The Letcher Overlook

The Letcher Overlook. . Looking through the trees across the Ararat River you will see the grave site of William Letcher, an American patriot. William Letcher was born about 1750, and died in 1780 at the hands of a Tory by the name of "Nichols", who was later apprehended and paid the supreme price for his crime. Mr. Letcher was the maternal great-grandfather of General Stuart, and his is the oldest marked grave within Patrick County. In 1778, he married Elizabeth Perkins, and a daughter Bethenia was born to the couple in 1780. The couple built a home nearby, whose exact location is yet to be determined by an archaeological investigation. Nearby is a discontinuous hedge of boxwood plants, which according to oral tradition were planted by Elizabeth Pannill Stuart, the mother of General Stuart. These hedges may mark the original location of the Letcher home which may have been occupied by the Stuart family during the construction of the Laurel Hill home, and again occupied following the disastrous fire which destroyed the Stuart home during the winter of 1847-48. You may visit the Letcher grave site by returning to the Ararat Highway, turn left and cross Clark's Creek. A short distance later turn left on Letcher Lane and proceed to the end of the state maintained road, turn left and park adjacent to the grave site.