Stratford, Virginia – Stratford Hall Historic Preserve will host two collaborative symposium-style events this November, each featuring tours, lectures, and sessions for participants to share research with the public—Feuding Founders on Sunday, November 8 and the Northern Neck 250 Discovery Symposium that evening and into Monday, November 9.
Feuding Founders is a multi-site public history initiative with the goal of humanizing Silas Deane, John Jay, and the Lee brothers of Virginia—men who were in conversation, in collaboration, and sometimes in conflict with one another. The participating organizations are Stratford Hall, the Menokin Foundation, the Jay Heritage Center, and the Webb Deane Stevens Museum. Sunday, November 8 will begin with a guided tour of Menokin, home of Francis Lightfoot Lee. Lunch at Stratford Hall will be followed by a brief presentation and opportunity to hear from historians representing each organization as they build a more layered, more human portrait of Jay, Deane, and the Lees. A special guided tour of the Stratford Hall Great House will conclude Feuding Founders. More information and tickets can be found at https://tickets.stratfordhall.org/event/feuding-founders-3j1pp3
The two events will converge on Sunday evening with a reception in the Stratford Hall Dining Room and then the NNK250 Discovery Symposium keynote lecture “The American Experiment” in the Council House. The keynote speaker is Dr. Krystyn Moon, Professor of History and American Studies at the University of Mary Washington. On Monday, November 9, scholars and practitioners from across the Northern Neck will share new discoveries in local history and archaeology. Presentations from partners including the George Washington Birthplace National Monument, Stratford Hall, Menokin, Westmoreland State Park and others will highlight ongoing research and what it reveals about the region’s central role in the nation’s founding. More information and tickets can be found at https://tickets.stratfordhall.org/event/nnk250-symposium-jihtb8
Each day’s events can be attended individually, or, All-Access Passes can be purchased for Feuding Founders and the NNK250 Discovery Symposium. Virtual options are available for the keynote lecture and discussion sessions. Attendees who wish to pre-purchase a boxed lunch on either day must reserve by Wednesday, November 4. Boxed lunches are included in both All-Access Passes. The options are chicken salad, ham & cheddar, or turkey & swiss (all served with lettuce, tomato and condiments on the side) with bagged chips, pickle, a cookie and bottled water.
Feuding Founders
All-Access Pass $55
Friends of Stratford members receive a $5 discount
Sunday, November 8, 2026
10:00 – 11:30 a.m. Guided Tour of Menokin (4037 Menokin Rd, Warsaw, VA 22572).
12:00 – 12:45 p.m. Lunch at Stratford Hall Dining Room (792 Great House Rd, Stratford, VA 22558) $20 box lunches are available for preorder through Wednesday, November 4. Included in the All-Access Pass.
1:00 – 2:30 p.m. Feuding Founders Roundtable (duPont Memorial Library, 251 Great House Rd). $10 admission. This event can be attended virtually for $5; register here: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_SorI52p7Siu6Wk908wXQ9Q
3:00 – 4:30 p.m. Guided Tour of the Stratford Hall Great House with Dr. Gordon Blaine Steffey, Vice President of Research & Collections. $30 admission. $20 admission for Friends of Stratford members.
Northern Neck 250 Discovery Symposium: “The American Experiment”
All-Access Pass $40
Sunday, November 8, 2026
5:00 – 6:00 p.m. Feuding Founders/NNK250 Reception (Stratford Hall Dining Room, 792 Great House Rd). Free to attend.
6:30 – 7:30 p.m. Keynote lecture at the Stratford Hall Council House by University of Mary Washington Professor of History and American Studies Dr. Krystyn Moon. $15 admission. This lecture can be attended virtually for $10; register here: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_jq8x2lnjSCiOd7sjOfHCNQ
9:00 – 11:15 a.m. Session 1: “Challenging Authority” in the Stratford Hall Council House. $5 admission. This session can be attended virtually for free; join here: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_YI6uylVvRf6VFFB-cfHFPg
Speakers: Dr. Julia A. King (St. Mary’s College of Maryland), Kayla Payne (Menokin), Dr. Tayzhaun Glover (University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign)
Topics: Bacon’s Rebellion, Self-emancipation in the Northern Neck and Chesapeake
12:00 – 12:45 p.m. Lunch at Stratford Hall Dining Room (792 Great House Rd, Stratford, VA 22558) $20 box lunches are available for preorder through Wednesday, November 4. Included in the All-Access Pass.
12:45 – 3:00 p.m. Session 2: “Between the Roof and the Ground: Architectural History and Archaeological Discoveries in the Northern Neck” in the Stratford Hall Council House. $5 admission. This session can be attended virtually for free; join here: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_tJ7__J3rRFGxlEsBZquCfw
Speakers: Kerry Gonzalez (George Washington Birthplace National Monument), Dave Myers, Raina Regan, Kyle Keister (Virginia State Parks), Lisa Manderson (Stratford Hall)
Topics: Building X at the George Washington Birthplace National Monument, Stratford Hall East Steps, Westmoreland State Park history and cabin renovations
