Our Family Heritage
History of the Everettstown Families and Friends Reunion
Celebrating 56 years since the first family gathering in 1971
Roots in Everettstown
Where Our Story Begins
The reunion traces its heritage to the community of Everettstown in Lynchburg, Virginia. It honors the legacy of John Walter Everett, the son of formerly enslaved parents, who traveled north from Virginia more than 125 years ago.
In the summer of 1971, Vera McDaniel, a daughter of Samuel Everett, hosted a yard party at her home in Franconia, Virginia, a suburb of Washington, D.C. Approximately 50 relatives, representing four generations of the Everett family, attended.
Its success inspired Richard Everett and his wife, Alice Anderson Everett, to host a similar gathering the following summer at their home in Forest, Virginia. Again, approximately 50 family members attended.
A Reunion Takes Shape
From Kinfolks Gathering to Formal Reunion
Nearly ten years later, siblings Howard Anderson and Shirley Anderson McGue and their first cousin Arthelia Everett Wood recalled gatherings at their homes and at Saint Paul Baptist Church. They envisioned a "Kinfolks Reunion" bringing together the Anderson, Braxton, Calloway, Everett, Jones, and Poindexter families. They named it the Everettstown Families and Friends Reunion.
The planning committee included Ethel Davis, Ethel Spann, Edna Spann, Arthelia Wood, Shirley Anderson McGue, and Leroy "Butch" Everett. Arthelia Wood served as chairperson.
In July 1981, more than 300 people gathered at the Hilton Hotel in Lynchburg, Virginia, for the first Everettstown Families and Friends Reunion. Its success led the committee to propose holding future reunions biennially, inviting everyone with an Everettstown background or family connection.
The Pillars of Our Reunion
Faith
Rooted in the church community of Saint Paul Baptist Church, faith has guided and united our family across generations.
Family
From the Anderson, Braxton, Calloway, Everett, Jones, and Poindexter families — our bonds of kinship span continents and generations.
Music
Music has always been the heartbeat of our gatherings, lifting spirits and carrying our heritage forward in song.
History
We preserve African American family genealogy and celebrate the legacy of John Walter Everett and all who came before us.
Ancestry Symposium
Explore Your Roots
The 2027 reunion will feature an Ancestry Symposium where family members can explore genealogical records, share family trees, and connect with distant relatives.
Bring your documents, photos, and stories. Our genealogy volunteers will be on hand to help you trace your Everettstown roots and document your family's unique branch of the tree.
Ancestry Symposium
Bring your family documents, old photographs, and stories. Every piece of history you carry is a gift to the generations that follow.
The Land We Come From
Everettstown, Lynchburg, Virginia
Everettstown is a historic African American community in Lynchburg, Virginia, where the Everett family put down roots generations ago. The community's name itself is a testament to the family's enduring presence and influence in the region.
Returning to Lynchburg for the 2027 reunion is a homecoming in the truest sense — a chance to walk the streets our ancestors walked, visit the churches where they worshipped, and feel the ground that shaped who we are.
A Living Tradition
A Living Tradition
The reunion preserves African American family genealogy, celebrates history, and brings extended family and friends together in fellowship. In 2027, the family celebrates 56 years since the 1971 gathering and 46 years since the first formal reunion in 1981 — carrying its heritage and treasured relationships forward for generations to come.
Family • Friendship • Faith • History