Please take a moment to sign this petition if you care about preserving American history and protecting the town of Kinsale and its living heritage from government mismanagement. 

Westmoreland County Land Use Division is preposing to change the historically named road of the “Great House Road” in Kinsale VA. 

 

 

 

 

The Department is claiming the need for the name change because “they have run out of house numbers.” The county is proposing to give the sole use of the “Great House Road” name to Stratford Hall. This change will greatly impact the historical area of Kinsale and effect a large population of the county. 

To rename Stratford Hall's internal road instead would be a simpler and less disruptive solution, affecting only one entity rather than an entire community and historical area. There are no communities’ ties to the Stratford Hall Road, unlike Kinsale's Great House Road which has an entire town associated with it.

Great House Road” and its adjoining historical home “The Great House” have been in existence since 1667 dating back well before the American Revolution and before United States gained its independence.  During the War of 1812 the Great House and the adjoining “Great House Road” were attacked and burned by the British. The Great House was also witnesses to the British attack on the USS Asp as its attempted to stop the British from going up the Potomac River to burn the capital, Washington DC.

Additionally, The Great House was originally built in 1667 by Stephen Bailey I, and is still occupied by his descendants to this day — an incredible example of preserved heritage.  

Great House Road and the Kinsale Great House predate all other Great House Roads in Virginia and hold historical precedence. Kinsale’s Great House was named long before Stratford Halls reference to “Great House”. This legacy predates even Stratford Hall, which was built around 1738 and sat vacant for years before being purchased and restored by the Robert E. Lee Memorial Foundation in 1929. While Stratford is certainly of historical importance, it was only dedicated and opened to the public in 1935 — and has no active residential community affected by changes to road names.

Eighteen families living on Great House Road in Kinsale, Virginia, along with the Bailey Family's historical Great House and Bailey Cemetery, are directly affected. Renaming the road would require these families to change their 911 addresses along with: 

·       Utility and service accounts

·       Legal and property documents

·       Banking

·       Insurance

·       Subscriptions

·       Personal records

·       GPS systems and delivery platforms 

·       Emergency services data

·       Virginia historical markers

What is at stake? 

If the road name changes, American history will have to be rewritten. Numerous important historical documents, books, markers, grave markers, street signs will all have to be changed.

Additionally, families face significant logistical challenges, including updating numerous records and systems. This process could take months, causing inconvenience and potential disruptions in services. Preserving the Great House Road name in Kinsale maintains the historical legacy and avoids these complications.

Why is now the time to act? 

Immediate action is crucial to prevent a logistical nightmare for residents and to preserve the historical significance of Great House Road in Kinsale. The Great House and the Great House Road legacy, built in 1667 and tied to significant historical events of the War of 1812 and the Civil War, predates Stratford Hall's use of the Great House Road name. Renaming Stratford Hall's internal road instead would be simpler and less disruptive, affecting only one entity rather than an entire community and historical records. 

Please take a moment to sign this petition if you care about preserving American history and protecting the town of Kinsale and its living heritage from government mismanagement.