Jamestown Chapter, NSDAR 1-076, Jamestown, NY Meet the DAR The National Society Daughters of the American Revolution, better known as the DAR, is a service organization made up of more than 170,000 members in 3000 chapters in 50 states, the District of Columbia, and 11 foreign countries. On October 11, 1890, 18 women met to officially organize the NSDAR for historic, educational, and patriotic purposes; and it is now in its third century of service to the nation. One of the Founders of the organization was Mary Smith Lockwood, who was born and raised in Smith Mills, Chautauqua County, New York. The DAR's National Headquarters occupies an entire city block near the White House and is the largest group of buildings in the world owned and maintained exclusively by women. Memorial Continental Hall was the original building erected by the Society. The DAR Library located in Memorial Continental Hall has a specialized collection of American Genealogical and historical manuscripts and publications totaling over 175,000 volumes, 300,000 files, and 65,000 micro-forms. There is a small fee for non-members to use the library. Constitution Hall is the largest auditorium in Washington and is used for concerts, graduations, and meetings. The DAR holds its annual Continental Congress at the Hall in the summer. Any woman is eligible for membership who is not less than eighteen years of age and who is descended from a man or woman who, with unfailing loyalty, aided in the cause of American Independence. A prospective member must be able to prove her lineage back to an ancestor who served the American cause during the American Revolution. DAR is a service organization and gives its members opportunities to serve in many ways within their community. It offers an opportunity to work with the youth through the educational programs, to assist in historic preservation, to work with veterans, and to promote the ideals of patriotism and love of country. The DAR Insignia is the property of, and is copyrighted by, the National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution Back to Home Page For more information or membership inquiries, contact Sharon Terwilliger, Registrar Web hyperlinks to non-DAR sites are not the responsibility of the NSDAR, the state organizations, or individual DAR chapters. S. Gustafson, Webmaster Last Updated - 08/24/2008 <bgsound src="newyork.mid" loop="0"> Right click to shut off the music.