by Barbara Lovelace –
The stirring cadence of fife and drum and the vibrant calls of a town crier filled the streets of Urbanna’s historic district on Saturday as the town celebrated its ninth annual Founders Day.
Presented by volunteers from Friends of Urbanna, Founders Day celebrates the town’s rich colonial heritage, resonates its founding American values, and invites visitors to enjoy the delights of present-day Urbanna. This tradition was initiated by (now-mayor) Barbara Hartley in 2014 and is now an annual celebration of the town’s deep-rooted participation in the founding of America.
A key event was a spirited constitutional debate, offered at Urbanna Baptist Church by two interpreters from Colonial Williamsburg, who portrayed the divergent opinions of Virginia’s 1788 ratification of the new federal Constitution. Introduced by Town Historian Larry Chowning, Robert Weathers, as nation-builder George Wythe, presented the need for a unifying Constitution, and Richard Schumann, as former Virginia Governor Patrick Henry, presented the pitfalls of the document.
Lively questions from the audience provided opportunities for each patriot to enlarge his perspective, and each spoke with great vigor and passion, especially concerning the absence of a Bill of Rights in the Constitution. Although the two views of the Constitution were presented persuasively, both “Wythe” and “Henry” agreed that the people, only by continuously and closely engaging in the political process, will preserve American freedom.
The 18th century James Mills Scottish Factor Store, Urbanna’s one-of-a-kind museum and visitor center, hosted visitors throughout the day, with docents telling the story of Urbanna’s founding and growth, and the origin and importance of the resident Mitchell Map. Virginia Street drew visitors to see Urbanna’s original 1748 colonial-era courthouse and, on the town green, the Explorer, Deltaville Maritime Museums’s recreation of Captain John Smith’s shallop that explored the Chesapeake Bay in the early 17th century.
Volunteers from Friends of Urbanna, a 501(c)(3) charitable organization, planned and presented Founders Day. This small but enthusiastic group is dedicated to preserving, promoting and educating the local community on the deep and rich history of Urbanna and the surrounding areas. The Urbanna Town Council has appointed the Friends of Urbanna as the primary advisory group to the town on the continuing development and preservation of the James Mills Scottish Factor Store.
(Barbara Lovelace fell in love with Urbanna in the early 1990s and has loved sharing her training as a historian to bring history to life in this most excellent of Virginia hometowns.)
