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You are here: Home / Archives for varnum memorial armory

Varnum Memorial Armory Museum Update

September 8, 2021 By James Mitchell Varnum

Though August tends to be a slower, quieter month for the Varnum Continentals, there has been a lot going on in the background. Here’s a quick update.

Our Varnum Memorial Armory Museum museum expansion and renovation projects are in a holding pattern while we wait to hear about a critical grant that we have applied for. If successful – and I believe the odds are in our favor – we will more than double our museum exhibit space. With this expansion, we’ll have new, dedicated displays focused on Rhode Island’s participation in the Spanish American War, World War I, the Cold War, Vietnam, and the Global War on Terror. This expansion will involve taking various unused spaces and restoring them to their original early 1900s appearance while adding modern security and climate control systems.

I’d like to thank our many supporters who support our mission of preserving and sharing Rhode Island’s military history and heritage. We do this to promote patriotism and encourage service, service of all kinds to our state, country, and local communities. As an all-volunteer organization, we wholly depend on the generosity of the public. If you believe our history should be preserved, shared, and learned from, then we encourage you to donate today.

Filed Under: Historic Preservation, Varnum Memorial Armory Tagged With: varnum memorial armory

[FEATURE ARTICLE] Thomas Nichols Letter at the Varnum Armory … a Stunning 18th-Century African American Artifact

February 11, 2021 By Patrick Donovan

Tired and tempted to just throw it all away, I stuck my hand one more time into a large moldy cardboard box filled with random receipts, notes, and other mid-20th-century detritus. It had belonged to one of our founding members who had long since passed.  Digging through this old box was part of a (still on-going) gargantuan effort to properly re-pack everything in storage at the Varnum Memorial Armory Museum located at 6 Main St. here in East Greenwich, RI. 

Anyway, I grabbed another fistful of paper from the box. But, this time, my fingers felt something… different… OLD paper? I carefully pulled it out. This was clearly 18th-century paper and it appeared to be a letter. Torn in four pieces, the fragile document had been crudely glued to a more modern piece of white paper.  What I read, blew my mind. 

  • Thomas Nichols Letter After Conservation
  • Thomas Nichols Letter Before Conservation

The following transcription contains the letter’s original spelling, punctuation, and grammar:

“Windham January 18th 1781

Onered Master & Mistress I take this opportunity to inform you of my citiation att this time & desire your ade = after I drove 3 waggons as far as Windham I hade waggoner tookaway my badge of driving & ordered me to gard ye waggons which I refused & turned back to colonel green att Covintree & ye wagoner sent back two men after me Ye Colonal did not blame me but told ye men and me to go on again & that I should take my waggon again but being over worried with this tramp I got but 3 miles further than where I left ye waggons in So. Windham att ye house of one Dan Murdock where I have been confined with my old fits But have good care taken of me But I have a desire to Return to you Not having any money Nor Clows fit to wair & all strangers to me makes it something difficult for me I have had a Doctor and a Surgans mate to me which advize me to go to xxx corps of invalids at Boston where I may be under half pay During Life Remaining in this poor State of Body But I ante able to go thether Neither do I incline to with out advice from you But I have a desire that Master or Mistress would go to Colonel Green & see if you cant git me Discharged from ye War, it being very Disagreabell to my mind as well as Destructive to my helth I suppose I could ride on a horse or att least in a Slay if you could obtain a Discharge for me So that I may Return to my Master and his family again baring[?] the will of god & your pleasure So No more att this time But I Remain your humble & dutiful Thomas ‘N’ His mark

December 31 1780 These lines I recv’d from ye Surgeon’s mate where as Thomas Nickols a soldier belonging to ye first Regiment in Rhode Island State hath been for some time attended with fits in this place & still likely to Remain unfit for military life” 

Freed from enslavement in exchange for his service in Colonel Christopher Greene’s First Rhode Island Regiment, African American Thomas Nichols had written (by dictating to an unknown person) this letter to his former “master and mistress”, Benjamin & Phoebe Nichols of Warwick, RI. They owned a farm near the town line with East Greenwich at the time. Thomas is asking for their help in getting a discharge from service since the Revolutionary War had been, as he said, “very disagreeable to [his] mind as well as destructive to [his] health.”  Thomas signs the letter with his mark, “N”, making it clear that he had dictated it to someone else. Perhaps the scribe was the surgeon’s mate, who is mentioned at the end of the letter as having received “these lines” and noting that Thomas is unfit for continued military service and will likely remain so into the future.  It’s not clear if “these lines” refer to the preceding or subsequent content (or both?). I think “these lines” refers to the statement starting with “whereas…”.

  • Thomas Nichols’ mark on the letter

Sadly, Thomas would not be granted a discharge. Instead, he was transferred on March 1, 1781 to the Corps of Invalids – at half pay – then located at Boston, MA. The Invalid Corps was created as a means for sick or wounded soldiers to continue to serve (mostly as guards) if their condition was deemed not too severe. Although both a doctor and surgeon’s mate had suggested he go to the Invalid Corps, Thomas said he didn’t want to go without first getting advice from his former master. However, we do not know if Benjamin or Phoebe Nichols ever responded to his plea for help. What happened to Thomas after his transfer is also not known. What did he do in the Invalid Corps? Did he survive the Revolutionary War? Did he return home and live out his life as a free man? Did he marry and have a family? Are there direct descendants alive today? I’m still hoping to find answers to these questions and more.

We do know that Thomas became free from enslavement when he enlisted into the 1st Rhode Island Regiment on May 22, 1778 at Warwick, RI. He went through training and drill in East Greenwich, RI. After the devastation of the Philadelphia campaign and the long winter at Valley Forge, General James Mitchell Varnum of East Greenwich had presented to General Washington a plan to raise more troops in Rhode Island by granting freedom to enslaved people in exchange for their service. Washington did not oppose the plan. The Rhode Island General Assembly soon put it into law and included a provision to pay slaveholders for the loss of their “property”. The policy to allow “every able-bodied negro, mulatto, or Indian man slave” to serve turned out to be quite unpopular. And so, the policy was ended in June of that same year.  With only this small window of opportunity, less than 200 African Americans ended up serving in the unit. 

  • First Rhode Island soldier at the Siege of Yorktown

Just 3 months after enlisting, Thomas would experience his first, and probably last, combat at the Battle of Rhode Island on August 29. After a failed attempt to besiege Newport and force the evacuation of the Crown forces from Aquidneck Island, American forces began withdrawing to the north. The green, untested 1st Rhode Island Regiment played a role in helping to hold off attacks by British and Hessian forces as the main American force under General Sullivan’s command retreated.  The 1st Rhode Island had 3 men killed, 9 wounded, and 11 were missing in action. Thomas Nichols was among the wounded. How he was wounded and how severely is unknown. This combat experience may very well be the explanation for the mentions of his “old fits”. Perhaps there was some sort of neurological damage caused by a Crown musket ball. And/or maybe the experience left him mentally affected. He did say specifically that “War [was] very disagreeable to [his] mind…”. 

This letter, written 2 years after the Battle of Rhode Island, is emotionally charged. He pitifully says he has “no money nor clothes fit to wear”. And reading that everyone is a stranger to him leaves me with the impression he is feeling helpless, scared, and alone. You can’t help but feel sad for Thomas’s plight and his desperate wish to go home. How bad could things have been for him to wish he could “return to [his] Master”? Did Thomas know whether this meant returning to a state of enslavement?  Was he suffering from PTSD?

  • Recent tour and viewing of Thomas Nichols letter

Historical letters and documents can raise more questions than they answer sometimes. Regardless, this ragged old little piece of paper gives us an incredibly rare and unique view inside the life of a Black soldier serving and fighting for the American cause in its War of Independence. Roughly 7,000 African Americans served that cause between 1775 and 1783.

It is worth noting that very little material culture and written records exist today from the Revolutionary War compared to more recent military conflicts. This lack of primary source material makes it much more difficult for us to have a full and accurate understanding of our shared birth and national development as Americans. As you might imagine, there is even less original source material related to the experiences of people of color and their important contributions during this period. Because of all this, we believe that this letter a national treasure. 

This astoundingly rare artifact highlighting the horrors, misery, and drudgery of war has been conserved by a professional document conservator and properly framed for long-term display. This work was generously funded by the Rhode Island Sons of the American Revolution. It is now on display in our 18th Century Room at the Varnum Armory Museum. 

Filed Under: Feature Article, Historic Preservation, Museum Exhibits, Varnum Memorial Armory Tagged With: african american history, historic document, preservation, revolutionary war, varnum memorial armory

[FEATURED EXHIBIT] New Display Cases at the Armory

January 9, 2021 By James Mitchell Varnum

At the Varnum Memorial Armory Museum, our new display case is coming along nicely. Most of its contents are related to the First Rhode Island Detached Militia, our state’s first volunteer infantry regiment to fight in the American Civil War.

Filed Under: Museum Exhibits, Varnum Memorial Armory Tagged With: American Civil War, varnum memorial armory

Exhibit Space Renovations at the Varnum Armory

December 31, 2020 By James Mitchell Varnum

At the Varnum Memorial Armory Museum, we have launched an exciting new project to build new, professional exhibit displays. This includes new blackout shades to restricts ultra-violet from damaging our historic documents, dyed textiles, and original photos. We are also laying out displays before the new display cases arrive.

The Varnum Memorial Armory Museum will be closed for tours as we do this work over the next month or so.

Moving old displays out of the room provides the opportunity for a deep clean.

Installing blackout shades to preserve out exhibits.

Experimenting with exhibit layouts before the new display cases arrive.

And here are the new display cases, on long-term loan from the Naval War College in Newport, RI.

Filed Under: Historic Preservation, Varnum Memorial Armory Tagged With: historic preservation, varnum memorial armory

[FEATURE ARTICLE] Caring for the Varnum Memorial Armory Museum’s Treasured Artifacts: Conservator Maria Vazquez

December 31, 2020 By Brian Wallin

Since our founding in 1907, the Varnum Continentals have collected artifacts representative of our national and local military history. For many years, numerous items were simply stored away. In recent years, the board of trustees has made a concerted effort to review the collection, identify items appropriate to our historic mission and present them to our visitors to reflect the chronology of military history from the pre-Revolutionary period to the more recent past.

A key aspect is the conservation of artifacts ensuring they are properly preserved. Our collection includes firearms, bladed weapons, and personal gear used by soldiers. Many soft goods, such as flags and uniforms, require a special type of conservation expertise.

And, it is here that the Varnum Continentals have gained the valued presence Maria Vazquez, a highly skilled textile conservator as a member of our volunteer family.  


Maria Vazquez stands with the musician’s uniform coat of Bugler William Lewis of Battery G, 1st Rhode Island Light Artillery. He is also shown in an albumen photo wearing the same coat. Lewis was mortally wounded at the 1864 Battle of Cedar Creek while heroically recapturing one of his battery’s guns. The coat is on a two-year loan to the Varnum Continentals from Pamplin Historical Park, a national museum in Petersburg, VA. Maria cleaned and repaired the garment as well as relocated buttons to conform to the original design. She made a custom form to mount it for long-term display. The Naval War College Museum is providing the Varnum Memorial Armory Museum with a mannequin display case.

Serendipity played a role in Maria’s coming to the Varnum Memorial Armory Museum, according to Vice President and Armory Curator Patrick Donovan. “Our good friends at Clouds Hill Victorian House Museum in Warwick, RI, introduced her to me about 2 years ago,” he explained. “The museum owner, Anne Holst, knew that we had many 19th and early 20th century military textiles in need of attention and felt Maria would be interested in helping us since she was looking for volunteer opportunities to build her textile conservation resume.” 

Patrick promptly invited Maria to visit the Armory Museum. Their first meeting encompassed more than two hours, during which they reviewed some of the collection and what needed to be done to preserve and improve them. She soon began her conservation of on the Armory Museum’s most historically-important military uniforms and flags. 

“Maria ensures all our textiles are being stored and displayed properly” said Patrick. “She not only cleans and performs conservation work on them. She also creates the proper display for each item to exhibit them for the long term without harming the object.” He added that Maria’s presence as a member of the Varnum team has opened a number of doors for the future in terms of cooperation and sharing with some of our State’s and nation’s best institutions including the Naval War College Museum, Gettysburg National Military Park, Pamplin Historical Park, the Rhode Island Historical Society, and others. 

In addition to literally saving our museum’s American Civil War uniform collection from devastating moth damage, Maria has been instrumental in our effort to save a group of historic flags from the Town of Bristol including what we now believe to be the oldest Colonial American flag in existence, the silk “Nathaniel Byfield” flag. Dating to circa 1690, this flag was the Colonel’s flag of Company A of the Bristol County Militia when Byfield was its commanding officer. He was an influential and wealthy judge at the time. He was also one of the original founders of the Town of Bristol. Patrick Donovan explained the significance of this acquisition, noting “this flag has been deemed a ‘national treasure’ as so few objects from this early period of our country’s history exist today.” The discovery and Maria’s conservation of this flag is the subject of a Rhode Island PBS documentary that is currently in production. It is expected to be broadcast in May of 2021. 


Maria Vazquez and Boston Museum of Fine Art conservator, Joy Bloser, discuss how to remove stains from the 17th Century “Byfield Flag”.

The flag’s fragile condition and its historical importance has made this an extremely challenging project for Maria. But she is doing an amazing job.  To help ensure success, the museum has consulted with several world-renowned conservators including the woman who conserved THE Star Spangled Banner itself (now on display at the Smithsonian). Completion of this project will be a tremendous accomplishment for both Maria bringing national attention to the Varnum organization.

Varnum News recently spoke with Maria about her passion for her profession and her contributions to the Armory Museum mission.

VARNUM NEWS: Tell us a little about yourself. Where are you from? Where did you study?

MARIA VAZQUEZ:  “I’m originally from Connecticut, but I live in Rhode Island now. I earned my Master of Science in Textile Conservation from the University of Rhode Island. I had applied to the University of Rhode Island to get my Masters in Historic Textiles and a textile conservation class was part of the curriculum. It was love at first sight. I didn’t realize that there were people that took care of these objects after they went into museums, or people that dressed mannequins for display. Organizing exhibitions to bring the stories of these objects to the public makes me really happy. Conservators are the caretakers for objects, but it also feels like we are the last voices these objects have.”

VN: What exactly is the role of a conservator? Are there specialty areas in the field?

MV: “A textile conservator’s role is as a custodian for textile objects. We analyze the objects to see if they need conservation, cleaning, or reversal of previous conservation in order to prevent deterioration and elongate the life of the objects we care for. We are trained to know what is best for these objects as far as their environment and hazards that might destroy them. Within textile conservation, you can specialize in various centuries of textiles. For instance, my area of expertise is textiles from 1780-1940. My concentration is in women’s clothing during that time period, but I’m learning a lot about men’s military uniforms and flags now as well.”

VN: What attracted you to working with the Armory collection?

MV: “Although my specialty has been with women’s clothing, military uniforms have always fascinated me because of the designs of the objects and what they have been through. I was eager to expand my expertise and try out a new area of my field.”

VN: How do you collaborate with the curator and other volunteers at the Armory?

MV: “Patrick, Tim Jackson, and I bounce ideas off of each other for fantastic things that we could do for exhibits as new objects come in and how we can help the public understand what people actually looked like from the various wars and time periods. We want to make their experience at the armory as immersive as possible, which tends to push us to make bigger and better displays: for instance, with the Lyman Aylesworth exhibit.”

“Patrick said that they had other pieces that belonged to him besides his coat, and I pointed out that we could mount them with the coat. When we needed a mount or stand made to help support the objects, we turned to Andy Santilli for his building skills and ingenious ideas. Patrick, Tim, Andy, and I come together to confer about ideas that we have for advanced displays, and there’s always someone with the expertise or an idea to solve any problem we’ve come up against. It’s a wonderful working environment of very supportive and caring individuals who are very passionate about this field. Another interesting item to restore was the saddle blanket used by (General Thomas) Chace.” (an East Greenwich resident, who commanded the 4th Brigade of the Rhode Island Militia in the 1870’s).

VN: In acquisition of a potential artifact, is there a role for the conservator before the item is actually acquired? 

MV: “Patrick will usually tell me about an object and any concerns he has for it before he acquires it.  Sometimes, I can give him verification on an item’s authenticity or explain things that might make him hesitant. Most of the time, I need the object in front of me to confirm details about it because pictures can hide a lot.”


Patrick Donovan and Maria Vazquez are seen with three American Civil War uniforms conserved and mounted by the Varnum Armory for outside clients. The Confederate artillery general’s coat at the left is believed to have belonged to Edward Alexander, General Robert E. Lee’s Chief of Ordnance and Artillery. The center uniform belonged to Peter Schann of the 28th New Jersey regiment. It bears bullet holes and blood stains from the leg wound he sustained in the Battle of Chancellorsville. The third uniform also belonged to Schann who survived the war (and kept his leg), proudly retaining his original uniform as a symbol of his sacrifice and duty.

VN: The Armory has a number of uniforms, flags, etc., in storage at present.  How do you go about choosing what item or artifact you want to work with?

MV: “Patrick has a spreadsheet of objects that are waiting for conservation in order of importance. When I first arrived, he wanted me to work on several Civil War uniforms and since then I’ve mostly had smaller projects to work on that can be completed within ten hours of work or so. That means that as new exciting objects come in to the museum, I can get them vacuumed, conserved, and mounted relatively quickly so they can go out on display.”

“After I finish the major flag project, I will have an opportunity to pick the new direction for my conservation at the museum. I’ll talk it over with Patrick and see what is in most dire need of re-mounting, but I’ll probably move on to working on all the dress forms in the World Wars Room. The Civil War Room required the most conservation time, so everything else will be less time consuming and go by more quickly. We have big plans for a LOT of uniforms being on display in the armory in the near future, so stay tuned.”

VN: Can you expand on a conservator’s role is determining what items can be conserved and to what degree? For example, to what degree is conservation appropriate and how do you decide?

MV: “Conservators consult with curators when conserving objects in order to understand the object’s history and how they want the object displayed, and whether it is possible or depending on the fragility of the object and how long it will be on display. For instance, a two-hundred-year-old uniform that has seen a lot of damage shouldn’t be mounted in a position where any of the seams are strained and might give out while on display. If a uniform has a bullet wound, it needs to be stabilized to prevent gravity from making the hole bigger or misshaping it, but the stabilization could be done in a contrasting color to highlight the hole, which allows it to be more obvious to the public, but also for the object to be safe for long-term display.”

VN: What is the most interesting, or perhaps unusual, project you have been involved in at the Armory?

MV: “We have a lot of objects with amazing stories that made them a pleasure to work with and bring to life. My favorite object is probably the wedding dress of Jesse Whalley’s wife. A local man who served in the Army in World War One, he was blinded in combat. His story is so moving that when his descendant mentioned some conservation necessary on the wedding dress, it was a pleasure to repair the modern damage done so that the dress can continue to be loved and passed down through their family. A kitten had gotten at the silk wedding dress, pulling at the belt, buttons, and pulling holes into the seams and skirt. I stitched a sheer silk organza behind the damaged areas to prevent them from getting worse and make it look like the damage never happened.”

VN: As noted earlier, the Varnum Memorial Armory Museum has entered into an agreement with the Town of Bristol to take custody of a number historic flags for restoration and then permanent loan to the museum. What is your role in this project?

MV: “The most impressive object that I’ve worked on is what we’re calling the Byfield Flag, which is purportedly the oldest Colonial American flag known to exist. The silk was shattering and badly wrinkled from being wrapped around its flag pole for forty years. The flag needed to be humidified before it could even be unrolled to allow the fibers to unroll flat without damaging the material. It then needed to be vacuumed delicately to prevent the loose pieces from moving away from their positions. The flag then needed to be pressed flat to move the weave back to where it wanted to lay without straining the seams and fringe. The flag was then sandwiched between two layers of silk crepe line so the damaged areas could be stabilized, the fringe could be straightened and the flag could be displayed flat.”

(Ed. Note: this project will be covered in the RIPBS documentary mentioned earlier).

VN: What tools and equipment are required for your work? What kind of environment is needed to conserve an item and how do you prepare an artifact to work on?

MV: “There are some unique tools, threads, and fabrics used specifically for conservation. All of the materials used for conservation have been tested by the AATCC (a national organization) to prove they won’t off-gas or deteriorate and cause damage to the textiles they are used with. Textiles need to be kept in a low relative humidity environment, ideally between 40 and 45%. Too low a humidity can caused textiles to break apart and too high can cause mold. Temperature is less important than humidity, but needs to be kept constant so the fibers aren’t expanding and contracting, which causes mechanical deterioration. I look over all the objects I work on to see if there’s any conservation necessary or new details about the object that I might notice and someone else hasn’t. I then clean off anything that won’t be picked up by a vacuum and vacuum it before conservation takes place and the object is mounted for display.”


Brendan Synnamon, expert appraiser for the Gettysburg National Memorial Park, joins Maria Vazquez and Andy Santilli to inspect a 32-star silk and cotton 1861 “Great Star” pattern flag after it was unfurled for the first time in some 40 years. It contains battle damage and what appear to be blood stains. It is believed the flag was given to Company H of the 2nd Rhode Island Volunteers when they left for Washington DC in 1861. The flag would have been carried at First Battle of Bull Run on July 21, 1861.

VN: Are you also working with other organizations?

MV: “I am contacted by a variety of organizations such as museums, libraries, preservation societies, universities, colleagues, and auction houses for assistance with objects found or exhibits they want to put on display. For instance, the Bristol Historical Preservation Society asked me to organize, document, mount, and properly box their textile collection so that it could be displayed for exhibits, stored, and put into their database for easy searching. This led to the discovery of very special objects that they didn’t even know they had because they didn’t have a complete inventory.”

“The biggest museum I’ve ever done work for was the New York Historical Society that had me install a dress, wig, and turban for the Dolley Madison exhibit (2016). I custom made the wig to match one of Dolley Madison’s portraits and the experience was pretty epic.” 

VN: What has working here at the Armory Museum meant to you?

MV: “Working at the Varnum Armory has given me a chance to network with a wide range of individuals and organizations, which has also helped museums across Rhode Island. Small organizations don’t have access to their own textile conservators; helping the history of the entire state of Rhode Island, instead of just one small part of it, is extremely rewarding. All of these interactions have benefitted me professionally because they have gotten my name out there for work and got me jobs to work on which are historically, extremely significant, and that has led to being a part of several PBS television shows catapulting my career further. I appreciate the Varnum Armory, and all its volunteers, for everything they do for me and I hope to continue to give back to the museum for many years to come.”

Patrick Donovan emphasized the importance of Maria’s presence on the Varnum team. “A key function is to ensure all the museum’s textiles and  are being restored, and either stored or safely and properly displayed,” he said. “Her great experience gives our organization a lot of credibility in the museum and conservation world. This is opening a lot of doors for us,” added Patrick. “Maria’s contribution as a conservator, caring for the Varnum collection, is not only an important aspect to the Continental’s mission to preserve and share RI military history. It also allows us to serve as a preservation resource for other local organizations.”

Patrick emphasized the significance of having a conservator explaining that it is part of his effort as Curator to further professionalize the museum. It has drawn the attention of libraries, historical societies, and other museums in the area. “By amplifying these capabilities through our social media channels with the important help of Varnum Trustee and Webmaster, John D. Harvey, our reputation as a serious and capable institution has really blossomed,” he said. “By showing how truly important we are to the education and preservation of an important and interesting segment of Rhode Island’s history, we increase the public value of our organization. And this will only help us when it comes to funding and applying for grants in the future.” 

The Armory Vice President expanded on the value of an in-house conservator. “We are now frequently involved with consulting and conservation services for other organizations since the word has gotten out that we have this in house expertise. It also gives donors and lending institutions confidence in our ability to properly care for our museum collection,” he said. “It is a sign of maturity. Having a textile conservator as part of our team has directly led to the acquisition of some major new Rhode Island military history artifacts.  In fact, we just closed a long term loan with a family in Tennessee for an epic collection of Rhode Island artifacts from the Civil War.” He added that it was the ability to do conservation on uniforms that really helped convince the family to make the loan to the Varnum Armory Museum.

Lonnie G. Bunch III, Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution in a recent commentary on the role of conservators said that the preservation of vital artifacts is “a complex process involving intensive cleaning, painstaking repair, (and) storage in a controlled and safe environment.” This is now possible right within the Varnum Armory Museum (and the Varnum House Museum) thanks to our dedicated volunteer team. The importance of Maria Vazquez in this process is reflected in Secretary Bunch’s remarks speaking to the much larger conservation commitment of the Smithsonian. “Conservation ensures that our cultural and natural heritage will come alive for future scholars, students and citizens.” And that, thanks to Maria Vazquez, is now reflected right here within the Varnum organization. The Varnum Conservation Lab is, in effect, a new branch of the Varnum Continentals that we can all be very proud of.

Filed Under: Feature Article, Museum Exhibits, Varnum Memorial Armory, Varnum Volunteers Tagged With: flag, historic preservation, Maria Vazquez, uniform, varnum memorial armory

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[MAR. 20 DINNER MEETING] Maria Vazquez on Conservation of the USS Constellation Anchor

March 5, 2023 By James Mitchell Varnum

On Monday, March 20, Varnum Armory Vice President Maria Vazquez is the featured speaker for our monthly members meeting. Her presentation, “A Brief History of Anchors and the Conservation of the USS Constellation Anchor,” will give an account of the history of anchors, how they developed, and how they were used. The presentation will continue with Maria’s insight into the thought and research that went into conserving an anchor from the USS Constellation, a sloop-of-war ship.

About the Varnum Continentals

The Varnum Continentals are committed to the preservation of the historic heritage of our community, our state, and our nation. Please take a virtual tour of our museums to learn more about our mission to encourage patriotism. You can participate with us through active membership and/or philanthropic support in our non-profit organization. Donations are tax deductible to the full extent allowed by law. Museum tours are welcomed and our facilities may be rented for suitable events.

Our Mission

The Varnum Continentals are committed to encourage patriotism through the Varnum Armory Museum, the Continental Militia, and the James Mitchell Varnum House and thus to preserve, support, and communicate the military history of our community, our state, and our nation.

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  • [MAR. 20 DINNER MEETING] Maria Vazquez on Conservation of the USS Constellation Anchor
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