Centennial celebration
George Washington SAR Chapter marking 100th anniversary
On June 5, 1924, the George Washington Chapter of the Sons of the American Revolution was chartered and 100 years later, the third oldest chapter in Pennsylvania is still going strong.
The chapter’s centennial will be celebrated with a special luncheon June 8 at the Hollywood Casino at the Meadows in Washington. Andy Masich, president and CEO of the Heinz History Center, will be the guest speaker.
“Our chapter will be celebrating this all through the year,” said Gary Timmons, chapter president.
The Sons of the American Revolution, formed in 1889, is a nonprofit partisan organization dedicated to promoting patriotism, preserving American history and teaching American history to future generations.
Throughout those 100 years, the Washington County-based chapter has stayed true to its mission of preserving the members’ patriot ancestors for future generations.
Some of the activities in which the club has served the county include replacing numerous Revolutionary War tombstones that were no longer legible or obtaining markers for those who served in the war.
In the last year, the chapter has placed signs in 61 Washington County cemeteries listing the names of more than 500 Revolutionary War veterans buried in them.
“Each sign has a unique QR code that when you take out your smartphone, it will bring up the names of the Revolutionary War veterans who are buried in that particular cemetery,” Timmons said. “That’s something that we can continually update. One of our members came up with the idea. It’s been really well-received. It’s actually gone to cemeteries in the states of West Virginia, Ohio and Maryland, who have all picked up on this idea. It helps preserve the memory of the Revolutionary War soldiers.”
The chapter also recently updated a book of Washington County Revolutionary War soldiers buried in the county.
“There’s over 1,000 names in that book,” Timmons said. “A lot of them, we don’t know where they’re buried. We know they’re from Washington County and maybe they lived and died in
Washington County and might be buried on a family farm or (elsewhere).”
According to the George Washington Chapter website, 1,044 veterans of the war are buried in more than 160 county cemeteries.
The George Washington Chapter also is one of the largest gatherers of wreaths placed at the National Cemetery for the Alleghenies for Wreaths Across America. In 2023, the chapter received sponsorship for 2,042 wreaths and the National Cemetery of the Alleghenies received 3,155 in the chapter’s name.
The chapter also participates in various area parades and members speak to schools about the Revolutionary War era.
Club membership sits at about 110.
“Over the years, our membership kind of fluctuated, as with all organizations,” Timmons explained. “We’re a little harder to get into because you do have to have an ancestor who either fought in or supported the cause of the American Revolution. There’s a lot of people who like history, but they may not be eligible to join the organization.”
Timmons has been with the chapter since 2001. He lives in Wheeling, but joined the Washington County chapter because he has Revolutionary War ancestors buried in the county.
“I’ve always liked history,” he said. “Once I retired and I had the time, I got really involved in genealogy and tried to find out things about my family and where they came from.”
Anyone interested in joining the chapter may inquire through its website at georgewashingtonchapter.wordpress.com.
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