Chatham Chatter, 4th Quarter, October - December 2026 Newsletter
President's Message
Dear Friends,
As I begin my term as Friends of Chatham President, my thoughts have turned to the start of my first term as President ten years ago. I am particularly focused on two items that were dreams or hoped-for events for the Board at that time.
Back when Lynda Baer was President of Friends of Chatham, she visited Charleston, South Carolina, and came back to tell the Board about the Slave Dwelling Project she had heard about during her visit. It was her hope that one day the Slave Dwelling Project would come to the Fredericksburg area. Later, Nancy Fahy, another President of Friends of Chatham, would also call attention to this project. This past weekend, our area was able to experience a Slave Dwelling Project event. At Chatham, visitors were introduced to the Ellen Mitchell story, a part of Chatham’s history that the Friends had highlighted in the past. This was something we had hoped would happen, and then it did.
The other thing I am remembering is that it was ten years ago when the Board, at the urging of Patsy Thompson, set out to establish the Friends of Chatham Endowment Fund, with a goal of raising $500,000. We have met that goal and now are charged with managing the Fund responsibly so that we will be able to fund projects at Chatham for many years to come and ensure that the gardens receive the attention they deserve to enhance the beauty of the Chatham landscape. It was a dream, and it has been realized through the generosity of our members and donors.
I would like to thank our members who helped greet visitors to Chatham during the Slave Dwelling Project event on September 12, 2026. I also want to thank our dedicated garden volunteers, under the leadership of Carol Fry and Scott Blake, who keep the gardens at Chatham looking so beautiful for all to enjoy. And, as always, I thank our many members for their continued support of our organization.
I am thankful for the members who have stepped up to serve on the Board of Directors of Friends of Chatham. They are a talented group of individuals who have wonderful ideas for our continued growth. We are still looking for someone to join us as the Director of Ways and Means, so if you would like to help shape the next hopes and dreams of this group, please consider joining us.
With warm appreciation,
Sharon Adinolfi
PresidentFriends of Chatham
Recent Events
Friends of Chatham Board Retreat – 15 August 2026
The newly formed 2026-2028 Friends of Chatham Board of Directors met in August 2026 at Eileen’s Bakery in downtown Fredericksburg for a half-day retreat to conduct detailed organizational planning for the next two years.
We appreciated the opportunity to get to know each other better and begin the process of collaborating together to promote and maintain our beloved Chatham.
Fredericksburg Symphony
Season Opening Concert at the
James Monroe High School on
19 September 2026 (A Symphonic Flashbang!)
Friends of Chatham members joined together in our special seating section for the season opening Fredericksburg Symphony Concert. A thunderous Tchaikovsky Symphony No. 4 and 1812 Overture were accompanied by a rambunctious Copeland Rodeo.
Upcoming Events
Member Mingle: Ice Cream Social at River & Roots Collective
107 Carter St, Falmouth, VA 22405
3-5 PM 18 October 2026.
Our members are invited to join together in a member mingle at a popular local coffee/ice cream shop which is located on the Chatham side of the Rappahannock River.
Fredericksburg Symphony Concertat the James Monroe High Schoolon 24 October and 18/19 December 2026
During this quarter, Friends of Chatham members will be sent a special email invitation to join our group in a special seating section for two upcoming Fredericksburg Symphony concerts. In October, works by Bach, Mozart, and Tchaikovsky will be featured. In December, we will be attending as a group on one of the two provided Holiday Pops concert dates (TBD).
Looking Ahead
Annual "Fun-Raising" Dinner - We have once again secured space at Ristorante Renato on Monday, February 1, 2027, for our annual dinner, raffle and auction. We hope the weather will be kind to us this year! More information will be sent to you via email in early January.
Member Mingles - Plans are being made for additional member mingles and another "meet and greet" photography event at Chatham in the spring.
Friends of Chatham Annual Meeting - We have once again secured space at the Fredericksburg Branch of the Central Rappahannock Regional Library on Tuesday evening, June 8, 2027, for our Annual Meeting. More details will be shared closer to the meeting date.
From the Garden
With the abundant rain and sunshine this summer, the gardens at Chatham were bursting with color for everyone to enjoy. The volunteers have been diligent in keeping the flower beds free of weeds.
As we start to transition into the fall season, the long beds are full of asters ready to bloom, and the summer annuals are still in full bloom. Early fall is a great time to visit the gardens, with cooler temperatures and still lots of flowers to enjoy.
Before we know it, the first frost will be here, and the annuals will need to be pulled up and mulching of all the beds will begin.
We always have opportunities for volunteering year-round, every Wednesday between 8:00 a.m. and 12:00 p.m. Come out and enjoy some fresh air with us!
Membership
As we conclude the 2025–2026 fiscal year, which ended on June 30, 2026, the Friends of Chatham Board would like to express its sincere gratitude to all of our members for your continued support. With 106 active members, our organization reflects a strong commitment to preserving the history, beauty, and legacy of Chatham for future generations.
The Friends of Chatham fiscal year ends on June 30 each year, making this the perfect time to renew your membership. Your continued support is essential to advancing our preservation mission and sustaining the gardens, grounds, and educational programs that make Chatham such a special place.
Renewing is easy. Simply mail your membership renewal to Friends of Chatham, P.O. Box 36, Fredericksburg, VA 22404, or visit www.friendsofchatham.org to renew online.
Thank you for your past, present, and continued support of Friends of Chatham. Together, we are helping preserve one of the Fredericksburg area's most treasured historic landmarks.
Website and Social Media Update
We encourage everyone to visit our Friends of Chatham website at www.friendsofchatham.org and see the terrific design and content improvements that have been made with the help of our website manager, Deborah Newman at arts@petitetaway.com. For membership and donations, payment acceptance is provided via Paypal.
Our Facebook page, Friends of Chatham, Inc., is very active with beautiful photos and news related to Chatham being posted and shared on a daily basis. We encourage you to follow our Facebook page, if you are on social media, so you can automatically view our content.
Did you know you can support FoC when you buy bulbs for your garden from Brent and Becky's Bulbs? Go to www.bloominbucks.com. Select Friends of Chatham in the drop down menu, follow the prompts, and start shopping. Twenty-five percent of your purchase will go directly to Friends of Chatham.
