Adaland Mansion and the Blue & Gray Reunion are the Barbour County Chamber of Commerce Members of the Month in July.
JoLynn Powers, left, is the Executive Director of Adaland. Linda Proudfoot is the Chairperson of the Blue & Gray Reunion.
Adaland Mansion, off U. S. Route 57 near Philippi, is a wedding and event venue and museum and an educational tourist attraction. The stately brick Victorian mansion was built in 1870 and its fully-restored home and barn welcome visitors annually from all over the world. Adaland’s beautifully-decorated rooms and peaceful gardens host weddings, school reunions, dinner theatres, musical evenings, and Heritage Days events. Live entertainment includes Murder Mystery Dinner Theatres. The venue is the site of educational classes in Yoga, gardening, and Extension courses in its gardens and orchards in cooperation with West Virginia University.
Adaland Mansion can provide a wedding coordinator, says Powers, and fully caters meals for receptions and special events. Buffet luncheon and English afternoon teas are also served. The barn is a popular location for casual events and country weddings, she says, while “our mission as a nonprofit corporation is to educate as well as keep the history of Barbour County alive.”
Born and raised in Boulder, West Virginia, Powers is a graduate of Glenville State College and has six years of experience in the non-profit field, focusing on historic properties and redevelopment. Adaland Mansion may be reached at Post Office Box 74 in Philippi. The facility is 3 miles from Philippi’s Covered Bridge following U. S. 19 North and turning West on U. S. 57 for about one mile. Their telephone number is (304) 457-1586. They are on the web at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
The Blue and Gray Reunion was incorporated by Lars Byrne and others in 1989 to educate the public about the historical significance of events related the Civil War in our area, relates Proudfoot. The year before, the City of Philippi published, “A Call to Arms”, to plan for an annual reunion during the first week of June in 1989. This year marks the 32nd annual reunion, she says.
The 2021 reunion featured 10 walking history stations on Friday featuring the Barbour Grays, a local Confederate reenactment group, General Ulysses S. Grant, the 1st Ohio Battery , Battery A Light Artillery, Lurty’s Virginia Horse Artillery, Hanger’s simulated amputation, tours of the historic Barbour County Courthouse, and presentations about the history of West Virginia’s statehood.
The 2021 Blue and Gray Reunion, Proudfoot said, opened Union and Confederate camps to the public, while Saturday’s program included skirmishes and a night battle with cannon fire across the Tygart River and a Preservation Ride to Laurel Hill. Sunday’s full reenactment was held in the same area which saw the June 3, 1861 battle. (Philippi is one of the few sites where the action takes place on the actual battlefield, she said.)
Next year’s Blue and Gray Reunion is scheduled for June 2 through 5 and the battle reenactment itself will take place on Sunday, June 5, 2022. Reunion officers plan the reenactment, educational programs, entertainment, the 5K race, quilt show, contests and car show. Anyone interested in volunteering is asked to contact any of the officers or committee chairs at blueandgrayreunion.org or by emailing This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. The mailing address is PO Box 911, Philippi 26416 and they are on facebook.