Sesquicentennial License Plates to Go on Sale

The General Assembly has enacted HB 631 and SB 73, which authorize the issuance of special license plates marking the sesquicentennial of the American Civil War. These plates will be subject to a one-time surcharge of $15, of which $5 will be paid to the Virginia Sesquicentenniall -of -the -American Civil
War Commission Fund to support programs and activities to place Virginia at the forefront of this historic national commemoration. The plates will be available for sale in July. There are no minimum order requirements or need for pre-paid applications. For more information, contact Cheryl Jackson.

Commission Meets in Winchester April 29, 2008 The full Commission met at the Museum of the Shenandoah Valley and approved a number of items, including a strategic marketing plan, micro-grants to local sesquicentennial committees and a Signature Conference to be chaired by Dr. Edward L. Ayers entitled "America on the Eve of the Civil War," scheduled to take place at the University of Richmond on April 29, 2009. Following the meeting, the Shenandoah Valley Battlefields Foundation arranged a tour of Winchester-area Civil War battlefields led by noted author Gary Ecelbarger. Slideshow of Winchester Meeting and Civil War Sites Tour

Localities Partner with State Sesquicentennial Commission
November 26, 2007

One of the Commission's primary goals is to coordinate, link, and unify events and activities that will be happening throughout the state as part of the sesquicentennial commemoration. This is no small task, as Virginia has more Civil War sites than any other state. Every city and county in Virginia has a unique history of the crucial role in played during the nation's most traumatic moments - - there is not an area of the state that was untouched by the war. Each locality has been asked to form a Local Sesquicentennial Committee to work with the Commission, plan events and activities that are meaningful to the community, and promote its Civil War history during the commemoration.

See the latest list of Local Sesquicentennial Committees.

Harper's Ferry Tour Dates are Set
October 30, 2007

The Commission is planning a series of Signature Tours and other events that will take place throughout the state during the commemoration period. The national sesquicentennial commemoration begins with the 150th anniversary of John Brown's raid on the federal arsenal at Harper's Ferry, Virginia, on October 17, 1859.

The Commission will kick off its tour series at Harper's Ferry, West Virginia on June 25 - 26, 2009. This tour is being planned in cooperation with the State of West Virginia and Harper's Ferry National Historical Park, in support of a year-long series of events commemorating John Brown’s raid. Plans are still in the preliminary stages, but events may include a joint meeting of Virginia and West Virginia leaders, presentations about the primacy of Harper's Ferry in the coming of the Civil War, and an evening reception and dinner.

John Brown Photo: National Park Service

Tours will be conducted by Harper's Ferry National Historical Park officials, and may include the lower town of Harpers Ferry and the site of the federal arsenal, Bolivar Heights, Schoolhouse Ridge and the Murphy Farm, covering Stonewall Jackson’s victory of September 15, 1862, immediately preceding the Battle of Antietam.

Slideshow of a recent visit to Harper's Ferry to begin the planning process

Commission Tour of Fredericksburg-Area Civil War Sites by Robert K. Krick, Chief Historian Emeritus, Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania National Military Park
September 26, 2007

Following a meeting of the full Commission at Belmont Estate in Stafford, members were treated to a tour of Civil War sites by Robert K. Krick, a highly regarded expert in Fredericksburg-area Civil War engagements. Mr. Krick is the Chief Historian Emeritus of the Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania National Military Park.

Slideshow of Fredericksburg Civil War Sites Tour