National Society Colonial Dames attend 91st State Conference

Published 11:23 am Wednesday, March 8, 2023

President Mary Margaret Quiggle and President-elect Jinanne Parrish of the John Lee of Nansemond Chapter, National Society Colonial Dames Seventeenth Century, attended the 91st Annual Georgia Conference, held in historic Milledgeville, Georgia on March 3rd and 4th, 2023.  Amelia Pelton, 44th President of the Georgia Society, presided over the events.  There were 73 delegates from 21 chapters present.

On Friday the Georgia Dames had the opportunity to enjoy a luncheon, tour, and marking ceremony at Rose Hill antebellum mansion and Lockerly Arboretum.  The mansion was named Rose Hill because of the abundance of Cherokee Roses that grew on the site.  The first house was built on the property in 1839 and was consumed by fire in 1851.  The present-day house was completed in 1852 and was renamed Lockerly by a subsequent owner in 1928.  In 1963, it was sold again and served as a corporate retreat and guest house for the Georgia Kaolin companies until 1998, when it was purchased by the Lockerly Arboretum.

Following a delightful luncheon and historic marking ceremony, the Dames went on a tour of the Old Georgia Capitol Legislative Chambers.  The highest point in the town of Milledgeville was reserved for the Statehouse Square.  It was built in the Gothic Revival style, with construction beginning in 1803.  North and south wings were added in 1828 and 1834, with east and west porticoes added in 1835, completing the building as it appears today.  It served as the seat of government for the State of Georgia from 1807 until 1868.  Since 1879, Georgia Military College has occupied the historic site.

Friday afternoon a memorial service to honor the memory of the Georgia Dames who passed away in the last year was held in the historic St. Stephens Episcopal Church, the third oldest Episcopal Church in the Diocese of Atlanta and the eighth oldest in the State of Georgia, having been built in 1843.  General Sherman’s troops quartered horses in the church and also poured molasses in the organ pipes while on their way to Savannah in the infamous March to the Sea, November-December, 1864.

Friday evening the Dames were treated to a formal dinner in the Peabody Auditorium at Georgia College. The Dames Chorus entertained at the event along with the Georgia College Dancers.

Saturday morning, the business meeting was conducted in the Peabody Auditorium. The agenda included reports by the twenty-one chapters, the election of state officers and the election of delegates to the national conference in Washington, D. C. in April.  Also by-law changes were presented and a vote was taken on the changes.

The John Lee of Nansemond Chapter brought home to Thomasville ten state awards including three first place awards for Chapter Newsletter, Historian’s Report, and Public Relations and Media reports.