About Our Tradition
Anna - Anna Virginia Farquhar was a resident of Pennsylvania during the Civil war. Her daughter was married to a captain in the United States Army. Farquhar is know for her written correspondence with her daughter during the Civil War.
Alexandria - Alexandria is a city in Northern Virginia of distinctive character, with its cobblestone streets and taverns. Alexandria reminds us of by-gone days and another world that George Mason, John Paul Jones, Lafayette and Washington lived in.
Appomattox - Appomattox Courthouse was the location where General Robert E. Lee Surrendered to General Ulysses S. Grant toward the end of the civil war.It is located three miles East of the town of Appomattox, Virginia.
Ashland - Ashland, Virginia is a beautiful historic town in central Virginia just north of Richmond, Virginia. Patrick Henry, The first governor of Virginia and orator of the American Revolution, lived just outside of the town of Ashland, he rode through the town on his way to Richmond to give his famous "Give me liberty or Give me death" speech. That speech was the start of the State of Virginia's entrance into the Revolutionary War. Ashland is also home to Randolph-Macon College.
Barton - Clara Barton was a famous nurse during the 1800's. She was in charge of Union hospitals during the Civil War. After the Civil War Barton founded the American Red Cross.
Caroline - Caroline County is a county in north central Virginia. Caroline County was the birthplace of thoroughbred horse racing in the United States and the birthplace of Triple Crown winner racehorse Secretariat. Caroline County was also home to John Penn, who signed the Declaration of Independence and William Clark who was part of the Lewis and Clark Expedition.
Chesapeake - The Chesapeake Bay as we know it today was formed about 3,000 years ago. Chesapeake Bay is a translation of the Powhatan Indian word "chesepiooc" which means "Great Shellfish Bays."At the time of the first European settlement, the tidewater area of Virginia was inhabited by an estimated 13,000 to 14,000 Powhatan Indians. The Chesapeake Bay is a place of evolving geology, ecology, economy, and culture.
Halifax - Halifax is a county and Town in the south western portion of Virginia. During the Revolutionary War it was the site of one of the greatest tactical maneuvers of the war. General Nathanael Greene Lured the British troops far from their supply base in Charleston, South Carolina, the Colonials raced with Cornwallis, in hot pursuit, to the Dan River. Greene's troops crossed in prepositioned ferries and boats only hours ahead of the British light cavalry. The stranded and frustrated British retreated to Hillsborough, North Carolina. Greene and his men restocked and rested in the Town of Halifax.
Lee - Robert E. Lee is known as one of the most influential generals in the history of the United States.Robert E. Lee surrendered to Ulysses S. Grant at the Appomattox court house on April 9th, 1865, marking the beginning of the end of the Civil War.He was born on Stratford Hall Plantation in Westmoreland County, Virginia.
Lewis - C. S. Lewis is known for his work on medieval literature, Christian apologetics, literary criticism, and fiction. He is best known today for his series The Chronicles of Narnia. The books that comprise The Chronicles of Narnia have sold more than 100 million copies. Many stage and screen adaptations of Lewis's works have also been produced, the most notable of which is the 2005 Disney film adaptation of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.
Lexington - Lexington, Virginia is home to both Washington & Lee University and the Virginia Military Institute.Famous generals Stonewall Jackson and Robert E. Lee are buried here.Nearby is the beautiful Natural Bridge which is a national historic landmark.
Louisa - Louisa County is a county in central Virginia. Patrick Henry at one timed called Louisa County home. Louisa County is located in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains and has beautiful rolling farm and pasture land.
Marshall - John Marshall was the longest serving chief justice of the Supreme Court.The most notable case during his tenure as chief justice was that of Marbury v Madison in which the precedent for judicial review of the constitutionality of laws was formed. He was born in what is now Fauquier County in Northern Virginia.
Madison - James Madison was the Fourth President of the United States.He was born in Port Conway Virginia which is in King George County across the river from Port Royal.He is known as the "Father of the Constitution" as he was extremely influential in its writing.
McCay - Winsor McCay, born 1867, was an American cartoonist and animator. At the age of 13, he drew a picture of a shipwreck on the school blackboard and it was photographed and many copies were sold. His attention to (and memory of) detail was amazing. As a boy, he loved to draw and was very good at it. A prolific artist, McCay's pioneering early animated films far outshone the work of his contemporaries, and set a standard followed by Walt Disney and others in later decades.
Mercer - Hugh Mercer emigrated from Scotland to the United States in 1747. Mercer was a physician, and a brigadier general in the Continental Army during the Revolutionary War, he was also a close friend of General George Washington. Mercer also had an apothecary shop in Fredericksburg, Virginia. Mercer died in the Revolutionary War at the battle of Princeton.
Monroe - James Monroe was the fifth President of the United States.He was born in Westmoreland County, Virginia.During his presidency Florida was acquired and he drafted the Monroe doctrine which opposes European influence in North and South America.
Potomac - The Potomac River is the fourth largest river along the Atlantic coast of the United States and the 21st largest in the USA. Over 5 million people live within the Potomac watershed, where precipitation provides the equivalent of over 8 m3 (more than 2,100 US gallons) of water per person per year.
Tyler - John Tyler was the tenth president of the United States.He was born in Charles City County, Virginia and was the first president to become president due to succession.During his presidency he annexed the Republic of Texas which greatly expanded the territory of the United States.
Shenandoah - The Shenandoah Valley was first explored in the early 1700's and was the gateway to the west.It's beauty is unparalleled in early Autumn during the leafing season when the Valley explodes with brilliant colors.
Stafford - Stafford County is a historic county in northern Virginia, just North of Fredericksburg. Stafford was the boyhood home of the first President of The United States, George Washington. George Mason also called Stafford home as a young man.
Staunton - Staunton, Virginia is a small city in western Virginia. Staunton is located in the beautiful Shenandoah Valley of Virginia. Staunton is known for its architecture and is know as the "Queen City" of the Shenandoah Valley.
Washington - George Washington was the General of the Continental Army during the Revolutionary War and the First president of the United States. He was a native Virginian and was born in Westmoreland County, grew up in Stafford County and later lived on his estate of Mount Vernon, near Alexandria, Virginia.
Whitehall - Whitehall Manor is located in Bluemount, Virginia, in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains. It is an elegant federal style manor that was built in the early 1800. Before the Civil War, the area around Whitehall was a resort area for the city folk that came from Washington and Alexandria.
Williamsburg - Williamsburg is a city in Southeastern Virginia.It is the site of the second oldest University in the United States, the College of William and Mary, which was founded in 1693.
Winchester - Winchester was first settled in 1732, and later incorporated in 1771. Is nestled in the mountains of Litchfield County and is noted as the Gateway to the Berkshire Mountains. Winchester claims a wonderful quality of life with beautiful lakes, fishing, boating, and fresh water springs.