Come and witness history being unearthed at Historic Battersea in Petersburg, VA! City officials, Battersea Inc. representatives, and Chief Archaeologist Josh Duncan from Cultural Resources Inc. will be on hand to showcase Battersea’s first complete Phase I Archaeological Survey on Wednesday, July 16, from 12:00pm to 3:00pm at Battersea, 1289 Upper Appomattox St., Petersburg, VA 23803. This event is free to the public. For more info, contact Richard Baugham (804)732-9882.

The first in-depth assessment of the site of Battersea, the 1768 estate of Col. John Banister is beginning this week in Petersburg.  Banister was Petersburg’s first Mayor and a prominent figure in colonial Virginia: a businessman, barrister, patriot and Revolutionary War leader. The archaeological investigation of the Battersea villa and it’s 37 acres, owned by the City of Petersburg since 1985, is made possible by a $30,000 grant from the Cameron Foundation, a non-profit devoted to benefit Petersburg and the tri-cities area. Cultural Resources Inc., of Richmond was contracted by Battersea Inc. to conduct the survey.

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Battersea, Inc is seeking a college-level individual interested in archeology to work on a supervised archeology survey in Petersburg, from mid June to early July, 2008.  Previous experience desired but not required.  Pay to be about $10/hour. For more details, read the flyer here.

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The Battle over Battersea…ENDS IN VICTORY!!  After 38 years on the National Register of Historic Places, the Battersea Villa and all 37 acres will be protected by a perpetual historic Easement granted to the Virginia Department of Historic Resources by the City of Petersburg!

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City Council will hold a public hearing seeking public input on whether the City of Petersburg should voluntarily grant a preservation easement, as prepared by the Virginia Dept. of Historic Resources, on Battersea Estate.

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From Battersea Inc: At the April 1st Council Meeting, Petersburg City Council voted unanimously (an incredible 7 to 0) to hold a Public Hearing and Vote for a voluntary historic Easement on the Battersea estate (whose 37.5 acres are zoned light industrial) on April 15th.  The Easement is the final piece that guarantees the City receives State Legislative Funds of $100,000, secured by Del. Dance 2 years ago and have yet to be claimed.  The clock is ticking.

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Events honoring the 1781 Battle of Petersburg will be held April 19 (9am-6pm) and April 20 (9am-4pm) at Historic Battersea, with highlights including reenactments each day at 1:30pm, a memorial wreath-laying ceremony, and a performance by the Battersea Chamber Players. Click here (1.5 MB) for more details about this free event.

Saturday, October 20, is Archaeology Day at one of America’s premiere historical sites, Battersea. And, it’s not just observation of the excavations done by the Virginia Department of Historic Resources (VDHR); one can actually participate in the excavation via hands-on discussion with State Archaeologist, Mike Barber.

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