PAGE COUNTY VA250 MEMBERS
Rod Graves, Chairman
Charles Butler, Secretary
Rebecca Armstrong, Page County Staff
Mark Bauserman
Nancy Beatty
Art Candenquist
Robert Knight
Tom Mack
Bart Price
Joe Winslow
Jackie Fox Wood
BACKGROUND
Established by the General Assembly in 2020, the Virginia American Revolution 250 Commission (VA250) serves to commemorate the 250th anniversary of the American Revolution, the Revolutionary War and the independence of America in Virginia, one of the former colonies and future states, where much of this history took place.
America’s 250th commemoration events are scheduled throughout 2026. In preparation of the commemoration, Virginia localities were encouraged to begin their planning process by forming an official VA250 committee and creating a plan to promote stories, history and culture. Becoming an official VA250-certified community and committee required a resolution be passed by the locality’s governing body. The Page County Board of Supervisors in October 2022 unanimously approved a resolution to support America’s 250th commemoration.
PAGE COUNTY PROJECTS
The Page County VA250 Committee aims to enrich and educate the community about its historical heritage through a two-phase initiative in 2026: an essay contest for local sixth-grade students at Luray and Page County middle schools coinciding with living history demonstrations and a stopover by the VA250 Mobile History Museum during Memorial Day weekend at Luray Caverns; and the placement of historic markers at sites throughout the county related to the American Revolution. Dedication ceremonies are planned at the Town of Shenandoah Museum and Welcome Center before Memorial Day during the town’s annual Memorial Day festivities and at the Town of Stanley’s Ed Good Memorial Park the week of July 4th, during Stanley’s annual homecoming celebration. The Page County VA250 Committee is working to schedule two additional dedication ceremonies at a central location in the county and within the Town of Luray along the Luray-Hawksbill Greenway.
FUNDING
The Page County Board of Supervisors in 2025 approved an allocation recommendation by the Page County Tourism Council and the Page County Economic Development and Tourism Department is providing $40,000 in restricted transient occupancy tax revenue to fund committee projects. Page County VA250 Committee Chairman Rod Graves and his brother, John Graves, on behalf of Luray Caverns have also pledged various in-kind services toward the commemoration.
