Places
Towns &
Counties
There are 19 Towns & Counties named for Dr. Joseph Warren. We hope that you will enjoy reading about each of those places as we highlight their history & ongoing legacy.
Warren County, New York
In the mid–1700’s, the British claimed the land now known as Warren County & defended it from the French & Canadians. In 1762, the Queensbury Patent opened up the area & a large part was sold to a group of Quakers from Dutchess County. Abraham Wing & his son-in-law arrived in Queensbury in 1763, to survey the land he & others now owned.
Among the earliest residents of the area of Warren County, were the Cameron family, who were Scottish immigrants. They came to America in 1773 & settled on a large piece of land along the river known now as “the Gillingham farm”. The Cameron family still thrive in this area.
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In 1774, King George III opened Hyde Township to 39 investors, one of whom was John Thurman. He eventually (in 1788) purchased land from the other investors to the amount of almost 25,000 acres.
In 1796, the town of Warren was created from the town of German Flats. On March 12, 1813, the State of New York signed into law a bill that would remove this area from its parent county, Washington. This new jurisdiction became known as Warren County & was named for Revolutionary War General Joseph Warren who was killed at the Battle of Bunker Hill. At 2 pm on that day, church bells all over Warren County were rung in remembrance of the incorporation of Warren County.
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Officials first met in a Lake George Coffee House in the hamlet of Caldwell (known today as Lake George Village). James Caldwell, a patentee of the town of Caldwell, donated land within the hamlet to serve as the county seat beginning in 1819
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Warren County is situated in the eastern portion of New York State in the Adirondack Mountains, is 932 sq. miles & in 2020 population was 65,737. The county seat is in Queensbury.
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Our thanks to the individuals & institutions that came before us to research Warren County.
“The Evolution of Warren County” (2021) Column prepared by Stan Cianfarano, Co-President of Warren County Historical Society & Warren County Historian
“History of Warren, NY” (1869) Compiled & Published By Hamilton Child, Syracuse, NY
The Warren County Historical Society
Hotel lobby of a local resort in Lake George, NY
that displays a portrait of Dr. Warren.
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For more information on upcoming events in Warren County visit the website of the Warren County Historical Society and the official website of Warren County.
Sidenote: Our Foundation awards one $500 scholarship to a high school senior in Warren County, NY each year.
Warren County, Virginia
When Rev. Larry Johnson & his wife Sondra arrived in Warren County, Virginia, they wondered why the county was named “Warren”. Finding no one to answer their question, they set out to find the answer for themselves . . .
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Warren County is located in the Commonwealth of Virginia. Officially founded on March 9, 1836 with the county seat being Front Royal. Warren County's history is unique because it can be traced to prehistoric times. The Thunderbird & Flint Run archeological complex consisting of 1,800 acres of prehistoric sites cover the entire range of human prehistory in eastern North America, roughly a 12,000-year period from approximately 10,000 B.C. to 1600 A.D.
The first settlers appeared in the Shenandoah Valley around 1730. Leadership & military manpower were the major resources supplied by Warren County & other Shenandoah River communities during the Revolutionary War.​
Warren County, Virginia was of strategic importance during the Civil War because of its agricultural productivity & ability to transport goods. The battle of Front Royal, on May 23, 1862, was one of the battles in General Stonewall Jackson’s famous Valley Campaign. The Civil War destroyed most of the buildings in Warren County. However, by the 1890’s, the county had again become an agricultural center of importance. An enormous vineyard was started near Front Royal. Manufacturing & other industries regained the importance they had once known. Warren County continued to grow with private & government plants operated during World War II.​
When Rev. Johnson found that Warren County, VA was named for Dr. Joseph Warren, the hero killed at Bunker Hill, he wanted to bring that legacy back to life. Today, Rev. Johnson is known as “Liberty Man”. He gives countless speeches to groups & organizations. He initiated a program to have plaques put in Warren County schools & have the children educated about Dr. Warren & his contributions to the founding of America. Rev. Johnson & other members of the Col. James Wood II Chapter of the Sons of American Revolution placed plaques in the public schools to honor Dr. Joseph Warren.
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More recently Rev. Johnson has promoted a resolution in support of naming the South Fork Bridge for Maj. Gen. Dr. Joseph Warren. Click here for article.
Picture of the plaque placed in schools in Warren County, VA
Click here for an article in the Winchester Star about this plaque
The Warren County Government now holds a “Dr. Joseph Warren Flag Ceremony” at their main administration building annually since 2018. Described as “Occasion of the Lowering of County flags to Honor Major General Dr. Joseph Warren”, the flags are lowered to half-staff on his
birthday June 11 (1741) & raised again on June 17 (1775), the date he was killed at the Battle of Bunker Hill. The Colonel James Wood II Chapter of the Sons of the American Revolution present the colors & perform a three-volley salute from flintlock muskets & rifles to honor Dr. Warren & commemorate his contribution to the patriot’s cause of “Liberty or Death”. At which time, there is a wreath laying ceremony & the Right Reverend Johnson, Chaplain of the SAR chapter gives a benediction & speech on why the County honors & memorializes its namesake.
We would like to acknowledge Matt Wendling, Deputy Planning Director/ County Floodplain Manager of the Warren County Planning Department for his guidance & expertise in creating this article
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Update: On June 21, 2022, the Commonwealth Transportation Board passed the resolution to name the South Fork Bridge in Front Royal in honor of Dr. Warren. On Weds. November 16, 2022, the sign was installed on the bridge. A dedication ceremony was held on November 19, 2022. The Dr. Joseph Warren Foundation was honored to be a part of that ceremony.
Warren, Pennsylvania
In September of 1795, General William Irvine and Surveyor Andrew Ellicott, along with several others, arrived in what would soon become Warren, PA. According to surveyor George Burgess, the town “takes its name from General Warren who was kill’d in the Bunkers Hill whose statue is to be plac’d in the centre of the town”.
General William Irvine fought in the Revolutionary War, himself, a doctor born the same year as General Warren (1741). He was sent by the new U.S. Government as a military escort to Andrew Ellicott. They were to survey land in northwest Pennsylvania that would be given to soldiers as payment for their service in the Revolutionary War. “They intended the town and county to be a monument to this hero (General Warren).”
This small town has one of only 4 statues that exist of Dr. Warren. It is located at the corner of Pennsylvania Ave & Third St in General Joseph Warren Park. The General Joseph Warren Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution was organized February 22, 1911 & soon began the project of this statue. The ladies in charge of this statue went to great lengths to ensure it had the best likeness of Warren possible, including traveling to Chicago to check it prior to shipment and then asking the sculptor to make changes. The statue was based on Copley’s portrait of Dr. Warren & is life size. It sits on a 10 ½ foot granite pedestal that has two bronze plates. One plate is specifically for General Warren and the second is for the Revolutionary heroes that are buried in Warren PA.
Warren is a small town located in north western PA at the confluence of the Allegheny River and the Conewango Creek. Its current population is a little under 10,000 and the county is a little under 40,000. This community has a long history of celebrating America and its military legacy especially in its parks and the General Joseph Warren DAR and the Warren Historical Society seem to be involved in each and every celebration.
The local newspaper, the “Times Observer”, shows a community of great pride in its heritage and a community with great patriotism. On June 15th they ran a story about a Flag Day Ceremony and how important patriotism is to this community.
Here are a few interesting facts:
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Warren is the headquarters for the Allegheny National Forest, which has hunting, fishing & winter sports.
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Warren is the home to the 2nd oil well ever drilled in the world . . . Grandin Well.
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Johnny Appleseed’s first orchard is in Warren County. Quite a coincidence considering that Dr. Warren’s family owned an orchard in Roxbury, Mass and was known for the Warren Russet.
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In 2013, the daughter of Michelle Gray, Managing Director of the Historical Society, and her classmates wondered why there was no Founder’s Day in Warren. She was a 4th-grader at St. Joseph’s Catholic School. Founder’s Day is now celebrated in Warren every year on April 18th. This date is considered the founding date of Warren and it is on that same day in 1775 that General Warren sent Revere and Dawes on their famous midnight rides. Click here to read the story.
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In June of 2015, Warren County Historical Society held a ceremony commemorating what they called “the history altering life, death, and legacy of General Joseph Warren". They even had an actress play Warren’s mother, Mary. Click here for the story.
Please visit the links in this article to learn more about Warren PA and its wonderful history. Thanks for celebrating Warren!
We would like to thank Ms. Sam Brawand of the General Joseph Warren DAR Chapter and Michelle Gray, Managing Director of the Warren County Historical Society for their time in helping us research Warren PA.