As part of the 20th Anniversary Celebration Saturday, October 13, the Glencoe Mansion, Museum and Gallery in Radford will feature new exhibits.
To illustrate the lives the Whartons, the original owners of Glencoe, an exhibit of cultural history re-creates the setting of an 1890s dinner party at the mansion.
This exhibit will be set up in the dining room on the main floor. Curated by Director Scott Gardner and intern Heather Ryan, the table setting displays table wares from the museum’s collection, as well as items on loan from local families and from local antique dealer Billy Simpkins.
“Did you know there were fad foods back then? Celery was the big deal when the Whartons were holding dinner parties,” Gardner said.
A new art exhibit titled “Radford Past, Present and Future: Our History, Culture and Landscape” will help visitors make the connection between present day, the period when the Whartons lived at Glencoe, and other historical and cultural topics related to the area.
Artists participating in the show include Kirk Carter, Rose Mary Cornett, David Ferrell, Laura J. “Jeannie” Fender, Rebecca Harris, Mack Hilton, Wendy M. Hodge, Kathryn Kelly, Kendall Kessler, Ruth Lefko, Chuck Lynch, Debbie Miller, Phil Ramsey, William Ratcliffe, Debby Ring, Joyce Sims, Sharon Taylor, RL Thomas, Susan Trulove and Linda Waggaman.
Additionally, Wharton descendants are loaning a quilt that chronicles their and Radford’s history.
The quilt includes a cloth flyer promoting James Hoge Tyler for Governor of Virginia. Sue Heth Wharton, niece of Governor Tyler, likely made the quilt.
On the museum grounds activities are planned throughout the day to carry on the theme of “The World of the Whartons.”
Crafters, re-enactors, live animals and a blacksmith will engage visitors. Local businesses and organizations will be showcasing their goods and services.
Inside City Council Chambers, adjacent to the museum grounds, three presentations (at 12 p.m., 2 p.m. and 3 p.m.) will help place the history of the Glencoe Mansion and of the Radford area into the sweeping story of the Civil War and the post-war period.
The 20th Anniversary Celebration will take place from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. on the grounds of the Glencoe Mansion at 600 Unruh Dr. in Radford, and presentations will be at Radford Public Safety Building, 10 Robertson St. adjacent to the Glencoe grounds.
For a complete schedule of events, or more information about the Wharton Papers, please contact Scott Gardner: info@GlencoeMuseum.org or 540-731-5031.
