About Upon This Land: History, Mystery, & Monuments
For many visitors, George Washington Birthplace National Monument is a surprisingly complex historic site. It is a place where people come to remember George Washington, but also find a story of how the past can be lost, reshaped, or rediscovered. Historical documents and archeological resources that contain critical information about the lives of all who inhabited this land are only beginning to be understood. Join us as we explore the history, mysteries, and monuments of the park.
Publisher
George Washington Birthplace National Monument - National Park Service
The George Washington Bicentennial was one of the largest organized celebratory events in American history. As we approach America’s Semiquincentennial in 2026, park rangers Jonathan and David discuss how the commemoration of George Washington's 200th birthday is still evident across America today, including at George Washington Birthplace National Monument.
28 Mar 2025
The River We Share
The Potomac River connects millions across four states and D.C. Known as "the Nation's River", it greatly influenced American history and George Washington's life. Today, the park’s Potomac River Beach is a popular destination at his birthplace, highlighting the importance of protecting the river's health for recreation and wildlife. In this episode, we welcome Michael Nardolilli, Executive Director of the Interstate Commission on the Potomac River Basin, to discuss the river we share.
28 Feb 2025
The Clothes We Wore - Part 1
What were people wearing in the world that George Washington came from, and what can their clothing tell us about their lives? We are joined by Sara Rivers Cofield to discuss the relationship between culture and clothing. As the curator of Federal Collections at the Maryland Archaeological Conservation Laboratory, Sara helps us stitch together the world of 18th century clothing and fashions to the people who wore them, and about studying clothing remnants as an archaeologist.
28 Feb 2025
The Clothes We Wore - Part 2
Continuing our conversation with Sara Rivers Cofield, we explore what archeologists look for from clothing, the personal stories it can reveal, and how her team has made historic fashions trendy again. We also hear a compelling story about how her passion for historic clothing opened a window into the past, including a mystery surrounding someone who lived during the 19th century.
30 Jan 2025
Introduction
Welcome to our second season of Upon This Land: History, Mystery, and Monuments! Intro music courtesy of Wolf Patrol. Outro music courtesy of Brumbaugh Family.
19 Dec 2024
The Power of Music
In this special holiday episode of our podcast, we are joined by Ampersand, a band renowned for their interpretation of early American music. Listen as musicians Beth Lawton, Dick Hogle, and Topher Lawton play festive selections from their album "Love Will Find Out the Way: Songs from Early America," featuring a variety of colonial-era and traditional tunes from before 1830. Their performance was recorded at George's birthplace during our 2024 Holiday Weekend in the Northern Neck. Intro music by Wolf Patrol
28 Oct 2024
The Mystery of Building X – Part 2
In the early 21st century, advancements in historic archeology led park staff and archeologists to review the efficacy of past excavations of Building X, which in turn led to a recommendation to reopen the foundations. In partnership with New South Associates, Inc., Building X was once again opened in 2022 with the hopes of shedding more light on 86 years of uncertainty. We share findings from this recent study of Building X, bringing us one step closer to unraveling one of the biggest mysteries of the park
28 Oct 2024
The Mystery of Building X – Part 1
In the early 21st century, advancements in historic archeology led park staff and archeologists to review the efficacy of past excavations of Building X, which in turn led to a recommendation to reopen the foundations. In partnership with New South Associates, Inc., Building X was once again opened in 2022 with the hopes of shedding more light on 86 years of uncertainty. We share findings from this recent study of Building X, bringing us one step closer to unraveling one of the biggest mysteries of the park
28 Sept 2024
How the Washington Story Began Here
George Washington was born here in 1732 but the Washington story in the Northern Neck began long before then in the 1640s, when the Pope family moved across the Potomac and settled in Virginia. In our last episode, we explored the story of Nathaniel Pope and the other early settlers of today's Westmoreland County including the Native people. Today, we will explore the arrival of John Washington in the 1650s, the first Washington to immigrate to Virginia and who had become the Great Grandfather of George.
31 Aug 2024
The Northern Neck
Every story has a beginning, a middle, and an end, but sometimes those three pieces are not enough. On this episode of our podcast, we set the stage for how the Washington story began here. Who was living here before the arrival of John Washington in 1657? What were their lives like? Even at national parks that are based around historic events like ours, we find that the prologue can reveal important parts of our national heritage. Intro music courtesy of Wolf Patrol.
4 Jul 2024
America’s Semiquincentennial in Virginia
On July 4th, 2026, the National Park Service will join the nation in celebrating the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. We have already started planning for this national event and today we are going to get a behind the scenes look at what is to come. Joining us today is our very special guest, Cheryl Wilson. Cheryl Wilson serves as the executive director for the Virginia American Revolution 250 Commission. Intro music courtesy of Wolf Patrol. Outro music courtesy of Brumbaugh Family.
28 Jun 2024
Summer of 1864 at Pope’s Creek
In June of 1864, 475 men of the 36th United States Colored Troops embarked across the Potomac into Westmoreland County and the Northern Neck of Virginia during the Civil War. Their expedition began here at Pope's Creek, near the site of George Washington's birthplace. This month marks the 160th anniversary of the raid. Guest interpreter Steward Henderson joins us from Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania NMP to tell the story. Intro music courtesy of Wolf Patrol. Outro music courtesy of Brumbaugh Family
31 May 2024
The Power of Change
The Washington family lived on the Maddox Neck for seven generations, and just like most families today, they had neighbors. The Latane family lived alongside the Washingtons during the colonial era and after. They, just like other families here, would have seen their community transform into a federal monument to honor George Washington in the late 1800s. Join us as we listen to parts of a 1976 interview with James Latane, who was born in 1888, and lived near the park his entire life. Intro - Wolf Patrol
28 Apr 2024
The Power of Art
Today, art thrives in our national parks. The sights and sounds in national parks inspire artists who communicate that inspiration through painting, photography, poetry, and more. But how do you take intangible inspiration from a site like this and turn it into art?
On this episode we are going to ask that question to our most recent volunteer artist in residence. Joining us during this episode is Selene Jarvis. Intro music courtesy of Wolf Patrol. Outro music courtesy of Brumbaugh Family.
14 Apr 2024
The Power of Story
On this episode, we are going to dive into some of the oldest oral traditions about the home George Washington was born in. It is not hard to find references to Wakefield being the birthplace of George Washington but who gave it that name and when? Another big one is the ultimate fate of the house. Joining us again during this episode is Dr. Philip Levy. Intro music courtesy of Wolf Patrol. Outro music courtesy of Brumbaugh Family.
28 Mar 2024
The Power of Mystery
On this episode, we're tackling one of the biggest mysteries of the park, and that's its name. We know George Washington was born at Popes Creek, but when we think of the term birthplace, we might also conjure a building. Yet, by the time the park was created in the 1930s, there was no longer a building here to preserve. Helping us shed light on this mystery is Dr. Philip Levy. Intro music courtesy of Wolf Patrol. Outro music courtesy of Brumbaugh Family
20 Feb 2024
The Power of Place
On this episode, we interview Dr. Philip Levy, the author of a new historic resource study for George Washington Birthplace National Monument (GEWA). He breaks down how he began studying the Washington family and his involvement with unraveling some of the mysteries surrounding George Washington’s birthplace.
Intro music courtesy of Wolf Patrol.
Outro music courtesy of Brumbaugh Family
Reach and audience
Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.
YouTube views
1,303,498
Score snapshot 15 Sept 2025
Apple Podcasts (US)
4.8 / 5
4 ratings
Podcast Authority Score: 45 / 100
A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.
Quality
40
Social presence
0
YouTube
93
Engagement
32
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