250th Anniversary of Lord Dunmore’s Virginia Campaign to be commemorated in Yorktown, Jun. 6 – 8

YORKTOWN – The 250th Anniversary of Lord Dunmore’s Virginia Campaign will be commemorated in Historic Yorktown this weekend.

Lord Dunmore – the man colonists loved to hate – served as the Colonial Governor in both New York and Virginia.

After dissolving the House of Burgesses in Williamsburg amid growing unrest, Dunmore escaped to a British ship in the York River on June 8, 1775. He recruited loyalist forces to his side and began launching raids and attacks on the Yorktown waterfront.

The public is invited to look back at this pivotal time in America’s history by attending a weekend of reenactments, musical performances and family-friendly activities.

The Colonial Seaport Foundation’s Luna and Riverwalk Landing will serve as the backdrop while reenactors portray angry colonists and British soldiers storm the waterfront.

The event, which is part of the Virginia 250 Celebration, will also include militia encampments, free deck tours and a special anniversary ceremony at 1 p.m. on Sunday, June 8.

Historian Dave Pondolfino will step into the role of Lord Dunmore for the event.

Pondolfino, who has also portrayed Lord Cornwallis and Benedict Arnold, says he has a penchant for historical “villains.”

“If you ask an actor, I think a lot of times what you are going to find is they enjoy doing villainous characters because they are fun,” he said.

The VA250 Mobile Museum experience will be available for visitors to tour for free from June 6 to 8 at the American Revolution Museum at Yorktown. 

The remainder of events will take place throughout the day on June 7 and 8.

For a full list of activities scheduled as part of the 250th Anniversary of Lord Dunmore’s Virginia campaign, click here.