Guiding Light: Honoring the History of the Holidays at Chatham
Special Event
Join the Friends of Chatham, living historians, and park staff for an interpretive experience and a walk-up volunteer activity at Chatham on Sunday, November 29, from 1-4pm. Programs will share the complex history of Chatham as a plantation during the holidays and the arrival of the US Army in 1862. At 3pm, volunteers will place battery-powered candles in Chatham's riverside windows. Chatham will be open from 9-5.
9 am-5 pm Chatham Open
1 pm-4 pm Living History on the Chatham Grounds
Drop by and visit living historians, including members of the Scandalous Women of the Civil War Guild, to reflect on what the holiday season meant to people at Chatham over its long history.
2 pm Ranger Talk (25 minutes)
“There was a Great Big Christmas Tree in that Room”: Holidays at Chatham Throughout History
How did people experience the holidays at Chatham? Were those experiences the same for everyone? How did they differ during the Civil War or peace time? Join park staff for a short program that seeks to answer these questions. Meet by the riverside entrance to the main house.
2:30 pm Living History Talk (25 minutes)
Historical interpreters depicting formerly enslaved people and U.S. soldiers will demonstrate what the holidays entailed for the diverse groups who encamped on the Chatham grounds in late 1862.
3 pm Volunteer Activity with Friends of Chatham
Join Friends of Chatham and prepare battery-powered candles in the summer house and then place them in the main house. Walk-up volunteers welcome!
Fees
This event is free to attend.
Location
Chatham, 120 Chatham Lane, Fredericksburg, VA. 22405
Schedule
Date:
Nov 29, 2026
Time:
1:00 PM
Duration:
3 hours
Talks and activities scheduled throughout the day. See details for more.
Event Type
- Living History
- Talk
Tags:
special event