RECENT COMMENTS

Want to learn how to build a batteau?

Replenish Richmond and the Virginia Canals and Navigations Society (VCNS) are partnering to present a Batteau Seminar this Saturday, November 15th from 3-5 PM at the Neighborhood Resource Center in Fulton (1519 Williamsburg Road). The seminar is free and open to the public.

The seminar will involve discussions by several prominent VCNS members including Dr. Bill Trout and VCNS Archaeologist Lyle Browning, VCNS President Brian Coffield and James River Batteau Festival President Ralph Smith. These batteau experts will discuss the history of the batteau in Richmond and Virginia, will examine the excavation of batteau at the James Center site in the 1980’s, and will discuss how to build a batteau.

All of this will be accentuated with the presentation of a real batteau – The Clifton Lee – which is kindly being brought to the event by Captain Lisa Barbieri of Goochland.

The main purpose of this seminar is to kick off the Blue Sky Batteau Project, the goal of which is to build two batteaux over the winter and spring to be entered into the 2015 James River Batteau Festival. When Blue Sky is not using the batteaux for the festival, the James River Park System will be the caretakers and will be able to use and display the batteaux.

RSVP to Rick at rick@replenishrichmond.com.