Tag Archives: Orange County VA

The Civic Club Presents A Dementia Friend Information Session On Wednesday, 1/22 at 7 PM

Does a friend, loved one, or family member living with dementia? The Civic Club invites you to become a Dementia Friend!

Kay Close RN, BSN, LALA, Executive Director at Trinity Senior Village and Dementia Friend Champion, will lead a one – hour informational session at the Civic Club meeting on Wednesday, January 22, at 7pm in the Clubhouse Great Hall.

What Makes You a Dementia Friend?

You become a Dementia Friend by attending a one-hour informational session to learn the five key messages about dementia, what it is like to live with the disease, and how to turn your understanding into action that supports people living with dementia.

Dementia Friends…….

Is a global movement that is striving to create more dementia friendly communities by changing the way people think, act, and talk about dementia. Developed by the Alzheimer’s Society in the United Kingdom, Dementia Friends is underway across the United States. By helping everyone in a community understand what dementia is and how it affects people, each of us can make a difference for someone living with dementia.

Join a growing movement of people who are helping fellow community members living with dementia. A little support can make a big difference in their lives. We hope you’ll become a Dementia Friend by joining us on the 22nd…it’s easy and rewarding!

Christmas on the Farm at Higgins Hills Farm on Saturday, November 30th!

Ready for some winter fun down on the farm? Higgins Hills Farm is proudly hosting “Christmas on the farm” on Saturday, November 30th from 10 AM – 4 PM, presented by BC Photography and Higgins Hills Farm! Enjoy a winter wonderland filled with fun, food, prizes and more! Admission is $5.00 per car, which includes access to the free petting farm, games, children’s activities! Get your picture taken with jolly old Saint Nick, and/or the Grinch himself! A Coffee & Hot Cocoa bar is available for $3.00, as well as $5.00 pony rides! Gourmet popcorn and hotdogs will also be available to snack on! Start your holiday season off right, and visit Higgins Hills Farm in Culpeper, VA! For more info, be sure to Click Here!

 Whether you’re looking for homes for sale in Fredericksburg, Stafford, Orange, Locust Grove, Norther Virginia or even Maryland or DC, we are your Real Estate team committed to finding the perfect home for you! Thinking of selling? In any market condition, “what is my home worth?” is the #1 question asked by homeowners. If you wish to sell your home, it needs to be sold for top dollar, and in a timely manner. Pricing your home accurately, one of our area expert advisors will partner with you to make the selling process so much easier. Get started today by calling us at (540) 388-2541 or contact Pat Licata.

To see available properties, please visit our website licatagroup.com

Civic Club To Host A Forum Between Delegate Nick Freitas and Ann Ridgeway. 10/15 at 7 pm

By Doug Rogers, Civic Club

The Civic Club will host a forum between Delegate Nick Freitas and Ann Ridgeway on Tuesday 10/15 at 7pm to 8pm in the lower level of the clubhouse.

Each will give an opening speech and then followed by written questions submitted by the audience.

This will be a good opportunity for you to see and hear from the two candidates running for Delegate to represent Orange County and the 30th District which includes Madison and some of Culpeper County. 

Whether you’re looking for homes for sale in Fredericksburg, Stafford, Orange, Locust Grove, Norther Virginia or even Maryland or DC, we are your Real Estate team committed to finding the perfect home for you! Thinking of selling? In any market condition, “what is my home worth?” is the #1 question asked by homeowners. If you wish to sell your home, it needs to be sold for top dollar, and in a timely manner. Pricing your home accurately, one of our area expert advisors will partner with you to make the selling process so much easier. Get started today by calling us at (540) 388-2541 or contact Pat Licata.

To see available properties, please visit our website lakeofthewoodsvirginia.com

OC Deputy Sheriff/TRIAD Coordinator to Address Civic Club

Please join the Civic Club on Wednesday, September 11, at 7pm in the Clubhouse Great Hall, as Deputy Sheriff/TRIAD Coordinator Ron Kesner will be providing important information to us. He will present the TRIAD programs administered by the Sheriff’s Office and its importance to the safety of community as a whole and to its senior population. Deputy Kesner coordinates senior citizen safety programs between the Sheriff’s Office, the State Attorney Generals’ office and senior citizens groups and/or senior citizen services organizations within the county of Orange.  The purpose is to promote senior citizen safety and help eliminate senior citizen victimization. 

Deputy Kesner is  a native Virginian, having been born in Covington.  He possesses 37 years of continuous law enforcement service.  He retired from the Albemarle County Police Department in 2009 as a Master Police Officer, Firearms Instructor, Driving Instructor, Bike Patrol Officer, Fatal Accident Reconstructionist, Special Operations Group Member and Academy Instructor.  He also had worked for the Louisa County Sheriff’s Office for 10 years and operated the Marine Unit Patrol Boat on Lake Anna as one of my duties.  Deputy Kesner joined the Orange Co. Sheriff’s Office in April of 2019 to fill the position of TRIAD Coordinator. 

We look forward to seeing you at the Clubhouse Great Hall on September 11th at 7pm!

Whether you’re looking for homes for sale in Lake of the Woods VA or Waterfront property in Virginia we are your Real Estate Advisors for Stafford, Fredericksburg, Spotsylvania, Locust Grove, Central Virginia, and Greater Virginia. Thinking of selling? In any market condition, “what is my home worth?” is the #1 question asked by home owners. If you wish to sell your home, it needs to be sold for top dollar and in a timely manner. Pricing your home accurately, Pat will partner with you to make the selling process so much easier. Get started today by calling us at (540) 388-2541 or contact Pat Licata.

To see available Lake of the Woods properties, please visit our site.

44TH ANNUAL ORANGE STREET FESTIVAL

Food, Fun, Festival, oh my! It’s now that time again! Downtown Orange, Virginia is hosting its 44th Annual Street Festival on September 7 from 9 AM – 4 PM. Take a stroll down historical Main Street as the whole family enjoys all the splendid treats that this beautiful city has to offer. With over 150 crafts as well as music, art, and plenty of delicious food, you’ll find that there is something for everyone! Kids will have an absolute blast at the ever-popular Kid’s Corner, where they can enjoy pony rides, toys, games, face painting and much more! For you adults, be sure to treat yourself to a refreshing cool beer, or delicious award-winning wine at the Beverage Garden. With so many wonderful activities to enjoy, it’s a shame that this day only comes once a year! For more information, be sure to click here. Are you ready to party?!

Whether you’re looking for homes for sale in Lake of the Woods VA or Waterfront property in Virginia we are your Real Estate Advisors for Stafford, Fredericksburg, Spotsylvania, Locust Grove, Central Virginia, and Greater Virginia. Thinking of selling? In any market condition, “what is my home worth?” is the #1 question asked by home owners. If you wish to sell your home, it needs to be sold for top dollar and in a timely manner. Pricing your home accurately, Pat will partner with you to make the selling process so much easier. Get started today by calling us at (540) 388-2541 or contact Pat Licata.

To see available Lake of the Woods properties, please visit our site.

Have You Visited the New Local Bookstore: Bound2Please Books in Orange, Virginia?

Small Business Spotlight brought to you by: Virginia SBDC Central Virginia

Kathy Judge and Gerilee Hundt both love books and have spent their lives reading, editing, cataloging and dealing with books – so opening their own bookstore seemed like the next logical step. Bound2please Books opened in February 2019 in Orange, VA. The shop is 500 square feet filled with nearly 3,000 general interest titles and has a primary mission: to offer a place to gather, to share thoughts and stories and to keep conversation percolating in this electronic age. 

Most of the inventory consists of gently used titles in very good condition – which customers have appreciated – along with the store’s prices and variety. In the first six months, the store has already hosted several author visits – with the next, on Fri, Aug 23 at 5:30, featuring Lynn Coffey, author of the Backwoods series. B2plz Books has also made the space available for book clubs (Science Fiction gathering monthly), knitting (Tuesdays at 6:30), open mic poetry, game nights, and the occasional string band rehearsal! According to Judge, “The ship is sailing relatively smoothly so far, and we’re blessed with some wind in our sails.”

The grand opening.
Grand Opening

Bound2please Books began its relationship withSBDCby attending a digital marketing workshop, and later opted for one-on-one counseling, again focusing primarily on marketing. The staff is now working to increase its customer count through digital marketing and can be found via Google, Facebook and Instagram. Select titles from the store are available through their B2plz eBay store.


Gerilee (Lithgow) Hundt!
Owner, Kathy JudgeVintage poetry on consignment

Owner, Kathy Judge

Judge and Hundt’s love of books shows through, they have worked hard and had fun thinking of genres to curate – from science and philosophy to fables and fairy tales. “Bound2please Books is the kind of bookshop I’ve always wanted to spend time in, browsing the shelves, finding a comfortable place to sit and leaf through volumes that catch my eye,” comments Hundt.

VINTAGE POETRY on consignment
VINTAGE POETRY on consignment

Visit the Bound2please Books website!

Whether you’re looking for homes for sale in Lake of the Woods VA or Waterfront property in Virginia we are your Real Estate Advisors for Stafford, Fredericksburg, Spotsylvania, Locust Grove, Central Virginia, and Greater Virginia. Thinking of selling? In any market condition, “what is my home worth?” is the #1 question asked by home owners. If you wish to sell your home, it needs to be sold for top dollar and in a timely manner. Pricing your home accurately, Pat will partner with you to make the selling process so much easier. Get started today by calling us at (540) 388-2541 or contact Pat Licata.

To see available Lake of the Woods properties, please visit our site.

Orange County’s 4th Annual Chili Cookoff, Brewfest & Corn hole Tournament

Saturday, October 12th from 11AM – 6PM. Join the Orange County Chamber of Commerce as they host the 4th Annual Chili Cookoff, Brewfest and Corn hole Tournament! The festivities will take place at the Orange County Fairgrounds located at 14500 Old Gordonsville Rd, Orange VA 22960.

Chili festival is always delicious with many participants submitting their chili; there will be local and regional craft breweries to quench your thirst and of course, don’t forget to particpate in the East Orange Ruritan Club Corn hole tournament. There are CASH PRIZES for the corn hole tournament and chili cookoff.

Tickets range from $25 – $140. Get more ticket info here. The VIP experience is supposed to be IMPROVED, including: unlimited craft brew tasting, PLUS a $10 food truck voucher, exclusive craft brews and even a MEET & GREET with the WORX!

105.9 SAM FM will be broadcasting the festival from 11am – 1pm and the Worx will take the stage at 1:30PM for your afternoon music entertainment.

Whether you’re looking for homes for sale in Lake of the Woods VA or Waterfront property in Virginia we are your Real Estate Advisors for Stafford, Fredericksburg, Spotsylvania, Locust Grove, Central Virginia, and Greater Virginia. Thinking of selling? In any market condition, “what is my home worth?” is the #1 question asked by home owners. If you wish to sell your home, it needs to be sold for top dollar and in a timely manner. Pricing your home accurately, Pat will partner with you to make the selling process so much easier. Get started today by calling us at (540) 388-2541 or contact Pat Licata.

To see available Lake of the Woods properties, please visit our site.

History in Our Backyard Chapter 12: Beef on the Hoof

Both Napoleon and Frederick the Great have been credited with the saying “An army marches on its stomach.”  Provisioning an army, especially one that numbered over 125,000 – the size of the Army of the Potomac at the beginning of General U.S. Grant’s Overland Campaign in May 1864 – would prove to be a monumental logistical challenge.

Fresh beef – 1¼ pounds daily according to the US War Department Army Regulations – was an important component of the Federal Civil War soldier’s ration.  The most practical way to furnish beef to campaigning soldiers was to have herds of cattle march with the army.

Exhibit 16 Cattle Crossing the Rapidan River

So how much beef was needed?  An estimate given by Lt. Colonel C. W. Tolles in 1864 stated “A bullock will furnish about 450 rations, so that an army of 100,000 men needs over two hundred beef cattle for its supply.”  Based on 450 rations per head of beef, an army of 125,000 men consumed 278 head of beef daily.

At least 6,000 head crossed the Rapidan River with the Army of the Potomac in early May of 1864.  These 6,000 documented head produced approximately 2.7 million rations, enough to supply an army of 125,000 for 21½ days.

The 6,000 head were gathered from holding pens in Pennsylvania, Maryland and Washington, D.C.  How did 6,000 head of cattle get to the Army of the Potomac for the Overland Campaign?

An excerpt from Feeding a Great Army ” in the United States Service Magazine in February 1880 by Brevet Brigadier General Thomas Wilson tells how:

“…to carry out my orders of supply, it would be necessary to have sent up to the front from Alexandria, some 50 miles distant, about 6,000 head of beef cattle, with the forage, corn in the ear, and hay necessary to subsist them until the march began, and this feat had to be accomplished between one Friday morning and the next Tuesday night; or, in other words… an average of 1,200 head of beef cattle had to be sent daily by me for five days, with the necessary forage for their maintenance.

The existing capacity of the Orange and Alexandria Railroad in cattle cars was, at this time, for only 300 head daily…

The sudden call and the subsequent remarkable feat of shipping 6,000 cattle over this road of a single track, in the time required and with its limited resources was accomplished by the authorities seizing all the flat cars within reach and placing fences around them…  In this manner, 1,800 head were sent up in one day of twenty-four hours.  At one time during the shipment an endless train of cattle cars was in transit, most of the railroad sidings being filled with them…  We received all the cattle asked for before the time needed.

Three hundred men were kept constantly employed in unloading the cattle cars on their arrival at the front, so that the emptied cars might be sent back without delay.”

The herds and animals that we see today in the rural parts of Spotsylvania and Orange Counties are insignificant when compared to those that travelled with General Grant.  The Army of the Potomac had more than 50,000 horses and mules and at least 6,000 head of beef.  Big armies meant big numbers.

Author: Rod Lackey
Date: July 2018

Read Previous Chapter 11: the Unfinished Railroad in the Battle of the Wilderness

Whether you’re looking for homes for sale in Lake of the Woods VA or Waterfront property in Virginia we are your Real Estate Advisors for Stafford, Fredericksburg, Spotsylvania, Locust Grove, Central Virginia, and Greater Virginia. Thinking of selling? In any market condition, “what is my home worth?” is the #1 question asked by home owners. If you wish to sell your home, it needs to be sold for top dollar and in a timely manner. Pricing your home accurately, Pat will partner with you to make the selling process so much easier. Get started today by calling us at (540) 388-2541 or contact Pat Licata.

To see available Lake of the Woods properties, please visit our site.

History in Our Backyard Chapter 11: the Unfinished Railroad in the Battle of the Wilderness

Chapter 10 described the history of the “unfinished railroad.”  This article tells how it was used during one of the Civil War’s battles.

Exhibit 14 General Wadsworth Monument

May 6, 1864 was a day of changing fortunes as the Union fought the Confederates along Orange Plank Rd.  It began with a 5 AM attack by the Union II Corps, reinforced by divisions from V and VI Corps, under command of General Hancock.  The attack drove General A.P. Hill’s III Corps from its positions.  They fled west towards Parker’s Store.  The 7 AM arrival of General Longstreet’s I Corps stemmed the rout.  Longstreet’s counter attack at Tapp Field drove the Federals back toward their starting positions to the east.  By 10 AM the two armies were at a standstill facing each other astride Orange Plank in the vicinity of the monument to Union General James Wadsworth.

Exhibit 15: Unfinished Railroad Cut

General Lee sent his Chief Engineer, General Smith, to see if there was a way to break the stalemate.  Smith and his party walked east along the unfinished railroad, which lay south of the Union’s flank. Both armies were aware of the unfinished railroad about ¼ mile south of and parallel to Orange Plank.  In the chaos of battle, neither army had thought about using it as an attack route, or about defending it against such an attack, until Smith’s reconnaissance.  Smith found the railroad grade undefended.  He returned and reported his findings to Longstreet. 

Longstreet sent four brigades to attack the Union flank under the command of his aide Lt. Col. Sorrel.  Sorrel arranged the men along the railroad grade and, when all men were in position, began the attack shortly after 11 AM.  It burst upon the Union flank in total surprise.  In addition, as soon as the fighting started on the flank, Longstreet’s remaining troops attacked the Union’s front.

McAlister’s brigade on the Union flank was first to feel the Confederate onslaught.  It was quickly routed.  Soon all eight Union brigades south of Orange plank had collapsed like dominos.  Union General Wadsworth, in command of Union forces north of Orange Plank, heroically attempted to organize a defense on the north side of the road.  It was to no avail leaving him mortally wounded.  By 12:30 PM, all Union positions had been overrun with the defenders withdrawing east to Brock Road or north to the Lacy House (Ellwood Manor).

The Confederate’s success quickly turned to failure.  While riding to the front to direct a continued advance, General Longstreet was accidentally shot by soldiers of the 12th Virginia of Mahone’s Brigade. While he survived, it wasn’t until four hours later that the Confederates were able to reorganize and resume the attack.  By then the Union had strengthened its defenses along Brock Road.  The renewed attack failed.  In addition to the short term loss, it would be months before Longstreet recovered sufficiently to resume command.

Author: John Bell

Date: July 2018

Read Previous Chapter. Chapter 10: The Unfinished Railroad

Continue to Chapter 12: Beef on the Hoof

Whether you’re looking for homes for sale in Lake of the Woods VA or Waterfront property in Virginia we are your Real Estate Advisors for Stafford, Fredericksburg, Spotsylvania, Locust Grove, Central Virginia, and Greater Virginia. Thinking of selling? In any market condition, “what is my home worth?” is the #1 question asked by home owners. If you wish to sell your home, it needs to be sold for top dollar and in a timely manner. Pricing your home accurately, Pat will partner with you to make the selling process so much easier. Get started today by calling us at (540) 388-2541 or contact Pat Licata.

To see available Lake of the Woods properties, please visit our site.

History in Our Backyard Chapter 10: The “Unfinished Railroad”

The term “unfinished railroad” refers to the roadbed without track that existed during the Civil War.  This article will give a brief description of its history. Another article will discuss its use specifically during the Civil War period.

Exhibit 12 Standard Gauge (left) vs. Narrow Gauge

The “unfinished railroad” had a role in the Civil War, but later it was two different working railroads run on the same roadbed. Although incorporated in 1853 no track had been laid as the Civil War began. Running between Orange and Fredericksburg, it existed under several names and configurations existing operationally from 1877 until 1984. The first line was narrow gauge, best known as the Potomac, Fredericksburg and Piedmont Railroad (PF&P). It provided passenger and freight service for almost fifty years. The second venture was standard gauge. It also hauled freight and passengers under the name of the Virginia Central Railway between 1927 to1937 and freight within Fredericksburg until 1984.

Incorporated in 1853, the Fredericksburg and Gordonsville Railroad Company’s (FGRRC’s) “purpose was to build a railroad between Fredericksburg and Gordonsville or Orange Court House in order to connect with the rail lines already running to Gordonsville.” The company failed by November 1857.  Road grading from Fredericksburg on 18 miles of the project had taken place by the time of the Civil War but no track had been laid, thus the “unfinished railroad” term. The project was resurrected in 1871. Some progress was made by the new company, however, after many delays, the State took possession of the railroad in December of 1873. It restored the property to the original owner, the FGRRC. In March 1876 the railroad was again reorganized and the name changed to the Potomac, Fredericksburg and Piedmont (PF&P), best known to locals as the “Poor Folks, and Preachers” due to its clientele. The first train to Orange arrived on February 26th, 1877.

PF&P showed a profit for many years. 1910 proved a banner year with 18,000 passengers and $56,000 in freight revenue. The high point for number of employees was 63 in 1920 but the decline was coming. The automobile and the truck “offered portal to portal service and substantial reductions in labor costs.” Furthermore the line could not interchange freight with mainline connections. In 1925 the line was sold and reorganized as the Orange and Fredericksburg Railroad but that was quickly sold to Langhorne Williams, a Richmond banker. The new name was the Virginia Central and the first upgrade was to install standard gauge track in 1926.


Exhibit 13 PF&P Engine and Tender

The line generally operated at a loss until it petitioned the Interstate Commerce Commission in 1937 to abandon the 37 miles between Orange and West Fredericksburg. It would continue to operate one mile of track in Fredericksburg as a switching operation for 15 industrial customers.  The Williams family continued to operate that line until 1967 when it was transferred to the city. The line was quickly recognized as a white elephant and although several schemes promised a profit, in March of 1984 the ICC approved final abandonment

Three excellent sources of reading are “Richmond, Fredericksburg & Potomac Railroad Historical Society, Inc.” Volume 5, Issue 4, Fall 2009, “The Virginia Central Railway,” Ames Williams, pages 18-28, Remembering: A History of Orange County, Frank S. Walker Jr., pages 252-256 and “Tracks Through Time; A Railfan Tour of Orange County, Virginia”, Frank S. Walker Jr., page 20, a pamphlet available at the Orange County Visitor Center.

Author: Bob Lookabill
Date: July 2018

Read Previous Chapter 9: Robinson’s Tavern

Continue to Chapter 11: the Unfinished Railroad in the Battle of the Wilderness

Whether you’re looking for homes for sale in Lake of the Woods VA or Waterfront property in Virginia we are your Real Estate Advisors for Stafford, Fredericksburg, Spotsylvania, Locust Grove, Central Virginia, and Greater Virginia. Thinking of selling? In any market condition, “what is my home worth?” is the #1 question asked by home owners. If you wish to sell your home, it needs to be sold for top dollar and in a timely manner. Pricing your home accurately, Pat will partner with you to make the selling process so much easier. Get started today by calling us at (540) 388-2541 or contact Pat Licata.

To see available Lake of the Woods properties, please visit our site.