Presented by Historic Battersea

It is a Birthday Party! It is a Revolutionary War Battle Reenactment! It is a wonderful opportunity to spend a gorgeous day outside on a 40-acre property on the Appomattox River that has a very historic house, a rolling lawn and big beautiful shade trees! It is FREE! You and your family and friends are invited to join in the 250th birthday of Historic Battersea, an amazing example of Palladian architecture, with a very rare greenhouse built in the 1825-1835 time period, and expansive grounds with huge specimen trees. Battersea’s Birthday Party will be on Saturday, May 18, at 10:30 am; come have cake with us!

After the birthday party, the Battersea Foundation, in collaboration with the City of Petersburg, will commemorate the1781 Revolutionary War Battle of Petersburg beginning at 1:30 pm on Saturday. Representatives of the Daughters of the American Revolution and the Sons of the American Revolution will lead the ceremony, to include a eulogy for Major General William Phillips, Royal Artillery, who is buried in Blandford Cemetery.

On both Saturday and Sunday the Redcoats and the American soldiers will be in military encampments and visitors can interact with them and discover what camp life was like. There will be sutlers and craftsmen with a variety of goods who will be offering demonstrations, such as one on stoneware & crockery. At 2:00 pm each day the battle reenactments will occur, including regimental drills, training exercises, skirmishes and artillery demonstrations. On Saturday at 2:30 pm there will be music by the Bowl’d Sojer Band.

Other activities offered will include noted authors Mark Edward Lender, Libby Carty McNamee and Mike Cecere presenting talks about their Revolutionary War-era books, and several different Talks & Walks to feature exploration of Battersea’s cultural landscape, specimen trees, and historic greenhouse. The house will be open for tours

each day to share the Foundation’s progress on restoration and its vision for Battersea’s future. Events run from 10:00 am – 4:00 pm each day.

A food truck will offer food and drinks each day; on Sunday brunch will be available.

Battersea is located at 1289 Upper Appomattox Street, Petersburg, VA 23803. Additional information and a detailed schedule of events for each day may be found at www.BatterseaFound.org. Come and enjoy!

Battersea Foundation is a non-profit organization in Petersburg, Virginia. The Foundation’s mission is to preserve Historic Battersea and offer educational, artistic and cultural experiences that inform, enrich and inspire the public.


Schedule – Saturday:

10:30 AM – Battersea Birthday Celebration & Birthday Cake

All Morning – Soldiers are in Encampment – Visitors may talk to them, see how soldiers lived in the field.

11:15 AM – Mark Lender – Author/Historian

12 Noon – Susannah’s Midnight Ride, Libby McNamee

12:45 PM– Battersea’s historic and very rare Greenhouse – Sergei Troubetzkoy

1:00 PM – Stoneware/Crockery Demonstration

1:00 PM – Walk & Talk about Battersea Trees

1:30 PM – Battle Commemorative Ceremony

2:00 PM – Battle of Petersburg Reenactment

2:00 PM – FOLAR Presentation – Moving West Down the River

Immediately after Battle – Bowl’d Sojer Band

2:45 – Cultural Landscape Walk & Talk about Battersea Grounds

 

Schedule – Sunday:

10:00 AM – Brunch Available all morning

All Morning – Soldiers in Encampment – Visitors may talk to them, see how soldiers lived in the field.

10:30 AM – Cultural Landscape Walk & Talk about Battersea Grounds

11:00 AM – Mike Cecere – The Invasion of Virginia 1781

12 Noon – Sandy Graham – All About Battersea

1:00 PM – Susannah’s Midnight Ride, Libby McNamee

2:00 PM – Battle of Petersburg Reenactment