GRAYSON COUNTY, Va. – Patchwork 250 is a new initiative from WSLS 10 that tells Virginia’s story, one piece at a time. Like a quilt made of many patches, every person, story, and tradition adds something special to our history. Join us as we celebrate 250 years by sharing the stories that make our region unique, one patch at a time.
Inside the Grayson County Historical Society, there’s a piece of American history you might not expect to find: a dress owned by first lady Eleanor Roosevelt.
It’s a connection to Southwest Virginia that Laura Bryant with the Grayson County Historical Society is proud to share.
“It’s interesting to see that tie in to Grayson County from one of the presidents’ wives,” Bryant said.
In 1933, shortly after her husband FDR took office, Eleanor Roosevelt took a trip to the White Top folk festival in Grayson County.
“She was invited, and she came,” Bryant said.
But her connection to Southwest Virginia goes back further than that.
“Eleanor’s father would come to Abingdon to have a retreat and get out of the heat of the city. So, Eleanor knew about the area. She would also travel it some with him because he invested in some of the woodlands around here,” she said.
After the festival, a teacher wrote to the White House, hoping to snag a piece of what she already knew at the time would become history.
“There was an enterprising teacher, Ms. Witherow, who wrote Eleanor and asked if she could have the dress that Eleanor wore. Ms. Witherow was a school teacher, and she wanted to raise money to support her little one room school,” Bryant said.
To her surprise, the White House responded.
“The secretary for Mrs. Roosevelt wrote back and said, ‘Mrs. Roosevelt would like to keep the dress and wear it a few more times before she gives it away. We will contact you when that is, and send you the dress.’”
Years passed, and the dress was all but forgotten. Until one day, the secretary wrote back.
“‘The dress that Mrs. Roosevelt wore was not available, would you be interested in another one?’” Bryant said.
The dress was passed down through the teacher’s family, and eventually was given to the Grayson County Historical Society.
Today, it remains one of the museum’s most unique artifacts — a reminder of Eleanor Roosevelt’s visit to White Top, and the persistence of a small-town teacher who simply decided to ask.
Want to discover more stories that make Virginia unique? Visit the Patchwork 250 page to explore the full quilt of our region’s history, one patch at a time.