About Stratford Hall
Stratford Hall, a National Historic Landmark in Westmoreland County, VA brings together people from around the world to experience two-thousand acres of natural and human history, preserved and presented so that we can all learn from the courageous struggles of our ancestors, taking inspiration both from what they endured and what they accomplished. There are few places in America where people can travel down small, rural roads to arrive at a vast site that preserves so many aspects of early-American life, from the Great House where the influential Lee family helped to forge a new nation, to the fields worked by enslaved Africans, to the waters of the rivers that fueled trade, to the ground, which still yields secrets about the people and animals that lived before.
A Banner Year for Stratford Hall's Annual Oyster Roast and Auction
Robert Ferrer, Rick Farmar, Elizabeth Ferrer, Sue Farmar, Hoppie Cockrell, Linda Gilchrist, Chuck Gilchrist
It was a banner year for the annual Oyster Roast and Auction at Stratford Hall, the historic home of the Lee family in Westmoreland County, with over 160 people raising more than $98,000 on Sunday, April 23, 2023.
This annual fundraiser is hosted by the Northern Neck Friends of Stratford and was co-chaired this year by Sue Farmar and Linda Gilchrist. The event included oysters prepared in a variety of ways, a live and silent auction, and springtime luncheon catered by Angelo’s Restaurant.
Mary Beth Carter, Cathy Jones, Mary Anne Hopkins, Marjorie Tankersley
Senator Richard Stuart paid tribute to Fletch Flemer, a long-time friend of Stratford, with a reading of a resolution celebrating his life which he then presented to the Flemer family.
“Great friends, great food, great spirits and weather made for a perfect day at Stratford Hall” said co-chair Sue Farmar. She continued “we are so thankful for the generous support of our friends and community.” Co-chair Linda Gilchrist added “We were fortunate with a beautiful day. It
Rick Farmar, Chuck Gilchrist
was well-attended and Friends of Stratford and guests were in a giving mood. I felt a lot of positive energy!”
The Oyster Roast and Auction raises funds to fuel the mission of Stratford Hall to give voice to its people, places, and past to engage, educate, and inspire. Funds raised support educational programming, preservation of the historic structures on property, and maintenance of the nearly 2,000 acres along the Potomac River. Thanks to the support of attendees during the live auction, funds raised also helped to purchase two golf carts from River City Golf Carts to enhance the visitor experience.
Sponsors of this year’s event included: B. H. Baird Insurance Agency, Bloomia, Blue Ridge Bank, Clements Tent Rentals, Ann Cooper, Ingleside Vineyards, Roberta Garnett, Linda and Chuck Gilchrist, Ginny and Jack Ritter, Sallie and Jeff Schmidt, and Sister’s Sauce.
UPCOMING EVENTS AND PROGRAMS
Fossil Hunting Excursions
Back by popular demand, Stratford Hall will be hosting paleontology excursions through October! Dating from the Miocene Epoch, approximately 17 to 10 million years ago, the Stratford Cliffs are part of a rare geological phenomenon ranking among the most important fossil research sites in the Mid-Atlantic region. Whether you are a seasoned collector, or this is your first experience, Stratford Hall is the place for you! Spend a day hunting for fossils along the shores of the Potomac, explore the Stratford Cliffs, and enjoy the beauty and tranquility of the great outdoors!
Excursions are rated at a moderately strenuous to strenuous activity level requiring long periods of walking, hiking, standing, stooping, and bending. If you wish to access the farther extremities of the beach, this will include climbing over or under washed up debris or felled trees. Minimum age requirements for all fossil hunting excursions are 8 years old. Any participant under the age of 18 must be accompanied by an adult.
EVENT DATES
- Saturday, July 22, 2023: (Registration opens June 1, 2023)
- Saturday, August 5, 2023: (Registration opens July 1, 2023)
- Sunday, October 1, 2023: (Registration opens September 1, 2023)
- 9 am – 3 pm
COST
- $35 per adult (14+)
- $30 per child (ages 8 to 13)
- Age requirements: 8+ years of age
Fourth of July at Stratford Hall
Tuesday, July 4
Celebrate the Fourth of July at the home of the only two brothers who signed the Declaration of Independence! Explore the Great House, garden, grounds, Visitor Center exhibit: Stratford at the Crossroads, & the Gift Shop. Enjoy $4 admission, 18th-century colonial games, outdoor yard games, and a colonial craft-making activity. Explore the historic grounds, nature trails, and Potomac River beachfront and tour the Great House with one of our five self-guided audio tours. Free for children ages 5 and under.
Stratford Summer Saturdays
Saturday, July 15 and Saturday, August 19
10 am – 4 pm
Join Stratford Hall on the third Saturday of July and August for special activities while exploring the rich history and natural beauty of Stratford Hall. Discover what life was like in colonial Virginia while taking a self-guided audio tour of the historic area and learn about various facets of the 18th century through educational demonstrations. Members of the Stratford Hall staff will share different aspects of the site through paleontology, archaeology, collections, and preservation.
COST
- $15 per adult (14+)
- $9 per child (ages 6 to 13)
- Children 5 and under free
First Africans Day
Saturday, July 22, 10 am – 7 pm
Come visit Stratford Hall for First Africans Day, commemorating the enslaved Africans and African Americans who built and sustained Stratford Hall and the Lee family for generations. This will be a free, full day of remembering and honoring those enslaved at Stratford Hall and their descendants, through music, storytelling, special tours, and lectures.
Pitt, Peale, & the Patriots Symposium
Saturday, September 9 • 12:30 – 5:45 pm with a Reception 6:15 – 7:30 pm
Join us in the Stratford Hall Council House for an exciting multidiscipline symposium on Charles Willson Peale’s full-length portrait of William Pitt. The portrait was paid for through a subscription collected from the “gentlemen [and women] of Westmoreland” by Richard Henry Lee. The original portrait hangs in the Westmoreland County Museum and its reproduction in the parlor at Stratford Hall. Speakers will offer insight into the history and symbolism of the portrait, the art of Charles Willson Peale, and the process of reproducing it for exhibition at Stratford Hall. The symposium concludes with a cocktail reception at the Inn at Montross and the opportunity to view the original portrait in the Westmoreland County Museum.
COST
- $30 General Admission
- $20 for Friends of Stratford, Preservation Northern Neck & Middle Peninsula members, and Westmoreland County Museum members
- $10 for Students
Save the Date for 2023 Wine & Oyster Festival:
Saturday, September 16 (10 am – 6 pm) & Sunday, September 17 (11 am – 4 pm)
Virginia wineries, coastal oysters, local food trucks and breweries, artisan booths, live music, and more! Tickets on sale July 1st.