A 10-minute trip outside Liberty University’s campus can take you back in time to the 18th century. Two properties owned by Liberty and rich in history reside in the area known as New London.
Mead’s Tavern and Bedford Alum Springs Hotel both give students the opportunity to work with professional historians and archaeologists in exploring the history of the two. The New London Projects began in 2015 when Friends of New London, a historical society, sold Mead’s Tavern to Liberty, which started a partnership with the organization. The two associations hold an event for the public every fall called New London Day, this year scheduled for Oct. 21.
According to the New London Projects’ website, the town of New London became a colonial hotspot in Virginia. Mead’s Tavern was built in 1763 and gave many travelers heading to the frontier a good place to stop by for a drink and a meal. Bedford Alum Springs Hotel began by hosting travelers who believed nearby springs brought healing powers, and due to the popularity, the hotel was turned into a resort.
The New London Projects open up opportunities for students to be a part of discovering and digging up old artifacts that give insight into the lives lived in New London. Excavations have been carried out over the past several years to discover new finds and peel back layers of history. Director of Public History Initiatives with the History Department and Friends of New London board member, Donna Davis Donald, has been a part of the projects since 2015.
“The artifacts that we are finding give us clues to what life was like in New London. Who was there? What activities were taking place in certain buildings?” Donald said.
History shows New London had great significance regionally and nationally. Founded in the Colonial era, New London was also a frontier town and has significance in the American Revolution era due to the arsenal. Donald said the arsenal has been one of the most remarkable findings on the properties.
“Thomas Jefferson, undoubtedly the most famous resident of Bedford County, … was at New London,” Donald said. “So there’s interaction with founders and other individuals that have a significant role.”
On a rainy April 1, student volunteers and archaeologists were digging into the floor and sorting through historical artifacts retrieved from beneath the floor of the wing at Mead’s Tavern. Randy Lichtenberger, an archaeologist with Hurt & Proffitt, has been involved with Friends of New London and researching the town’s history for over 20 years.
“We’ve had a lot of Victorian-era artifacts in between, so it’s kind of cool. We had lots of kid’s toys, porcelain doll parts and all that kind of stuff,” Lichtenberger said.
According to the History Department’s Facebook page, the site has unearthed numerous other artifacts from both before and after the construction of the wing. Archaeologists found “fragments of clay pipes, ceramics, an iron jaw harp” and part of a “glass dish” that all “predate the construction of the wing” and may reveal more information about the Tavern’s earlier uses. Several coins and gun parts dating back to the Revolutionary era have also been found.
Lichtenberger has found lots of features in the layers of the tavern floor that have contributed to the research on the properties. Student volunteer Colton Wood started working with New London at the beginning of the spring semester. Part of Wood’s contribution to the work is sifting through the artifacts that have been found on the property.
Wood has found some of the findings fascinating, from buttons and pins to Spanish coins and well-preserved porcelain.
“History has always been something I’ve always been interested in, and that’s why I took it as a major,” Wood said. “I felt like it would be really interesting to be a part of discovering this history and exploring it firsthand.”
Liberty students who are interested in the New London Projects can volunteer, apply for an internship or take HIST 305 to be a part of uncovering the past of these long-hidden treasures.
Denny is a feature reporter for the Liberty Champion