msiae nistory

msiae nistory

Maps adorn the walls of the small walkway down to the exhibition’s main viewing room. One of the maps is of local interest since it outlines Fauquier County from the Civil War, he said. “Many people have found their homeplace as it existed during the Civil War,” Tharpe noted, referencing Fauquier’s rural landscape, which is punctuated with large farms and small towns.

Down in the larger main room, an ornate sword from Ulysses S. Grant is encased at the center of the room. According to the White House’s official Web site, Grant was indebted at the time of his death and he began writing his memoirs to help pay off his debt and leave something for his family. Grant earned some money for his biography but his family eventually sold some relics, including war memorabilia, from the legendary general to help pay their bills.

Paintings, uniforms, posters and articles from the time period decorate the surrounding walls.

A poster yellowed by age offers a $25,000 reward poster for Billy Smith, “the rebel governor of Virginia,” and is held in a glass case. “These items are unique because it shows the Civil War through the eyes of Fauquier County,” Tharpe said, highlighting several John Mosby artifacts including a plaster bust of the Civil War colonel.

There are twelve docents and Tharpe said he is constantly learning from them and from the guests.

“I’ve learned so much just from the experience of people coming in and talking about the history of their families and their interests,” he said.

Another benefit for visitors at the Liberty Heritage Society are the guided tours offered, said Jackie Lee, director of the Old Jail Museum in Warrenton. “They’re actually giving tours to explain the artwork there,” she said. “It’s a much more intimate tour than walking around and looking at things — we needed something like that in Warrenton.”

Lee said she’s heard positive feedback from those who have visited the museum and predicted that it will become a