"The sweetest thing in the world to me, is a cheerful smile on your face to see." This Valentine’s Day, we’re sharing joy with this heartfelt sentiment from a stunning early 19th-century Valentine. Featuring delicate lace-like details, cherubs, florals, and an elegant central figure, this intricate card beautifully captures the romance and artistry of the era. The DAR Museum holds over 40 exquisite Victorian Valentines, adorned with hearts, lace, flowers, and poetry—timeless symbols of love. Discover more of these cherished treasures here: https://collections.dar.org/mResults.aspx?pS=valentines&db=objects&dir=DARCOLL# (fb)

The DAR Historic Preservation Grants program provides local community grant funding for projects that preserve historic resources, sites and other history-related projects. Today, we’re excited to highlight the restoration of Cold Spring Presbyterian Church in Bristol, TN, sponsored by the State of Franklin DAR Chapter. Nestled in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains, outside Bristol, TN, stands Cold Spring Presbyterian Church with its elegant carpenter gothic architecture, wide brick steps, and iconic stained glass. A $10,000 DAR historic preservation grant supported restoration of its historic 1880’s façade. In addition to repairing damaged woodwork and painting, the project included fabricating a replica of the center steeple which had somehow been lost over the years. The timeliness of this project was highlighted by the unexpected discovered of extensive damage – “nearly to the point of collapse” -- to the main support beam under the front of the church. Cold Spring Church and its congregation have had a long association with the DAR. Nell Pemberton Biggs (NN# 81849), daughter of Benjamin Pemberton, a founding elder of the Church, joined DAR in 1910 and is one of nine known DAR members interred in Cold Spring Cemetery. Learn more about the Historic Preservation Grants here: www.dar.org/grants (fb)