The Colonial Dames of America Monument

The Colonial Dames of America Monument. . In 1924 the National Society of the Colonial Dames of America in the Commonwealth of Virginia acquired three and three-quarters acres of land on which the fort was presumed to have been built, then erected a monument of concrete embedded with arrowheads and surmounted with a cannon. On May 22nd a ceremony took place and the monument was unveiled by young Ada McCrae, a descendent of Governor Alexander Spotswood. Brunswick Stew was served and songs, prayers and speeches were given. A group of Virginia Indians attended in full regalia. The highlight of the day was a speech by Judge Edward Buford. He spoke, some remembered, for a long time, but his words were eloquent. He closed by pleading that “modem civilization remember kindly…those dark-skinned inhabitants who shot their swift arrows in our forests, who took of the finny tribes in these creeks and who gathered their golden maize in their sunny banks.” Later visitors pried the arrowheads from the concrete and defaced the monument. It was replaced by the present granite marker in the 1960s., (sidebar) , Archaeological excavations in the late 1970s and 2001-2004 proved this was, indeed, the site of the fort and established the palisade line. Seeking to protect the entire fort site and river frontage from further commercial activity the Brunswick County Board of Supervisors bought an additional twenty-two and one-quarter acres surrounding the Colonial Dames’ property in 2001. In August 2004 a celebration was held again at Fort Christanna, with county and state officials on hand, and members of Meherrin and Saponie Indian tribes in regalia. The Virginia Society of the Colonial Dames and the Brunswick County Board of Supervisors signed a cooperative agreement for further development of the Fort as a historic site. Its distinction as a site on the Civil Rights in Education Heritage Trail was announced and the Native Americans sang, drummed, danced, and blessed the grounds.