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President Falwell takes part in ceremony to commemorate colonial town’s history

New London, a former colonial town near campus, has been serving as a hands-on experience in historic preservation for Liberty University students. On Saturday, the nonprofit Friends of New London unveiled the first permanent monument to commemorate the rich, historic significance that New London has contributed to American history. Liberty President Jerry Falwell was invited to speak at the event. He shared how Liberty is partnering with the group to help conduct research and make the town’s history accessible to the community.

New London was founded in 1754 and predates much of the surrounding area. Notable figures in history often frequented the town, including Founding Fathers Patrick Henry, who argued a case at the courthouse during the notorious John Hook trial, and Thomas Jefferson. A Continental Army arsenal was also located in New London. The town was formerly the county seat of Bedford.

In 2015, the university, under President Falwell’s leadership, purchased Mead’s Tavern (1763), kicking off a major excavation and restoration project. Last summer, Liberty also purchased a neighboring property, the old Bedford Alum Springs Hotel (thought to be the first resort hotel in the area), and has begun research on its history.

“We really want to see New London recognized for what it is, and we want to see it restored and revitalized,” Falwell said. “It’s only a few minutes from our campus, so it makes perfect sense for us. We realize how special it is and we are proud to be a part of it.”

Liberty faculty and students have been heavily involved in the work at both university-owned properties. Mead’s Tavern, as the oldest standing structure in Central Virginia, provides multiple hands-on learning opportunities, serving as a lab for undergraduate and graduate students to conduct research. (Read about recent archaeological discoveries there.)

President Falwell, a longtime resident of Central Virginia, said he remembers having childhood friends who lived in New London.

“I’ve always known there was something special about this place,” he said.

He said he is grateful for the scholarly work being done in the town.

“It’s easy for somebody my age or older to appreciate the founders and what they did, but the new generation today doesn’t often appreciate it and, at worst, some condemn it. That’s what we’re facing, and that’s why Liberty wanted to take an active role,” Falwell added.

Donna Davis Donald, assistant professor of history at Liberty and a member of the board of directors for the Friends of New London, said students are receiving invaluable experience and career training at the sites.

“A lot of history students work with documents and get into the archives and do some incredible research, but this is a little different because they get to actually dig in the ground, handle the objects, learn about the objects (and) try to determine how to tell that story to the public,” she said.

In her public history course, students are finding unique ways to tell the historical narrative of New London, including through digital resources.

She said the monument, commissioned and funded by the Horace “Bud” Argyle Teass, Jr. family, is a good start to showing the world that New London is a historic community.

“What good is knowing and learning history if you don’t share it?” Donald said. “Public history is where we really get to reach out to the community. Research historians do an incredible job, but a lot of what they do is not really accessible to the average person. And so public historians are responsible for taking that material and making it accessible to a broader community.”

The Friends of New London, with partners like Liberty, hope that the town can become a main cultural attraction for the public.

“We’re committed to it,” Falwell said, “and we want to get some work done on key properties to really make it look like a village again; that’s important.”

“This is certainly not Williamsburg, but maybe one day we can have a restored town like that, but on a smaller scale,” Donald added. “And for our students who are involved on the ground level, wouldn’t it be great for them to bring their children back here and say, ‘I was here before we even owned that building or before that was preserved or when we were just learning what this building was like, and now it’s a significant historical site?’”

The public is invited to view the progress in New London during New London Day on Oct. 26. For more information, visit the Friends of New London Facebook page and website.

 

>To follow the progress at Liberty’s properties and other history activities that Liberty students are involved in, visit the Public History at Liberty University Facebook page.

>For more on how Liberty is in a prime location to learn about the history of America, read the Summer 2019 issue of the Liberty Journal.

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