Stafford will cap off a year of celebrating its 350th Anniversary with the world premiere of “Stafford, Virginia: Our American Story,” a film chronicling Stafford’s past, present and future. The film will be shown on Monday, December 1, 2014, at 6:00 p.m. at Mountain View High School, 2135 Mountain View Road, Stafford, VA 22556.
“When the Board of Supervisors started planning for the 350th Anniversary, we wanted to have the type of events that people would remember for years, as people remembered Stafford’s tricentennial in 1964,” said Chairman of the Board of Supervisors Jack Cavalier, Griffis-Widewater District. “With the help of the Blue Ribbon Committee, our partners, sponsors, volunteers and citizens, we have succeeded beyond what I could have imagined. This movie is the exclamation mark to our year and serves as a lasting legacy that documents where Stafford County has come from and where it is going.”
The movie documents early life with the Patawomecks in Stafford County through colonial times, the Civil War, desegregation and up to modern times with glimpses of the people who will shape our future. The premiere will be a true Hollywood-type event complete with a red carpet and light refreshments showcasing the skills of the Mountain View High School culinary program.
“This film is the most historically accurate and comprehensive film on Stafford’s history that has ever been produced,” said Harry Crisp, chairman of the 350th Anniversary Blue Ribbon Committee. “Nine local historians worked on this project and reached a consensus with their accumulated knowledge on every historic event depicted in the movie. It was truly a labor of love and will be a treasure for the community for years to come.”
The list of experts who worked on the project includes well-known local historians: Jane and Al Conner; Jerrilyn and Rick MacGregor; John Hennessy, Chief Historian and Director of Interpretation for the Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania National Military Park Frank White; Becky Guy and William Deyo, members of the Patawomeck tribe; and D.P. Newton, proprietor of the White Oak Civil War Museum.
Produced by Signature Communications, the movie was written and directed by Signature’s president John Allen. The Legacy and Education Subcommittee of the 350th Anniversary, under the guidance of Blue Ribbon Committee members David Kerr and Cessie Howell, oversaw the project. Sponsors of the movie are Dominion Virginia Power, Intuit and Walmart helped fund the movie.
The movie follows a packed year of events that celebrated Stafford’s 350th Anniversary. In January, citizens and visitors enjoyed a history presentation, musical entertainment and an ice skating rink at Celebrate Stafford 350. Thousands of people enjoyed the Founders Day parade and Stafford County Schools Fine Arts Festival that took place over a weekend in May. Musical and theater acts headlined the grand opening in June of Celebration Stage, Stafford’s beautiful new amphitheater. Stafford’s military heritage was honored in October at the annual Wings and Wheels event. Stafford’s African-American history was highlighted in November on the Trail to Freedom Tour and by the unveiling of the Rowser African-American History Wall.
Admission to the premier of “Stafford, Virginia: Our American Story” is free and no tickets are required. Following the premier, members of the public may receive free copies of the movie by visiting the Citizens Assistance Office at the George L. Gordon, Jr., Government Center, 1300 Courthouse Road, Stafford, VA 22554.
