We are pleased to announce we are co-hosts with The Chapman Museum for one of their upcoming speaker events!

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 8, 2026 | 7 P.M. via ZOOM

Conversations with the Past

Speaker: Maury Thompson, author, freelance writer, and former reporter for The Post-Star.

The morning after the 1916 presidential election, myriad newspapers across the nation, including The New York Times, erroneously reported that Republican Charles Evans Hughes had won the election. When the final California returns came in, it showed that not Hughes, but incumbent Democrat Woodrow Wilson, had won.

Key issues in one of the closest presidential races sound quite contemporary:  international security, as the United State debated whether to enter World War I, global trade and tariffs, and the southern border with Mexico.

Maury Thompson will speak about the 1916 campaign and the candidates, with an emphasis on his recent research about the California vote, which determined the outcome. Thompson also will speak about Hughes and Wilson as role models of political civility.

This program is free for all but requires registration.

When: Thursday, March 26, 2026

Time: 7:00 PM EST

Where: In-person in our Archives and Research building or online via ZOOM.

This is a free event, though donations are greatly appreciated to support our mission and to continue to bring you educational programming.

For nearly a century, the Garden Club of Virginia (GCV) has been quietly transforming history. Since its first restoration project in 1929, the organization has helped preserve and revitalize more than 50 historic, publicly accessible gardens across the state — including the grounds of the Woodrow Wilson Presidential Library, a national treasure.

Join Restoration Committee chairman Deneen Brannock on March 26th for a look at the GCV's celebrated Landscape Restoration program, from its early beginnings to the projects shaping its future. The discussion will trace the program's origins and landmark work at sites like WWPL, then turn to what's ahead: a garden revitalization at the Kent-Valentine House in Richmond and the reestablishment of the Governor's Palace Bowling Green at Colonial Williamsburg.

About The Speaker

Deneen Brannock is the current chair of the Garden Club of Virginia’s Restoration Committee and a member of the GCV board of directors. She joined the committee in 2021 and served on the search committee that hired Nelson Byrd Woltz as the organization's new landscape architect. Deneen has worked in the historic preservation field, both as a professional and a volunteer, for more than 30 years, helping sites and communities preserve and revitalize Virginia's cherished historic resources. She is a former executive director of Historic Staunton Foundation and employee of Frazier Associates, and currently works with Commonwealth Preservation Group. Deneen is a member of the Augusta Garden Club and lives in Staunton with her husband, Boyce, and dog, Rogue.