MEMORIAL FOUNDATION OF THE GERMANNA COLONIES IN VIRGINIA INC
P O BOX 279, LOCUST GROVE, VA 225080279 www.germanna.org

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Organizations Filed Purposes: THE MISSION OF THE GERMANNA FOUNDATION IS TO TELL AMERICA'S STORY OF LIBERTY THROUGH THE FRONTIER EXPERIENCE OF HER SETTLERS AND DESCENDANTS USING ARCHAEOLOGICAL, HISTORICAL, AND GENEALOGICAL RESEARCH AND INTERPRETATION.

SINCE 1956, THE GERMANNA FOUNDATION HAS OWNED AND MANAGED ABOUT 176 ACRES OF RIPARIAN DECIDUOUS FOREST CALLED SIEGEN FOREST LOCATED BETWEEN THE RAPIDAN RIVER AND VIRGINIA ROUTE 3 (GERMANNA HIGHWAY) IN ORANGE COUNTY, VIRGINIA. THE GERMANNA FOUNDATION DEVELOPED HIKING TRAILS ON THE LAND WITH THE ASSISTANCE OF SKILLED PROFESSIONALS AND DEDICATED VOLUNTEERS, INCLUDING AREA BOY SCOUTS. THE GERMANNA FOUNDATION IS COMMITTED TO WISE STEWARDSHIP OF THIS HISTORIC AREA BY WORKING WITH THE COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA AND PRIVATE-SECTOR CONSERVATION GROUPS, AS WELL AS MAKING THE EDUCATIONAL VALUE OF THIS HISTORIC SITE AVAILABLE TO THE PUBLIC.THE GERMANNA FOUNDATION'S FORT GERMANNA VISITOR CENTER (VISITOR CENTER) HOUSES THE GERMANNA MUSEUM AND THE EVELYN C. MARTIN GENEALOGICAL RESEARCH LIBRARY; THE HITT ARCHAEOLOGY CENTER (DEDICATED IN 2019) AND MEMORIAL GARDEN THAT IS LOCATED ON THE SIEGEN FOREST CAMPUS, ADJACENT TO THE LOCUST GROVE CAMPUS OF GERMANNA COMMUNITY COLLEGE, WHOSE 100 ACRE SITE WAS DONATED BY THE GERMANNA FOUNDATION TO THE COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA IN 1969 FOR THE PURPOSE OF FOUNDING THE COLLEGE.EDUCATIONEDUCATION IS CENTRAL TO THE GERMANNA FOUNDATION MISSION. THE VISITOR CENTER HOLDS A LARGE COLLECTION OF BOOKS AND GENEALOGY RECORDS, AS WELL AS INTERPRETIVE EXHIBITS THAT TELL THE GERMANNA HISTORY. SINCE ITS FORMATION IN 1956, THE GERMANNA FOUNDATION HAS PUBLISHED 21 BOOKS THAT COVER A WIDE RANGE OF HISTORIC TOPICS RELATING TO GERMANNA, AS WELL AS GENEALOGIES OF MANY OF THE FAMILIES. SINCE 1957, THE GERMANNA FOUNDATION HAS HELD AN ANNUAL JULY CONFERENCE AND REUNION, CONTINUING A TRADITION STARTED IN THE 1940'S BY ITS UNINCORPORATED PREDECESSOR. THE PROGRAM INCLUDES GUIDED TOURS OF HISTORIC SITES IN THE VIRGINIA COUNTIES OF ORANGE, CULPEPER, FAUQUIER, AND MADISON THAT ARE ASSOCIATED WITH THE GERMANNA FAMILIES. IN ADDITION, DURING THE ANNUAL CONFERENCE LOCAL AND NATIONALLY-RECOGNIZED SPEAKERS PRESENT TALKS ON TOPICS OF GERMAN-AMERICAN INTEREST, GENEALOGY, COLONIAL HISTORY, ARCHAEOLOGY, AND HISTORIC PRESERVATION.THE GERMANNA FOUNDATION PUBLISHES A PROFESSIONALLY-DESIGNED NEWSLETTER FOUR TIMES A YEAR THAT REFLECTS INFORMATION ABOUT GERMANNA FOUNDATION ACTIVITIES AND PROGRAMS, INFORMATIVE ARTICLES ABOUT GERMANNA-RELATED HISTORIC SITES IN GERMANY AND THE UNITED STATES.THE GERMANNA FOUNDATION OPERATES AND MAINTAINS A WEBSITE, WWW.GERMANNA.ORG, THAT CONTAINS HISTORICAL INFORMATION, NEWS, OFFICER, TRUSTEE AND STAFF PROFILES, PROGRAM PROMOTION, HISTORICAL ARTICLES AND A STORE WHERE ALL PUBLICATIONS AND RELATED ITEMS CAN BE ORDERED ONLINE. THE GERMANNA FOUNDATION ALSO OFFERS EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES TO COLLEGE AND GRADUATE STUDENTS THROUGH SUPERVISED SUMMER INTERNSHIPS THAT PROVIDE HANDS-ON EXPERIENCE IN RESEARCH, PUBLIC RELATIONS, AND THE ADMINISTRATION OF A HISTORIC SITE AND ORGANIZATION.CULTIVATION OF TRANSATLANTIC RELATIONS THE DEVELOPMENT OF STRONG TIES WITH ANCESTRAL VILLAGES OF GERMANNA COLONISTS AND SUPPORTERS OF THE GERMANNA FOUNDATION LIVING IN GERMANY HAS BEEN AN IMPORTANT PART OF THE GERMANNA FOUNDATION'S MISSION SINCE ITS INCEPTION. TIES WITH RESEARCHERS AND GENEALOGISTS IN SIEGEN, GERMANY REMAIN STRONG TO THE PRESENT. OFFICIAL DELEGATIONS FROM GERMANY HAVE VISITED THE GERMANNA FOUNDATION OVER THE YEARS, INCLUDING SEVERAL BY VOLKMAR KLEIN, MEMBER OF THE BUDGET COMMITTEE OF THE GERMAN PARLIAMENT IN BERLIN. EVERY SUMMER SINCE 2003, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF 2014, THE GERMANNA FOUNDATION HAS SPONSORED AN EDUCATIONAL TRIP TO GERMANY FOR ITS SUPPORTERS. THE GROUPS VISIT THE ANCESTRAL VILLAGES OF THE GERMANNA COLONIES, NEAR SIEGEN, IN NORTH RHINE WESTPHALIA, AND THE KRAICHGAU AREA OF BADEN-WUERTTEMBERG, GERMANY

IN OCTOBER 2013, THE GERMANNA FOUNDATION ACQUIRED A 62.2 ACRE TRACT OF LAND SITUATED IN THE GORDON DISTRICT OF ORANGE COUNTY, VIRGINIA FROM THE COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA, WHICH HAD BEEN MANAGED BY THE UNIVERSITY OF MARY WASHINGTON (UMW). THIS LAND CONTAINS THE ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITE OF FORT GERMANNA AND ALEXANDER SPOTSWOOD'S "ENCHANTED CASTLE." THIS PROPERTY IS PROTECTED BY A CONSERVATION EASEMENT DONATED BY THE GERMANNA FOUNDATION TO THE VIRGINIA DEPARTMENT OF HISTORIC RESOURCES (DHR).THE GERMANNA FOUNDATION'S ARCHAEOLOGY PROGRAM HAS PARTNERED WITH DR. BERNARD MEANS (FACULTY MEMBER OF THE ANTHROPOLOGY DEPARTMENT AND SCHOOL OF WORLD STUDIES AT VIRGINIA COMMONWEALTH UNIVERSITY), SINCE 2016. THE GERMANNA FOUNDATION HAS HOSTED THE VIRGINIA COMMONWEALTH UNIVERSITY (VCU) FIELD SCHOOL FROM THE BEGINNING. THE FIELD SCHOOL IS A SIX-WEEK HANDS-ON, EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING OPPORTUNITY FOR STUDENTS INTERESTED IN ARCHAEOLOGY. THE STUDENTS ARE INTRODUCED TO DATA COLLECTION METHODS ON A REAL WORLD, WORKING EXCAVATION SITE. IN THE PRACTICE OF PROFESSIONAL AND ACADEMIC ARCHAEOLOGY, FIELD SCHOOLS ARE SEEN AS A "GATEWAY" EXPERIENCE TO ENTERING THE PROFESSION. THE PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN THE GERMANNA FOUNDATION AND VCU PROVIDES A UNIQUE EXPERIENCE FOR VIRGINIA STUDENTS ON AN IMPORTANT VIRGINIA SITE.THE GERMANNA FOUNDATION ALSO OFFERS EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES TO COLLEGE AND GRADUATE STUDENTS THROUGH SUPERVISED SUMMER INTERNSHIPS THAT PROVIDE HANDS-ON EXPERIENCE IN RESEARCH, PUBLIC RELATIONS, AND THE ADMINISTRATION OF A HISTORIC SITE AND ORGANIZATION.IN 2018 AND 2019, THE GERMANNA FOUNDATION CONSTRUCTED THE HITT ARCHAEOLOGY CENTER, WHICH WAS PLACED INTO SERVICE IN MAY 2019 AS A HEADQUARTERS FOR THE GERMANNA FOUNDATION ARCHAEOLOGY PROGRAM. THE HITT ARCHAEOLOGY CENTER GIVES THE GERMANNA FOUNDATION A PLACE TO STORE, STUDY, CLEAN AND EVALUATE ARTIFACTS FOUND ON GERMANNA PROPERTIES. THIS 3,000 SQUARE FOOT FACILITY HAS SPACE FOR LONG-TERM STORAGE OF ARTIFACTS, A LAB FOR THE CATALOGING AND STUDY OF THOSE ARTIFACTS AS WELL AS FACILITIES FOR CLEANING AND PRESERVING ITEMS FOUND IN THE FIELD. THE STORAGE PROVIDES A CONTROLLED ENVIRONMENT ENSURING THE PRESERVATION OF ARTIFACTS STORED. THE HITT ARCHAEOLOGY CENTER IS A PLACE WHERE SCHOLARS CAN VISIT AND STUDY ARTIFACTS FROM THE GERMANNA FOUNDATION COLLECTION, INCLUDING ARTIFACTS RECOVERED FROM ALEXANDER SPOTSWOOD'S ENCHANTED CASTLE, AND THE FORT GERMANNA, SALUBRIA AND THE HITT FARM SITES.

IN OCTOBER 2000, THE GERMANNA FOUNDATION ACQUIRED SALUBRIA, AN 18TH CENTURY GEORGIAN STYLE MANSION WITH 19.6 ACRES OF WOODED GROUNDS AND A TERRACED BOXWOOD GARDEN LOCATED IN CULPEPER COUNTY, VIRGINIA IN ORDER TO PRESERVE THIS HISTORIC PROPERTY AND LEGACY. THIS PROPERTY IS ALSO PROTECTED BY A CONSERVATION EASEMENT HELD BY DHR.SALUBRIA DOES OFFER TOURS FOR INDIVIDUALS AND SMALL GROUPS BY APPOINTMENT ONLY APRIL THROUGH OCTOBER.IN OCTOBER 2019, GERMANNA FOUNDATION HOSTED "SALUBRIA AFTER DARK," A SPECIAL EVENING OF PROFESSIONAL STORYTELLING ON THE GROUNDS OF HISTORIC SALUBRIA.IN 2019, THE GERMANNA FOUNDATION CONDUCTED A SYSTEMATIC SHOVEL-TEST SURVEY OF THE ENTIRETY OF ITS 19.5 ACRES TRACT AT SALUBRIA IN CULPEPER COUNTY. THIS WAS DONE TO PROVIDE A BASELINE UNDERSTANDING OF THE CULTURAL RESOURCES ASSOCIATED WITH THE 1757 HOUSE AND ITS IMMEDIATE SURROUNDS. THE PROPERTY WAS TRANSFERRED TO THE GERMANNA FOUNDATION IN 2000, WITH A PROTECTIVE CONSERVATION EASEMENT WITH DHR AS THE EASEMENT GRANTEE.BEFORE 2019, NO SYSTEMATIC SURVEY OF THIS HISTORIC PROPERTY HAD BEEN UNDERTAKEN. THREE STUDENTS FROM VCU FIELD SCHOOL TOGETHER WITH THE GERMANNA FOUNDATION'S THREE SUMMER INTERNS, CONDUCTED THE SURVEY UNDER THE DIRECTION OF DR. ERIC LARSEN (DIRECTOR OF ARCHAEOLOGY FOR THE GERMANNA FOUNDATION), DR. BERNARD MEANS (VCU) AND ALISON HODGES (SUMMER ASSISTANT DIRECTOR FOR THE GERMANNA FOUNDATION). THE FINDINGS AND RESULTING MAPS PROVIDE THE GERMANNA FOUNDATION WITH A PLANNING DOCUMENT THAT WILL AID IN DECISIONS OF FUTURE USE AND DEVELOPMENT OF THE HISTORIC SITE.

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