For those of you who may have an old photograph of a great-great-grandpa from the Civil War, the York County Historical Museum would love to make a copy.
The museum is presenting the last event in its Hunt for History series from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday. Free and open to the public, it will be at the Naval Weapons Station Yorktown gymnasium.
Historians are hunting for pieces of York County history in the form of family letters, photos, diaries, hand-drawn maps or other documents of historical significance.
Dave Meredith, community programs specialist at York County Parks and Recreation and chairman of the York County Historical Committee, explained the Historic Triangle is rich with history, just waiting to be shared.
“We know there are families in the area that go all the way back to the colonial period,” he said.
Hunt for History is specifically looking for items from the Civil War era, in cooperation with Virginia’s Civil War 150 Legacy Project, which commemorates the 150th anniversary of the war.
An archivist from the York County Historical Museum will be on-hand to digitally copy these materials. They will also photograph any three-dimensional objects.
Meredith emphasized guests should not worry about damage to their materials in the archiving process. He said they can “sit down with archives specialist and see everything we do,” which will simply entail placing the item on a scanner or having it photographed.
Visitors can also learn how to take care of their family treasures, so they can be preserved for long-term appreciation.
The eventual goal of the project is to have the digital versions of the materials available on the York County website, but without any owner information. Many museums are putting their collections online, in an effort to reach a wider audience and support scholarly research.
Meredith has been excited by the objects they have seen so far in the series, including military records for people who fought in the Civil War.
While this event focuses on York County (specifically Bruton, Lightfoot, Camp Peary, Cheatham Annex, Naval Weapons Station and Lackey), Hunt for History won’t turn away historical documents from the City of Williamsburg or other nearby areas. Meredith said the staff will make sure all information is distributed to the proper place.
“It’s as much of a sharing experience with the rest of the region,” he said.
Meredith said he hoped this event would see the largest turnout, in part because it features a reunion for retirees of the Naval Weapons Station.
There will also be lectures and presentations by historians, history exhibits, a slideshow of historic York County photos and a showing of the film series “Virginia in the Civil War: A Sesquicentennial Remembrance.” The 1st Regiment of the Virginia Volunteers of the North-South Skirmish Association will have a cannon and small arms exhibit.
York County’s Hunt for History events are sponsored by the York County Civil War Sesquicentennial Committee and the York County Historical Museum.
For more information, call 890-3500 or visit the York County Historical Museum’s website. IDs will not be required as the event is not on the military reservation.
Directions to the Naval Weapons Station Yorktown gymnasium: Take Jefferson Avenue (Route 143) to the main entrance (Gate 3) of the Naval Weapons Station. Turn right before going through the gate. The gymnasium is located at the end of the first street on the left.
