Philip

I’ve lived in Virginia for nearly thirty years, which is long enough to develop strong opinions about both colonial architecture and where to find a decent pulled pork sandwich.

I should say for the record that I came here from Ohio, a state that has produced more presidents than almost anywhere else in the US. Virginia has done the same. I will leave it to you to decide which group is more impressive, though I will note that one of these states has Mount Vernon, Monticello, and Montpelier, and the other one has a very nice football hall of fame.

I studied history and political science and hold a master’s degree in public administration. It has always amazed me how decisions made in places like this one shaped the country the rest of us ended up living in.

I’ve raised three great kids in Virginia and spent the better part of two decades taking them to every historical marker, battlefield, and restored courthouse worth seeing in the region. They have been more gracious about this than I had any right to expect.

This series is my attempt to share some of what we found. And to give you a better excuse to explore it than I ever gave them.