New London, Virginia

New London, Virginia
Unincorporated Community
New London, Virginia
Coordinates: 37°18′6″N 79°16′49″W / 37.30167°N 79.28028°W / 37.30167; -79.28028Coordinates: 37°18′6″N 79°16′49″W / 37.30167°N 79.28028°W / 37.30167; -79.28028
Country United States
State Virginia
Elevation 863 ft (263 m)
Front view of Mead's Tavern
Front view of the African American Church

New London was an incorporated town in what is now Campbell County, Virginia. After the formation of Bedford County, Virginia in 1754, New London was established as the county seat.[1] Situated near the intersection of the Great Wagon Road and the Wilderness Road, the town was an important stopping point for settlers heading west. It was in the courthouse here that Patrick Henry delivered his famous "beef" speech during the Johnny Hook trial.[2] The town was also home to a Revolutionary-era arsenal. In 1781, Bedford County was divided to form Campbell County and the county seats were relocated. No longer the county seat, the former bustling commercial center declined.[3]

In the 19th century, the rising popularity of mineral springs sparked a brief revival. The Bedford Alum Springs Hotel drew visitors seeking the benefits of the nearby alum springs. The town sought to capitalize on this attraction and changed its name from New London to Bedford Springs.[3]

The site of the colonial community is eleven miles southwest of downtown Lynchburg, Virginia. Mead's Tavern is the sole remaining building from the colonial era, but several historic buildings from the later period are still standing. These include the former Bedford Alum Springs Hotel, the office of Dr. Nicholas Kabler, the W.W. Driskill General Store, two Methodist churches, and the Holt-Ashwell house. The New London Academy (Virginia) is still in operation today as an elementary school.[4]

In 2015, Liberty University acquired Mead's Tavern from the Friends of New London, a nonprofit organization dedicated to preserving historic New London. Current archaeological and architectural studies at Mead's Tavern are contributing to what is known about the building, the town, and the people who lived and worked there.[5]

Early history

In 1753, William Callaway contributed 100 acres of land to the Virginia General Assembly for the creation of a new town which would soon serve as the county seat of the newly formed Bedford County. In 1754, the courthouse and jail were erected. The town was laid out in lots and offered for sale. The town charter required that owners must construct a building of at least twenty-by-sixteen within one year. Its location at the intersection of Great Wagon Road and Wilderness Road meant that it became a bustling center of travel and trade. It remained so until the formation of Campbell County in 1781 and the subsequent relocation of the county seat.

19th century

By the early 1800s, New London began to fade as an independent township due to the loss of the county seat to Bedford (then Liberty) in 1781.[6] Locals of both Bedford County and Campbell County created a petition for a new county to be created in 1813 with New London at its center, but the movement did not gain traction and ultimately failed.[7] Though it lost the court seat, New London's position next to a crossroad allowed it to have many visitors and even some prominent guests. In April 1816, General Andrew Jackson stayed in the town and almost had a duel in a New London tavern as he was passing through.[3] Around 1820, the Salem-Lynchburg Turnpike was macadamized which made traveling to and from New London smoother and helped to boost trade, at least until the introduction of the railroad in nearby Lynchburg in 1848.[8]

In the mid-1800s, the Echols family began to promote the use of alum for medicinal purposes, marketing water from the nearby alum spring as a cure for a variety of ailments.[9][10] The water was so popular that in 1876, Davis and Maben purchased a large property near the spring and constructed a large health resort which opened in 1878. Due to the spring's popularity and proximity to the town, New London prospered and become a spa town, changing its name to Bedford Springs in the late 1870s.[3]

Education

In the early 19th century, New London was the location of at least two schools, the New London Academy and the Roland School for girls.[11] New London Academy was a prominent secondary educational institution throughout the 19th century. In the first half of the 19th century, the Academy offered a range of subjects and students would receive an individual diploma for every subject completed.[12] New London Academy was so renowned, that Francis Eppes attended the academy at the insistence of his grandfather, Thomas Jefferson. Even during the Civil War, it managed to remain in operation. In its early years, the school had a strong religious affiliation. The school grounds were home to a brick Episcopal meeting house, and the ministers of the church were often the principals of the school. This religious connotation eventually faded, starting with the removal of the Academy Church in 1856 to another location after the original brick building was condemned and torn down in 1855.[12] This separation of the church from the academy lead to it becoming a public school in 1870 and a coeducational school in 1879.[12]

New London also hosted the Roland School for girls between 1812 and 1822 in the former Mead's Tavern.[3] Roland was a finishing school run by Samuel T. Miller and his wife and may have held up to forty students at a time.[3] The school closed in 1822 when Samuel Miller moved to Lynchburg to start another school.[13]

New London Military History

The historic marker at New London incorrectly states that Lieutenant-Colonel Tarleton raided New London.

Like all settlements on the frontier, New London was defended by a militia made up of local residents. Its central location in Bedford County made it the natural place for the militia to drill and assemble for war. The New London and Bedford County militia participated in several frontier conflicts including the French and Indian and Anglo-Cherokee Wars. During the early French and Indian war, the Cherokee nation was allied with the British. That all changed when a series of misunderstandings and thefts led to a confrontation in 1758 between a Cherokee war party and colonists from Bedford County that left at least five Virginians and thirty Cherokee dead. This incident near New London exacerbated the already tense relationship between the British and the Cherokee and helped set in motion the events that led to the Anglo-Cherokee War.[14]

Arsenal

During the Revolutionary War, New London was home to an arsenal used by the Virginia state militia. The weapons and supplies manufactured in the arsenal were used to help support the campaigns of General Nathaniel Greene[15] in the South and Colonel George Rogers Clark[16] in the Ohio river valley. In his memoirs, British Lieutenant-Colonel Banastre Tarleton claims to have raided New London in search of the arsenal and the supplies that were stored there.[17] However, according to Thomas Jefferson, Tarleton never made it to New London and stayed closer to Charlottesville.[18] The New London arsenal was operated by the state of Virginia until 1794 when Congress passed a law authorizing the war department to erect "three or four arsenals"[19] to supply and equip the army. New London's existing state arsenal made it a natural choice for use as a federal arsenal.

Shortly after its acquisition by the war department, the New London arsenal helped furnish the weapons and equipment used by the army sent to suppress the Whiskey Rebellion in Pennsylvania in 1794.[20] The arsenal only remained operational under Federal control for a short time. In 1798 the war department began the process of moving the arsenal to a new location with the transfer of armorer's tools from New London to Harper's Ferry.[21] After the means of production were moved, New London continued to be used for the storage of military equipment until at least 1812.[22]

Historic Structures

Mead's Tavern

Mead's Tavern is the oldest standing structure in the Central Virginia area and the only remaining building from New London's colonial era. In 1761 William Mead acquired Lot 6 and constructed what was described as a "magnificent house" in 1763.[13] In 1784, Mead sold the building which operated as a tavern for the next 20 years or so and was then converted into a girls' school. For most of its life, the former tavern served primarily as a family residence. It also housed the office of Dr. Thaddeus Kabler and later the office of William Abbott, an insurance agent. After passing through the hands of various private owners, the building was purchased by the Friends of New London in 2012 who sold the building to Liberty University in 2015. Plans for restoration are currently under development.

Bedford Alum Springs Hotel

Bedford Alum Springs Hotel was originally a tavern owned by Peregrine Echols.[23] In the early 1800's, the property that held Echols tavern was sold to John Maben who proceeded to build a large hotel. The hotel was given the name Bedford Springs Hotel was promoted as a resort, attracting travelers who sought the benefit of the nearby alum springs. The success of the alum springs prompted the town to change its name from New London to Bedford Springs.[24]

W.W. Driskill Store

The general store in New London was built by Willis Washington Driskill in 1897 and remained in operation until the 1930s. The building has been restored by its current owners and retains many of its original features. The building sits on one possible site of the colonial era military arsenal.

Holt-Ashwell House

This small, frame house dates to at least the early 19th-century with elements that may indicate earlier construction. Situated on what was Lot 17 in the original town, it was the home of Andrew Holt, an emancipated African American who was able to earn enough income as a baker to purchase the freedom of his wife and two sons. In 1851, he was charged with holding "an unlawful assemblage of negroes" in his home. The charges were dismissed and shortly thereafter, he donated a small section of his property for the construction of the Methodist Episcopal Church South.[25] The current church building is the third structure on that lot. The house itself was empty when it burned in 2017. The owner subsequently donated the property to the Friends of New London who are considering options for restoration.

African American Church

The current New London Methodist Episcopal Church was erected in 1930, the third church building to be erected on this site since it was originally donated for the purpose. In 1851 Andrew Holt, an emancipated African American man donated the small parcel for the construction of a church "for the special but not exclusive benefit of coloured people."[25] The building is now owned by the Friends of New London and restoration plans are underway.[26]

New London Methodist Church

The New London Methodist church was built in 1850 several years after a congregation was organized. The church was home to circuit riding ministers who would travel to several different churches throughout the year. The New London Methodist Church belonged to the Bedford Alum Springs circuit. The church is still standing and is used as an office for the Friends of New London, who have worked to restore the town.

Restoration

In 2005, members of the local community formed the Friends of New London for the purpose of recovering and preserving the history of the town.[27] In 2015, with the sale of Mead's Tavern to Liberty University, a partnership was formed that would create opportunities for students to contribute to and learn from the restoration and preservation process.[28][29]

In 2017, the Friends of New London acquired three additional buildings: the African American Methodist Church which was originally planned to be demolished;[26] the New London Methodist Church which houses the FNL office and library;[30] and the Holt-Ashwell house, a 19th-century house which was badly damaged in a fire. All three buildings are in various stages of study and/or restoration.

References

  1. ↑ Hendricks, Christopher E., (2006). The Backcountry Towns of Colonial Virginia (1st ed.). Knoxville: University of Tennessee Press. ISBN 1572335432.
  2. ↑ Henry, William Wirt (1891). Patrick Henry: Life, Correspondence and Speeches. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons. pp. 482–485.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Read, Daisy Imogene (1950). New London today and yesterday. Friends of New London, Virginia, Inc. (Second printing, [sponsored by] Friends of New London, Va ed.). Lynchburg, Va.,: Warwick House Publishers. ISBN 9781936553259. OCLC 895495980.
  4. ↑ Siddons, James (1994). The Spirit of New London Academy: The Two Hundred Year History of A Virginia Educational Landmark. Bowie, Maryland: Heritage Books, Inc. ISBN 1-55613-982-9.
  5. ↑ Cioffi, Chris The (Lynchburg) News & Advance. "Liberty University purchases Mead's Tavern in New London". Roanoke Times. Retrieved 4 March 2018.
  6. ↑ "History | Visit Bedford Virginia". visitbedford.com. Retrieved 27 February 2018.
  7. ↑ Early, Ruth Hairston (1927). Campbell Chronicles and Family Sketches: Embracing the History of Campbell County, Virginia, 1782–1926. Genealogical Publishing Com. ISBN 9780806307985.
  8. ↑ "History | City of Lynchburg, Virginia". www.lynchburgva.gov. Retrieved 3 March 2018.
  9. ↑ Moorman, John Jennings (1854). The Virginia springs: comprising an account of all the principal mineral springs of Virginia, with remarks on the nature and medical applicability of each. The Library of Congress. Richmond, Va., J. W. Randolph.
  10. ↑ Sons, P. Echols & (1867). The Bedford Alum and Iodine Springs, Near New London, Bedford County, Virginia. King & Baird.
  11. ↑ "Account statement and receipt from Samuel Thomas Miller to John Watts, for tuition and expenses of Mary Watts Brown. – May 30, 1817". hswv.pastperfectonline.com. Retrieved 27 February 2018.
  12. 1 2 3 History of Campbell County – https://web.archive.org/web/20140320053751/http://www.co.campbell.va.us/Pages/historicresources.aspx
  13. 1 2 Lichtenberger, Randy . Phase I Archaeological Survey of the Mead's Tavern Site (44CP0244), Campbell County, Virginia. Report no. 20150754. History, Liberty University. Lynchburg, VA: Liberty University, 2016.
  14. ↑ Oliphant, John Stuart (June 1, 2001). Peace and War on the Anglo-Cherokee Frontier, 1756—63. Louisiana State University Press. ISBN 9780807126370.
  15. ↑ Thompson, Claude (1939). New London: The Forgotten History. p. 17.
  16. ↑ "Founders Online: From Thomas Jefferson to George Rogers Clark, 25 December 1780". Retrieved 26 February 2018.
  17. ↑ Banastre), Tarleton (Lieutenant-General (1787). A History of the Campaigns of 1780 and 1781 in the Southern Provinces of North America. Reprint Company.
  18. ↑ "Founders Online: From Thomas Jefferson to William Gordon, 16 July 1788". Retrieved 26 February 2018.
  19. ↑ "America's Historical Imprints". infoweb.newsbank.com. April 2, 1794. Retrieved February 25, 2018.
  20. ↑ "Founders". rotunda.upress.virginia.edu. Retrieved 26 February 2018.
  21. ↑ "Papers of the War Department". wardepartmentpapers.org. Retrieved 26 February 2018.
  22. ↑ "Founders Online: Colin Buckner to Thomas Jefferson, 25 May 1812". Retrieved 26 February 2018.
  23. ↑ Early, Ruth Hairston (1927). Campbell Chronicles and Family Sketches: Embracing the History of Campbell County, Virginia, 1782–1926. Genealogical Publishing Com. ISBN 9780806307985.
  24. ↑ Early, Ruth Hairston (1927). Campbell Chronicles and Family Sketches: Embracing the History of Campbell County, Virginia, 1782–1926. Genealogical Publishing Com. ISBN 9780806307985.
  25. 1 2 Talley, Amelia. Andrew Holt Free Man of Colour.
  26. 1 2 Smith, Rachael. "Organization begins restoration work on African-American church in New London". NewsAdvance.com. Retrieved 8 March 2018.
  27. ↑ "About". www.newlondonmuseum.org. Retrieved 8 March 2018.
  28. ↑ "Mead's Tavern News". www.newlondonmuseum.org. Retrieved 8 March 2018.
  29. ↑ Advance, Chris Cioffi The (Lynchburg) News &. "Liberty University purchases Mead's Tavern in New London". Roanoke Times. Retrieved 8 March 2018.
  30. ↑ Smith, Rachael. "Friends of New London acquire second church". NewsAdvance.com. Retrieved 8 March 2018.
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