Crossing Of The Dan Initiative Receives $20,000 Grant - Gazette - Virginian, December 1, 2004 The Town of South Boston received early notification Monday that a $20,000 grant has been appropriated by Congress to develop an exhibit on General Nathanael Greene's historic crossing of the Dan River. Daniel said the funds would be used for planning for Phase One of the exhibit scheduled for the second floor of The Prizery, a site overlooking the spot where Greene led his troops across the river. "This is the kind of seed money and investment that can help us so much," said Town Manager Ted Daniel. "Once again Virgil Goode has really helped us out. "It will be used to assemble historic records, procure documents, secure the services of artists for a mural and exhibit displays, accomplish required travel for historical research, develop architectural drawings of the exhibit infrastructure, and design lighting and audio plans," said Daniel. The exhibit will include information on the Revolutionary War, major leaders in the southern campaign, a time line for the crossing of the Dan, information on Greene's army in Halifax County, a video presentation of the actual crossing, an information on both the battle of Guilford Courtbouse and the Battle of Yorktown. Based on early estimates, the completed exhibit is expected to cost $175,000, according to Daniel. But he said the initial grant would allow those working on the projet to do the planning necessary for professional quality exhibit. Final funding for the exhibit is expected to be obtained through additional grants, according to Daniel. "The impact and the quality of the exhibit that we are doing here is going to be breathtaking," he said. "From an educational standpoint, from a historical preservation stand point and from a tourism standpoint this is going to be fantastic." The exhibit will help the community tap into the historical tourism market already established in Guilford Courthouse, according to Daniel. "It really was a very significant event" he said. "We really need to have a presence and have it documented." "This event is seen by many historians as the turning point of the Revolutionary War in the south, which in turn ended the war and gained for our country its independence," local historian Doug Powell said earlier this year. "An event of national interest took place here. When was the last time our community commemorated that event in any way?" Daniel said that eventually he would like to see an unmanned interpretive exhibit at the actual site of the crossing. "I think it would be the neatest thing in the world to have a display down there where people could go down to the river and see information about how they actually crossed it," he said.

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