Five Rivers Chapter Daughters of the American Revolution Visits BRTC REACH Site

The Fiver Rivers Chapter Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) recently visited Black River Technical College’s (BRTC) REACH site to commemorate the grave of Revolutionary War Patriot Edward Hudson.

The declaration took place at the Upshaw Cemetery in Randolph County and a DAR grave stake and an American flag were placed in his honor. The group was also given a tour of the Rice-Upshaw house by DAR member Cindy Robinett, whose ancestors lived in the house.

The Rice-Upshaw house was built in 1828 and is one of the oldest standing private dwellings in Arkansas. At least five generations of the family had resided in the house before being donated to BRTC to be used for educational purposes.

BRTC’s Project Researching Early Arkansas Cultural Heritage (REACH) is a historical preservation project focusing on the Rice-Upshaw House (built 1828) and the Looney-French House (built 1833). Both houses, listed on the National Register of Historical Places, were donated to BRTC by descendants of the families who built them.

For more information about BRTC’s Project REACH contact Shawna Lepard at shawna.lepard@blackrivertech.edu or (870) 248-4026.