On Saturday, Sept. 15, Friends of Happy Retreat will sponsor a gala celebration of the anniversary of the wedding of James Madison and Dolley Payne Todd at Harewood, the historic home near Charles Town, where the marriage was held on September 15, 1794.

Harewood, built in 1770 by Samuel Washington, George Washington’s younger brother, was then the home of Dolley’s sister, Lucy Payne Washington, wife of Samuel’s son George Steptoe Washington. The Madison/Todd wedding took place in the elegant, paneled drawing room at Harewood, which today remains nearly untouched since that time.

A gala dinner celebration, with period music, will be held under tents on the Harewood lawn to celebrate the 218th anniversary of the wedding. Dolley Madison’s “Celebration Cake” will be served for dessert. There will be a special program to commemorate the wedding featuring John Douglas Hall and Dr. Lynn Uzzell, historic performers who portray James and Dolley Madison.

Proceeds of the event will go to support Friends of Happy Retreat, a 501(c )(3) non-profit corporation, in its effort to secure the purchase of Happy Retreat, the 1780 home of Charles Washington, the founder of Charles Town and younger brother of George and Samuel Washington.

For further details about the event, please visit the Friends of Happy Retreat website at www.happyretreat.org. Tickets for the gala are available on a first come, first served basis for $100 each. Attendance is limited. Ticket orders should be sent, with payment, to Friends of Happy Retreat, P.O. Box 1427, Charles Town, WV, 25414. Tickets may also be ordered by calling 304.724.7956. Ticket orders should be received by Sept. 1.