2026 SESSION
ENROLLED
HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 72
Commending Patrick Henry's Scotchtown.
Agreed to by the House of Delegates, January 26, 2026
Agreed to by the Senate, January 29, 2026
WHEREAS, Patrick Henry's Scotchtown, a well-preserved Colonial-era residence in Hanover County, will celebrate the 250th anniversary of Patrick Henry's election as the first governor of an independent Virginia in 2026; and
WHEREAS, Patrick Henry purchased Scotchtown in 1771 and resided there during the early stages of the American Revolution, when he became well known for his passionate oratory, including the famous “Give me liberty or give me death!” speech at St. John's Church in Richmond in 1775; and
WHEREAS, Patrick Henry remained an influential proponent of American independence and served as a delegate for Hanover County at the Fifth Virginia Convention in May 1776, when Virginia declared its independence from Britain and drafted the Virginia Declaration of Rights; and
WHEREAS, the members of the Fifth Virginia Convention elected Patrick Henry as governor of Virginia, and he was inaugurated on June 29, 1776, a few days before the Second Continental Congress declared independence for the Thirteen Colonies; and
WHEREAS, Patrick Henry continued to reside at Scotchtown after he was elected as governor, making Scotchtown the Commonwealth's first executive mansion; and