New Heritage Society director passionate about history, helping others learn

Suzanne Obetz poses with C & C Frozen Treat’s William Huck, her husband and two children, and WHS member Bryon Biggs

FRONT ROYAL – A Friday evening ice cream social at the Warren Heritage Society was an opportunity for members to mingle and get to know new Executive Director Suzanne Obetz and her family a little better.

Ms.Obetz, a Tennessee native who moved to the Northern Virginia area in 1995, began her new job as the director on July 2. She replaces Patrick Farris, who served 13 years before stepping down last October.

Though she studied at Mary Washington University to become a classroom teacher, Obetz seems to have found her calling by educating the public in general, She has served as the executive director of Fauquier County’s Old Jail Museum, is currently a Fauquier Historical Society board member and recently began the Historic Building Foundation, a nonprofit organization aimed at saving historic buildings.

Obetz says it is safe to say she is passionate about old buildings and historical preservation. She smiled and confessed, “I’m a building hugger, not a tree hugger!” She says she has already “fallen in love” with her new workspace and the community.

Obetz said one goal she has is involving the community in the Heritage Society. “Community involvement is key,” she said, adding that she would like to update the museum’s exhibits by “including more of the history of Warren County.”

Volunteers at the organization, Obetz said, are “phenomenal” but she’d love to have more sign up to help out with events. She’d love to extend the hours, for example, but needs to add more volunteers before that can happen.

About 35 people showed up for the WHS’s ice cream social Friday evening. Guests were treated to an array of sweet treats and ice cream from C & C Frozen Treats.

Obetz said she has talked to citizens and visitors alike, and she is always interested to hear what they would like the museum to feature. The county, she explained, has a history involving the Civil War as well as the Revolutionary War. She hopes to highlight what is important to the people, as well as display more of what the museum has in its collection.

Additionally, the Heritage Society’s archives are a wealth of information, Obetz said. She hopes that more people become aware of what is available for researchers, or simply those curious about the history of Front Royal and Warren County.

Other possibilities for the future include an evening candlelight tour, similar to those offered in Colonial Williamsburg, a craft beer festival or wine tasting, perhaps as an enhancement of the annual Festival of Leaves.  That event, in its 48th year, will be held Saturday, October 13, 2018.

Obetz said she was attracted to the Heritage Society position because she feels as comfortable in Front Royal as if she were in the same small Tennessee town in which she was raised. “I just appreciate the sense of community that is here. History is so important. Folks really come together to save their heritage and their history,” Obetz said before slipping out the door to join her guests at the ice cream social.