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By Pat Israel

Special to The K-V Dispatch

The new signs have been installed. Now it’s time to hold a dedication ceremony. We’re referring to the four new double-sided Gateway signs, which replace old and dilapidated versions welcoming people into Lunenburg along primary roads.

The four signs cover all of the entrances to Lunenburg from Charlotte, Mecklenburg and Nottoway counties. Each sign has information about the history of each of the two counties joined together at the line.

The Charlotte/Lunenburg sign, located near County Line Road at State Route 40 near Southside Virginia Community College (SVCC), will be dedicated on Saturday, July 27, at 10 a.m., a brief and informal event to which the public is invited.

In 2023, the Virginia Department of Historic Resources (DHR) notified Lunenburg County and the neighboring counties of Charlotte, Mecklenburg and Nottoway, that four of the historic, welcoming markers that had for so long stood at the shared county lines had reached age and condition at which they would have to be removed. These signs were much more than 20 years old and had, in some cases, become true eyesores. DHR requires that all highway and other historic markers be in good condition.

At the time at which such markers were placed, DHR paid for the manufacturing of the markers. Over the years, the cost of the markers has increased, and DHR is no longer able to fund replacements. In fact, the signs have become quite expensive, over $3300 each.

The Lunenburg County Historical Society immediately set about how to pay for replacement signs by working. with Jennifer Loux of DHR, who negotiated with Charlotte, Nottoway, and Mecklenburg Counties to pay half the cost of the new markers, sharing the cost of each sign. All three counties generously agreed.

Then the historical society began a fund-raising campaign of its own. Through sales, projects like Holiday House tours, and generous answers to appeals for donations – along with dipping into its own coffers – money was raised.

HOW CAN I HELP?

Additional donations toward the project are still very much appreciated to help the Society defray its expenses. You may mail checks with memo note “Gateway Signs” to LCHS Treasurer, Pat Israel, P.O. Box 974, Kenbridge, VA 23944. Because LCHS is a 501(c)(3) organization, with federal tax number 54-1947035, such donations are eligible for a Federal tax deduction.

Historical Society members said they hope people can drop by for the sign dedication. The one dedication on July 27 will be a ceremonial dedication for all four signs because it is the only safe location of the four sign venues due to the availability of a nearby parking lot at SVCC. It will be an historic event that will highlight the preservation of Lunenburg’s historical legacy as well as the history of neighboring Southside Virginia counties.