Liberty history students showcase historical research at New London Day

  • Mead’s Tavern and an African-American church are some buildings Liberty history students interact with in their public history class.
  • Located along the path of settlers traveling west or south, Mead’s Tavern and New London had a strategic location in the 18th Century.

During New London Day, an annual event highlighting the historical significance of New London’s oldest buildings and practices, nine Liberty University history students, partnered with the Friends of New London, sought to bring history to life through presentations, tours and history booths Saturday, Oct. 21.

In a local paper article from the 1980s, then UVA law student Jerry Falwell urged citizens of Lynchburg to sign petitions prohibiting demolition of historically significant structures. More than 30 years later, Liberty students from a public history class benefited from his cause.

A small-town market, an African-American church and most notably Mead’s Tavern were among the many edifices containing original building material. Mead’s Tavern, built in 1761, still sits on its original foundation.

According to Donna Donald, professor of history at Liberty University, New London Day helped the history students receive hands-on experience to apply many of the things they’ve learned about history and present it to an audience.

“Local history is one of the most effective ways for the average person to connect with history,” Donald said. “It becomes an avenue for making larger historical events come alive.”

History major Crystal Mayerchak, who has spent nearly a year studying Mead’s Tavern, dedicated her presentation to the architectural structure of the building.

During the middle 1700s, just a few years preceding the American Revolution, Mead’s Tavern functioned as a small inn and pub. Although renovated over time, many of the building’s foundation and brick interior remain the same.

“It’s hard to put into words what this building means to me,” Mayerchak said. “Most people wouldn’t be interested in a brick, but it’s my job to get them interested.”

According to newlondonmuseum.org, Mead’s Tavern is one of only a handful of colonial structures remaining in Central Virginia. Built by William Mead in 1761, Mead’s Tavern became a desirable resting area in 1763 after officially transforming into a tavern.

“These walls can talk,” Mayerchak said, referring to the architecture in Mead’s Tavern.

According to Dr. Samuel Smith, the chair of Liberty’s History Department, New London was strategically located because people had a desire to move past the Appalachian Mountains and move into new, unexplored territory, or move south toward the Carolinas.

What is now Interstate 81 used to be called the Great Wagon Road, a major road for colonists to travel south or west. New London, located near the crossroad, brought in waves of colonists, and Mead’s Tavern grew in popularity.

“New London had a lot of promise because of the number of people that were coming through there,” Smith said. “But the formation of Lynchburg on the James River really overshadowed New London. The growth of Lynchburg is really the reason New London didn’t expand.”

According to a history proposal entitled Reviving the Past: The Cultural Importance of Mead’s Tavern, New London also played an influential role during the American Revolution due to the armory located in the town.

Purchased by Liberty in 2015, Mead’s Tavern now serves as a laboratory for the history department’s public history courses.

“Every public history class is project oriented,” Donald said. “We do not spend a lot of time in the classroom. We spend a lot of time doing things.”

According to Mayerchak, even the simplest piece of scrap wood or brick has the potential of telling a story.

“If I could do this every day, I totally would,” Mayerchak said.

For more information about New London, visit newlondonmuseum.org. For more information about the Departmen of History at Liberty University, like its public history page on Facebook @LUPublicHistory.

 

 

 

 

 

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