Warrenton, Oatlands museum pieces in contention for VA Top 10 Endangered Artifacts

Artifacts that belong to two museums close to Prince William County - one in Warrenton and one at Oatlands Plantation on US 15 north of Haymarket - have been nominated for the 2013 competition of Virginia’s Top 10 Endangered Artifacts, according to a news release from Virginia Association of Museums (http://www.vamuseums.org).

The public is invited to vote for their favorite endangered artifacts and may also donate toward their conservation from Aug. 1 to Aug. 29 at http://www.vatop10artifacts.org Votin.g closes at midnight, EST, on Aug. 29. Virginia Association of Museums will announce the winners on Sept. 16.

Here is the nominees as of July 29:

The Old Jail Museum (Warrenton, VA – Shenandoah Valley)
Watercolor Painting of Warrenton During Civil War; Union Occupation November 14, 1862
Contact: Frances Allshouse, Director 540-347-5525 .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)

Oatlands Historic House and Gardens (Leesburg, VA -Northern Virginia) Turtle Sundial owned by William and Edith Corcoran, circa 1900s Contact: Patricia McNeal, Director of Development 703-777-3174 ext 115 .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)

Edgar Allen Poe Museum (Richmond, VA – Central Virginia) Illustrations for “The Raven” by Artist James Carling, 1884
Contact: Chris Semtner, Curator 804-648-5523 .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)

Historical Society of Western Virginia (Roanoke, VA – Shenandoah Valley) Water Works Map of Roanoke; Lithograph 1888
Contact: Linda Steele, Registrar 540-224-1207 .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)

MacArthur Memorial (Norfolk, VA – Hampton Roads) World War II Filipino and U.S. Guerrilla Unit Flag, circa 1940s Contact: Charlie Knight, Curator 757-441-2965 .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)

Mathews Maritime Foundation (Mathews, VA – Chesapeake Bay) “Peggy” of New Point, VA, Deadrise Boat; 1925 Contact: Peter Hall, Treasurer 804-693-9335 .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)

Montgomery Museum & Lewis Miller Regional Art Center (Christiansburg, VA – Blue Ridge Highlands) Rice D. Montague Account Book, circa 1880s Contact: Sue Farrar, Executive Director 540-382-5644 .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)

National D-Day Memorial (Bedford, VA - Central Virginia) 299th Combat Engineer Battalion Flag Flown at Assault on Utah Beach D-Day, 1944 Contact: April Cheek-Messier, President 540-586-3329 .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)

Portsmouth Community Library & Black History Museum (Portsmouth, VA – Hampton Roads) Scrapbook of Portsmouth’s First African American Librarian, mid 20th century
Contact: Margaret Windley, Board Vice President
757-393-1534 .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)

Radford University Art Museum (Radford, VA - Blue Ridge Highlands)
Sky Castles Sculpture by Artist Dorothy Gillespie, 1999 Contact: Leslie King, Communications Officer 540-831-6237 .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)

St. John’s Church (Richmond, VA - Central Virginia) Reverend Robert Rose Monument, 1751 Contact: Sarah Whiting, Executive Director 804-649-0263 .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)

Tudor Place Historic House and Garden (Washington, D.C.) Wedding Trunk from Martha Washington: A Gift to Her Granddaughter, 1795
Contact: Erin Kuykendall, Curator of Collections 202-965-0400 ext 103 .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)

Virginia Historical Society (Richmond, VA - Central Virginia)
Céloron Plate, Lead Plaque Marking French Territory in Colonial Virginia; 1749 Contact: Jennifer Guild, Senior Officer for Public Relations & Marketing 804-342-9665 .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)

William King Museum (Abingdon, VA – Blue Ridge Highlands) Untitled Painting by Appalachian Folk Artist Minnie Ma Scyphers, circa 1970s
Contact: Candace Sykes, Director of Marketing 276-628-5005 .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)

Wilton House Museum (Richmond, VA - Central Virginia) Pair of 19th century Wedding Shoes Worn by President James Madison’s Sister, Sally Catlett Madison; 1803
Contact: William Strollo, Director of Education and Public Relations 804-282-5936 .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)

The Virginia’s Top 10 Endangered Artifacts program is designed to create awareness of the importance of caring for objects in the stewardship of museums, libraries, and archives throughout Virginia and in Washington, DC while providing an easy opportunity for all citizens to support institutions that are entrusted with caring for our communities’ treasures. 

It showcases the importance of the area’s diverse history, heritage, and culture and the role that artifacts and archival materials play in telling those stories. From small historical societies to national landmarks, a diverse array of collecting institutions have nominated items to the 2013 competition that they believe tell a significant story and deserve to be recognized on this prestigious list. 

New this year is the opportunity for the public to make donations directly to their favorite nominating institutions when they vote for a favorite artifact.

“We are very excited to be embarking on year three of this important program to raise awareness of the work museums do every day to care for the objects under their protection,” stated executive director Jennifer Thomas. “Our Top 10 program has not only successfully educated the public about how much help collecting institutions need from donors and volunteers to fulfill this crucial role, but also has inspired other states like Pennsylvania and Oklahoma to start their own Top 10 Endangered Artifacts programs.”

Virginia’s Top 10 Endangered Artifacts is a project of the Virginia Association of Museums and ismade possible by a grant from the U.S. Institute of Museum and Library Services. The IMLS is the primary source of federal support for the nation’s 123,000 libraries and 17,500 museums. The Institute’s mission is to create strong libraries and museums that connect people to information and ideas, the press release said.