About

The Middlesex County Museum and Historical Society will host its Fall Fundraiser on Sunday, October 13 from 2:00 to 4:00 PM at Historic
Rosegill on the banks of the Rappahannock River. Dr. Gordon Blaine Steffey, Historic Stradford Hall's Arthur Lee Historian, will be the guest
speaker.
During the afternoon's festivities, the Museum's Annual Preservation Award will be presented to Colonel A. B. Gravatt in honor of his late
wife Diane Gravatt for her hard work and diligence in the preservation of Lansdowne. They completely preserved the historic
residence after purchasing the house and property on Virginia Street in the heart of Urbanna in 1998.
Lansdowne was the home of diplomat Arthur Lee (1740-1792), the youngest son of Thomas Lee of Stratford Hall Lee helped to
negotiate and signed the 1778 Treaty of Alliance, which allied France and the United States together during the American Revolutionary
War. He was the younger brother of two signers of the Declaration of Independence, Richard Henry Lee and Francis Lightfoot
Lee. Arthur Lee is buried on the Lansdowne property.
The special guest speaker for the evening is Stratford Hall's Dr. Gordon Blaine Steffey. Dr. Steffey will be discussing Lansdowne's famous
owner and resident Arthur Lee and will give all present an interesting insight into his fascinating life. At Stratford Hall, Dr. Steffey is the
Director of Research, Academic Programs, and the Jessie Ball DuPont Memorial Library. His role is to preserve and to produce 1.-iowledge
about the multiple generations and communities who called Stratford home and to highlight their incredible contributions to the founding of our
country.
Dr. Steffey completed his undergraduate degree at Saint Olaf College and earned graduate degrees from Yale University and the University of
Virginia He joined Stratford Hall in November 2022 after nearly 20 years of teaching at Randolph College (formerly Randolph Macon
Woman's College) in Lynchburg, Virginia
The Fall Fundraiser will be held at Historic Rosegill's barn, located at 1824 Urbanna Road, Saluda (near Urbanna). Appetizers wine and
beer will be served. Tickets are $35 for members and $45 for nonmembers or at the door. Tickets may be purchased online
at middlesexmuseum.org,. at the museum located at 777 General Puller Highway or at Low Tide located by 260 Virginia Street Urbanna (cash
or check only.). Sponsorships are available and welcomed at the following levels: Platinum, $500(includes 4 tickets); Gold, $250(includes 2
tickets); and Silver, $100 (includes 1 ticket). Sponsorships can be purchased online or per phone 804-758-3663.
Please contact the museum with any questions at info@middlesexmuseum.org._or 804-758-3663