Chesterfield Historical Society
of Virginia
2022
Magnolia Grange
Bicentennial Celebration Began on
Saturday, May 21 with the “Mayfaire”
Festival.
Magnolia Grange,
our historic house museum on Iron Bridge
Road in Chesterfield, is celebrating its
200th
anniversary throughout 2022.
Chesterfield
Historical Society of Virginia
“1981-2021: 40 Years of Saving the Past
for the Future - Click on
Photo for Detail
The
Chesterfield Historical Society of
Virginia held its first meeting on
September 23, 1981, at the Central
Library with 258 charter members. A
private, non-profit 501(c)3 organization
funded with membership dues and tax
deductible donations, the Society
mission is to collect, preserve,
interpret and promote Chesterfield
County’s unique past for the education
and enjoyment of present and future
generations.
Historic
Trinity Church (1887), located at 10111
Iron Bridge Road, serves as the
organization headquarters and research
library. In addition, the Society
maintains collections in the County
Museum and 1892 Old Jail on the historic
1917 Courthouse Green, as well as in
Magnolia Grange
(1822), a house museum on Iron Bridge
Road. The Society also helps maintain
eight battlefields. Our events and
programs calendar includes lectures,
genealogy workshops, rotating exhibits,
battlefield tours, themed fundraisers,
public speaking engagements, and
programs for educational outreach, home
schools and scouting.
Visit our
Research Library and discover your
Chesterfield ancestors and their rich
history. Our volunteers are there
to assist you if needed.. See our
library page for more information.
See The New Film on the
Library Committee
Note:
Important
Announcement Regarding Magnolia Grange
: Magnolia Grange is
temporarily closed to the public. The
Historical Society—in partnership with
Chesterfield County Parks and Recreation,
Chesterfield County General Services, and
Chesterfield County—is restoring the
interior of this historical home.
As many of you
know, this year marks the 200th anniversary
of Magnolia Grange (1822-2022). As such, the
Historical Society coordinated a special
commemorative event held on
May 21, 2022. Magnolia Grange is
now closed to the Public while renovations
are completed. It will
open to the Public on August 1, 2022.
In the meantime, please
visit us at our library and offices at
Trinity Church, the County Museum, or the
historic jail. We hope to see you soon
.
Harken Back String Band
at Castlewood:
The Historical Society is pleased to welcome Harken
Back String Band to Castlewood on Saturday, July 23,
2022,
at noon. This musical performance is free to the
public. We hope you will join us!
See More Details
Genealogy Lecture: The
Chesterfield Historical Society of Virginia and
Chesterfield County Department of Parks and
Recreation will present a
free lecture at
the Chesterfield County Museum
on Saturday, July 30, at 11:00 a.m. Angie Wilderman,
Chair of Chesterfield Historical Society of
Virginia’s Genealogy Committee, will present Things
to Know While Working on Your Family History. She
will discuss getting started, where to look for
information and staying organized in your search for
family history. Reservations are required for this
presentation, as space is limited. Reservations must
be made at least a week in advance by calling the
County Museum at 804-768-7311.
See More Details
The
Westchester Concert series
will once again host a series of
performances that will benefit local charitable
organizations. The final concert of the year on
Thursday September 29, 2022 will benefit
the Chesterfield Historical Society.
See More Details
The Annual
Membership Meeting
for our July 2022 Annual Members Meeting/Ice Cream
Social:is
Sunday, July 31, 2:00 pm
at Magnolia Grange
.County Holiday
Closings: The CHSV LIbrary will be closed in
conjunction with the Chesterfield Coulty Holiday
Schedule:
Friday, Dec. 31, 2021. For a
comprehensive schedule of County holidays, see
https://www.chesterfield.gov/5430/County-Holiday-Schedule
New
Museum Exhibit: The
Chesterfield Historical Society of Virginia and
Chesterfield County Department of Parks and
Recreation will open a new temporary exhibit at the
Chesterfield County Museum on Saturday, February 5,
2022: “Historic Point of Rocks.” At the time of the
Civil War, the Rev. John Strachan, founder of Enon
Baptist Church, owned the property and the house at
Point of Rocks. A Union field hospital was
established there that could support 3,000 patients
at a time. Through photographs and artifacts, learn
about the hospital, the visit of Lincoln in 1865,
and the contribution of Clara Barton and other
nurses.
County Museum
hours are 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. Tuesday through Friday,
and 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. on Saturday, excluding
holidays. The
museum is located at 6813 Mimms Loop, on the
Historic Courthouse Green along Route 10/Ironbridge
Road in Chesterfield.
Vistit the Sherfiff's Office Exhibit:
Go Here for details
Civil War Tours:
Go Here for details
Scout Programs:
Go Here for details
A new book, titled,
“Murder in
Midlothian: The True and Complete Account of the
Murder of Anthony T. Robiou on July 16, 1851”
by local author Brandon Fullam is now available from
the Chesterfield Historical Society of Virginia.
Go here for details.
Chesterfield County Historic Sites
Point of Rocks
Point of Rocks is a historic site on
the Appomattox River is designated "Pont of
Rocks Park". Abraham Lincoln
walked with Union Generals
discussing ways to win a war.
Clara Barton served as the head
nurse to many wounded and sick Union
soldiers in the largest hospital in
the world. The house was used for the
surgeons quarters and is still
standing and currently, the
house is being stabilized. Evidence of Indians who lived on the
river is just below the house. It is
one of Chesterfield's most historic
sites and not yet open to the
public.
Magnolia Grange House Museum
The
"Magnolia
Grange House Museum" is an
elegant Federal period home
built in 1822, named for the
circle of magnolia trees
that once graced its front
lawns. Listed on the
National Register of
Historic Places, Magnolia
Grange’s distinctive
architectural features
include elaborate ceiling
motifs, a half-turn open
carved stairway and
hand-painted
scenic wallpaper produced by
Zuber, a French
manufacturer.
Castlewood
Historic 1817 Castlewood was
built ca. 1817-1819 by Parke
Poindexter. Poindexter was the
Clerk of the Court at
Chesterfield County from 1812
until 1847, almost 35 years. The
original landowner was Henry
Winfree, who received the
property as a land grant in
1754. County Clerk Mr.
Poindexter purchased the
180-acre tract in 1816 and began
his efforts to construct a new
home. One of the three or four
finest Federal period houses in
the county, Castlewood features
a formal five-part plan
differing from any other
recorded Virginia dwelling.
1892 Jail
A two-story granite and brick
building, it served as the
county prison until 1962. During
the 1940s, the jail also served
as Police headquarters and
housed the county communications
center. In 1982, it was

designated a museum and made
available to the Chesterfield
Historical Society of VA as its
first head office location.
Upstairs, original iron-barred
cells still enclose metal bunks,
primitive ablution facilities
and graffiti. The front porch
features a stone step preserved
from the first Chesterfield
County courthouse of 1749.
Go here for the
Chesterfield Museum
Help Save Chesterfield County's Rich
History
Point of Rocks c. 1842
Point of Rocks is a historic site on
the Appomattox River recently
acquired and designated "Pont of
Rocks Park". Here Abraham Lincoln
walked with Union Generals
discussing ways to win a war.
Clara Barton served as the head
nurse to many wounded and sick Union
soldiers in the largest hospital in
the world built during the Civil
War. The house was used for the
surgeons quarters and is still
standing. In need of repairs, the
house is being stabilized. There is
evidence of Indians who lived on the
river just below the house. It is
one of Chesterfield's most historic
sites and not yet open to the
public.
Eppington c. 1768
Eppington
Plantation was built in 1768 by
Francis Eppes VI, brother-in-law to
Thomas Jefferson, who were close friends
and, after Jefferson’s wife Martha
died in 1782, the newly widowed
Jefferson entrusted his two
daughters, Maria and Lucy, to the
Eppes family while he served as
minister to France. Lucy died
of whooping cough
and buried on the property.
Maria grew to adulthood, married the
eldest Eppes son and remained on the
property until her death in 1804.
The house
itself is a Chesterfield County
Historic Landmark, a Virginia
Historic Landmark and on the
National Register of Historic
Places.
Confederate Fort c. 1864
An intact
Confederate fort, not named, will
soon be
destroyed to make room for a
car dealership in 2021. It is
heavily surrounded by woods and has
been there since 1864. This fort
was built as a back-up fort in the
event Union Forces broke through
The Confederate defenses during the Bermuda
Campaign. It was part of the
Howlett Line defenses. It
would have made a nice park and a
site to bring tourists, especially
those who enjoy Civil War history, into Chesterfield
County, VA. That would have
been a source for tourism dollars.
Summerseat c. 1860
According
to tradition, this 19th
century house was used by a county
magistrate as the “seat” of his
court during summer months due to
the muddy and rutted roads which
made travel to the courthouse in the
center of the county almost
impossible. The
lower brick portion of the house was
the “jail” or “detention center,
complete with bars that held
prisoners or those persons awaiting
trial. It
is not a large building at 18 by 16
feet. The house is part of
Virginia State University.
"Turkey Run" (The Justis House)
James
HIll Spears was born in Chesterfield
County, VA in 1793. He was
a bachelor for many years and about
1836, he built a beautiful
two-story Flemish Bond brick farm
home on a large plantation in
Chesterfield County and named “Turkey
Run” in the 20th Century. It
sat at the bottom of a hill on a
large wooded tract east of Hallsboro
Tavern. Spears died in 1863. His property
was worth $43, 422 (in inflated
Confederate Currency) and 612 acres were sold
in 1870. The property passed through several people.
In 1946, the house was in disrepair.
Then, Ada Corpening
restored the house.
It was later purchased by
the Justis family. When Mrs
Virginia Justis passed away, the
house and property were sold to
Chesterfield County. A school
was built near the house and it fell quickly in disrepair.
The
county desired to tear it down and
currenty a committee of concerned
citizens are trying to save the
house.. (Picture courtesy Lindsay
Cassada)
C. 1879 Trinity Church
The old
church sits in a stand of a few
trees not quite visible from Krause
Road but adjacent to Ironbridge Road
where it is plainly noticeable. It
offers an unobstructed view at that
corner. Not so vacant any longer
and no longer a huge storage shed
for odds and ends, it serves a new
purpose in its longevity of
survival. It is alive with activity
once again. Presently, the
Chesterfield Historical Society of
Virginia is utilizing the building
as its headquarters and library
until historic Castlewood is
renovated. Historic Castlewood, ca.
1817-1819, sits nearby to the church
just across Krause Road and was once
the parsonage for the Methodist.
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