Twickenham Town Chapter, DAR to dedicate monuments

HUNTSVILLE – An organization in Huntsville is perpetuating the brave actions of local heroes who defined our freedoms hundreds of years ago.

The Twickenham Town Chapter of the National Society Daughters of the American Revolution or NSDAR will dedicate two four-foot granite monuments at Huntsville-Madison County Veterans Memorial, 200 Monroe St. NW in downtown Huntsville.

The ceremony on Aug. 12 will open at 10 a.m. Chapter members encourage the public to attend the free dedication ceremony and onsite reception.

Names of 22 Revolutionary War Patriots who died in Madison County, Ala. are etched into the new monuments. The monuments flank an 8-foot, 3-ton granite monument that the local NSDAR Chapter erected in 1939. In addition, an attached bronze marker contains 84 Patriots’ names who also died in Madison County.

Penny Sumners, Historic Preservation Chair of Twickenham Town Chapter, led efforts to identify patriots missing from the 1939 monument. Sumners organized members to search military and Madison County records to document the men’s patriotic service.

In addition, Sumners directed a fundraising campaign to pay $10,000 to purchase and install the etched monuments.

The verified patriots etched into the new monuments are John Mosby Binford, Charles Dement, George Dickey, Owen Evans, Zachariah Greenhill Leigh, George Hallmark, Henry Harless, William Hogan, Richard Holmes, Colby Jackson, Fleming Jordan, Charles King, Benjamin Lynn, Michael Mason, James McCracken, Daniel McDuff, Andrew McElroy, Andrew Neely, Moses Poor, Daniel Rather, John Slaughter and John Whitaker.

According to Dr. Dorla Evans, Regent of Twickenham Town Chapter, “America will celebrate the 250th anniversary of its founding in 2026. The three monuments will be a dramatic backdrop for the coming celebrations. The dedication will be one to remember for years to come.”

A women’s nonprofit, nonpolitical service organization, DAR members can trace their lineage to an individual who contributed to securing American independence during the Revolutionary War. Today’s DAR is dynamic and diverse, with more than 185,000 members in 3,000 U.S. and global chapters.

DAR members annually provide millions of hours of volunteer service to their local communities across the country and worldwide. DAR chapters participate in projects to promote historic preservation, education and patriotism. More than 1 million members have joined the organization since its founding in 1890.

DAR preserves the memory and spirit of those who contributed to securing American independence. For more than 130 years, the DAR has strived to bring awareness to the honorable sacrifices and enduring legacy of all patriots who fought for America’s freedom.

Through the DAR Genealogical Research System, the public can access a free database of information that DAR has amassed about these patriots. For more information, visit dar.org/GRS.

Any woman is eligible for membership who is 18 years old or older, regardless of race, religion or ethnic background, who can prove lineal descent from a patriot of the American Revolution.

For more information, call Evans at 256-270-5688, email flagview7@gmail.com or visit dar.org or twickenhamtownchapterdar.weebly.com.