Celebrating Edith Bolling Wilson's 145th Birthday in Wytheville!

This past weekend, we celebrated Edith Bolling Wilson’s 145th Birthday by hosting two very special events.
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Exhibition Opening
On Saturday, the museum welcomed eighty guests to the opening of the new exhibition, "World War I: From Wytheville to the White House...and Abroad.” This exhibition serves to present the First Lady in a scholarly-light by detailing her participation in and contributions to America’s effort in World War I. Throughout the day, special VIP tours were given, including a talk by exhibition advisor Dr. Lynn Rainville, a historian who specializes in Virginia’s role in World War I.

An Orchid Blooms
The following day over 175 guests gathered at Loretto, one of Wytheville’s finest historic homes, to honor the life and legacy of First Lady Edith Bolling Wilson. The event served as the official release party for a new hybrid Cattleya propagated by Chadwick and Son and named after the First Lady. On display at Loretto, was a pop-up exhibit of twenty-five watercolor paintings of local historic homes, created by local artist Beth Pendleton over the past thirty years. The distillery A. Smith Bowman sponsored a bourbon tasting bar (Mrs. Wilson was known to occasionally partake of Bowman’s). The President and Mrs. Wilson were also in attendance (portrayed by Betsy Ely and Jim Gearhart).

We thank everyone involved for making Edith Bolling Wilson’s 145th birthday so special!