The 19th Annual Southside Virginia Heritage Days in Dinwiddie County will be held Saturday, March 28th, from 9 a.m. Heritage Days is a free, educational event for the entire family that commemorates the anniversary of the Civil War Battle of Sutherland Station, which occurred at the site on April 2, 1865. It features early and mid-19th-century civilian and military living history demonstrations, a
s well as tours of the 1803 plantation house, Sutherland’s Tavern, which sits on the site. Participants this year include numerous Confederate and Union reenactor groups who will conduct military drills and battle demonstrations both days. Many mid-19th century civilians will be represented as well, including women's aid society members, doctors, and more. Of special interest this year will be an excavation by local history buff and amateur archaeologist Eddie Woodmancy of what is believed to be the old ice house pit behind the tavern. Visitors will be able to see the artifacts as they are recovered from the ground where they have been hidden for well over a century. Also featured will be 19th-century crafters, such as blacksmiths and wood carvers. This annual event was started 19 years ago by Darrell Olgers, owner and resident of Sutherland's Tavern, in an effort to provide visitors with a picture of what life was like in Southside Virginia before and during the American Civil War. At the center of Southside Virginia Heritage Days is Sutherland's Tavern, or Historic Fork Inn, as it was also known. This 212-year-old plantation home has been restored to serve as a showcase of early 19th-century life. The 14-room house and original outbuildings served as an early 1800s inn and tavern, a Union army hospital, and one of Southside Virginia’s first post offices. The plantation was also the unwitting site of the April 2, 1865, Battle of Sutherland Station, the last organized battle of the Siege of Petersburg. Today, Fork Inn is the home of Darrell, Michelle and Emma Olgers. The house is furnished with a large and diverse collection of late 18th- and early 19th-century furnishings that one would expect to find in a Virginia plantation home. The collection ranges from a large variety of early clocks, including several Virginia examples, as well as coin silver, early lighting, paintings and a collection of Civil War artifacts and weapons from the Battle of Sutherland Station. Many artifacts on display have been donated from families in the Petersburg and Dinwiddie area and have a rich local history associated with them.
“The goal of our event is for adults and children alike to learn a bit about local history with our hands-on tour through Fork Inn and its grounds. We offer visitors the chance to touch and interact with many artifacts and Civil War accouterments in our collection,” said Olgers. “Fork Inn is filled with ghost stories, wooden legs, tales of tavern brawls and even evidence of bullet holes.” He added, “The taste and smells of the 19th-century recipes made by costumed interpreters in the house’s old kitchen also help make the history come alive for visitors of all ages.”
This year’s highlights include:
· Guided tours of Sutherland's Tavern every 30 minutes
· Open hearth cooking demonstrations
· A moonshine-making exhibit
· Farm animals
· 19th-century-inspired Christian worship service (Sunday, 9 a.m.)
· Blacksmithing & woodworking demonstration
· Civil War drilling & firing demonstrations, plus encampments
· Children’s story telling provided by legendary storyteller Jimmy Olgers
· Master storyteller Richard A. Stewart, the honorary Mayor of Pocahontas Island, recounting slave stories (Saturday only)
· Food and baked goods will be provided by Corinth and Trinity United Methodist churches of Dinwiddie County. Historic Fork Inn is located at 19621 Namozine Road, Sutherland, VA 23885. It is 30 minutes south of Richmond and 10 minutes west of Petersburg at the intersection of U.S. Rt. 460 and Rt. 708 (Namozine Road) in Dinwiddie County. From Richmond or Petersburg, take I-95 South to I-85 South to Exit 61. Turn right onto U.S. Rt. 460 West, drive four miles and turn right on Route 708. Historic Fork Inn is immediately on your left. Ample, free parking is available. For more information on Southside Virginia Heritage Days, call (804) 943-2283 or email [email protected].
