"Overwhelming hospitality" for the Emerging Civil War Symposium

Emerging Civil War co-founder Kris White speaks

More than 70 people from across the United States came to the property this past weekend for the first annual Emerging Civil War Symposium at Stevenson Ridge. Attendees visited from as far away as Seattle, Washington and Hollister, California.

Chris, our resident historian, served as the emcee for the event. He and his longtime best friend, historian Kris White, are cofounders of Emerging Civil War.

Friday featured a panel of nine historians who held a freewheeling discussion about the war in 1864, which was the topic of symposium. Saturday featured seven speakers who presented programs on various aspects of the Civil War in '64. On Sunday, Chris and Kris led battlefield tours.

"Stevenson Ridge is right on the battlefield, so it makes a lot of sense for us to explore its Civil War connections," Chris said. "There was a lot of great energy and enthusiasm all weekend long because we had such a great mix of people!"

Several symposium attendees stayed in our historic houses, and everyone enjoyed a great lunch from our chef. "The hospitality was overwhelming!" keynote speaker Eric Wittenberg told us. He also had many nice things to say about the event on his blog.

It was an exciting weekend for us--and an especially busy one, too, because we also had three weddings over the weekend! C-SPAN came on Saturday to cover the events, so look for us there next month--we will keep you posted on details.


We are already looking forward to next year's symposium: July 24-26, 2015. Book your reservations for our houses early!

Historian Chris Kolakowski
(not to be confused with our own Chris Mackowski!)

The Free Lance-Star Previews our Upcoming Civil War Symposium

"The Fredericksburg area sees its share of Civil War historians come calling," says the Free Lance-Star's Clint Schemmer. "But at no time recently have so many been under one roof as there will be next weekend at Spotsylvania County’s Stevenson Ridge."

Clint wrote a wonderful piece for the local paper about this weekend's upcoming Emerging Civil War Symposium at Stevenson Ridge. We are really excited to host such a great collection of historians!

There are still a few spots left if anyone is interested in attending. Registration is $55. For information, email us at info@stevensonridge.com or call us at 540-582-6263.

Great Post Article!

Looking for one more reason to visit Fredericksburg? According to a recent article in The Washington Post, Fredericksburg "on a much smaller scale, is undergoing a renaissance not unlike that of New York City’s coolest borough." 

"Destination Design" columnist Jura Koncius compares Fredericksburg to Brooklyn. "There’s a vibrant art scene, a focus on DIY, artisanal food, farmers markets and a host of new shops that sell wine racks made of old pallets, vintage Polaroid cameras and 200-year-old wood beams," she writes.

To find out more, check out Koncius's full article.

Book a stay at Stevenson Ridge and get 25% off!

We're offering a special deal on lodging now through the end of August: If you book a two-night stay at Stevenson Ridge, Sundays through Thursdays, you can get your second night for 50% off. That's a 25% savings off your total stay!  Good only for bookings done through www.stevensonridge.com. When you book, mention this deal in the notes section, and we'll be sure to adjust your payment.  (Cannot be combined with any other discounts or offers.)