Eighth Annual Constitution Week Bell Ringing at Oak Hill School

On Sunday, September 12th, the State of Franklin Chapter of the National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution (NSDAR), are hosting their Eighth Annual Bell Ringing in honor of Constitution Week. The event will take place at 1:30 p.m. at Oak Hill School, located at 214 East Sabin Drive in Jonesborough across from the Jonesborough Public Library. The program will focus on the history of the First Amendment to the Constitution that reads, “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.” The program will honor the freedom of religion with Reverend Samuel Doak’s speech at the Battle of Kings Mountain, the freedom of the press, and the freedom of assembly. Several heritage groups will be participating, including the Kings Mountain NSSAR, the Overmountain Victory Trail Association, and participation from other local chapters of the NSDAR.  Another treat of this year is the ringing of a very large locally restored antique bell cast in Ohio, and believed to have rung in church members for worship in upper East Tennessee.

 

The event will follow CDC guidelines. Social distancing will be observed on the lawn of the schoolhouse, and there is plenty of space for guests to spread out. Please bring your own chair and a bell to ring! Seating will not be provided on site. Oak Hill School is currently undergoing a restoration funded through a preservation grant from the NSDAR. The historic building was a school and a site of assembly, so it’s the perfect location to celebrate the First Amendment and the Constitution.

 

The Daughters of the American Revolution began the tradition of celebrating the Constitution.  In 1955, the DAR petitioned Congress to set aside September 17-23 annually to be dedicated for the observance of Constitution Week.  The resolution was adopted by Congress and signed into law on August 2, 1956, by President Dwight D. Eisenhower.  The State of Franklin Chapter of the NSDAR has been based in Jonesborough since 1929.

 

The Heritage Alliance 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/.

Book Signing at Oak Hill School on September 3rd

On Friday, September 3rd, the historic Oak Hill School will host author Marsha Honeycutt Marcela from 9:00 am – 2:00 pm. The Appalachian author will be signing copies of her book Mr. Rigney, Rigney, and Me (. . .or is it “I”) about her mentor Mr. George Rigney. Copies of the book will be available for $10.00. Mr. Rigney started his long teaching career in a one room schoolhouse, so it’s only fitting Marcela bring his story to Oak Hill School.

 

Who was Mr. Rigney, though, and why was his closest companion a domesticated wolf? How does a man who didn’t finish but one year of high school start teaching English in a one-room schoolhouse at the age of 17? These questions and more are answered in her touching biography. Proceeds from the book benefit the George D. Rigney Memorial Scholarship Fund which continues to help students to this day.

 

The book signing is a part of the Jonesborough Genealogical Society’s Heritage Fair which takes place in Jonesborough on September 3rd and 4th. Oak Hill School will also be open for tours on Saturday, September 4th from 12:30 pm – 4:30 pm, but the book signing will be Friday only. Oak Hill School educated students in the Knob Creek Community from 1886-1952. It was moved to Jonesborough in the 1990s and today it continues to welcome students through the Oak Hill School Heritage Education Program. For more information on Oak Hill School, visit the Heritage Alliance’s website at heritageall.org.

Useable Past: Spotlighting Successful Regional Development

The “Usable Past” workshop series returns August 26 with an in-depth roundtable discussion with directors from the Alex Haley Farm, Green McAdoo Cultural Center, and the Langston Cultural Centre. This conference and workshop for tourism professionals and other interested individuals will help participants develop strategies and increase tourism opportunities with and for untapped or overlooked groups. 

You can register here:  https://bit.ly/3s9plKs

Over 100 million visitors come to Tennessee each 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. 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?

The Useable Past series tackled this big question in April of 2021 with speakers from the Northeast Tennessee Tourism Association, Black in Appalachia, and East Tennessee State University. Useable Past is back this August with another workshop. This series 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, August 26. Speakers include Kenneth Libby, Business Manager for the Children’s Defense Fund at the Alex Haley Farm, Adam Velk, Museum Director at Green McAdoo Cultural Center, and Adam Dickson, Langston Centre Director. Dr. Daryl A. Carter, Director of the Black American Studies program at East Tennessee University 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.

This workshop series is a collaboration between the McKinney Center, the Heritage Alliance of Northeast Tennessee and Southwest Virginia, the Langston Centre, and the Black American 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. Black American 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. 

Birthplace of Country Music Museum at Next History Happy Hour

History Happy Hour is IN-PERSON at the Jonesborough Visitors Center on Thursday, August 19th at 6:30 pm!

 

Join us as we welcome back one of our favorite History Happy Hour partner organizations, Bristol’s Birthplace of Country Music Museum! Dr. Rene Rodgers and Scotty Almany will be on hand to share the technological story behind a Farm and Fun Time radio transcription disc. The program will be in-person in the auditorium of the Visitors Center, and it will be streamed live on the Chester Inn’s Facebook page as well. The program will begin at 6:30 pm and participants can join in-person or stream live on Facebook at that time. Seating will be spaced out in the auditorium. The 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. For more information on the Chester Inn Museum, History Happy Hour, or the Heritage Alliance please call our office at 423.753.9580 or the Chester Inn Museum at 423.753.4580. You can also contact the organization via email at info@heritageall.org. Additional information about the Heritage Alliance and its mission can be found online at http://www.heritageall.org/. Be sure to follow the Chester Inn and Heritage Alliance Facebook pages for updates about events at the Chester Inn and other Heritage Alliance programs.

Girl Scout Day at Oak Hill School

The historic Oak Hill Schoolhouse is ready to welcome Girl  Scouts on Saturday, August 14th for a unique experience. Built in 1886 by the Knob Creek Community, Oak Hill School housed 1st – 8th grade students until 1952.  It was relocated to Jonesborough and preserved, and today it continues to welcome students as a part of the Oak Hill School Heritage Education Program.  Now you can be a part of this award winning, hands-on learning experience!

 

The school day will start at 9:00 am and end at 2:00 pm and will include lessons in arithmetic, reading, penmanship using quill pens, history, geography, and much more.  Lunch will be held on the grounds of the schoolhouse but Scouts and chaperones must bring their own lunches. There will also be recess, of course.  The cost for the day is $5.00 per Girl Scout, and pre-registration is required as space is limited to just 18 Scouts.  We will not be accepting registrations the day of the event. The day will start with a brief orientation at the Jonesborough Visitor’s Center. Contact the Heritage Alliance at 423-753-9580, or email us at amason@heritageall.org  to register your Girl Scout or troop.  This program is suggested for Brownies-Ambassador. The money will assist with the continued maintenance of the building and help support the Oak Hill School Heritage Education Program.  Aspects of this program can be connected to requirements for multiple Girl Scout badges.

 

Step back in time and experience history!

 

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 to Host Volunteer Training Day on August 21st

Are you interested in history? Do you enjoy meeting and talking to people? Have you been looking to join an organization that is active and works with the community?

Then the Chester Inn Museum is the place for you!

The Heritage Alliance is actively looking for volunteer docents to join our museum team. Primary responsibilities include greeting visitors, answering area history questions, and conducting tours of the museum. There will also be opportunities to assist with various programs and projects as they come up. The Chester Inn Museum is a state-owned historic site and staffed by the Heritage Alliance. Our organization is a fun, energetic team dedicated to history, education, preservation, and the community.

 

 

If you are interested in joining the museum team as a volunteer docent, you can join our New Volunteer Training Day on Saturday, August 21st, at 9:00 am. If you cannot attend that training session, you can contact us and arrange a separate day to go through volunteer orientation.

To register for training on Saturday, August 21st, or for more information about this and other volunteer training opportunities, you can contact the Chester Inn Museum at (423) 753-4580, email chesterinn@heritageall.org, or through Facebook Messenger @ Chester Inn Museum.

This project is funded under an agreement with the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation, Tennessee Historical Commission. For more information on the Chester Inn State Historic Site & Museum or the Heritage Alliance please call our office at 423.753.9580 or the Chester Inn Museum at 423.753.4580.  You can also contact the organization via email at Chesterinn@heritageall.org.  Additional information about the Heritage Alliance and its mission can be found online at http://www.heritageall.org/. Be sure to follow the Chester Inn and Heritage Alliance Facebook pages for updates about events at the Chester Inn and other Heritage Alliance programs.

History Happy Hour on July 15th

History Happy Hour is IN-PERSON at the Jonesborough Visitors Center on Thursday, July 15th at 6:30 pm!

Join speaker Jacey Augustus from the Cedar Grove Foundation. Ms. Augustus has been active in preserving the history of the Cedar Grove community, Elizabethton’s African American baseball team the Blue-Grays, and more! This presentation will tie-in to a new exhibit at the Chester Inn Museum about the Cedar Grove community as well.

The program will be in-person at the Visitors Center, and it will be streamed live on the Chester Inn’s Facebook page as well. The program will begin at 6:30 pm and participants can join in-person or stream live on Facebook at that time. The 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. For more information on the Chester Inn Museum, History Happy Hour, or the Heritage Alliance please call our office at 423.753.9580 or the Chester Inn Museum at 423.753.4580.  You can also contact the organization via email at info@heritageall.org.  Additional information about the Heritage Alliance and its mission can be found online at http://www.heritageall.org/. Be sure to follow the Chester Inn and Heritage Alliance Facebook pages for updates about events at the Chester Inn and other Heritage Alliance programs.

Virtual History Happy Hour: Cook That Spam a Little Faster – How World War II and Women Changed the Food Industry

History Happy Hour kicks off its summer schedule on Thursday, June 17th at 6:30 pm!

Join speaker Dr. Angela Keaton for her presentation “Cook That Spam a Little Faster: How World War II and Women Changed the Food Industry.” Dr. Keaton is a history professor from Tusculum University and longtime friend of the History Happy Hour. She will be discussing how World War II changed food production and how those changes intersected with the postwar emphasis on gender roles. Which processed foods emerged, which ones did not succeed, and what role did women play in the process? Join us on Thursday June 17th at 6:30 pm and find out!

The program will be offered through the Zoom platform and will also be streamed live on the Chester Inn Museum’s Facebook page. Go to the Chester Inn Facebook page for the link to the meeting room and for the password to login. The program will begin online at 6:30 pm and participants can join the Zoom meeting or stream live on Facebook at that time. Participants who use Zoom are encouraged to keep their microphones muted and relay any questions during the presentation to the chat. The program is free and open to the public!

Topic: History Happy Hour
Time: Jun 17, 2021 06:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)

Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82509102750?pwd=SVBqMUlJTmNTTUNZZmtHdUpPWmtCQT09

Meeting ID: 825 0910 2750
Passcode: History

One tap mobile
+13017158592,,82509102750#,,,,*8704513# US (Washington DC)
+13126266799,,82509102750#,,,,*8704513# US (Chicago)

Dial by your location
+1 301 715 8592 US (Washington DC)
+1 312 626 6799 US (Chicago)
+1 646 558 8656 US (New York)
+1 253 215 8782 US (Tacoma)
+1 346 248 7799 US (Houston)
+1 669 900 9128 US (San Jose)
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.

Heat Up Your Summer with Heritage Alliance Trivia Night

The Heritage Alliance’s riotously fun trivia night returns this summer with two in-person dates!

 

Join us at the Eureka Inn in Jonesborough on Thursday, June 24th and Friday, August 27th at 7:00 pm for general history-based trivia questions, friendly competition, and a ton of fun! The Eureka Inn will host both events in their outside courtyard and feature a “light bites” menu.

 

Not a “history buff?” Don’t worry! Trivia questions cover a wide range of topics and categories and include something for everyone. Previous topics have included Odd Jobs, Pop Culture, Food & Drink, Sports, and more!

 

Teams (of up to six people) can register up until the evening of the event, which will kick off at 7:00 PM and last about an hour and a half. We request that teams check in with the hosts prior to the event. Joe Spiker, Head Docent of the Chester Inn State Historic Site and Museum, and Megan Cullen Tewell, Programming Coordinator at the Heritage Alliance, will host the event, 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. The link to sign up for the event is at the top of the page. Like and follow the Heritage Alliance on Facebook for more information.

 

 

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

Heritage Alliance to Premiere Original Play “Nancy” on June 19th at Embree House Historic Farm

– In 1820, Elihu Embree published his newspaper The Emancipator on Main Street, Jonesborough. The seven edition paper is the first publication dedicated solely to the cause of abolitionism. Embree passed away in December of 1820, and the paper died with him. Even though it was short-lived, The Emancipator had over 2,000 subscribers and its reach went all the way to Boston and Philadelphia. In spite of his abolitionist beliefs, Embree himself was an enslaver. Nancy was an enslaved woman owned by Elihu Embree, and her story will be told on Saturday, June 19th in an original play entitled “Nancy” at the Embree House Historic Farm in Telford.

 

Written by Anne G’Fellers-Mason, Executive Director of the Heritage Alliance, “Nancy” will follow a year in the woman’s life, from January 1820 when Elihu Embree wrote his will to January 1821 when his will was read before the Washington County court. In his will, Embree tried to free Nancy and her five children, but were his wishes carried out? What was Nancy feeling and thinking during this time? The play is based on primary research relying heavily on documents from the Washington County Archives. The role of Nancy will be performed by local actress Ubunibi-Afia Short. “I’ve wanted to tell Nancy’s story for a long time,” says Mason, “and it’s an honor to have such an amazing actress to help tell it. I believe Nancy’s story shows just how complicated the system of enslavement was in the United States and how unjust it was. We know Embree’s story so well. It’s past time we know Nancy’s.”

 

Three performances will be held on June 19th with showings at 1:00 pm, 3:30 pm, and 6:30 pm. The show will take place at the historic Embree House in Telford and will last about an hour. A Q&A session and a chance to tour parts of the Embree House will follow each performance. Tickets are $12.00 and proceeds from ticket sales will help fund the educational programs of the Heritage Alliance. You can purchase tickets through Jonesborough’s online system at jonesborough.com/tickets or by calling the Visitor’s Center at 423-753-1010. Seating is limited, so make sure you purchase your tickets in advance.

 

June 19th is recognized as Juneteenth, or Emancipation Day, a celebration of the day that word of emancipation finally reached a group of enslaved people in Galveston, Texas in June of 1865. The Heritage Alliance hopes you will join us as a part of your celebration that day as we remember Nancy and tell her story.