Charlottesville–Right Now: Robert E. Lee’s engineering career

Local historian Rick Britton joins Coy Barefoot every Friday to talk about days gone by in Charlottesville and Albemarle County. This week, Robert E. Lee’s work in the Army Corps of Engineers before becoming the head of the Confederate Army. Rick explains how Lee helped save the harbor in St. Louis

Charlottesville–Right Now: Historian Rick Britton on the 19th Virginia (1-12-07)

Local historian and cartographer Rick Britton is a regular guest on Charlottesville–Right Now with Coy Barefoot for discussions about history. This week, Britton talks about the 19th Virginia, a Confederate regiment in the Civil War comprised primarily of soldiers from Charlottesville and Albemarle. He spoke of some of the major battles the 19th Virginia was involved in, including Pickett’s Charge and Second Manassas – and shares several stories of individual solders from that regiment.

Charlottesville–Right Now: Historian Rick Britton talks about the Freeman and Custis Expedition of the Louisiana Territory

Rick Britton is a local Historian and Cartographer, currently working on a book about Thomas Jefferson. On this segment of WINA’s Charlottesville–Right Now, Britton talks with Coy Barefoot about expeditions other than that of Louis and Clark. Specifically, he discusses the Thomas Freeman and Peter Custis Expedition of 1806. It’s a common misconception that Louis and Clark led the only expedition into the Louisiana Territory in the early 19th century, but Freeman and Custis – who led the southern-most expedition – came very close to a war with Spain. Learn more about this expedition right here.

Historian Rick Britton on his new book on Albemarle and Charlottesville

Cartographer, historian and author Rick Britton joins Coy Barefoot on WINA’s Charlottesville–Right Now to discuss his work developing maps for a history of the Seventh U.S. Infantry. Britton’s expertise is to draw maps the way they would have looked while being used by the Infantry in the early days of the American republic. He also has a new book called Albemarle and Charlottesville: An Illustrated History of the First 150 Years, published by the Albemarle Charlottesville Historical Society.

Charlottesville–Right Now: Governor Kaine’s Latino liaison Sindy Benavides

Sindy Benavides is the Deputy Director of constituent relations for Governor Tim Kaine and the Governor’s Liaison to Virginia’s Latino community. Latino Heritage Month is celebrated from September 15 to October 15. On the first day of the celebration, Benavides joined Coy Barefoot on WINA’s Charlottesville–Right Now to talk about her own experience as an immigrant, as well as the diversity of the state’s Latino community.

New Citizens Take Oath of Citizenship at Monticello

New citizens take the Oath of Citizenship at Monticello

There are sixty-nine more Americans in the area around Charlottesville this week. The new citizens took the Oath of Citizenship on the steps of Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello on Independence Day. They were welcomed by fellow naturalized citizens Christo and Jeanne-Claude, the pair responsible for huge public art projects such as The Gates and the wrapping of the Reichstag.

This is a six minute report featuring the highlights from the ceremony. Check here for the full ceremony.



James Madison’s Montpelier Unveiled


Courtesy of the Montpelier Foundation

Two years ago, James Madison’s Montpelier was partially demolished in the first step of major renovations to restore the house to the way it was back in Madison’s day. The Montpelier Foundation hopes the reconstruction will allow visitors to the Orange County estate to learn more about James Madison, who is often called the father of the U.S. Constitution.
On a sunny day in late April, the new/old exterior of the mansion was formally unveiled in ceremonies presided over by Senator John Warner and Representative Eric Cantor. Both men paid tribute to Madison’s role in the creation of the United States of America. In this report, you’ll hear excerpts from both men’s speeches. You’ll also hear from Mark Wenger, the project’s architectural historian. Ambient music in the piece comes from the Shenandoah University chorus, who were on hand to sing the national anthem.


Audio of October 10, 2005 Campaign Forum for the Jack Jouett District Seat on the Albemarle Board of Supervisors

I am posting this on November 11, 2022 but back dating it. This is a recording I was paid to record by the Free Enterprise Forum. I had thought it was on cvillepedia already but it’s gone. It’s a bit of history, though maybe not anything anyone would really want to know. Yet, here it is.