GREENBRIER COUNTY W.Va. (WVDN) – “What an exciting time to be an Historical Society!” said Al Emch, President of the Greenbrier Historical Society. “As we celebrate the 250th anniversary of the founding of our nation and the adoption of its world-renowned statement of freedom, the Declaration of Independence, we have the opportunity to help all our citizens better understand both the reality and the context of those actions here in the Greenbrier Valley.”
The Greenbrier Historical Society is planning a series of events to mark this semiquincentennial anniversary of our Declaration of Independence. On April 10, at 7 pm at Carnegie Hall in Lewisburg, we will present dramatic interpretations of Gen. Andrew Lewis and Gen. George Washington by Daniel Cross, an experienced reenactor with roots in Colonial Williamsburg and currently at Mount Vernon. He will be joined by Emma Cross portraying “Women in the American Revolution.”
On April 11, Emma Cross will reappear as a Revolutionary War female camp follower. She began first person historic interpretation of women at Colonial Williamsburg in 2002, when she was just 11 years old. Today she brings her research and dramatic interpretations to a host of historic sites and museums. She will also help serve hot chocolate at the North House Museum as part of the annual Lewisburg Chocolate Festival. This event honors George Washington’s orders for hot chocolate to be served to Revolutionary War soldiers when coffee supplies were low.
On May 3, at 4 pm, at Carnegie Hall, Lewisburg, a public lecture by Dr. Sarah McCartney on the 1775 Botetourt and Fincastle Resolutions will be held. Dr. McCartney, now a history professor at the College of William and Mary, has roots in the Renick area. These resolutions are often considered as precursors to the Declaration of Independence.
On July 25th, at noon, at the entrance of the Greenbrier County Courthouse, we will conduct a ceremony reenacting the Reading of the Declaration of Independence that was ordered to be done in July of 1776 at all Virginia courthouses (Greenbrier County was not in existence at that time but was a part of Botetourt County, Virginia). The ceremony will also include a fife and drum corps, the posting of our “new” flag by a Sons of the American Revolution Color Guard, a musket salute by an SAR Honor Guard, and special music. The ceremony will be followed by the opening celebration for a new exhibit, “The Greenbrier Valley and the American Revolutionary Era,” at the North House Museum, Lewisburg.
In the fall of 2026, an app supported driving tour of Revolutionary War era sites in Greenbrier County will be available. Locals and visitors alike will be able to enjoy the beautiful fall foliage while exploring the Revolutionary era history of our area.
From December 2026 through January 2027, a traveling exhibit titled “Give Me Liberty: Virginia & The Forging of a Nation” will be available to visit. This is the signature exhibition of the Virginia America Revolution 250 Commission that was organized in partnership by the Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation and the Virginia Museum of History & Culture. The Greenbrier Historical Society is honored to bring this extraordinary exhibit to the Greenbrier Valley.
All these events are being planned and coordinated by the America 250 Committee of the Greenbrier Historical Society chaired by Dr. Kim McBride. She said, “It is terribly exciting to be working on these events to showcase the role of our area in the Revolution. We encourage everyone to come to them and learn about our history. We gratefully acknowledge that these events would not be possible without the support of the Daywood and Hamilton Family Foundations, the Greenbrier County Commission, the City of Lewisburg, and the hard work of many individuals.” Please watch for advertisements in local media and updates on the Greenbrier Historical Society webpage and Facebook page closer to each event.
