Meet George Washington at Mt. Zion Baptist Church

Oct. 6—The first president is coming to Richmond this Sunday, as reenactor Dale Fellows takes on the role of George Washington for a special event at Mt. Zion Baptist Church.

The event, which starts at 2:30 p.m., is part of a series of historical reenactments organized by the Battle of Richmond Association. Is is a free event, but donations are encouraged.

A Martha Washington performer will be in attendance at the event as well.

The Sons of the American Revolution will be in attendance in their uniforms. Period accurate flags from Washington's era will be placed along Mt. Zion Church on the day of the event.

It is recommended that attendants come early. A short reception with a chance for photographs will be held following Fellows' performance.

Organizers put together events like this one twice a year — once in the spring with a performance based on Civil War history, and once in the fall with one based on general American history.

"We started this program of historical speakers, we were thinking, 'How do we do this?' It evolved into we have a Civil War person in the spring and an American history person in the fall. Last year, we had Theodore Roosevelt," Battle of Richmond Visitors Center Curator Phillip Seyfrit said.

This past April, historian Bernie O'Bryan portrayed Lew Wallace — a Union general, governor, diplomat, attorney, and author of the legendary "Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ."

According to Seyfrit, Washington does have connections to the Civil War. Due to the fact that both sides of the conflict used him as a figurehead.

"Both sides during the war really idolized Washington, but for different reasons. The Confederacy viewed Washington as a native son of Virginia. He was one of many, and probably the most visible, to break the chains of government," Seyfrit said. "The Union saw Washington as the father of our country. Thus, they were fighting to preserve it. They each have a little bit of a valid claim to his memory."

Seyfrit also said Madison County is unique in that it has claims to battles from both the Civil War and Revolutionary War eras.

"A lot of people don't realize this. Madison County is the only county west of the Appalachians that has a significant Civil War battle with the Battle of Richmond and a significant Revolutionary War battle with the siege of Boonesborough. The siege is a Revolutionary War battle. It's not a classic set up with the red coats. It's a different concept, but it is a battle in that Revolutionary War time period," Seyfrit said.