Town Appreciation Day

Avoca will celebrate its annual Town Appreciation Day (Museum Opening Day) from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, April 1. The event will feature free museum admission and will include self-guided tours of the historic Fauntleroy home as well as wine, cheese and other refreshments. A collection of Civil War items owned by Avoca Board Member Rusty Hicks will be on display in the museum’s Campbell County gallery during the event, with Hicks on hand to answer questions. The museum’s outbuildings and grounds will also be opened for visitors, offering guests a chance to see the new slavery exhibit in the Brick Kitchen, a Lane Company exhibit and the gift shop in the Susan M. Jackson Visitor Center’s Green Level Gallery, a new placard near the gate to the Arboretum detailing the construction of the 1901 mansion, and the recently restored 19th-century Milk House. At 3 p.m., guests are invited to gather in the mansion’s parlor for an hour-long lecture by Pittsylvania County historian and author Dr. Larry Aaron who will speak on the topic of gunpowder production during the American Revolution and how Capt. Benjamin Clement and Col. Charles Lynch conspired to more effectively produce salt petre (potassium nitrate) during the war. Avoca Museum will be opened for tours from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturday, and from 1:30 to 4:30 p.m. on Sundays through Oct. 29. For a list of museum closings due to weddings, private tours and other events, visit www.avocamuseum.org. For more information, contact Theresa Boyes, events coordinator, email avocaevents@embarqmail.com or visit www.avocamuseum.org.