To recognize Mathews County’s role in the Revolutionary War, two specially designed Virginia LOVE signs will be installed in the county.
“We are excited,” said Laura Jones, member of the Mathews County VA250 Committee. “The LOVE signs are very popular. People travel to get their pictures taken with them and post on Instagram and Facebook. They draw people to a location.”
The committee works with others around the state to prepare for the commemoration of 250 years since America won independence.
Mathews’ committee selected two places for the new signs:
- The former Oyster Seed Holding, now The Hatchery, on Gwynn’s Island was the site of the Battle of Cricket Hill in July 1776. It involved American forces and British troops under the command of Gov. Lord Dunmore. Led by Gen. Andrew Lewis, American Revolutionary troops positioned artillery on Cricket Hill, located on the mainland directly across from Gwynn’s Island to remove them.
- Williams Wharf was once a bustling commercial hub in the 18th and 19th centuries. It was the site of shipbuilding activity and a commerce hub during the Revolutionary War. Now it’s a recreation site with a pavilion and docks for kayaking, rowing or gazing at the waterfront. The wharf is managed by the Mathews Land Conservancy.
Artists can come up with what the signs will actually look like and have until Nov. 18, 2024 to submit ideas.
“With the title Revolution of Ideas, we are leaving it up to the artists to design and create it,” Jones said.
The county will collaborate with the Bay School Community Arts Center for the installation of the signs, which will be visible from the water.
“Mathews may be small in population, but we have 200 miles of coastline with the Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries,” Jones said.
For more information visit Mathews County’s VA250 Committee online.
