Heslep Amphitheatre and Morris Stage. Terry Cosgrove photo
The newly renovated Heslep Amphitheatre has earned UMW the highest accolade bestowed
by Historic Fredericksburg Foundation Inc.
HFFI’s E. Boyd Graves Award – named for a Mary Washington professor who was a founding member of the preservation organization – recognizes projects “deemed to contribute to the understanding, appreciation, and protection of the history of the Fredericksburg, Virginia, region.”
Dating to Mary Washington’s earliest years, the amphitheater had fallen into disrepair by the 2000s. But three major donors and many other enthusiastic alumni contributed to make the renovation possible.
The amphitheater is named for Donald B. and Josephine McPherson Heslep ’56, longtime supporters of UMW initiatives. Its Morris Stage was named for former May Queen Marceline “Marcy” Weatherly Morris and Elmer “Juney” Morris Jr., 1950 graduates. Robert S. Jr. and Alice Andrews Jepson ’64 were also major contributors.