The Alleghany Chapter of the National Society Daughters of the American Revolution (NSDAR or DAR) was organized in Blacksburg, Virginia, on January 28, 1911.  Our Organizing Regent was Mrs. Paul Barringer. She was the wife of the President of what was then known as Virginia Agricultural and Mechanical College and Polytechnical Institute.  (The school was usually called VPI in those days but it is now known as Virgnia Tech.) There were 22 women present at that first meeting in the home of President and Mrs. Barringer.  By October 12, 1912, when NSDAR granted the chapter charter, the membership had grown to 32. Wanting to pay tribute to the brave settlers who came to what was then the frontier and who fought against the British for independence, the organizing members chose “Alleghany” as the name of the Chapter. (Virginians have always used the British spelling of the word while Pennsylvanians have kept the French spelling: “Allegheny”.)

1938 Ceremony for Col. James Patton (photo courtesy of Special Collections at Virginia Tech)

Our chapter has always followed the Mission Statement of the National Society:  “to promote historic preservation, education, and patriotism.”  In the early decades after its founding, the chapter placed two monuments commemorating local historic events: A 1916 monument memorializes a fort built by local settlers during the French and Indian War.  The second monument, placed by the chapter in 1938, is dedicated to “Colonel James Patton and Pioneers Who Lost Their Lives in the Draper’s Meadow Massacre, July 1755”.

Over the years, the chapter has also marked the grave sites of several local Revolutionary War Patriots, most recently in 2020.

On October 7, 2020, a Plaque honoring Revolutionary Patriot Philip Barger was placed in the Barger Family Cemetery on Tom’s Creek Road in Blacksburg. A Virginia State DAR “Shine The Light” grant was awarded to Alleghany Chapter for purchase of the Bronze Plaque.

Philip Barger (1741-1802) served as a Private in the Montgomery County, VA militia during the Revolutionary War. Barger was known to be a man of courage, perseverance and industry. His family was among the first settlers in the Blacksburg area.

Revoolutionary Patriot Philip Barger is honored with a Memorial Plaque. Left to right: Barger Descendant Rosemary Green, Chairman of the Committee Joann Sutphin, Chapter Historian Dot Cupp, Barger descendant Tom Green, Chapter member Debbie Taught, Chapter Regent Karen Finch, Chapter member Kit Edwards.

Concurrently, Mr. Jon Dudding was honored for his voluntary service in maintaining the cemetery for several years. Though he is not a member of the family, Mr. Dudding has cared for the cemetery, mowed the grass, and pruned trees in the area.

The chapter also placed a DAR plaque on the grave of Revolutionary War Patriot, John Black in 2016.  

The town of Blacksburg was built on land originally owned by the father and brother of John Black. John was the overseer of roads during the Revolutionary War. He is a Patriot ancestor of current and former members of Alleghany Chapter NSDAR.

The 2016 dedication of the DAR Marker for John Black: Blacksburg Mayor Ron Rordam; Alleghany Chapter NSDAR past Regent and John Black descendant, Joann Sutphin; Craig Little, John Black descendant. (photo by Karen Finch)

Shown below is an interesting historic photograph, courtesy of Special Collections at the Virginia Tech Library. In 1941, the State Conference of Virginia Daughters of the American Revolution was held in Roanoke, Virginia. The women pictured below were all Regents of chapters in southwest Virginia and acted as hostesses for the Conference. The Regent for Alleghany Chapter NSDAR is third from the left.