There was probably a light snowfall on the evening of Dec. 28, 1856 in Staunton, Va. hooves, and the turning carriage wheels.
Doctor James Waddell’s horse and buggy would have been silhouetted before the red brick Presbyterian Manse on the corner of Frederick and Coalter Streets. As the bell in the tower of Staunton’s First Presbyterian Church began to toll its midnight hour, the pacing father in the hall would have heard the cries of pain cease, and the cries of life begin before going in to see his wife and newly born son. We do know that it was then that Joseph Ruggles Wilson went to his study and recorded in the Wilson family Bible, the birth of Thomas Woodrow Wilson at “12 ¾ o’clock.”
To commemorate this special day, the Woodrow Wilson Presidential Library and Museum will hold a birthday celebration Saturday, Dec. 28th from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. to honor our 28th president.
Guests will be able to tour the Presbyterian Manse where Woodrow Wilson was born, discover the life and legacy of our 28th President at the adjacent Museum, and stroll through the lovely historic gardens. Members of the Pierce-Arrow Committee will be on hand to provide unique information about President Wilson’s 1919 Pierce-Arrow presidential limousine. Guests with children will enjoy visiting the museum’s education parlor where the kids can create their very own Victorian Craft.
Light refreshments, including hot mulled cider, will be served in the President’s Shop where guests can shop for distinctive gifts at a savings of 20% off the regular price.Additionally, visitors can join the League of Friends and support the Woodrow Wilson Presidential Library and its mission at a discounted rate of 20% on the 28th, and enjoy free admission and a 15% discount at the President’s Shop for a year. The special event admission price for Woodrow Wilson’s Birthday Celebration is only $2.00 per guest while children five and under will be admitted free.
The Woodrow Wilson Presidential Library is open daily March 1 through December 31 and Thursday through Monday in January and February for visitors from around the world. The Presidential Library also sponsors educational programming for thousands of schoolchildren each year and hosts a variety of other educational symposia and boasts a large collection of Wilson and Wilson-era documents, many of which can be accessed on the on-line digital archive, the Wilson e-library at www.woodrowwilson.org.
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Chris Graham
