The Botetourt County Board of Supervisors and the Fincastle Resolutions Chapter of the Sons of the American Revolution (SAR) held a signing ceremony for the amended Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for a memorial for Colonel William Preston at the Botetourt Center at Greenfield. The Board adopted the MOU at its regularly monthly meeting in July, moving the project one step closer to realization.
“The project for Colonel Preston’s memorial has been in the works for nearly 20 years,” said Rupert Cutler, SAR Chapter Commitee Chair.
Under the provisions of the updated MOU, the County and the SAR will agree upon a location for the memorial and will share some of the final costs of the construction. The SAR has provided the concept plan for the memorial and will provide construction drawings for approval by the County. The next step will be a major fundraising campaign by the SAR to move into the final planning stages.
“I have designated this Preston Memorial project as our chapter’s number-one priority for completion,” said Charile Coale, President of the Fincastle Resolutions Chapter. “The project has been supported widely by the Botetourt County Board of Supervisors and local Botetourt citizens, Daughters of the American Revolution chapters, and the descendants of William Preston. The members of our chapter have contributed significant funds and have given their time and energy to the memorial project.”
The Preston Memorial project is a part of an ongoing effort to recognize and celebrate the history of Botetourt County. Colonel William Preston lived on the land that now makes up the Botetourt Center at Greenfield and was one of the founding fathers of Botetourt County. He was active in colonial and revolutionary affairs in the western part of the colonies and was instrumental in surveying the lands of the Northwest Territory, namely what would become Kentucky. The memorial will serve as a lasting legacy to this multifaceted, significant historical figure who called Botetourt “home.”
“This memorial is a great opportunity to celebrate a key figure in Botetourt’s historic past,” said Dr. Donald Scothorn, Chairman of the Botetourt County Board of Supervisors. “I am happy that the Board can partner with the Sons of the American Revolution to help in the next steps of making the memorial a reality.”
