About Us
History
The Virginia Dare Chapter, NSDAR, in Kill Devil Hills, North Carolina, hosted its official organizing meeting with 25 members on Saturday, March 28, 1998, at the Elizabethan Gardens complex on Roanoke Island.
Kill Devil Hills is located in Dare County, North Carolina, and is one of many small towns along a narrow strip of land known as the Outer Banks. It is recognized as the birthplace of aviation. Orville and Wilbur Wright designed, built, and flew the first airplane off a small hill in Kitty Hawk on December 17, 1903.
In addition to the Wright Brothers’ Memorial, there are many points of interest in Dare County, including the Atlantic Ocean, beautiful beaches, wildlife refuges, bird sanctuaries, lighthouses at Bodie Island and Cape Hatteras, the Island Farm (circa 1847), and museums.
Virginia Dare
Our chapter’s namesake, Virginia Dare, was born on August 18, 1587, on Roanoke Island. She was the first English child born in the New World. Her parents were Ananias Dare and his wife Eleanor, the daughter of Governor John White. They were among the approximately 120 settlers who left England on May 8, 1587, on an expedition sponsored by Sir Walter Raleigh. The child was named Virginia after the new Virginia Colony. Virginia Dare was baptized on August 24, the Sunday following her birth.
The birth of Virginia Dare is known to be a true fact, because her grandfather, Governor John White, returned to England for supplies that same year. He was unable to return to the colony until three years later, due to war between England and Spain. When he finally did return in 1590, he found the colony abandoned. The houses were intact, but the colonists had completely disappeared. The fate of the colony remains a mystery. The Lost Colony play is presented each summer, which depicts the lives of settlers and the birth of Virginia Dare in 1587.
Scene from The Lost Colony. The Roanoke Island Historical Association (RIHA) is a non-profit and the producing organization of The Lost Colony. This play commemorates the history of the first English colonies in North America on Roanoke Island, North Carolina.
Photo used by permission from the Roanoke Island Historical Association
Meetings
The Virginia Dare Chapter, NSDAR, welcomes prospective new members and visitors. The chapter currently conducts six regular meetings with speakers, field trips, an annual Christmas Tea, and a final luncheon meeting each year.
Our chapter meets in the months from January through May and September through December. We encourage anyone interested in joining DAR to attend one of our meetings to better understand the DAR organization and especially our chapter.
Please contact us if you would like to attend a chapter meeting. Our members can assist you in obtaining your goal of membership in the Daughters of the American Revolution.