New Exhibit at Historic House
by Debbie Waugh, Green Spring Historian
Things tell stories. Over the years, many objects from the past have been acquired, found, or unearthed at Green Spring. The provenance of most remains a mystery. But a few of these material things connect us directly to people who once lived or passed through here. Others capture interesting moments in history. All have stories to tell, and some of them are now on exhibit at the Historic House.
The exhibit is presented in a custom-designed museum display cabinet, funded by the 2022 FROGS Annual Appeal. The artifacts include:
- A Civil War bullet called a “minnie” ball, found by a visitor down by the ponds. During the war (1861-1865) both Union and Confederate troops moved around Green Spring. These bullets revolutionized warfare at this time, causing severe wounds and countless amputations on both sides.
- An 1868 Shield Nickel unearthed in front of the house during underground plumbing work. Issued from 1866 to 1883, these coins were the first U.S. five-cent pieces made from nickel, which is how they got their name. Ours was in circulation when Fountain and Annie Beattie lived here.
- A small plate fragment dug up in the gardens. It bears the crest of the Wardman Park Hotel, a luxury hotel in Washington D.C. that went by this name from 1918 to 1953. How did it find its way to Green Spring? Possibly mixed in with garbage fed to pigs!
Intrigued? Please come to the Historic House to view the exhibit and learn more about the stories these objects can tell. The 1784 Historic House is open for visitation Wednesday-Sunday, noon-4:30 pm.
The exhibit is dedicated to the memory of Dorothy Norpel (1922-2020), a founding member of FROGS and a tireless advocate for the Historic House.
