Achilles & Bena
December 22, 2021
Michael Wade
In Gloucester County, if you’re driving down Guinea Road, you’ll come across these two communities snuggled so close together you won’t realize you’ve gone from one to the other.
Red Man's Hall, or more formally The Improved Order of Red Men.
Located in Achilles, this is actually the oldest fraternal organization in America; and chartered by Congress. It’s origins date back to 1765 and grew out of a network of early patriots known as the Sons of Liberty. “These patriots concealed their identities and worked "underground" to help establish freedom and liberty in the early Colonies. They patterned themselves after the great Iroquois Confederacy and its democratic governing body.”
For more information on them go here: http://www.redmen.org/redmen/info/?fbclid=IwAR2Y7vYt6kf_lxPqgi8B4OybuF5DO7ROrZPw-FMVgmoNe0hBn-OOEcEMD64
The Bena Post Office and General Store.
This little building is behind the Post Office. Maybe if you don't use proper postage they make you sit in here?
Right across from the Post Office and General Store is the competition - C. B. Rowe & Sons. Been 'round since 1920. Notice that the signage stating that they’ve been around since 1920 also designates their location as Bena, Virginia.
Every little town needs a barber shop.