Calendar
25 April
Riparian buffer tree
planting. 9 a.m. to noon,
Phillips Farm. Contact Joe
Coleman, Loudoun Wildlife
Conservancy, 540-554-
2542
26
April
Waterford Concert Series:
Elizabeth Adkins and
Edward Newman, violin and
piano duo. 4 p.m., Lucketts
Community Center. Call
540-882-3018 to order
tickets.
23 May
Waterford Country and
Cottage Garden Tour.
1-5 p.m. Free admission for
children under 12.
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Beethoven, Debussy
concert choices for
violin and piano duo
The Waterford Concert Series will
present an outstanding violin-piano duo at 4 p.m. Sunday, April 26 in the Lucketts Community Center.
Elisabeth Adkins, violin, and
her husband Edward Newman,
piano, will perform powerful and lyrical sonatas by Debussy, Prokofiev, and
Beethoven in an afternoon of unforgettable chamber music.
Both Adkins and Newman are accomplished soloists and key
members of well known groups such as the National Symphony Orchestra and the
American Chamber Players.
Elisabeth Adkins
and her husband, Edward Newman, are both acclaimed as soloists and as key
members of such famous organizations as the National Symphony Orchestra and the
American Chamber Players. Ms. Adkins teaches at the University
of Maryland and at the Levine School.
Mr. Newman has won international competition prizes. Together they are
dynamite.
The April 26
program includes such virtuoso pieces as Debussy's Sonata for Violin and Piano
(1917), the Sonata in D Major (1942-43) by Prokofiev, and the Sonata in A
Major, Op. 47 (Kreutzer) by Beethoven. Notes on the music and an explanation of
sonata form may be found at Waterford Concert Series page of the website.
Advance ticket
purchase is recommended. Please call 540-882-3018 for tickets, $25 for adults,
free for children under 12. Visa and Mastercard accepted.
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CAMPAIGN UPDATEJust over $60,000 to go...
The Cabell Foundation has generously granted the Foundation a $100,000 challenge grant to help us Raise the Roof of the new Old School. However, to receive this grant we need to have raised $300,000 by June 30, 2009--just 66 days away. We are getting close: we now need just over $60,000 to meet this challenge!
This is an amazing opportunity to give a significant boost to our capital campaign. However, we understand that these are
difficult economic times. If you plan to
give but are unable to make your gift by June 30th, please consider making a
pledge, which will also qualify as a matching contribution. You can contribute online, by mail, or visit the office.
THANK YOU! We really need your help.
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Old School receives finishing touches
This month saw finishing touches made on the installation of the Old School classroom building fire escape, which was constructed by Koppers Fabricators.
Designed by our our architectural firm Quinn Evans in cooperation with Linton Engineering, LLC, it a significant improvement over the
enclosed, windowless structure initially required. After many discussions with the County, our
easement holder and the Steering Committee, we received approval for this more
historically appropriate design.
This
brings the Foundation one step closer to formal completion of the beautifully
restored 1920 Old School classroom building.
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Ratcliffe receives Loudoun County volunteer award
Volunteer Loudoun President Jeff Fletcher presents Kathie Ratcliffe with the Heritage Volunteer Award on April 21.
On April 21 the Loudoun County Board of Supervisors and Volunteer Loudoun presented the Heritage Volunteer Award for 2009 to Kathie Ratcliffe, who coordinated the Foundation's highly popular living history Second Street School program for 24 years.
Under Ratcliffe's direction, the school was furnished, the program established, docents trained, and thousands of school children have since experienced first-hand what it was like to be an African American child taught in a one-room school house in a rural village in the 19th century.
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2008 Annual Report published
The 2008 Annual Report of the Waterford Foundation is published and printed. Copies were distributed at the Annual Meeting and are available upon request from the Foundation office.
An electronic version will shortly be posted on the Foundation website.
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Greetings!
Dear Waterford Foundation members,
Thank you to those who attended our very successful Annual
Meeting Tuesday evening! This was our first Annual Meeting back in the Old
School--an event to celebrate. For those who could not attend, we are pleased
to report that the crowd was standing room only. We look forward to the day
when our new auditorium will be built, thus enabling us to fully accommodate
our entire membership.
The evening began with a review of the past year's successes
of the Foundation by President Kathleen Hughes,
including the restoration of the classroom building, plans for the new
auditorium that are "shovel ready," a well-organized "Raise the Roof " Capital
Campaign, a successful partnership with the Loudoun Wildlife Conservancy on the
Phillips Farm, a successful Fair, dedicated stewardship of our buildings,
including significant work on the Old Mill, and the continued successful
efforts by the Land Use and Education Committees. Please read our Annual Report
for details of these efforts.
Our guest speaker, neighbor and nationally recognized author
Stephen Budiansky, provided a memorable and illuminating account of the
research for his book, The Bloody Shirt:
Terror After the Civil War. Audience interest was high; Books &
Crannies owner and Foundation member Patricia McGee Daly sold all the copies she
brought to the meeting.
Due to the inspiring accomplishments of our members we
presented several awards. (Please see below the descriptions of the contributions inspiring these awards.) The
Volunteer of the Year Award was presented to Joe Coleman, Loudoun Wildlife
Conservancy (LWC) president, for his work in protecting the natural resources
of the Phillips Farm by leading the partnership between LWC and the Foundation.
David Dobson was honored for his generosity in placing 74 historic acres in the
Landmark under a protective conservation easement, aiding in the protection of
the viewshed. Boy Scout Evan Smith of the Hamilton/ Waterford Boy Scout Troup
was honored for his leadership in the construction of a footbridge over the
Upper Tannery Branch in the Bond Street Meadow. Waterford's own Tim McGinn was honored for
his singular dedication in helping to preserve historic elements of the Old
School after the fire, greatly assisting in the effort to rebuild in a
historically accurate manner. And Ed Lehmann received thanks for his long-term
help with Foundation communications and his recent takeover of Foundation
website administration.
The Corporate Partnership Award was given to Mike Banzhaf of
ReedSmith LLC for providing pro bono representation of the Foundation before Loudoun County
in its pursuit of zoning approvals for the Old School auditorium reconstruction.
A highlight of the evening was the
Lifetime Achievement Award given to Margaret Morton for tirelessly leading the Foundation,
organizing events for its benefit, and championing its causes. Finally, the
Foundation recognized outgoing President Kathleen Hughes
for her outstanding devotion to and guidance of the Foundation over the past two
years.
We thanked outgoing Director Sherry Satin, and new members
of the Board of Directors were introduced: Margaret Bocek, Warren Hayford,
Kathryn Koblos, Deborah Morris, and Jim Sutton. A lively business meeting
continued with the nomination of the General Nominating Committee for next
year's Board of Directors. Rob Hale, JoEllen Keating, Crickett Ruedisueli,
Sherry Satin and Laura Shaw were elected from our membership. They will be
joined by Lori Kimball and Tom Simmons from the Board of Directors.
After the Annual Meeting the Board of Directors met to elect
officers for the current year: Susan Sutter, President; Walter Music, Vice
President; Bonnie Getty, Secretary; and Melanie Herman, Treasurer. Other
Executive Committee Members are David Bednarik, Hans Hommels, and Kathleen Hughes.
The evening culminated with a social hour complemented by great
food and stimulating conversation.
The Foundation has an amazingly talented and energetic Board
of Directors this year, and we look forward to a great year dedicated to
supporting the Waterford Foundation.
Sincerely yours,
President |
Annual meeting awards highlight volunteer efforts
and community partners
At the Foundation's Annual Meeting April 21 at the Old School,seven members and citizens were honored for outstanding service to the Waterford Foundation. Below are the remarks made as they were recognized.
Volunteer
of the Year. The nominee for this
award has spent untold number of hours in Waterford
this past year volunteering his time to its preservation and protection. And
more than that, he has enticed many others from around Loudoun County
to do the same. He has used his efforts in Waterford
to improve the quality of life for all of us in Loudoun County,
not just those in the village.
As an active member of the Phillips Farm
Committee, he encouraged the organization he helped establish, the Loudoun Wildlife
Conservancy, to join forces with the Foundation and today, the Foundation
rejoices in this highly successful partnership. Their expertise has been
essential to protection of the natural resources that are a vital part of the farm.
During the past year, more than 500
trees and shrubs have been planted on the Phillips Farm, to establish a
riparian buffer along the Catoctin Creek, which will help improve water quality
in the creek and in the entire watershed. We have this special volunteer to thank for this. Under his direction,
the Conservancy underwrote the cost of these plantings and then he rallied
their membership and supporters (including many villagers) to get them all
planted
He also recruited volunteers to help remove
invasive plants. At the same time, he was instrumental in having the Catoctin
monitored several times a year for water quality. For the past 2 years, this
volunteer has made sure the Phillips Farm has played a role in the Audubon
Society's Annual Christmas Bird Count. And he and fellow volunteers are now
using the Phillips Farm for the five-year Bird Atlas, a census of birds in the
county.
Recently, this volunteer received the A.
Willis Robertson award from the Virginia Chapter of The Wildlife Society,
recognition of his significant contributions to conservation in the
Commonwealth. We feel most fortunate to number Joe Coleman among our volunteers
and want to recognize his efforts in helping us protect such vital resources in
the Waterford National Landmark.
Thank you, Joe.
Special
Honorees
ONE OF THE most memorable accomplishments for the Waterford National Historic Landmark
during 2008 was something with which the Waterford Foundation had minimal involvement. It
was the permanent preservation of a key tract of land within the Landmark
boundaries. Extending high on the ridgeline of the southwestern edge of the
district rests the incredibly beautiful, rolling 78 acres of the former Brown
property, which we fondly recall as the Phillips Farm homestead.
David
Dobson's donation of a conservation
easement on this parcel brought much joy-and enormous relief-to many who
treasure this very special place. Indeed, his gift to history and to our area
is truly immeasurable.
As an expression of our deepest gratitude for
Mr. Dobson's appreciation of preservation and his significant contribution to
the protection of our Landmark's integrity, the Waterford Foundation's Board of
Directors would like to recognize David Dobson and the remarkable legacy he has
provided.
Thank you for this generous gift, David
Dobson.
LAST YEAR, the Foundation was approached by
this young man with a proposal to replace the footbridge long associated with
the Upper Tannery Branch in the Bond Street Meadow. Working with the Land Use
Committee, he got the Foundation's approval and then went on to get the
county's approval as the project required a Certificate of Appropriateness from
their Historic District Review committee. He raised the funds and recruited the
volunteers. Several young men in the village joined up to help too.
We want to
thank and congratulate this young man for his leadership. Evan Smith of Hamilton /Waterford Boy
Scout Troop 969 completed this, his Leadership Service Project last August, a
requirement for his Eagle Scout Award,which will be awarded on May 17 here in Waterford at the Catoctin
Presbyterian Church.
Evan, thank you.
A HERO in our midst-After the devastating
fire at the Old School, the classroom building had been saved but badly
damaged. One Foundation member single-handedly led the clean-up effort by
spending weeks of his own time after the fire inside the charred building
sorting through the debris from the fire to preserve historic windows, woodwork,
and other historic materials in order to salvage them. By the time the
"community cleanup" day was organized, this important work was completed. He
had sorted the rubbish to be removed into the center of each classroom and
carefully organized the historic materials to be saved.
We applaud his foresight, especially, and
this wonderful contribution toward keeping the historic materials in the
classroom building intact. Without his actions, undoubtedly some of this
history would have been accidentally discarded, and the building could not have
been restored to the same standard as you see around you tonight.
This
gentleman is Tim McGinn. Thank you, Tim.
Ed Lehmann has provided indispensible
volunteer help with Foundation communications for years: Annual Report
preparation, photography, invaluable technical help and advice, and most
recently development and expansion of the Foundation's website,
www.waterfordfoundation.org. Mr. Lehmann's contribution gives the Waterford
Foundation the ability to communicate our preservation and education mission
and the history of the Waterford National Historic District to students
worldwide. Thank you, Ed.
The Corporate Partnership Award
recognizes businesses that are willing to share their skills and expertise with
their community. The Waterford Foundation's focus on preservation of both land
and historic structures translates into significant needs for legal and land
planning services.
In the wake of the fire at the Old School,
the Foundation was overwhelmed by the many permits that would be required
simply to rebuild the destroyed auditorium. We are fortunate that Waterford
resident, Mike Banzhaf, a partner with global law firm ReedSmith,
stepped up to the plate and agreed to represent the Waterford Foundation on a
pro bono basis as we pursued what turned out to be significant land development
approvals. Mike, in collaboration with a ReedSmith land planner (and Waterford resident) Annie Goode, guided the Foundation
through a 9-month-long process that culminated in the approval of our new
auditorium by the County
Board of Supervisors in
January 2009.
ReedSmith has a worldwide commitment to
providing pro bono services. As a charter signatory to the Pro Bono Institute's
Pro Bono Challenge, they devote 3 percent of their U.S. attorneys' billable hours to
pro bono work. In the United Kingdom,
Reed Smith is a signatory to the U.K. 's Joint Protocol for Pro Bono
Work and a founding member of Advocates for International Development.
The Waterford Foundation, and other
organization's like ours, benefit greatly from the commitment of businesses
like ReedSmith and their willingness to make community service a priority. We
are pleased to present our Corporate Partnership Award for 2009 to Mike
Banzhaf, on behalf of ReedSmith.
The Lifetime Achievement Award was
created some years ago to recognize outstanding longtime volunteers who have
given their time and expertise, their hearts and souls to the preservation of Waterford. Tonight we
honor a very special someone who can truly be credited with helping make the
Foundation and the Landmark what they are today.
She has put her good works, creativity,
understanding, and dedication into service on the Foundation's Board of
Directors three times between 1975 and 2001. She served as Secretary once, Vice
President three times, and Education Committee Chairman organizing lectures,
summer camps, concerts, community suppers, and eight different classes at the
Old School. Then she served as President from 1980-1981--the first woman ever
elected. That year she hired the Foundation's first paid secretary (Cathie
Rollison) and its first paid executive director (Connie Chamberlin.)
Twice she was in charge of the Waterford
Homes Tour and Crafts Exhibit, from 1982-85 as co-chair and from 1992-94 as
chair. During all these activities, her focus has been on the Foundation's
mission to preserve and educate, and while doing that to enjoy the life of the
village.
After the devastating fire of 2007 destroyed
her beloved Old School--where she had tread the boards with the Waterford
Players, directed the Waterford Junior Players with longtime friend Marie
Anderson in a number of increasingly large spectacles, run teenage dances and
summer movies, and started a junior tennis tournament--she served the
Foundation and community again as a valuable member of the Old School Advisory
Task Force, providing expert guidance and appreciated opinions on the design
and renovation of the new Old School.
In case you haven't guessed--this year's
highest honor, the Lifetime Achievement Award, goes to Waterford's best friend--Margaret Morton.
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P.O. Box 142 Waterford, VA 20197 540-882-3018
www.WaterfordFoundation.org
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