The new limited edition ornament features the historic 1850 Western and Atlantic Railroad Tunnel and General train engine. Only 3,000 ornaments will be produced. The first 50 are available now at the Tunnel Hill Heritage Center for $15 each.
“Each ornament is numbered and comes with a wire stand for display on a shelf or table,” said foundation president Janet Cochran. “It’s a tangible reminder of the community’s namesake, and while it makes a great gift or collector’s item, it’s one of our efforts toward keeping this historic treasure on the minds of our visitors.”
The annual Battle of Tunnel Hill Civil War Re-enactment will be Sept. 19-20 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day.
“The re-enactment is a week later than usual this year due to a major conflict with the re-enactors’ schedules,” Cochran said. “We expect to return to our normal date next year.”
The weekend event will consist of living history camps; sutler tents where attendees can shop for Civil War-era clothing, collector’s items, books and more; and a re-enactment each day at 2 p.m. Concessions will be available as well as free admission to the Tunnel Hill Heritage Center and historic tunnel during the event weekend.
Event organizers are currently working with local educators to schedule hundreds of schoolchildren to be on site for a living history education the Friday before the event weekend. Re-enactors volunteer their time to teach the kids about life as a soldier during the Civil War and provide snippets of history not always found in textbooks.
Admission to the re-enactment is $5 for adults, $3 for children ages 3 to 12, and free for children under 3. Parking is free but donations will be accepted by the Boy Scouts.
Area plein air artists sponsored by the Art Alliance of Georgia will join the crowd as they paint on site during the event. Plein air artists enjoy the light and atmosphere of painting outside.
“Capturing the historical significance of this Northwest Georgia area is something close to the hearts of these artists,” said Art Alliance member B.J. Wright. “It’s their way of preserving heritage for future generations. The paintings are special because they also express the feelings of the individual artists.”
The artwork produced at the re-enactment will be available for sale during the event weekend with a portion of the proceeds benefiting the Tunnel Hill Historical Foundation. Artists who would like to participate may contact B.J. Wright at beejw@charter.net.
The “Taste of Tunnel Hill” cookbook produced by the Tunnel Hill Historical Foundation is scheduled to make its debut during September and will be available at the Tunnel Hill Heritage Center during regular business hours Monday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
For more information, visit www.TunnelHillHeritageCenter.com or call (706) 876-1571.
Submitted by Tunnel Hill Historical Foundation
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