Author Archives: Chris Mackowski
Standing in the Room Where American Was Born
As I stood in Independence Hall, in the room where the Founders debated the Declaration of Independence, I suddenly started thinking of the opening scene from the musical 1776, when John Adams cries for independence while everyone else complains about … Continue reading
Posted in Battlefields & Historic Places, Continental Congress, National Park Service
Tagged 1776-the musical, Ben Franklin, Carpenter Hall, City Tavern, Congress Hall, Constitutional Convention, Continental Congress, Declaration of Independence, George Washington, Independence National Historical Park, James Madison, John Adams, The Signer, Thomas Jefferson
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A Visit to Moores Creek
The Moores Creek battlefield manages to look simultaneously well manicured and primordial. Encompassing only 87 acres, it’s a landscape from before the dinosaurs that happens to have a rubberized pathway winding through its tall, thin pines. Tucked away in a … Continue reading
Jefferson Memorial
Photo taken on May 11th.
Charleston’s Horn Work Offers Glimpse Into the Walled City’s Colonial Fortifications
In Charleston’s Marion Square, an odd chunk of limestone, sand, and oyster shells sits inside a wrought-iron fence just beyond the normal boundaries of the weekend market. While shoppers buy their weekly produce or shop for gifts, the food court … Continue reading
Posted in Monuments, Preservation, Revolutionary War, Southern Theater
Tagged Charleston, fortifications, horn work, Siege of Charleston, South Carolina
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A Close Read with the Madison
August 8, 2016—James and Dolley Madison at Montpelier, the Madisons’ home in Orange County, Virginia. Cast in bronze, the lie-sized statues were sculpted by Brooklyn-based artist Ivan Schwartz and unveiled May 27, 2009. Madison sits on one end of a bench that … Continue reading
Posted in Monuments, Personalities, Photography, Uncategorized
Tagged Dolley Madison, James Madison, Montpelier, Orange County, statues
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A Stop at Newtown
Spring has not get touched the tree-covered hills to the east of Elmira, New York, but the Chemung River sparkles in quiet anticipation as it flows between them. The Newtown Battlefield State Park won’t open for another few days or … Continue reading
The Ruins of Russellborough
Russellborough doesn’t look like much now, but once upon a time, these ruins were one of the nicest homes along the North Carolina coast. Now, its spaciousness comes from the cavernous pavilion that protects the houses’ remains. By the outline … Continue reading
