In August 1928, T. A. Loving & Son, of Goldsboro, North Carolina, began construction on a new bridge to cross the Staunton River and pass over the Virginian Railway. In an area that had been prone to wash-outs since the 1870s, the new bridge . . . — — Map (db m252033) HM
Avoca
has been registered as a
Virginia
Historic
Landmark
pursuant to the authority vested in the
Virginia Historic Landmarks Commission
Act of 1966 — — Map (db m299528) HM
This smoothbore cannon muzzle was recovered at the site of the Old Tredegar Iron Works in Richmond, VA. After exploding during the Civil War, it was taken to the Iron Works and discarded. Many cannons similar to this one overlooked rivers defending . . . — — Map (db m299488) HM
Served as a county magistrate, member of the House of Burgesses, and commander of the Bedford County militia and mounted riflemen.
In July 1780, Colonel Lynch helped break up a Tory plot to capture Virginia for the British. The Tory leaders . . . — — Map (db m299522) HM
You are standing in Founders Square. Altavista was founded in 1905, by brothers John Edward and Henry Lee Lane, who were awarded a contract to connect the Virginian and Southern Railroad systems at the Staunton River. Visualizing the significance . . . — — Map (db m247314) HM
The Lane Brothers Construction Company planned Altavista on 2,000 acres purchased in 1905 at the crossing of their newly completed section of the Virginian Railway and the existing Southern Railway (now Norfolk Southern Railway). Tradition holds . . . — — Map (db m251939) HM
This cemetery was the first burial place of Gen. James Dearing (1840-1865), the last Confederate general officer to die of battle wounds during the Civil War.
Dearing hailed from nearby Otterbourne plantation, about one mile northeast. In . . . — — Map (db m299483) HM
General Dearing, who was raised at nearby Otterbourne, resigned from West Point in 1861 to join the Confederacy. He led his troops at the battles of Manassas, Antietam, and Gettysburg. At Plymouth, N.C., he ordered the first artillery charge in the . . . — — Map (db m299523) HM
Plants have long been valued for their medicinal properties as well as their cooking uses. During the Colonial period, herbs were used as flavoring in cooking and in medicines and dried to be used to freshen bedding and clothes. This garden . . . — — Map (db m299491) HM
Exhibited here is a reproduction "hogshead." A hogshead was a large barrel, usually made from oak and used by plantation owners in Maryland, Virginia, and North Carolina to store and transport tobacco to distant markets. When standing, hogshead . . . — — Map (db m299525) HM
This building predates the Civil War. Milk for the plantation was brought here to be cooled, churned and stored. The thick plaster on the walls helped insulate blocks of ice cut from nearby lakes and rivers in winter and it was packed with straw . . . — — Map (db m299507) HM
During the Revolutionary War, loyalists in the
Virginia backcountry periodically conspired
against the Revolutionary authorities. Colonels
Charles Lynch, James Callaway, and other militia
officers and county justices formed extralegal
courts to . . . — — Map (db m65382) HM
A hundred yards west stands a walnut tree under which Colonel Charles Lynch, William Preston, Robert Adams, Jr., James Callaway and others held an informal court for the trial of Tories and criminals, 1780. Punishment usually consisted of whipping. . . . — — Map (db m310330) HM
This circa 1880 cabin is a reproduction of Col. Charles Lynch's mid 18th century frontier cabin, made possible by:
The Beverly W. And Hampton O. Powell Foundation — — Map (db m299535) HM
The original American outdoor toilet was called a "Privy" or the "Necessary'" and later the "Jonny House". They came in all sizes, shapes and construction types. In most cases, they were constructed of wood, although in rare instances a few were . . . — — Map (db m299536) HM
Dedicated to all men and women
wounded in all our wars
Wounded combat veterans
Military Order of the Purple Heart
1782 - 1932
My stone is red for
the blood they shed.
The medal I bear
is my country's way
to show they care. . . . — — Map (db m310227) WM
Before refrigeration, meat was preserved by salting or smoking, the process of hanging meat above a low, smoke fire. The fire cooked the meat while the smoke added flavor and helped dry the meat, keeping it from spoiling. Almost all parts of hogs . . . — — Map (db m299506) HM
Villages and small towns would rarely have a jail. Someone arrested for a serious crime would be held in the stocks or pillory for secure confinement. They would remain there until they could be brought to trial, either to a court in a large town or . . . — — Map (db m299534) HM
This garden is dedicated to the family of Leroy, Luke, and Jim Dickerson. Leroy was a long time caretaker of Avoca. The bricks comprising the curbing were made on site, circa 1880 and were made from the remains of the "second" Avoca after it burned . . . — — Map (db m299539) HM
It is believed the John and Sue Jackson Visitor Center was built between 1850 and 1860. It housed the Fauntleroy family after the main house was destroyed by fire in 1879. When the new house was completed in 1880, the west side of this building was . . . — — Map (db m299527) HM
These millstones were used in operation of the Lynch Mill located approximately a quarter mile south at what is now the intersection of Main St. and Lynch Mill Rd. While the exact date of the mill's origin is unknown, it was operated by . . . — — Map (db m299532) HM
The summer of 1780 found those Virginians seeking independence from the British Crown in a panic. The Revolutionary War was in its fifth year, the American economic situation was bleak, and Lord Cornwallis' British army was driving northward through . . . — — Map (db m299487) HM
Herbs were used by Colonists for seasoning and for medicinal purposes
Basil - Sweetening air freshener, aided digestion and muscle spasms. Attacted bees.
Chives - Flavoring, clusters were suspended from ceiling and bedposts to prevent . . . — — Map (db m299492) HM
During the Victorian Era, gardening became popular among the middle and upper classes due to the increased amount of leisure time. The garden was intended to be an outdoor parlor; aimed at a graceful combination of lawn,
trees, shrubs, flowers, . . . — — Map (db m299529) HM
This memorial park dedicated in memory of those who gave the last full measure of devotion for the preservation of freedom in World Wars I and II
World War I
• Marvin Arthur •William O. Littles •Andrew Lucas •Fauntleroy Short . . . — — Map (db m310540) WM
Lt. Gen. Lewis Andrew Pick was born here on November 18, 1890. Educated at Rustburg and at VPI, (where he was a member of the Corps of Cadets), General Pick served in two World Wars and in the Korean Conflict. Best known as the builder of the . . . — — Map (db m64424) HM
These two cabin foundations are what remains of structures used as housing for the enslaved population and later sharecroppers after 1865. A photograph of these cabins from a 1945 edition of "The Iron Worker" served as the basis for the Quarter . . . — — Map (db m307012) HM
Campbell County
Campbell County was created from Bedford County by the Virginia General Assembly in 1781 and named for Gen. William Campbell, one of the heroes of the Battle of King's Mountain in 1780. The county seat is Rustburg. British Lt. . . . — — Map (db m306964) HM
Likely built as a quarter for enslaved people in the 19th century, this cabin holds many stories. In 1961, it was restored using roughly 25 percent of its original logs. Other logs were reportedly acquired from a 19th-century blacksmith shop and . . . — — Map (db m307287) HM
Four and a half miles north stands Hat Creek Presbyterian Church, founded by John Irving and associates (first settlers) about 1742. William Irving, son of John, and the noted blind preacher, James Waddel, were among its pastors. The first log . . . — — Map (db m122066) HM
This cemetery was once part of the formal gardens at Red Hill. In 1798, Patrick and Dorothea’s infant daughter Jane was buried in this area, thus starting the family cemetery. On June 6, 1799, Patrick Henry died and was later laid to rest at the . . . — — Map (db m307371) HM
The double box tomb on the north side of the path marks the graves of Patrick Henry and his second wife, Dorothea Dandridge. Patrick Henry died at home on June 6, 1799, after a long illness. Dorothea died on Valentine's Day 1831 at Seven Islands, . . . — — Map (db m128643) HM
When Patrick Henry purchased Red Hill from Richard Marot Booker in 1794, he turned the overseer's quarters on the property into his law office and study. Through his successful law practice in the district courts, he had paid most of his debts by . . . — — Map (db m307350) HM
The kitchen is similar to what the Henry family had at Red Hill. During the eighteenth century, kitchens were built separate from the main house to reduce heat, odors, smoke, and prevent the main house from burning down in the occurrence of a . . . — — Map (db m307285) HM
Most ordering pits were built under barns and could be as deep as eight feet. Tobacco workers would access the pit through a trap door and ladder. The inside of this pit would have been unlined with beams forming crosses for tobacco to be hung from . . . — — Map (db m307014) HM
Largest of its species in the nation, this tree has for decades been named the National Champion by the American Forest Hall of Fame. The great Osage orange tree is at least 330 years old at the turn of this century and stands at greater than 60 . . . — — Map (db m128681) HM
The National Champion Osage orange tree is over 530 years old. The tree stands 65 feet high, is 328 inches in circumference, and has a crown spread of 93 feet when it was last measured in 2017. This tree was well over 100 years old when Patrick . . . — — Map (db m307370) HM
Long Island Plantation
A 600-acre island and 1,906-acre adjoining estate on the Staunton River. Purchased by Patrick Henry from Richard Henry Lee in 1792 and worked by 31 enslaved persons.
Green Hill Ferry
Samuel Pannell, a neighbor . . . — — Map (db m306913) HM
When Patrick Henry purchased Red Hill in 1794, there existed on this site a modest four-room, one-and-a-half story dwelling, which had been constructed shortly before the Revolutionary War.
After Patrick Henry's death, the house passed to his . . . — — Map (db m128684) HM
Five miles southeast Is Red Hill the last
home and burial place of Patrick Henry,
governor of Virginia and the great orator
of the American Revolution. Henry is
especially famous for his “Liberty or Death”
speech made in 1775 in Saint John’s . . . — — Map (db m64382) HM
Five miles east is Red Hill, last home and grave of Patrick Henry, orator of the Revolution. He moved there in 1796 and died there, June 6, 1799. Henry is especially famous for his “Liberty or Death” speech made in 1775 at the beginning of the . . . — — Map (db m64431) HM
Five miles east is Red Hill, the last home and
gravesite of Patrick Henry, the great orator
of the Revolution. Henry is especially famous
for his “Liberty or Death” speech made in
1775 in St. John’s Church in Richmond. Henry
moved . . . — — Map (db m64434) HM
You are now standing in the heart of what was once a 3,000 acre plantation known as Red Hill. After three decades of public service, Patrick Henry, the “Voice of the Revolution”, retired here, which he regarded as “one of the garden spots of the . . . — — Map (db m306916) HM
You are now standing before one of Virginia's largest plantation cemeteries for enslaved and freed African Americans. It is estimated that this site was used for burials between the 1790s and the 1930s.
This cemetery shows patterns of . . . — — Map (db m307015) HM
The Quarter Place is a one-mile, down-and-back trail where the enslaved and later free black population lived at Red Hill. Along the trail are an exhibit cabin, original cabin foundations, tobacco barn, ordering pit, and the Quarter Place Enslaved . . . — — Map (db m306985) HM
The reconstructed cabin is the starting point for the half-mile Quarter Place Trail. It is representative of the types of dwellings that were present along the Quarter Place that the enslaved and later free black population lived in throughout the . . . — — Map (db m306987) HM
This beautiful and tranquil garden spot overlooking the unspoiled forested Staunton River valley is set aside as a special place reserved for those descended from Patrick Henry, who have chosen that their cremated remains would be scattered in . . . — — Map (db m128695) HM
These simple fieldstones mark the resting place of slaves and African Americans who worked at Red Hill, making it among the most productive tobacco plantations along the Staunton River during the 18th and 19th centuries.
When Patrick Henry . . . — — Map (db m128704) HM
Home of Harrison and his wife, Milly, longtime servants of the Henry family. Harrison, when a small boy, is believed to have been Patrick Henry's slave and later, coachman for his son, John. Restored in 1961 using some of the original logs.
"Let . . . — — Map (db m128705) HM
Patrick Henry House
Henry purchased the 700-acre plantation, known as Red Hill, in 1794 from Richard Marot Booker for £1,700. The story-and-a half frame home was built around 1772 by Booker and contained an entryway and one room on the first . . . — — Map (db m307283) HM
The Herb Garden at Red Hill is dedicated to Nancy Casey Kelly (1933-1995), daughter of Eugene B. Casey.
Herb gardens were also known as medicinal gardens as they were a very important part of plantations and small farms during the Colonial . . . — — Map (db m307369) HM
Tobacco barns like this one played an important role in Virginia's economy during the Henry
family's ownership of the property. During Patrick Henry's time, Red Hill yielded over 20,000
pounds of tobacco each year on 60 acres of land. One adult . . . — — Map (db m307013) HM
Two miles east is Shady Grove, which was built in 1825 by Dr. George Cabell, of Point of Honor in Lynchburg, for his daughter Paulina and her husband Alexander Spotswood Henry, son of Patrick Henry. Shady Grove is a handsomely proportioned and . . . — — Map (db m64247) HM
Bedford County was probably named for the English statesman John Russell, fourth duke of Bedford. Russell, as secretary of state for the Southern Department from 1748 to 1751, had general supervision of colonial affairs. Bedford was formed from . . . — — Map (db m305743) HM
About two miles southwest is Mount Airy, a plantation house built ca. 1800 for Col. Thomas Leftwich (1740-1816). The two-story frame house retains much of its Federal-style woodwork. Leftwich served in the Seven Years' War and was a captain of the . . . — — Map (db m305734) HM
Two miles north stand massive sandstone walls and four chimneys, the ruins of Mount Athos, overlooking a bend of the James River. The house was built about 1800 for William J. Lewis (1766-1828) on land that had been patented in 1742 by John Bolling . . . — — Map (db m42896) HM
Just south across Little Beaver Creek stand the ruins of the last of three Oxford Iron Works furnaces built in the vicinity. Virginia and Pennsylvania investors began the ironworks nearby between 1768 and 1772 as a small bloomery forge. According to . . . — — Map (db m42897) HM
This place, on the old stage road, was the first county seat of Bedford; the first courthouse, built in 1755, was standing until 1856. In 1781, New London was raided by the British cavalryman, Tarleton, seeking military stores. It came into Campbell . . . — — Map (db m65383) HM
Campbell County Training School (CCTS) opened here ca. 1923 after African American citizens campaigned for better schools. The black community, the county, and the Julius Rosenwald Fund paid for its construction. Rosenwald, inspired . . . — — Map (db m181140) HM
In honor of the brave citizens of our county who served and will continue to serve our great country.
Lest we forget those who gave the supreme sacrifice to preserve our freedom. — — Map (db m181129) WM
Born in Lynchburg in 1913, Col. Vincent W.
“Squeek” Burnett learned to fly at age 16.
By the mid-1930s, he was one of America’s
renowned aerobatic pilots and a member of
the Flying Aces Air Circus. He performed
such signature . . . — — Map (db m64207) HM
Rustburg was named after Jeremiah Rust, who patented land here in 1780. Rust donated 50 acres of land, known as Rust Meadows, in 1784, for the county seat of Campbell County. A temporary courthouse and other public buildings were constructed . . . — — Map (db m65564) HM
