Open Daily 11am - 5pm

When the call to arms was made during the Revolutionary War in response to a challenge by British Colonel Patrick Ferguson to the Overmountain settlers of North Carolina and Virginia, the men of Washington County, Virginia, answered in force. 400 men made their way to the muster grounds in Abingdon, a well-known meeting place.

The field at the Abingdon Muster Grounds is a remnant of the original muster ground, then known as Craig’s Meadow. They gathered under Colonel William Campbell on the 24th of September 1780, said goodbye to their loved ones, and headed south that same day to join other Patriot militia who were gathering at Fort Watauga at Sycamore Shoals (today Elizabethton, Tennessee) on September 25.

Concurrently, troops were mustering throughout the foothills and mountains of the Upper South as well. Although they didn’t know it yet, these Virginia troops would end up marching the farthest of any regiment of the campaign on their quest for safety and independence.

The resulting confrontation with Ferguson’s troops, called the Battle of Kings Mountain, resulted in an overwhelming victory for the Patriots and is now seen as one of the most important turning points of the war.

The Abingdon Muster Grounds features the W. Blair Keller, Jr. Interpretive Center, and a certified section of the Overmountain National Historic Trail., which is 0.6 miles long.

Parking and restrooms are available at the interpretive center. Picnic tables are available along the trail.

The Keller Interpretive Center is open daily 11am-5pm during the Virginia Highlands Festival.