The Potomack Company Holds Historic Militaria & Cavalry Saddle Collection Auction to Benefit Virginia Piedmont Heritage Area

Written by Kaitlin Hill

This June, the Alexandria-based Potomack Company held the auction of a one-of-a-kind collection of historic militaria and cavalry saddles. Donated by a private collector and Hunt Country resident, proceeds from the auction will benefit the Virginia Piedmont Heritage Area, headquartered in Marshall, Virginia. Of the collection, VPHA Vice Chair Tom Debutts says, “One of our longtime members, this person collected for a long time — cavalry, saddles, accoutrements, weapons, firearms — and they decided to donate.” He adds, “We are not a museum, so we could not display it. So, we passed it to Elizabeth down at the auction house. We decided that was really the best place for it.”

A U.S. Army McClellan cavalry saddle from the 1930s.

When asked what programs the proceeds of the auction would benefit, Debutts says, “We plan to put the proceeds toward our educational programs. That is where we spend a large part of our budget.”

Elizabeth Haynie Wainstein, owner of The Potomack Company, describes the collection as “unique.” Wainstein and Cataloging Assistant Foster Belevetz worked with historians Rob Dalessandro and Mike Knapp to catalogue the collection.

A British military police saddle from World War I.

Of working with Wainstein and her team at The Potomack Company, Debutts says, “They have been fantastic.” He continues, “They came in with experts to really analyze the [collection], and really did the research. We really could not be more pleased with how they photographed and displayed the items… They really did a great job of promoting it, too.”

By working with The Potomack Company, Debutts is confident the pieces will end up in good hands. He adds, “I was even thinking with the Prussian items, maybe a museum in Germany doesn’t have anything like that. And maybe they would be the ones to buy it.”

An Austrian general officer’s shabraque, circa 1880.

For Debutts, the work of The Potomack Company in some ways mirrors the work of VPHA, making the collaboration a natural one. He says, “It all goes back to our slogan of preservation through education. Our focus is on educating people on all the different things that are out here.” He concludes, “Elizabeth had two specialists working on the saddles, weapons, sabers, helmets, and uniforms, and the details they provided are phenomenal.” ML

For more information on The Potomack Company, visit potomackcompany.com. For more information on VPHA, visit piedmontheritage.org.

Photos courtesy of The Potomack Company.

Posted on: June 24, 2025