No one knows what happened, but the tall silver and black historic marker recognizing “Fotheringay” the handsome, 18th century house of Montgomery County’s illustrious Revolutionary War Colonel George Hancock, disappeared.
The house stands on the straight stretch of road between Elliston and Shawsville and, according to records from local newspapers, the marker did too until sometime between 2010 and 2011.
Now, the Meadowbrook Museum is raising awareness and funds to replace it.
“Since this marker is in our community, we feel strongly that it is something the museum should support,” Mary Hawley at the Meadowbrook Museum wrote in an announcement of the drive.
The Virginia Department of Historic Resources says there are more than 2,500 markers in Virginia erected to “commemorate people, places, or events of regional, statewide, or national significance,” but it’s not completely unknown for them to disappear.
“About five a year disappear in the state,” Randy Jones of the VDHR said. “They could be hit by cars and people cart them away. They’re not light things, though. You probably need somebody helping you. They weigh over a hundred pounds.”
Meadowbrook’s goal to replace the marker is $1770.
Jones says that’s reasonable since all of Virginia’s markers are cast at the Sewah Foundry in Marietta Ohio.
“They do the highway markers for many states. Made in America, so that’s good, and they’re hand-cast. That explains why they are so heavy. And that cost is not exorbitant. It’s a reasonable price,” he said.
Making an historic marker is an art.
“This is their busy time. People want markers during the spring, summer and fall. It can take three months for a casting.”
The Virginia marker program is the oldest of its kind in the nation and the state does not supported the marker program with funds, so civic groups raise the money.
“It’s had a good effect,” Jones said. “Broadening the participation of Virginians in the program. The markers are proposed by a grassroots organization and they work with the agency on getting a thumbs-up approval by the Virginia Board of Historic Resources.”
There are between 70 and 100 applications a year although not all are accepted.
VDOT partners with the VDHR in the program and, for the replacement marker, once the funds are raised and Sewah Foundry does its work, VDOT will re-erect the Fotheringay marker.
Anyone wishing to make tax-deductible contributions to this project can mail checks to the Meadowbrook Museum at P.O. Box 809 Shawsville, VA 24162
For more information about the Virginia Department of Historic Resources and historic markers visit: vcris.dhr.virginia.gov/HistoricMarkers/.
