While much is known about Fredericksburg’s Civil War past, little has been published on the town’s earliest history. Historian Paula S. Felder seeks to fill that gap with a new series in Town & County, “Fredericksburg’s Origins.”
This weekly series, which coincides with Fredericksburg’s yearlong celebration of its 275th anniversary, begins with the 18th century and shows how the town began and how it evolved into the neighborhoods we know today.
Readers also can follow the series on The Free Lance–Star’s Web site, fredericksburg.com.
Felder, a former business writer and editor, has lived in Fredericksburg since 1976. At the time
of her arrival she was working on a history of her Colonial ancestors in the backcountry of South Carolina. In Fredericksburg, she found intact original records for the area dating back to 1722.
The coincidental opportunity to study such contrasting cultures afforded her a broader perspective in the writing of “Forgotten Companions,” which she published in 1982 and researched from Spotsylvania County’s remarkably complete court and church records, including land histories traced back to the first owners.
Continuing her local research, in 1998 she published “Fielding Lewis and the Washington Family, A Chronicle of Eighteenth Century Fredericksburg,” a detailed accounting of the town’s lively Colonial culture and the influence of the local gentry and the Scottish merchants who came to live here. She also wrote a paperback, “George Washington's Fredericksburg,” based on entries in Washington’s diary and illustrating his relationships here and his participation in town life. Historic Fredericksburg Foundation
is now the exclusive distributor of her local publications, all of which are in print.
She is also the author of many articles and columns which have appeared in local publications and on the Web site of the Central Rappahannock Regional Library (historypoint.org).
Felder will accept questions about the series or specific neighborhoods. Contact her by mail in care of Gwen Woolf, The Free Lance–Star, 616 Amelia St., Fredericksburg, Va. 22401, or
by e–mail to gwoolf@freelancestar.com.
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