Paxton House Historical Society of Buena Vista, VA

06/14/2026

Happy Flag Day! 🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸

06/12/2026

On this date, 250 years ago, Virginia led the way with its Declaration of Rights.

, 250 years ago, the Declaration of Rights was adopted unanimously by the Fifth Virginia Convention in Williamsburg. Written by Virginian George Mason, it declared the inherent rights of Virginians and defined government as “instituted for the common benefit, protection, and security” of the people. In its 16 sections, the document established principles such as the separation of powers, freedom of the press, and freedom of religion.

This document was one of the first to emphasize these ideas and it would go on to influence major founding documents of the United States that you may have heard of such as the Declaration of Independence and the Bill of Rights.

Gunston Hall

06/11/2026

On this day in U.S. history…

06/08/2026

On this day…

164 Years Ago Today... The Battle of Cross Keys

After reaching Harrisonburg, Confederate Gen. Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson moved toward Cross Keys and Port Republic. He chose Port Republic as a strong defensive position because the bridges over the North River and South River allowed him to keep the two Union armies separated and defeat them one at a time. Jackson planned to strike the closer force under Gen. John Fremont before turning on Gen. James Shields.

On June 8, 1862, Fremont attacked the Confederate division of Gen. Richard Ewell at Cross Keys. An early Union advance was repelled, and Confederate counterattacks pushed back the Federal forces. Fremont eventually withdrew, leaving the Confederates in control of the battlefield. With the Union armies still divided, Jackson turned his attention to Gen. James Shields’s force at Port Republic, where he planned to attack the following day.

06/06/2026

June 6th marks the anniversary of D-Day. This year, the National D-Day Memorial in nearby Bedford celebrates its 25th anniversary and continues to remember the “Bedford boys” and all those who undertook the dangerous assault.

06/03/2026

An upcoming event on June 12 in downtown Buena Vista.

At VPAS in downtown 😍

06/01/2026

A hearty thank you to those businesses and individuals whose donations supported the recent annual dinner, including Herman’s Produce, Pure Eats, Asunder Coffee Roasters, Mary Jane Muterspaugh, Jan Lowry, Pumpkinseeds, Shenandoah Attic, Mary Ellen Plogger, Vinyl Cuts, Tantivy Lavender Farm, Rod Meek, and Teresa Ellison and Pam Breeden. We appreciate their interest in the Paxton House at Glen Maury Park!

05/31/2026

The success of our recent Paxton House fundraising dinner would not have been possible without the generosity and support of so many wonderful partners.

A heartfelt thank you to Matt Paxton for sharing his knowledge and passion as our featured presenter, and for his extraordinary gift of the Paxton Family Bible. This treasured family heirloom helps connect us to the people, stories, and history that make the Paxton House so special. 👏

We are also grateful to the staff of Glen Maury Park for their hard work in preparing the grounds. The beautifully maintained landscape provided a welcoming setting for our guests and showcased the Paxton House at its very best. 👏

We would also like extend our sincere appreciation to Buena Vista City Public Schools for providing the tables, chairs, and technology needed to make the evening run smoothly. Their willingness to support community events like ours is deeply appreciated. 👏

Thank you to the many donors who provided our auction items. (Separate list to follow in another post.) 👏

Thank you to Phil Huffman who always steps up to be our auctioneer. 👏

Historic preservation is truly a community effort, and we are fortunate to have such dedicated partners helping us share and preserve the story of the Paxton House for future generations.

Thank you all for helping make our evening such a memorable success.💛

05/29/2026

Happy birthday to Patrick Henry!

𝗛𝗮𝗽𝗽𝘆 𝟮𝟵𝟬𝘁𝗵 𝗕𝗶𝗿𝘁𝗵𝗱𝗮𝘆 𝗣𝗮𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗰𝗸 𝗛𝗲𝗻𝗿𝘆!
Virginia's first governor ignited the flames of revolution in 1775 with a legendary speech that you may have heard of with the words, "Give me liberty or give me death!"
Pictured is the portrait of Patrick Henry by Thomas Sully, 1815 along with a display of the whalebone paper cutter used during the speech at the Give Me Liberty: Virginia & The Forging of a Nation exhibit at the Virginia Museum of History & Culture. This exhibit will soon be open at the American Revolution Museum at Yorktown on July 1, 2026.
Jamestown Settlement & American Revolution Museum at Yorktown
Patrick Henry's Red Hill

05/29/2026

The Reg "Monk" Fix Summer Camp is back and BIGGER than ever! Registration is now open for Summer 2026.

This FREE week-long camp for youth ages 9-12 brings together three law enforcement agencies for a week of education, activities, and relationship building between youth and the officers who serve their community.

📅 Last week of July 2026
📍 Buena Vista, VA
🕘 9:00 AM -- 3:30 PM daily

Priority enrollment is given to residents of the City of Buena Vista, Rockbridge County, and the City of Lexington. Applications from youth outside these areas will be considered as space allows.

Spots are limited to 30 campers - register today at the link below!

https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=knopKC6PD0mwE5ClbgfcpmXD7LIMFVBKsYqDj7IUcZVURTk3RFBLSFdSUDgxNTdXNU01V1lINzUzUS4u