John Welch, apprentice shoemaker at Colonial Williamsburg, was recently appointed as the newest member of board of trustees of Staunton’s Frontier Culture Museum by the office of Gov. Ralph Northam.

The middle of a cold gray winter is the perfect time to brush up on the finer points of history, and the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation is doing its part. “Shoemaker: Boots and Shoes for Gentlemen,” ...