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Museum to host Saturday open house and holiday shop

The Mary Ball Washington Museum, 8346 Mary Ball Road, Lancaster, will hold a special Saturday exhibit open house and gift shop sale on December 10 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.  Executive director Karen Hart says, “The museum store is stocked with new and favorite items, holiday merchandise, great hostess gifts and stocking stuffers and a large selection of history books, cookbooks and children’s books. Shoppers on Saturday will receive 10% off all regular-priced merchandise and they will find markdowns on many past-season items.”

Books of particular note are In Remembrance: Gravestone Inscriptions and Burials of Lancaster County, by Margaret Lester Hill and Clyde Ratcliffe, which had been out of print for many years and is now available again, and the newly-published Genealogical, Burial, and Service Data for Revolutionary War Patriots Buried in Virginia, edited by Myron “Mike” Lyman of the Virginia Society Sons of the American Revolution.

Visitors also will be able to view current exhibits in Lancaster House and take self-guided tours of the Old Jail and Clerk’s Office. The featured exhibits are “Portraits of Lancaster Families” and “George Washington in Art.”

“Both exhibits highlight selected paintings and prints from the museum’s art collection,” said Hart.

“The first exhibit focuses on nine sets of local husband-and-wife portraits from periods including the Colonial era, the early 1800s, the Civil War, Reconstruction and the early 20th century and presents information about the families and their homes. The subjects are William and Mary Pierce Ball of Bewdley, Isaac and Permelia Carter Cundiff, William and Rebecca Seabury Chase, Francis and Elizabeth Kelley Pinckard, James and Mary Harrison Gordon of Verville, John and Cordelia Muse Chowning, Luther and Mary Williams Cox, Alfred and Jessie Ball duPont of Ditchley, and Warner and Lelia CarterBall of Midway.”  The display also includes the 1875 marriage certificate of Warner and Lelia Ball and an “Oyster Bank” dollar currency note from Monaskon.

The second exhibit features antique paintings, prints and collectible items ranging from commemorative china to a Washington ice cream mold.

“Visitors will see different artists’ interpretations of Washington and his family and how he was revered throughout history,” said Hart. “They will also learn about techniques such as silhouettes, lithography and engraving that made images of Washington so widely available.  Some pieces have been in the museum collection for more than 30 years while others are part of a new bequest from the late Lee Owings Warfield III and are on display for the first time.” In total, there are over 30 items showcased in this exhibit.

Admission to the Saturday open house is free but donations are encouraged.

The museum and gift shop also will be open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesdays through Fridays through December 23 and in January by appointment. There is a $3 fee to tour the exhibit galleries.

The genealogy and research library is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesdays through Fridays and 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturdays through December 17, with a $5 daily use fee.

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Rappahannock Record Staff
Rappahannock Record Staffhttp://www.rrecord.com
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