#HomeHistory - 2023

For decades, members of the Citizens’ Advisory Council for Furnishing and Interpreting the Executive Mansion (CAC) have served as stewards of Virginia’s home, promoting a greater understanding and awareness of the Executive Mansion’s #homehistory and significance. Established in 1973, the CAC was formed with the intention of researching the history of the Mansion. Now celebrating its 50th anniversary, the responsibilities of this gubernatorially appointed board include education, furnishing and restoration. The First Lady is especially grateful to the newly formed Art Subcommittee that curates the Art Experience.

Created by Executive Mansion Pastry Chef, Scott Henderlite, this year’s gingerbread house is a model of the Governor’s Palace in Williamsburg. The Governor’s Palace was the official residence of the royal governors of the Colony of Virginia and was also home for two of Virginia’s post-colonial governors, Patrick Henry and Thomas Jefferson. Funded by the House of Burgesses, the Palace was built from 1706 onward. In a #homehistory defining move, the capitol was relocated to Richmond in 1780 and the Governor’s residence moved with it, now nestled in Capitol Square providing a home to Virginia’s governors and first families since 1813.

'A Commonwealth Christmas' at the Executive Mansion offers contemporary twists on centuries old #homehistory Christmas traditions. Utilizing natural decorations that have remained seasonal staples from the Commonwealth’s earliest documented celebrations to today, the adornments capitalize on agrarian elements. View photos of the decorations and learn more about this year’s theme here.

Since the 1960s, Virginia Welcome Centers (VWCs) have served the Commonwealth’s visitors as ambassadors, travel agents and experts in #homehistory. The First Lady was honored to meet the remarkable VWC teams offering Virginia’s tourists warm welcomes and worthwhile suggestions at the Executive Mansion for a tour. Doubling the number of centers since the program’s inception, 12 strategically placed VWCs are nestled throughout Virginia’s highway system, often the first stop for thousands of the Commonwealth’s visitors.

A 346-year-old tradition, the annual payment of tribute by Virginia’s Indian tribes to the Governor of the Commonwealth is a longstanding staple of our #homehistory and represents peace and mutual understanding. Thank you, Chief Mark Custalow and the Mattaponi Tribe and Chief Robert Gray, Councilman Atkinson and the Pamunkey Tribe for a beautiful tribute ceremony and Thanksgiving togetherness. The spirit of appreciation is alive at Virginia’s Executive Mansion!

This Veterans Day we honor heroes like Paul Galanti, a Vietnam War POW who endured torturous imprisonment for six and a half years in North Vietnam. In 1973, Galanti was released and reunited in Virginia with his wife Phyllis, an outspoken advocate for American POWs. The Governor and the First Lady had the privilege of meeting Paul and other brave men at the Executive Mansion for a reception commemorating the 50th anniversary of their homecoming and the 1973 reception hosted by Governor Linwood Holton celebrating their safe return. To view this portrait of Paul and Phyllis Galanti, visit the Executive Mansion for a tour every Tuesday and Friday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. or head to the Art Experience tab.

November is National Native American Heritage Month, a time to commemorate, appreciate and honor the lives and contributions of our country’s Indigenous peoples. Brad Hatch, Patawomeck archaeologist and mentor artist from White Oak, Virginia, creates eel pots from white oak strips with fellow tribal members -- sharing #homehistory with his apprentices. Alongside numerous gifts from Virginia’s Indian tribes and on loan from the Virginia Humanities Virginia Folklife Program, one of Hatch’s creations is on display in the Old Governor’s Office at the Executive Mansion. Plan your visit today!

The Citizens Advisory Council on Furnishing and Interpreting the Executive Mansion (CAC) was established to benefit Richmond’s historic home. Its newly established Art Experience Committee — led by CAC creatives, Ann Goettman and Judy Boland — is making #homehistory with the art at the Executive Mansion. Today’s exhibit features Virginia art on loan from museums, cultural societies, state agencies, artists and more. Thank you, to Ann, Judy and all CAC members who work together to preserve and enhance the legacy of Virginia’s home. Click the link in my story to read more about the Art Experience in Suzanne Pollak's article for Vie Magazine!

So fun to partner with the Virginia Department of General Services and On the Square VA earlier this month for the second annual Boots on the Square, making #homehistory in front of the Executive Mansion once again! Thank you to all the wonderful Virginia state employees who came out and enjoyed line dancing, lasso lessons, miniature horses and fresh kettle corn. Until next year!

Thank you Chris and family for helping kick off Virginia Pumpkin Month at the Executive Mansion last week! Ranking 10th in the nation in pumpkin cash receipts, pumpkins have become part of Virginia’s #homehistory thanks to the nearly 400 commercial pumpkin growers across the Commonwealth.

Angel Rodriguez, known to many as the Salsa Guy of Richmond, teaches Virginians about the vast #homehistory of Hispanic and Latin American communities through music. Representing Puerto Rican, Afro-Caribbean and Mexican traditions, The Governor and First Lady were blessed to have Angel and Tradición Dance Company perform at the Executive Mansion’s celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month in September. Thank you for using the arts to educate and inspire!

This Hispanic Heritage Month, The Art Experience at the Executive Mansion highlights the remarkable work of Richmond artist, Diego Sanchez. A native of Colombia, Diego received his bachelor’s and master’s from VCU, has had his art shown all over the globe and is currently making #homehistory as the Head of the Art Department at St. Catherine’s School. Learn more about “Composition #148” by clicking on the Art Experience tab.

Governor Glenn Youngkin and the First Lady were joined by Lieutenant Governor Winsome Sears, Attorney General Jason Miyares, Secretary of the Commonwealth Kelly Gee and dozens of community, faith and business leaders at the Executive Mansion in celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month. The Commonwealth is grateful for the cultural, economic and societal contributions of the Hispanic American community! Virginia’s #homehistory is not complete without Hispanic and Latino heritage.

The World Federation of the Deaf recognizes the last full week in September as International Week of the Deaf — a global opportunity to raise awareness about the Deaf Community. Thank you to the Virginia Department for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing for a commitment to ensuring this community has the resources needed to experience life without barriers to communication! Swipe for a photo of an ASL conversation between Deaf actor and author Nyle DiMarco and Deaf musical performer WAWA Snipe at the Virginia Humanities’ Virginia Festival of the Book. Visit the Art Experience Section of the Executive Mansion website to learn more about Nyle, WAWA and the second installment of the Art Experience.

Observed annually beginning on the second Sunday in September, National Arts in Education Week celebrates and recognizes the arts’ role in creating a holistic education. As an art and ceramics teacher, famed Richmond artist Helen King Hattorf shared her love of art with students for nearly 30 years, 15 of which she spent making #homehistory at Thomas Jefferson High School in Richmond. So very grateful for educators like Mrs. Hattorf for inspiring emerging generations of artists and creatives. On loan from The Valentine Mrs. Hattorf’s painting “State Fair” can be viewed in person at the Executive Mansion every Tuesday and Friday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. or in the Art Experience Section of the Executive Mansion website.

Kicking off National Chef Appreciation Week with a refreshingly delicious, #MadeInTheMansion recipe from the Mansion’s ever so talented Executive Chef, Ed. Click the link to view a PDF of Ed's Heirloom Tomato and Peach Bruschetta recipe and let us know if you make it at home! Email The Executive Mansion with a photo of your creation.

For more than 50 years, volunteer docents have guided tours of Richmond’s Executive Mansion. Serving as a docent for more than a decade, Bonnie Walter loves sharing Mansion magic with Virginians and others. Thank you, Bonnie, for your passionate dedication to #homehistory! Interested in joining Bonnie and other amazing members of our volunteer docent team? Email The Executive Mansion today.

The First Lady and Mansion team were honored to have former First Lady Jeannie Baliles to the Mansion last week to discuss her amazing work with the Virginia Literacy Foundation (VLF). Founded by the First Lady in 1985, the foundation continues to make #homehistory by providing literacy services to thousands of children and parents across the Commonwealth. The First Family is Incredibly grateful for the consistent efforts of our wonderful education department, organizations like VLF and countless others investing in the next generation.

Longtime collaborator and friend to the Executive Mansion, The Library of Virginia  enriches #homehistory by loaning art to be displayed in the home. Since 2022, Library of Virginia Visual Studies Collection Registrar, Alicia Starliper, has been key to the Mansion’s successful Art Experience—overseeing installation, preservation and thorough cataloging of works from a multitude of museum partners and artists all across the Commonwealth. So grateful for experts like Alicia as well as the magnificent Library of Virginia!

Jocelyn Russell’s #homehistory making sculpture, “Secretariat Racing Into History,” made a stop on its cross country tour this month at Virginia’s home. Commemorating jockey Ron Turcotte and Secretariat, Jocelyn Russell completed the 3,500-pound bronze statue with the help of her husband and master welder, Michael Dubail. Before delving into the project Russell immersed herself in Secretariat’s triumphant legacy, spending six months researching, traveling and even consulting with Turcotte himself.

The fountain in the center of the Executive Mansion’s circular drive remains a #homehistory hallmark of the grounds. What likely started as a fishpond in the 1870s, the fountain has undergone several changes including ornamental birds as well as the current, two-tier, cast-iron, flower-framed Roman fountain. Visit the Executive Mansion this summer Tuesday and Fridays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. to see the fountain in person, or read up on the historic features of this stately home!

The Executive Mansion is not the only Virginia residence making #homehistory—Mount Vernon was home to the nation’s first President George Washington and family for decades. In a piece on loan from Mount Vernon, ‘Mt. Vernon Looking Down the River,’ artist and illustrator John Gadsby Chapman painted the estate from a perspective that shows its proximity to both the Potomac River and Washington, D.C. View this piece and other amazing works in person at the Executive on Tuesdays and Fridays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

As they conclude eight weeks of tremendous work, we laud this summer's Governor's Fellows, 37 changemakers fully equipped to take on their next journey! A 30-year-old tradition, the Governor’s Fellows Program offers recent and soon-to-be college graduates a unique opportunity to make #homehistory and lasting contributions to the Commonwealth through service in various secretariats, agencies and even the Executive Mansion. Visit the Governor's website for more information.

Today marks the 98th annual pony swim and auction on Chincoteague Island -- a celebrated event in our Commonwealth’s #homehistory! ‘Wild Pony Roundup,’ imagined by Ruth Starr Rose and on loan to the Executive Mansion from The Chrysler Museum of Art, captures the joy and liveliness of an island tradition that is beloved by our family and countless others. To see the painting in person, visit the Executive Mansion for tours on Tuesdays and Fridays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

As a rising high school senior, Catie Beth is making #homehistory serving as the Executive Mansion’s youngest docent! Since the age of 15, she has connected visitors with the Mansion’s history and volunteers to be more deeply involved in her community. For more information about the Executive Mansion’s docent program, email the Mansion Team at executivemansion@governor.virginia.gov.

The Executive Mansion culinary team is committed to utilizing crops and produce from Virginia’s local farms and growers. Luckily, fresh ingredients are never far! Made from Mansion garden-grown cucumbers, tomatoes, onions, scallions and basil, this creamy gazpacho is a savory example of Virginia’s robust agricultural #homehistory. Click the link to download a PDF of Ed's Creamy Gazpacho Recipe!

Dating back to 1927, Virginia’s historic Highway Marker Program is the nation’s oldest program of its kind. In 2012, the Department of Historic Resources installed a historic marker outside the Executive Mansion to recognize its status as a National Historic Landmark, reminding visitors and guests of the storied #homehistory within its gates. Stop by the Mansion for a tour on Tuesdays and Fridays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and visit the Virginia Department of Historic Resources website to learn more about Virginia’s historic Highway Marker Program!

Virginia artist Barclay Sheaks’ breathtaking and serene painting ‘Watcher by the Rail’ made #homehistory by being featured in The Art Experience at the Executive Mansion. Featuring Sheaks’ wife, Edna, the painting was part of the “Watcher” series — a collection depicting ferry passengers peering attentively at the water. Sheaks’ work is inspired by the beauty of the Chesapeake Bay and a river in Poquoson. To learn more about Sheaks and other works in The Art Experience, head to the Art Experience tab or visit the Executive Mansion in person each Tuesday and Friday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

The First Family is immensely grateful for Major General Timothy P. Williams, Virginia’s Adjutant General for the past nine years. Throughout his 38 years of dedicated military service, Major General Williams exemplified the Commonwealth’s longstanding #homehistory of first-rate service and leadership. Congrats on retirement!

Years before he served as Commander in Chief or as the nation’s first President, while colonel in the Virginia militia, a young, regalia-laden George Washington was painted by Charles Willson Peale. Reimagined by Virginia artist Hattie Elizabeth Burdette, this 1932 painting now hangs in the Mansion Dining Room reminding us of Founding Father #homehistory makers who devoted their lives to establishing our country’s freedoms. To see this painting for yourself, visit the Executive Mansion for tours from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Tuesdays and Fridays.

This James River Month, we admire the beauty and movement captured in Helen Crighton’s painting ‘James River: The Rapids.’ The James plays a vital role in Richmond’s #homehistory! To view ‘James River: The Rapids’ in person, visit the Executive Mansion from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Tuesdays and Fridays, or head to the Art Experience section to learn more!

In a first at Virginia’s Executive Mansion, government leaders made #homehistory as more than 100 from across the Commonwealth gathered in the Mansion gardens to celebrate Juneteenth.  Alongside Secretary of the Commonwealth Kay Coles James, Lieutenant Governor Winsome Earle-Sears, and others, Governor Glenn Youngkin and the First Lady hosted a celebration to mark the holiday with a Kona Ice truck, barbecue from Mr. Q’s BBQ, and lawn games. Wishing all a meaningful and memorable Juneteenth! 

For more than ​5 decades, the Townes family has been at the heart of Virginia’s Executive Mansion’s #homehistory.  Today, father-son duo Tutti and Martin Townes work in tandem to uphold longstanding traditions of the home. With help from daughter and sister, Cherry, and wife and stepmother, Stephanie, the Townes family graces Governors and guests with hospitality and attention to detail.  Happy Father’s Day from the Executive Mansion family to yours!

In 2005, sculptor and artist Paul DiPasquale dedicated a 34-foot bronze statue of King Neptune to the city of Virginia Beach. The iconic figure honors Virginia Beach’s connection to marine life, naval endeavors, and dutiful protection of the Atlantic Ocean. In a nod to current Governor Glenn Youngkin’s hometown of Virginia and as part of the Art Experience at the Executive Mansion, a bronze maquette of the statue can be found on display in the Old Governor’s Office—a reminder of our coastal #homehistory. To learn more about this piece, visit the Art Experience tab.