GERMANNA_COLONIES-L Archives

From: John Blankenbaker <>
Subject: (578)Germanna Colonies, History of
Date: Mon, 05 Apr 1999 07:59:54 -0400

The five hundred and seventy-eighth note in a series on the Germanna Colonies

Charles Herbert Huffman wrote a monograph on the history for the first ten
years of the Memorial Foundation of the Germanna Colonies in Virginia, Inc.
Prof. Huffman had been the last elected president of the Society of Germanna
Colonists. He described how the Foundation happened to come into existence
in "The Germanna Record Number Nine" which was published in 1966. As is true
of so much in the history of our Germanna Colonists, there was an accidental
or happenstance aspect.

In 1953, a monument to many of the families in the First Colony was unveiled
at Germanna. A newspaper story and photographs reached the town of Siegen in
Germany. An author and journalist, Mr. Alfred Lück, was writing a history of
iron ore mining and manufacturing in Siegen. He saw the possibilities of
tying in the Virginia story. He asked and was given permission to use the
story. Discussions continued and Mr. Lück informed Prof. Huffman that the
Saint Nicolai church in Siegen, which had been destroyed during World War
II, had been rebuilt and would be reconsecrated in December of 1954. He
asked Prof. Huffman as President of the Society to write a message of
greeting to the Saint Nicolai church which Prof. Huffman did. The story
appeared in the German press and Hanna Flender of Siegen sent a copy of the
article to her brother Ernst Flender in New York City. Mr. Flender contacted
Prof. Huffman and asked some questions and expressed an interest in seeing
the Germanna site.

On the occasion of Prof. Huffman passing through New York City for a meeting
of the College English Association Institute, he was able to have dinner
with Flender. Later in the year of 1955, Flender was to be visiting his son
who was in school at Charlottesville and he arranged to meet with Prof.
Huffman. The Flender family and Huffman had dinner together in the
Monticello Hotel and afterwards the two men talked in the lobby. Flender
asked about the prospects for Germanna development. Huffman told him, "No
interest among descendants at this date was in evidence, and activity on the
matter was static. Presently the climax of the evening's conversation was
reached, and with it the new concept of the Germanna-Siegen story emerged."

Mr. Flender told Prof. Huffman, "When I return home, I shall send you a
check for one thousand dollars to be used as you have need. I suggest that
you contact, respectively, holders of such original, Germanna real estate as
is desirable for us, sound them out on the possibility of an option, with
the view to purchase. Also select the best attorney you know, inform him
that the establishment of a Foundation to the memory of our 18th century
immigrants from Nassau Siegen is being contemplated, and enquire concerning
his willingness to direct the legal phases necessary to achieve this end."

The check arrived in short order and Huffman contacted J.B. Carpenter, Sr.
and Dr. John W. Wayland to seek their counsel. An organization was formed
and the first meeting was held at James Madison College with these people
present, T. W. Fishback, C. H. Huffman, B. L. Stanley, Frank C. Switzer, and
J. W. Wayland. Two interested individuals, J. B. Carpenter and E. W.
Flender, could not attend. The name, "The Memorial Foundation of the
Germanna Colonies in Virginia, Inc." was adopted. The date of this meeting
was 7 Jan 1956. Following legal work in establishing the Foundation, all of
the men named above were elected trustees. As established, the work of the
Foundation was devoted to the "several Germanna Colonies" and not just the
First Colony.

John Blankenbaker, PO Box 120, Chadds Ford, PA 19317
Beyond Germanna, A Newsletter/Journal of Germanna Information
http://www.germanna.com/
http://homepages.rootsweb.com/~george/johnsgermnotes/germhis1.html
http://www.inficad.com/~genelea
http://www.pretext.com/mar98/shorts/short3.ht

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