Pleasant Hall, the City’s finest 18th century mansion is located in the heart of Historic Kempsville. Pleasant Hall was an eyewitness to the Skirmish of Kempsville, the first land battle in the Revolution in Virginia and the site where the first man fell in the American cause.  Lord Dunmore issued his Proclamation there and may have used the house as his headquarters.  In 1781, Benedict Arnold forced 400 prominent Princess Anne County residents to swear an Oath of Allegiance to the Crown at this historic port.  Hundreds of enslaved African Americans made their way to freedom during the Skirmish and its aftermath.  City ownership would ensure that this magnificent house, with rare features found in only a half dozen colonial homes in Virginia, and its grounds would be open to the public. Let’s honor this history, much as the City of Chesapeake has done with its Great Bridge Battlefield site and the its new museum set to open next May.  In 2025, Virginia Beach and the state of Virginia will celebrate the 250th Anniversary of the Skirmish of Kempsville.  Please help ensure this historic house is safely preserved under the City’s stewardship and open to public for generations to come!