Press Releases

Occoquan Plans Founder's Day Celebration

Occoquan Plans Civil War Trails Program Marker Dedication

Occoquan Plans East Coast Greenway Dedication

Occoquan Plans Garden Dedication and Lecture

 

Town of Occoquan Plans Civil War Trails Program Marker Dedication
As Part of Virginia 2007 Commemoration

Occoquan , VA – The Town of Occoquan is inviting the public to join Mayor Earnie Porta and members of the town’s Virginia 2007 Commemoration Committee and Historic Occoquan, Inc., on Saturday, July 21 st at 1:00 p.m., for ceremonies to formally dedicate the first Virginia Civil War Trails Program marker in the town. Ceremonies will be held adjacent to the Mill House Museum at 413 Mill Street. The dedication will include a brief presentation by Gary and Dolores Elder on Civil War events that occurred in Occoquan, and Civil War re-enactors from the 49 th Virginia Infantry Regiment of Woodbridge. Light refreshments will be available.

Occoquan is a member of the Virginia 2007 Community Program and the Virginia Civil War Trails marker is one of several “legacy projects” planned by the town to commemorate the founding of Jamestown 400 years ago. Civil War Trails is an effort by individuals and local governments to enhance understanding of the Civil War experience by interpreting and linking, where appropriate, previously uninterpreted and unconnected sites. There are some 400 Virginia Civil War Trails sites, ranging from thousands of acres to country crossroads. Under the sponsorship of Historic Occoquan, Inc., the Town of Occoquan was added as a Civil War Trails site earlier this year. In June an interpretive sign was installed adjacent to the Mill House Museum on Mill Street describing the Confederate cavalry raids of December 1862 and the town's subsequent role in the Gettysburg Campaign. Dedication of the sign is scheduled to coincide with the Virginia 2007 theme for the month of July, "Celebration of Liberty."

“Dolores Elder and the Board of Historic Occoquan, Inc. were the moving force behind Occoquan’s participation in the Virginia Civil War Trails program,” said Mayor Earnie Porta. “They did the research, initiated the marker design, and financed the project. We’re lucky to have such dedicated volunteers.” The Civil War Trails marker dedication is the town’s fourth Virginia 2007 project, following February’s Mill House Museum exhibit on the town’s 20 th century African-American business community, April’s dedication of the town’s Commemorative Entrance Garden, and May’s dedication of the East Coast Greenway route.

More information about the Town of Occoquan’s Virginia 2007 commemorative events, which include dedication of an 18 th century mill conduit, completion of a local history markers project, an anniversary garden competition, museum exhibits, and a Town Gala in October to accompany the naming of the Occoquan River footbridge, can be found at www.occoquan2007.com.

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Town of Occoquan Plans East Coast Greenway Dedication
As Part of Virginia 2007 Commemoration

Occoquan , VA – The Town of Occoquan is inviting the public to join Mayor Earnie Porta and members of the town’s Virginia 2007 Commemoration Committee on Saturday, May 19 th at 2:30 p.m., for ceremonies to formally dedicate the East Coast Greenway route through the town. Ceremonies will be held on the lawn of the Occoquan Town Hall at 314 Mill Street. Light refreshments will be provided by Tastefully Yours, and free bicycle checks and minor repairs will be performed by Village Skis & Bikes

Occoquan is a member of the Virginia 2007 Community Program and the East Coast Greenway Route is one of several “legacy projects” planned by the town to commemorate the founding of Jamestown 400 years ago. The East Coast Greenway is a proposed 2600-mile, shared-use pathway that will pass through Prince William County and connect cities along the entire eastern seaboard of the United States, from Calais, Maine, to Key West, Florida. Virginia is one of 15 states and the District of Columbia through which the Greenway will run. Considered the “urban equivalent of the Appalachian Trail," the Greenway will link sites showcasing the nation’s industrial, historic, and cultural diversity, as well as spur the building of a network of pedestrian and bicycling pathways. Occoquan last year reaffirmed its commitment to the passage of Interstate Bike Route 1--the only national bike route in the country--through the town. This year, working with representatives for the Greenway and VDOT, Occoquan obtained approval for the routing of the East Coast Greenway through the town as well.

“We have a very active and dedicated Virginia 2007 Commemoration Committee that enjoys the support of the town council,” said Mayor Earnie Porta, “and as a result we have a number of exciting legacy and anniversary projects planned for 2007.” The East Coast Greenway dedication is the town’s third Virginia 2007 project, following February’s Mill House Museum exhibit on the town’s early 20 th century African-American business community, and April’s dedication of the town’s Commemorative Entrance Garden. Saturday’s event is designed to coincide with the Virginia 2007 theme for May, "National Transportation Month."

More information about the Town of Occoquan’s commemorative events, which includes dedication of the town’s placement on the Civil War Trails, as well as several museum exhibits and a Town Gala (planned for October), can be found at www.occoquan2007.com.

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Town of Occoquan Plans Garden Dedication and Lecture
As Part of Virginia 2007 Commemoration

April 17, 2007 - Occoquan, VA – The Town of Occoquan is inviting the public to join Mayor Earnie Porta and members of the town’s Virginia 2007 Commemoration Committee on Sunday, April 22nd at 2:00 p.m., for ceremonies to formally dedicate the town’s Commemorative Entrance Garden, located at the corner of Washington and Commerce Streets in Occoquan. Light refreshments will be provided by Mom’s Apple Pie. Following the dedication, Charlie Grymes, President of Historic Prince William and Adjunct Professor of Geography at George Mason, will deliver a lecture on the history of the Occoquan Reservoir at the Occoquan Town Hall. Both events are free to the public and coincide with the Virginia 2007 theme for the month of April, “National Environment/Garden Month”.

Occoquan is a member of the Virginia 2007 Community Program and the new Entrance Garden is one of several “legacy projects” planned by the town to commemorate the arrival of Captain John Smith and his companions 400 years ago. The ceremony on the 22nd will feature the placement of a garden plaque dedicating the garden “in honor of the 400 th anniversary of the founding of Jamestown, Virginia”. Under the supervision of committee member Walter Bailey, the garden was planted by the Lake Ridge Nursery on property donated by Town residents Vernon and Hazel Dawson. Plantings include Wintergreen Boxwood, Georgia Blue Veronica, Soft Touch Holly and Nandina Firepower.

More information about the Town of Occoquan’s calendar of commemorative events, which includes dedications of the town’s placement on the East Coast Greenway, Interstate Bike Route and Civil War Trails; as well as several museum exhibits and a Town Gala (planned for October), can be found at www.occoquan2007.com.

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Town of Occoquan Plans Founder’s Day Celebration
As Part of Virginia 2007 Commemoration

Occoquan , VA – The Town of Occoquan is inviting the public to its Founder’s Day celebration on Sunday, October 14, where a variety of activities will raise funds for historic preservation, while commemorating more than 200 years of history.

Activities will begin at 4:00 p.m. in Mamie Davis Park on Mill Street, where the town’s restaurants and bakeries will provide samplings of their featured menu items at “A Taste of Occoquan”. At 5:00, participants will form a procession at Mamie Davis Park and proceed down Mill Street, where ceremonies will be held to formally dedicate the footbridge across the Occoquan River in honor of one of the town’s colonial-era founders Nathaniel Ellicott. In keeping with the historic spirit of the occasion, several participants will wear historic attire. Both “A Taste of Occoquan” and the footbridge dedication are free and open to the public.

Following the bridge dedication, the first ever Town Gala, “An Evening in Old Occoquan” will be held upstairs at Madigan’s Waterfront. The black-tie optional event will feature a colonial-style menu and programming that recognizes the history of the town’s founding. A Silent Auction will raise funds to support Historic Occoquan, Inc. – a non-profit organization that operates the town’s Mill House Museum and focuses on historic preservation and restoration in the town’s Historic District. Tickets for the gala are sold out.

Occoquan is a member of the Virginia 2007 Community Program and the Founder’s Day activities are the premier event of the town’s year-long commemoration of the 400 th anniversary of the founding of Jamestown in 1607. As part of the commemoration the town has sponsored more than a dozen activities, including “legacy projects” such as its Commemorative Entrance Garden, participation in the East Coast Greenway and Civil War Trails programs, and a Mill Conduit display. “The town of Occoquan is steeped in history, and we’re very grateful for the level of support and enthusiasm all of our Virginia 2007 projects have received,” said Occoquan Mayor Earnie Porta. “I’m particularly grateful to the hardworking members of our Town Gala committee, as well as the many town merchants, and even businesses outside the town, who are supporting our efforts at historic preservation through sponsorship of our Founder’s Day program”. Occoquan’s Founder’s Day events are scheduled to coincide with the Virginia 2007 theme for the month of October, “Local History.”

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