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DATE: October 4, 2006 Rediscovering the Forgotten Garden An Exhibition on the History and Natural Resources of Lee Memorial Park Opens at the Siege Museum on October 13, 2006 PETERSBURG - Rediscovering the Forgotten Garden explores the rich history and abundant natural resources of Petersburg's Lee Memorial Park. Although Lee Memorial Park was not established until 1921, geologists and paleontologists have unearthed prehistoric sites and fossils dating as far back as 330 million years. The park also serves as a rich botanical meeting ground for rare plant species and is a habitat for a variety of birds and other wildlife. Named to honor General Robert E. Lee, the park contains portions of the Dimmock Line, a series of earthworks that were built around Petersburg by Confederate troops to protect the city. A significant part of Lee Park's past was unlocked in the 1990s when the Petersburg Garden Club saved from obscurity pressed, dried plant specimens along with corresponding exquisitely executed watercolors by then Petersburg resident Bessie Niemeyer Marshall. The project was the legacy of a Depression-era Works Progress Administration relief program where African American and white women worked together to create a wildflower and bird sanctuary within the park's boundaries. In 1953, a group of African American citizens filed suit in Federal Court against the City of Petersburg for denying them use of the park's swimming facilities. Rather than integrate, the city officially closed the park in 1954. Eventually, the park's other facilities were integrated, but the swimming area never reopened. Today, Lee Park is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and a master plan has been adopted by Petersburg City Council for the preservation of the site along with goals for improving the park's accessibility and amenities. The exhibition contains examples of fossils found in the park, a selection of the original WPA era watercolors and interpretive panels exploring both the natural resources and extensive history of Lee Park from the Civil War, to the Great Depression, to the park's pivotal role in the Civil Rights Movement. Planning and fundraising for the exhibition was undertaken by the Petersburg Garden Club whose members have played an integral role in preserving the Depression era history of the park. In 2000, the Club sponsored the publication of With Paintbrush & Shovel, Preserving Virginia's Wildflowers that showcases Mrs. Marshall's watercolors. In conjunction with the exhibition, the Siege Museum will be hosting the Lee Park forum, a series of lectures on the history and natural resources of Lee Park. The lectures begin at 7PM and are free to the public. The first two lectures will take place on Wednesday October 25. Matthew R. Laird, Ph.D., Partner and Senior Researcher for the James River Institute for Archaeology, Inc. will be presenting the lecture "A New Park for Petersburg: The Beginnings of Lee Memorial Park." Nancy Kober, author of With Paintbrush and Shovel will also give a talk on the Depression era WPA project in Lee Park. On November 8, lectures will be given on fossils found in Lee Park and on the botany found in Lee Park and the Willcox Watershed. The last two lectures will take place on January 17, 2007 and will cover the Civil Rights Movement in Petersburg with an emphasis on Lee Memorial Park and the preservation and conservation of Lee Park today. An educator's guide for area teachers and students was also developed as a companion to the exhibition. The guide features five lessons that were designed to complement selected Standards of Learning for the State of Virginia for grades 4 through 12. Class trips to the exhibition and to Lee Park are encouraged however the guide also incorporates lessons and worksheets that can be used as a stand alone resource for social studies and science teachers. Rediscovering the Forgotten Garden will be on exhibit at the Siege Museum, 15 W. Bank St. in Petersburg, from October 13, 2006 until January 28, 2007. Admission is free to Petersburg residents, $5.00 for non-residents with discounts to members of the military, seniors, and children. The museum is open seven days a week from 10 am - 5 pm. There will be free admission for everyone during the exhibit opening to be held in conjunction with Petersburg's Friday for the Arts! on October 13 from 6 pm - 10 pm. Nancy Kober, author of With Paintbrush and Shovel will also be signing books from 6:30 until 8:30 on Friday October 13. Books will be available for purchase in the Siege Museum gift shop. The exhibition and related programs are made possible through funding from the Virginia Foundation for the Humanities, the Cameron Foundation, and the City of Petersburg. The exhibit and events are also part of the Petersburg 2007 committee's official lineup of programs commemorating four hundred years of history in Virginia. The exhibit is the first in three exhibitions to be held at the Siege Museum as part of the Petersburg 2007 celebration. Future exhibit topics include African Americans in the military opening in February 2007 and the history of Petersburg's Lowndes pottery opening in April 2007. For more information on the exhibition, the Lee Park forum, and the educator's guide call (804) 733-2427. |
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