The Mathews VA250 Committee is working hard on event planning and fundraising so it can provide Mathews residents with a memorable celebration for the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence next year.
The committee is asking individuals and businesses in Mathews and across the state and beyond to contribute to its efforts, said committee chair Fred Lyon, especially since Mathews has something unique to offer the nationwide celebration. The county is the site of the first land/sea battle that was held after the signing of the Declaration of Independence—the Battle of Cricket Hill—resulting in the final exit of Lord Dunmore, the last royal governor, from American soil. Not only that, but Mathews has an original musical to commemorate the battle, “Crickets on a Hill,” written by the late Judy Ward of Gwynn’s Island and being produced in 2026 in partnership with the Court House Players and Ward’s singing partner Dave Shuber.
With a $75,000 goal, Lyon said that committee members have raised $25,000 to date in cash, pledges, and a $3,500 grant from the Virginia Humanities Council. An application has gone in to the Virginia Tourism Council for a $10,000 matching grant, he said, but that will still leave the committee short of its goal.
Any contribution is welcome, said Lyon, with recognition provided for those who contribute in amounts of $250 or greater. A $250 donation is the 250 Patriot level, and it comes with recognition on social media, in programs, and in the newspaper, according to a flyer. It also offers free entry to the 1776 Run/Walk on July 4. At $500, the General Andrew Lewis level, a donor receives these benefits and additionally receives free admission for two to all Mathews VA250 events.
Each additional level of giving offers additional benefits. At the $1,000 Patrick Henry level, the donor additionally gets name recognition on a banner at the Battle of Cricket Hill, Crickets on a Hill, and the July 4 Courthouse Picnic and 1776 Run/Walk, along with an invitation to the July 7 reception for Andrew Law-ler, author of “A Perfect Frenzy,” the national bestseller about the history of the Dunmore campaign and its culmination at the Battle of Cricket Hill (which he calls the Battle of Gwynn’s Island).
Additional giving levels are James Madison, $2,500; Thomas Jefferson, $5,000; and George Washington, $10,000. At the George Washington level, donors will additionally be entitled to be named primary sponsor of all Mathews VA250 events and will receive five invitations to the Andrew Lawler reception.
Donations may be mailed to Mathews VA250, P.O. Box 853, Mathews, Va. 23109 or made online at courthouseplayers.org/crickets-2026.
For more information, email Lyon at fredlyon250@gmail.com
VA250 events
Lyon said the VA250 celebration actually began last year and has continued this year with two successful Americana concerts to celebrate the Virginia Declaration of Rights. Another one is planned for next year, he said.
The committee also funded two LoveWorks signs with Revolutionary War themes, one at Williams Wharf and the other at The Hatchery on Gwynn’s Island.
“Both have already attracted people from out of the area,” he said.
Lyon said his committee has begun to work with Mathews schools on creating educational opportunities for students related to the Revolutionary War, and next March or April, in the lead-up to the main commemorative events, Dr. Patrick Hannum, a Revolutionary War scholar, will visit Mathews to give a presentation on the events of 1776 in Virginia.
A Revolutionary War-themed art show will be coordinated by the Bay School for next July, said Lyon, and the committee is partnering with the Mathews Outdoor Club on a 1776 historical Run/Walk to be held on July 4. Participants will go 1.776 miles, with costumed soldiers marking the route, he said, and afterward, there will be a picnic on the Mathews Court Green with patriotic music and free hot dogs, chips, cookies, and soda.
The actual Battle of Cricket Hill took place from July 8-10, 1776, and a commemoration of the event will be held on the morning of Thursday, July 9, by the Richard Henry Lee Chapter of the Sons of the American Revolution and the 7th Virginia Cavalry, said Lyon. The ceremony will be held at Morningstar Marina, where the redoubts are still preserved, and will include the dedication of a Road to the Revolution sign. Speaker Lawler, whose recently published book “A Perfect Frenzy” tells the story of Lord Dunmore’s campaign through Tidewater, climaxing with the Battle of Cricket Hill and his final exit from Virginia. That evening, a cocktail reception will be held in Lawler’s honor.
On July 10 and 11, historic encampments will be set up at the Gwynn’s Island Civic Center, with reenactments of Revolutionary-era cannon fire, Colonial dances, and other activities. “The Luna,” a replica of an 18th-century colonial trading sloop built by the Colonial Seaport Foundation, will drop anchor in Milford Haven.
Finally, multiple performances of “Crickets on a Hill” are being planned for next summer, said Lyon. The musical includes original songs written by the late Judy Ward, with orchestral arrangement by Dave Shuber, which tells the story of how local people might have reacted to war being brought to their doorstep, ending with their triumphant expulsion of Lord Dunmore from Gwynn’s Island.
Lyon said the committee is working with local organizations to make VA250 “a real community celebration.”
“We want it to be unifying and welcoming to all members of the community,” said Lyon. “It will be inclusive and celebratory.”