Reenactors Portray George Washington at 250th Anniversary Events

Reenactors portraying George Washington have appeared at dozens of events this spring and summer as communities mark the 250th anniversary of American independence. NPR reported that John Koopman III rode into a May 30 encampment at the Thomas Baird Homestead in Millstone Township, New Jersey, where visitors watched soldiers fire muskets in review.

Koopman, who began the hobby nearly three decades ago after his Connecticut town marked its 300th anniversary, now works full time following his retirement last year from an alternative energy company.

Koopman commissioned a period-accurate uniform from a former Mount Vernon tailor and purchased a matching saddle with a small inheritance. He has appeared in a Mount Vernon film and several documentaries and recently completed three separate events in one weekend with his horse Bear.

His manager, Brad Fay, whose ancestor served as an officer under Washington, booked 31 engagements for his team between May and July 4.

At the same New Jersey site, Leslie Bramlett portrayed the enslaved cook Hannah Till, who remained with Washington for seven years after gaining her freedom. Bramlett told visitors that 850 women and children were encamped with the army at Valley Forge and that the number later grew. Fay noted that evening dinners with Washington often include the traditional 13 toasts to the colonies.

On June 11, Mount Vernon held a ribbon-cutting for an updated exhibit attended by another interpreter, Doug Thomas. Thomas, who began portraying Washington about seven years ago after working at Philadelphia historic sites, had driven hundreds of miles the previous week for appearances that included a financial group in New York City.