Northern Neck National Heritage Area

09/11/2026

RiverRide 2026 Registration below - October 10!

09/10/2026

When a building moves, it’s generally bad news. But in Warsaw, it’s part of the iconic survival story of a little brick structure destined to remain in its hometown.

The Saddlery, believed to date back to the early 1830s, once sat at the corner of Rt. 360 and Main Street. In 1931, it was time for a new view. The structure was dismantled, lifted, and moved nearby to a location on Rt. 360.

"Richmond County, Virginia," a book published in 1976 for the bicentennial, noted the Saddlery’s distinguishing features, including a basement that stands six feet above ground level. Another was two arches supporting the stairway, added when the building was moved from the corner.

For decades, the Saddlery was part of the landscape along Warsaw’s main artery, but by 2017, it was again time for change. Thanks to love from the community, funds were raised, and the building was spared demolition and moved once again—this time to its current home at 171 Main Street.

Artifacts found in the attic reflect some of the businesses that occupied the building over the years, revealed Preservation Northern Neck & Middle Peninsula. That includes a card from Richmond-based L.J. Hayden, “Manufacturer of Pure Herb Medicines,” confidently stating, “Try a bottle of my medicine and be convinced.”

Despite its beginnings as a saddle and harness shop, the Saddlery is no stranger to new opportunities, having served as a millinery shop and an office for dentistry, law, real estate, and optometry. During World War II, it even served as headquarters for the Richmond County Rationing Board, where coupon books were distributed for items like gasoline, sugar, meat, and wh***ey.

Today, the Town owns the building, and after investing in its renovation, the Saddlery has taken on several new roles, including currently serving as home to the Friends of the Library Bookshop.

09/03/2026

Openings for this Saturday's class! https://nnheritageartscenter.org/product/september-5-handforged-daffodil-blacksmithing-class/ Stay Ma Margaret's House B&B overnight and make a weekend getaway to the Northern Neck!

Send a message to learn more

08/31/2026

Visit Rice’s Hotel/Hughlett’s Tavern, and you’re likely to notice a grave by the entrance.

It belongs to Griffin H. Foushee. Although he died over 180 years ago, his remains weren’t always there.

Foushee, a veteran of the War of 1812, enlisted as a private in the 37th Virginia Militia at age 18, was promoted to ensign, and served until the end of the fight, according to remarks delivered in 2022 by George Beckett of the Society of the War of 1812 in Virginia.

After the war, Foushee became a prominent businessman and landowner. In 1824, he purchased the one-story tavern in Heathsville and expanded it into a two-story hotel and restaurant. With its close proximity to the Northumberland County Courthouse, the establishment became a notable source of lodging.

In 1844, at age 51, Foushee reportedly died from a fishing mishap. His burial site was long forgotten until two genealogists—Hilary Derby and Marsha Benya—found the gravestone in a Northumberland cornfield.

Although Foushee didn’t own the tavern when he died, it was decided there was no better place for him to lie at rest. His remains were exhumed and reinterred in Heathsville at the property he once owned, now home to the Northern Neck Heritage Arts Center.

Foushee’s return was marked by a funeral on October 15, 2022, with a procession featuring a period-dressed minister, a War of 1812 color guard, horse-drawn hearse, riderless horse, drum and fife band, and mourners in period attire.

“In memory of Capt. Griffin H. Foushee” is inscribed on his gravestone. However, “Captain” is believed to have been an unofficial title given to him by family and friends, rather than his actual military rank—a practice that was not uncommon during the period, according to Beckett.


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Procession photo courtesy of Society of the War of 1812 in Virginia

08/25/2026

History loves exploring personal alliances! Learn more about Washington and his French friend on Saturday, August 29 at 1pm at the Visitors Center at George Washington Birthplace National Monument near Colonial Beach. UVA Karsh Institute of Democracy Northern Neck History

08/24/2026

08/21/2026

While attending William & Mary, the teenage James Monroe was part of a group that raided the governor’s palace and stole hundreds of guns and swords for the arsenal to defend the colony.

A year and a half into his studies, Monroe dropped out of college and joined the Continental Army.

On Christmas night in 1776, Monroe, an 18-year-old lieutenant of the 3rd Virginia Regiment, crossed the icy Delaware River with Captain William Washington and a detachment to block the road between Trenton and Princeton, blocking passage by the Hessians—German mercenaries fighting for the British.

The next day, while advancing into Trenton, Washington was wounded in a mission targeting Hessian artillery, and Monroe took command and led the men forward.

But it was not long before Monroe got shot by a musket ball that severed an artery in his shoulder.

Call it coincidence, but after the Continental soldiers crossed the Delaware, they encountered a physician named Dr. Riker, who chose to accompany them in case they needed his medical services.

If Dr. Riker hadn’t been there, “the future fifth president of the United States would have perished, at the age of eighteen, in a pool of blood on a slushy street in Trenton, New Jersey,” noted history writer Richard Hanser.

Monroe not only survived but was promoted to major in 1777 and returned to active duty, with the 1778 Battle of Monmouth marking his final chapter in combat.

Explore more about the 5th president at James Monroe Birthplace & Boyhood Home. You’ll find a timeline of Monroe’s history etched along the route, with QR codes posted along the way providing expanded stories.

You can walk through history while immersed in a relaxing natural setting 365 days a year for free.

ADDRESS: 4460 James Monroe Hwy, Colonial Beach, VA 22443

08/18/2026

📣 Special Event at The Playhouse Friday, September 11th at 6:00pm!

🎟️Ticket Price: $75 each (includes drinks & heavy hors d’oeuvres)

✨Fundraiser event for Lancaster Community Library

Ticket info: https://www.lancasterplayers.org