  Come and tour the Oldest Town in Tennessee during the cooler hours of the day.  Costumed guides will lead you around Main Street, sharing the rich history of the buildings and the people who made their lives here.  Historic Walking Tours are also available on Monday, Friday, and Saturday at 1:00 pm and on Sunday at 2:00 pm.  Thursday evening tours will be available through the end of September.

Guests can purchase their tickets, only $5.00 per person, 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.  To schedule a tour for a larger group, or another day/time, please contact the Heritage Alliance directly.

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/.

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.