This “Minutemen” Orange County Leaders tour will visit many of the most important historic homes and homesites, while hearing important detailed stories of Orange County’s “Minutemen” leaders along the way. The Culpeper Minute Battalion was like no other, as they were the only Minute Battalion in Virginia to fully form and then respond quickly and efficiently in a moment of critical need for Virginia. Culpeper District’s quick actions helped liberate Virginia from British rule by 1776 thus aided in saving the Revolution.

Virginia historian Jim Bish and Battles of Hampton and Great Bridge military historian Pat Hannum will lead the tour. The Orange and Madison Counties Tour of Culpeper Minutemen Leaders will leave the Museum of Culpeper History by 9:00 am and will drive by the Lawrence Taliaferro’s Rose Hill home to learn about the Taliaferro and Spencer family. We will then visit the Taylor Family Bloomsbury homesite. The Taylor family of Bloomsbury connects Culpeper Minutemen Ambrose Madison, Garland Burnley, Charles Taylor, Richard Taylor and Burgess James Taylor. After leaving Bloomsbury we will eat lunch at the Main Street Tavern in Madison (Lunch is on your own) before driving to private home of Minuteman Ambrose Madison’s Woodley. After Woodley we will drive to Madison’s Montpelier as Minutemen Ambrose Madison is buried in the cemetery. After leaving Montpelier we plan on visiting the homesites in Madison County of Capt. Abraham Buford and stop by Hebron Church before heading back to the Museum of Culpeper History.

The minutemen leaders from Orange County comprised unprecedented leadership including a brother to future President James Madison and a father to President Zachary Taylor. Other Orange County Minutemen include close cousins of Virginia’s most influential political leaders of the day, including Speakers of Virginia’s House of Burgesses, John Robinson, and Edmund Pendleton (First and Second Continental Congress and Presiding Officer of the Virginia Conventions from July 1775-July 1776), and a close relationship with General and Virginia Governor Thomas Nelson.

Don’t miss the chance to visit the homes and homesites and to learn about Orange County’s heroes of 250 years ago by signing up for the “The Road to Freedom Started Here: Orange County’s Minutemen Leaders Tour on Thursday October 23, 2025. The tour will start at 9am from the Museum of Culpeper History in Culpeper at 113 S. Commerce St, Culpeper and return by 4:30 pm. The cost for the all-day tour is $50 with lunch at the Main Street Tavern in Orange (Pay on your own) as we will be visiting both public and private historic sites associated with Orange County Minutemen Leaders. Don’t miss this only opportunity to learn about Orange County’s leaders who helped to create America.