In memory of
Robert Allan Schlegel '85
James Andrew Gadiel '00
who lost their lives during the tragic events of
September 11, 2001
— — Map (db m179438) WM
The Alexander-Withrow House is one of the oldest surviving structures in Lexington. Dating from ca. 1793, it was built by William Alexander one of the area’s first settlers and the town’s first postmaster. A large and distinctive building, with . . . — — Map (db m58736) HM
has been designated a Registered National Historic Landmark Under the provisions of the Historic Sites Act of August 21, 1935 this site possesses exceptional value in commemorating or illustrating the history of the United States. U. S. . . . — — Map (db m58620) HM
They are gone now, but not forgotten.
For decades, boats and wagons arrived and departed, seven days a week, twenty-four hours a day. Remnants of that time are here; signs of the immense activity that took place. First came the batteaux. . . . — — Map (db m257543) HM
Meneely and Company, West Troy, New York
Bell Metal (bronze alloy)
Removed during renovation from the Washington Hall cupola in 2011
For 140 years, the Washington Hall bell rang to announce the beginning and end of class meetings and to . . . — — Map (db m233089) HM
In a cabin on the hilltop to the east Sam Houston was born, March 2, 1793. As commander-in-chief of the Texas army, he won the battle of San Jacinto, which secured Texan independence, April 21, 1836. He was President of Texas, 1836-1838, 1841-1844; . . . — — Map (db m32087) HM
On March 2, 1793, the noted soldier and statesman Sam Houston was born in a log cabin on a nearby knoll. Houston served with distinction in the U.S. Army and later as a congressman and governor of Tennessee before moving to Texas in the 1830s. In . . . — — Map (db m32089) HM
Sam Houston was born in a log house just east of here 2 March 1793. His family moved to Tennessee in 1807. After serving in the U.S. Army during the War of 1812, Houston studied law, was twice elected to the U.S. House of Representatives, and became . . . — — Map (db m211083) HM
Dedicated to the memory of William Henry Cabell Cadet First Sergeant, Co. D. VMI Class of 1865 killed at the Battle of New Market May 15, 1864 Established by his descendants — — Map (db m58749) HM
(Original Plaque): These smooth-bore six-pounder cannon were received at V.M.I. early in June, 1848, and were especially cast lighter than standard, at Watervleit Arsenal. Each bears the seal of Virginia. They were used in war by the Richmond . . . — — Map (db m42966) HM
Andrew Reid purchased this lot in 1784 from the town’s trustees. Later, between 1844 and 1845, Alexander T. Sloan, a local hotel owner and businessman, built this house. His wife reported that the site was a “rough and unsightly piece of . . . — — Map (db m58734) HM
The "Castle" was built of limestone, and as in the case of several other stone buildings in Rockbridge County, the term "Castle" is included in the name of the buildings. The Northern two-thirds of the "Castle" was built shortly after the town of . . . — — Map (db m152583) HM
Andrew Reid, the first clerk of Rockbridge County court, built the Castle in the early 1790s to serve as his law office. Fortunately, he also kept the county court records here, and thus the heavy fieldstone walls protected them from the 1796 fire . . . — — Map (db m152584) HM
The private residence of the Thompson family since 1848, Church Hill is listed on both the Virginia Historic Landmarks Register and the National Register of Historic Places. Church Hill is available by reservation for lodging and private . . . — — Map (db m185668) HM
VMI and the Citizen – Soldier The Virginia Military Institute program is based on the concept of the citizen - soldier, a man prepared to take his place in civilian life but trained and ready for military leadership in time of national . . . — — Map (db m58850) HM
Born in France Dec. 31, 1789 Died in Virginia Jan. 29, 1864 Soldier Scholar Educator Engineer Chairman of the first Board of Visitors V. M. I. 1837 1845 — — Map (db m181407) HM
Native of RockBridge County Virginia He liberated agriculture befriended education and advanced the cause of religion Trustee and benefactor of Washington and Lee University — — Map (db m58713) HM
Cyrus Hall McCormick, a native of Rockbridge County, developed the first commercially successful mechanical reaper. Together with Jo Anderson, a man enslaved at Walnut Grove (the McCormick family farm), he designed a reaper that was pulled by horses . . . — — Map (db m231356) HM
The Diamond Hill neighborhood was the center of the African American community in Lexington during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. One of the earliest landholders in the neighborhood was John T. L. Preston, a founder of the Virginia . . . — — Map (db m231172) HM
Washington and Lee University's involvement with slavery is a regrettable chapter of its history that must nonetheless be confronted and examined. The most well-documented episode in that chapter is the 1826 bequest of 84 enslaved African Americans . . . — — Map (db m233084) HM
The oldest part of this building dates from ca. 1820 and was built as a residence for John Irvine by the local firm of Jordan and Darst. The original side passage, one room plan was enlarged in 1826 by Samuel Darst and the line marking the addition . . . — — Map (db m172876) HM
Site of Alexander Shields Tavern. Visited by William Clark on December 4, 1809, on his way to report to Thomas Jefferson at Monticello on the Lewis and Clark Transcontinental Expedition. — — Map (db m231175) HM
Hot, dirty, and dangerous work!
In the beginning, entrepreneurs provided the vision and funds, tradesmen provided talent as masons and blacksmiths, and enslaved persons provided labor to build the mill race and construct the buildings. . . . — — Map (db m257688) HM
The oldest congregation in the Fincastle Presbytery, the Falling Spring Presbyterian Church, was organized before 1748. The Hanover Presbytery met here in October, 1780. The present Gothic Revival church was constructed of slave-made brick during . . . — — Map (db m165888) HM
Field Marshal the Right Honorable Viscount Wolseley, K.P., G.C.B., G.M., G.C.M.G. British soldier of the highest rank, says: “The fame of Stonewall Jackson is no longer the exclusive property of Virginia and the South; it has become the . . . — — Map (db m165934) HM
First Baptist Church
1867
has been listed in the
National Register
of Historical Places
and registered as a
Virginia
Historic
Landmark — — Map (db m172935) HM
Across the millrace are several stone pillars. Visualize eight of them supporting the Cotton Factory that partially overhung the water. Imagine a building, 43' x 62' that is four stories tall, standing on and behind the pillars. It was burned by . . . — — Map (db m257569) HM
Looking across the river, you can see the remains of a fish ladder that was at the far end of the dam built in 1911 and removed in 2019. (photo right) It is an example of early efforts to provide fish with a way to travel upstream past man-made . . . — — Map (db m257443) HM
One half mile east, students at Washington College
(now Washington and Lee University) founded Kappa
Alpha in 1865. The fraternity held its first meetings on campus,
at the Lexington Hotel, and
at the Ann Smith Academy. Members modeled
their . . . — — Map (db m105103) HM
In Memory of General Lee’s Beloved Traveller Rarely has an animal captured so much affection. Traveller, first called Jeff Davis and later Greenbrier, was born in 1857 near Blue Sulphur Springs (now in West Virginia). In 1862, Lee purchased him . . . — — Map (db m58695) HM
U.S.M.C. VMI 1917 Combat Veteran World Wars I and II – Korea Commandant U.S. Marine Corps Chairman VMI Foundation Presented by Bruce B. Cameron VMI 1938 — — Map (db m58743) HM
General of the Army George Catlett Marshall was born December 31, 1880, at Uniontown, Pennsylvania. After graduating from the Virginia Military Institute in 1901 as First Captain of the Corps of Cadets, he spent fifty years in the active . . . — — Map (db m58740) HM
The Virginia Military Institute is a school that has given to the United States and to the armed services many of its most distinguished members. Among these is a man who in World War II stood out as one of the great soldiers and later as one of . . . — — Map (db m58704) HM
The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Virginia have caused this Statue to be erected as a monument of affection and gratitude toGeorge Washingtonwho uniting to the endowments of the Hero, the virtues of the Patriot, and exerting both in . . . — — Map (db m58708) HM
This monument honors, recognizes, and serves Gold Star Families and the legacy of their Loved Ones who have paid the ultimate sacrifice while serving in the Armed Forces of the United States of America.
The Homeland panel depicts images . . . — — Map (db m254340) WM
"…in the fervent hope that our labours may be blessed and the religion of Christ advanced."
-- Robert E. Lee, Senior Warden. Report to Grace Church, September 16, 1868
Grace Church was established in . . . — — Map (db m172854) HM
The Hall-Poindexter House, demolished in 2013, is an example of the modest wood-frame structures characteristic of the African-American community of Diamond Hill. Built around 1877, the home remained in the Hall-Poindexter family until purchased . . . — — Map (db m231171) HM
This train station, built in 1883, marked the local terminus of the Baltimore and Ohio (and later the Chesapeake and Ohio) Line. The station was moved from its original site to its current location in 2004, making way for Washington and Lee . . . — — Map (db m172852) HM
This public park is part of the original Lot #34 of the Town of Lexington laid out in the spring of 1778. Purchased in 1788 by James Hopkins, this corner remained in the Hopkins family for almost 200 years - until 1984 - when it was deeded to the . . . — — Map (db m108023) HM
Farris P. Hotchkiss received his B.A. from Washington and Lee University in 1958. He was a member of Beta Theta Pi, Phi Eta Sigma, the freshman honorary society and Omicron Delta Kappa leadership fraternity; editor of the Calyx yearbook; and . . . — — Map (db m58745) HM
Lexington, Buena Vista, and Rockbridge County were served by two major north/south railroads: The Valley Railroad, later the Baltimore and Ohio RR, into Lexington and the Shenandoah Valley RR, later the Norfolk and Western RR, into Buena Vista. . . . — — Map (db m257905) HM
Yes! Packet Boats, operated by several companies, carried mail and passengers in relative comfort. The boats, pulled by mules or horses, traveled the smooth water of the James and North (Maury) rivers offering both dining and sleeping . . . — — Map (db m257497) HM
Virginia Military Institute instructor Maj. Thomas J. Jackson (1824-1863) and his second wife, Mary Anna Morrison (1831-1915), bought this house in 1858. Built ca. 1801, this typical middle-class dwelling was the only house Jackson ever owned. . . . — — Map (db m206516) HM
This second story room and those immediately to the right and left of this plaque composed the classroom used by Major Thomas Jonathan Jackson when he served as Professor of Natural and Experimental Philosophy at the Virginia Military Institute . . . — — Map (db m58619) HM
This backyard kitchen garden provided the household with a variety of flowers, fruit and vegetables. Major Jackson reported in an 1860 letter that the garden included, “lima beans, snap beans, carrots, parsnips, salsify, onions, cabbage, turnips, . . . — — Map (db m15640) HM
This house is a fine example of the Valley Federal style with elegant detailing including the fanlight over the front door and a molded brick cornice. When the streets were lowered in 1851, the entrance was reoriented to the side. The Ruff Family . . . — — Map (db m58732) HM
Jane Todd, pioneer heroine of abdominal surgery, was born 12-23-1763 just west of here across Whistle Creek near Todd’s Mill. She married Thomas Crawford in 1794. In 1809 she rode 60 Mi. on horseback to the home of Dr. Ephraim McDowell in Danville, . . . — — Map (db m32137) HM
John Chavis (1763 – 1838), a free-born African-American veteran of the American Revolution was a native of Granville County, North Carolina. He was also one of the first college-educated men of color in the United States. Chavis studied at the . . . — — Map (db m58608) HM
Born in County Armagh, Ireland, in 1754 and orphaned as a child, John Robinson was indentured as a weaver's apprentice before emigrating to the United States when he was a teenager. He settled in Rockbridge County, Virginia, where he worked as an . . . — — Map (db m231473) HM
"A column of black smoke rolled heavenward" in front of you on the morning of Saturday, June 11, 1864, as Confederate Gen. John McCausland and some 1,500 gray-clad soldiers lined the riverbank around you. With 18,000 Union troops under Gen. David . . . — — Map (db m298371) HM
85 ► Virginia, Lexington — Jordan’s Point — “A day I will never forget…” Margaret Junkin Preston diary, June 12, 1864 — Reported permanently removed
On this spot, in the early morning hours of Saturday, June 11, 1864, Confederate General John McCausland and about 1,500 gray-clad soldiers lined the riverbank between a cedar thicket and the warehouses that cluttered the canal landing. They . . . — — Map (db m58589) HM
Originally located some 100 yards north on Main Street, the Knights of Pythias Building was relocated to its present site in 2014 during the construction of the VMI Corps Physical Fitness Training Facility. For over 75 years the building played a . . . — — Map (db m231173) HM
To the memory of the sons of
Washington and Lee University
who sacrificed their lives in the service of their country during the Korean and Vietnam Wars
Korea
Robert Warner Crocker '52 •
Robert Miller Garvin '46 •
Francis . . . — — Map (db m179462) WM
In remembrance of VMI alumni who made the ultimate sacrifice while serving their country. First Lieutenant John Olin Bates, Jr., ’47, USA • First Lieutenant James Desmond Carey, ’51, USAF • First Lieutenant John Adam Dille, Jr., ‘48B, USA • Major . . . — — Map (db m58860) HM
The last home of Traveller Through war and peace the faithful, devoted and beloved horse of General Robert E. Lee Placed by the Virginia Division United Daughters of Confederacy — — Map (db m58609) HM
On the afternoon of June 11, 1864, a "continuous stream" of Confederate hurried past this spot, retreating through Lexington as Union Gen. David Hunter's army crossed the North River (now the Maury River) and entered the city.
Confederate . . . — — Map (db m298374) HM
On May 26, 1864, Union Gen. David Hunter marched south from Cedar Creek near Winchester to drive out Confederate forces, lay waste to the Shenandoah Valley, and destroy transportation facilities at Lynchburg. His raid was part of Gen. . . . — — Map (db m4809) HM
The Negro Motorist Green Book, published from 1936 to 1966, was a guide to lodgings, restaurants, and other public accommodations that welcomed Black travelers during the segregation era, when many roadside businesses refused to admit . . . — — Map (db m298376) HM
This school, which was founded in 1777 and finally grew into Washington and Lee University, stood a short distance to the southwest of this point. — — Map (db m32083) HM
Washington and Lee University traces its origins to Augusta Academy, a small classical school established din 1749 by Scotch-Irish pioneers some twenty mile north of Lexington. In 1776, the patriotic fervor of the American Revolution caused Augusta . . . — — Map (db m32111) HM
Just north stand the ruins of Liberty Hall Academy's stone academic building, which was constructed in 1793. Founded in 1749 near Greenville as Augusta Academy, the school was reestablished in 1776 at Timber Ridge and patriotically renamed Liberty . . . — — Map (db m32109) HM
