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Tap in to local Fredericksburg History!

By Jenny Sites July 19, 2018

Looking for something fun to do this summer? Planning a stay-cation? Tap into local history! Check out these 15 local historical sites:

 

1.   Kenmore 

1201 Washington Ave, Fredericksburg, VA 22401

Built by George Washington’s sister and her husband. Visit the Colonial-era mansion via a 45-minute guided tour and then visit the 3-acre grounds and garden.  Visit their website to check tour hours and ticket prices.

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2.   Ferry Farm

268 Kings Why, Fredericksburg, VA 22405 

George Washington’s boyhood home. See the colonial and civil war artifacts, enjoy the gardens and explore the grounds. Take a guided tour through the Washington House, listen to taped interviews and more.  Visit their website to check tour hours and ticket prices.

Artist rendering of Washington farm

 Artist's rendering by L. H. Barker © 2008

 

3.   Mary Washington House

1200 Charles Street, Fredericksburg, VA 22401 

George Washington purchased this home for his mother in 1772. Located within walking distance of Kenmore, visitors can see Mary Washington’s “Best dressing glass”, explore the gardens and see the original kitchen. There is also a museum store.

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4.   Hugh Mercer Apothecary

1020 Caroline St, Fredericksburg, VA 22401

Museum of colonial medicine with 1st-person tours in a restored 18th-century building.

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5.   Chatham Manor

120 Chatham Ln, Fredericksburg, VA 22405

This Georgian mansion overlooking the Rappahannock River was the center of a thriving plantation, the site of a slave rebellion & a former Civil War headquarters.  Wonder the grounds, gardens and outbuildings at your leisure. (Buildings are not open to the public and are only to be viewed from the outside)

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6.   Rising Sun Tavern

1304 Caroline St, Fredericksburg, VA 22401

This house was built by George Washington’s brother Charles, later turned into a stopover for travelers. Enjoy museum tours with a costumed interpreter.

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7.   Fredericksburg Area Museum

907 Princess Anne St., Fredericksburg, VA 22401

This 1816 town hall houses exhibits spanning more than ten thousand years of history plus offers a variety of events. 

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8.   Gari Melchers Home and Studio

224 Washington St, Falmouth, VA 22405

Visit this eighteenth-century estate and learn about the love story between Gari and Corinne Melchers. Tour the studio and art galleries, see the gardens and explore the trails. 

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9.   Old Stone Warehouse

923 Sophia St, Fredericksburg, VA 22401

Built in 1813, this 4-story stone warehouse offers tours & an archeology exhibit. 

http://img.groundspeak.com/waymarking/large/e1c93b32-f642-412f-83f9-a421c5e49fe6.JPG

 

 

10.Maryes heights

Memorial site of an 1862 American Civil War battle in a national military park.

Marye's Heights - December 13, 1862

 

11.Rappahannock Railway Museum

11700 Main St, Fredericksburg, VA

Historic cars, train rides & artifacts. Open for visits Saturdays 9am to noon.

https://www.visitfred.com/sites/default/files/styles/event_listing_crop/public/listings/rfpchaptercars_0.jpg?itok=2iiQFYV2

 

12.Fredericksburg Battlefield

Take the virtual tour of the battlefields consisting of six stops starting at the Fredericksburg Battlefield Visitor Center ending at Prospect Hill.  (You can also take the virtual tour here: https://www.nps.gov/frsp/learn/photosmultimedia/virtualtour.htm)

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