Photos by Angelica Ramos
Angelica Ramos
Contributing Writer
BLACKSBURG- Historic Smithfield is set to celebrate its 250th birthday at the end of July with two days filled with commemoration events.
William Preston’s Smithfield, commonly referred to as Historical Smithfield, located in the heart of Virginia Tech’s campus, is turning 250 years old. The house and plantation were made a home in 1774 when Susanna Preston and the Preston children arrived at Smithfield. Smithfield was once a plantation but is now a museum that houses multiple gardens in which the community benefits from as Smithfield donates produce to food banks to help the food insecure.
This year’s Smithfield birthday is special as the house itself is older than the Declaration of Independence by two years as well as the Smithfield-Preston Foundation’s goal to be more community-centric and inclusive.
The 250th Commemeration’s theme is “From Deep Roots- Forging an Inclusive Future”. This is due to its history as a plantation and a hub for western expansion. The museum’s mission is to use that history to educate, give back to its community and write a new story for the future.
“In commemorating the 250th anniversary of Smithfield,” the 250th Commemoration mission statement reads, “we will support our theme, From Deep Roots, Forging an Inclusive Future. We will present an accurate, inclusive, and healing account of Smithfield and all those connected with it, free from any impact of grief, fear, or grievance. We will tell the whole story to recognize not only the legacy of the Preston family, but also those who may have been harmed or neglected in the past and to learn the difficult lessons of history to forge a better future.”
The Commemoration event will be held from July 26, 2024 through July 28, 2024. The Commemoration event will host tours of the grounds and gardens, panels discussing the histories of everyone who lived on the property, a dedication of the Merry Oak Bench, activities for the little ones and book signings from authors who have written on local history. There will also be a Reunion Mixer at the Smithfield Pavilion with a welcome video and speech from Smithfield-Preston Foundation Executive Director Michael Hudson the evening of July 26, 2024. Saturday July 27, 2024 will host two discussions at Holtzman Alumni Center Assembly Hall centering around the histories of the native peoples, the Preston Family and the enslaved people who lived on the land. The DAR have provided funding for a building that will demonstrate colonial activities and crafts which will host the children’s summer camp as well. On July 27, 2024, the DAR will have a dedication on the property. Between the events, there will be lunches and a Commemoration Dinner for guests to enjoy.
Hudson hopes this commemoration will help Smithfield become more than just a place to take historic tours and instead, engage with the community and be more accessible for the community.
