VAF 2018 Annual Meeting - A Shared Heritage: Urban and Rural Experience on the Banks of the Potomac
May 2-5, 2018 |
The Vernacular Architecture Forum will meet for its 2018 Annual Conference on the banks of the Potomac River. The region preserves distinct culture and resources, which predate the founding of our nation’s capital by more than a century.
Alexandria, Virginia, a vibrant early urban center of domestic, commercial, and industrial resources, lies across the Potomac from Washington and from Southern Maryland, an agricultural landscape that showcases the evolution of three centuries of tobacco culture. This conference will be based at the Crowne Plaza Old Town Hotel in Alexandria, which provides notable venues for the conference paper sessions and banquet on Saturday, May 5th.
The Potomac Conference will focus on the connections and distinctions between the rural landscapes of the Maryland countryside and the urban setting of Alexandria, Virginia, which face each other across the Potomac River. Over the centuries, these two areas have developed on independent courses, all the while maintaining strong links across the river. Agriculture, including the exploitation of enslaved labor, was the basis for life on both shores. While Maryland’s economy relied overwhelmingly on tobacco, Alexandria’s rise was tied to a diversification of crops, pursued by the early planters of northern Virginia. Bus tours in Maryland on May 3rd and walking tours in Old Town Alexandria on May 4th will focus on evolving pre-and post-emancipation heritage, highlighting resources ranging over four centuries. They will also shine a spotlight on the distinct character of life on both sides of the river, while underscoring the architectural, economic, cultural, and religious connections that span it.
Early registration pricing ends April 1 and registration closes April 15, 2018.
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Website:
www.vafweb.org/page-1821655 |
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Location Information |
Alexandria, VA |
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Contact Information |
Email:
conference@vafweb.org |
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