Coastal Wildscapes presented the first of two Spring 2012 Lunch and Learn sessions on April 18th. The topic was ” Wildscaping for Biodeversity”, featuring Roger Steffens, Landscape Architect, and Linda Lamb. of Coastal Wildscapes. Lunch was provided by Ashantilly’s Board, and as usual, was delicious! If you missed this session, the second in the series will be on April 25. Click here for more information.

Ashantilly Press was up and running to produce the cover for Dr. Rawlings’ event program. Nicholas Silberg designed and carved the block of the cotton boll, and set the type. A beautiful cover was produced.

Led by Tim Rutherford, the afternoon tasting was informative and a lot of fun!

Nic Silberg demonstrated letterpress printing on the small press. He had prepared a photo-polymer plate with the Maltese Falcon book cover images. It was great fun, in spite of the press breaking!!

Marcus Hill, Assistant Director for Administration at the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center (FLETC), Glynco, Georgia, joined us for a discussion to celebrate Black History Month. His topic, “Leveraging Diversity for a Stronger Community”, was on target and well-received. Guests were treated to some traditional Afro-American treats (via Cornelia Bailey’s Cookbook) during the reception following the talk.

Joye Hanrahan once again delighted guests with a beautiful and scrumptious Valentine’s Tea! Wayne Tate’s performance on the piano was lovely! Bill Bolin’s flowers were elegant. Everyone had a great time!

All four talks in “Meet the Commander: John McIntosh Kell and the Confederate Navy” were filled to capacity and then some! Chairs were set up in the adjoining rooms to accommodate the overflow, and Larry Eisenberg of Olive Affairs, provided a sound system so the speakers could be heard outside of the main room. Wonderful refreshments were provided by Ashantilly, Darien Trailhead, and Lower Altamaha Historical Society. All in all a very successful series!

Ashantilly’s Annual Meeting was held on Jan.18. Board members elected to another term were: Sara Blocker, Carol Gaither, and Nancy Thagard. Officers for 2012 were also elected: Harriet Langford, President, Sara Blocker, Vice President, Carol Gaither and Aidine Kiernan, Co-Secretaries, and Nancy Thagard, Treasurer.

Ashantilly has no paid staff, and service as a Board member is very demanding. The Center is fortunate to have these individuals, and much gratitude is extended to them.

Learn more about Kell, the Confederate Navy and the Civil War in a series of talks presented at Ashantilly Center, Darien, GA.

Sunday, January 15, 3:00 pm
McIntosh and the Kell Connection
Buddy Sullivan. The renowned coastal historian will set the stage for the next three talks. Buddy has written extensively on the history of McIntosh, Darien, and Georgia and he will elaborate on Kell’s familial ties to the area.

Sunday, January 22, 3:00 pm
Civil War Navy Sesquicentennial
Matt Eng, Deputy Educator at the Hampton Roads Naval Museum and an expert on American Naval History, will discuss the importance of commemorating the Civil War’s Sesquicentennial, focusing much of his presentation on the Navy during that period.

Sunday, January 29, 3:00 pm
Georgia’s Contribution to the Confederate Navy
Ken Johnston, director of the National Civil War Naval Museum in Port Columbus, will talk about Georgia’s role in the Confederate Navy.

Sunday, February 5, 3:00 pm
John McIntosh Kell
Jeff Seymour, Curator of the National Civil War Museum in Port Columbus, will present the definitive lecture on Kell, his area of expertise.

This project is supported by the Georgia Humanities Council and the National Endowment for the Humanities and through appropriations from the Georgia General Assembly.

These free public programs are sponsored by: Georgia Humanities Council, Historic Darien, Inc., and Ashantilly Center, Inc.