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Our History
From a nucleus of eleven families that withdrew in October 1975 from the Old Dominion Fife and Drum Corps, sponsored by the American Legion Post 139, because of what they felt to be unwarranted restrictions on the activities of its members, has evolved the Patowmack Ancients Fife and Drum Corps.
After long hours of planning and work by these "first families", a constitution was developed and this non-profit organization was founded to perpetuate early American fife and drum music, to deepen the appreciation for this aspect of our American heritage, and to promote social and civic participation among our youth. Young men from the 3rd Infantry Old Guard Fife and Drum Corps at Fort Myer, Arlington Virginia, volunteered to serve as instructors and to aid with the organization. Arlington County made practice rooms available at Thomas Jefferson Intermediate School, and we were on our way!
With 14 members, dressed in anything resembling Colonial attire and using a borrowed drum, marched onto the W-L football field one cold November night to perform at the "Toy Bowl. The Patowmack Ancients grew into a unit of approximately 27 performing members, including a Drum Major and a Color Guard. Following the graduation and/or marriage of many of our members, the Corps had shrunk to approximately 10 members in 1986, and it was decided to leave Arlington and move to the more family-oriented, less transient community of Vienna Virginia. Rehearsal space was donated first by the Niemann family, and then by the Chapman family, until we moved into the Oakton Elementary School in October 1988. Since then, the membership has waxed and waned, but has averaged 10-15, including the members-in-training. Now in 1996, membership has again dropped, but the prospects for new and younger trainees is bright.
The original uniform consisted of black tricorn hat with red cockade and feathers, black breeches, white 18th-century shirts, black neck stocks and linen hunting smocks. The "new" uniform, adopted in 1990 and debuted in Montpelier Vermont, is made up of colonial blue hunting coats with buff military-style trousers and white shirts. The Drum Major carries an espontoon, which is used to signal both musical and drill commands. The Corps marches at the ancient cadence of 90 steps a minute which is the cadence taught by Baron Von Steuben to General Washington's troops. We use wooden, rope-tensioned drums with our own hand-painted insignia. The fifes have no mouthpiece and are played by breath control.
The Patowmack Ancients Fife and Drum Corps is a member of the Company of Fifers and Drummers (a national association), and has performed at fife and drum corps musters in Maryland, New Jersey, New York (including New York City), Connecticut, Delaware, Pennsylvania and Vermont, and was the Honor or Featured Corps at two such events. Musters today are a gathering of fife and drum corps to parade, to demonstrate their skills before their peers, to learn, to teach, and to exchange ideas, as well as an opportunity to cement lasting friendships among people of many different backgrounds. Traveling to and camping at these various musters is part of the fun. This also affords an opportunity to visit areas and places of historic interest that might never be visited otherwise.
The Patowmack Ancients is recognized by the Internal Revenue Service as an educational non-profit group, and contributions to the organization are tax- deductible.
The Patowmack Ancients encourages members (whether parent, student, or interested adult) to participate to the fullest extent that their time and talents allow. While not everyone is able to actively participate, those who do have found a great satisfaction in helping the Patowmack Ancients Fife and Drum Corps become the active, disciplined, award-winning unit of young people that is now in its 26th year.
Zac Carter
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