Chesterfield Historical Society of Virginia

February 2023

February 4, 2023:  Historical Lectures and Events, Saturdays, 11 a.m.   Civil War Surgery (Behind the Green Cloth)  Learn about Victorian era surgery, and medical equipment of that time period.  Details

February 8, 2023: Valentines Day Tea at Magnolia Grange House Museum:   a very special Valentine Tea in beautiful Magnolia Grange from 1:00-3:00 pm, There will be musical entertainment, tours of the home, and a Valentine-themed menu of savory and sweet tea sandwiches and desserts, catered again by the fabulous Baking and Pastry Arts students of the Chesterfield Technical Center at Courthouse Campus.  $25   Go here to register.

February 9, 2023:  Historical Lectures and Craft Workshops, Thursdays, 11 a.m.  The History and Art of Pressed Flowers  Details

February 11, 2023:  Life is History - Speaker will be Dr. Lerla Joseph, a recipient of the Library of Virginia and Dominion Energy 's prestigious 2021 Strong Men and Strong Women in Virginia Awards. The presentation will be how each person’s life contributes to the oral or written archive of historical events during their life. Theresa Gee is a storyteller and living history performer who began her career as a radio and television broadcaster. She has portrayed historic figures such as Rosa Parks, Sally Hemmings, Maya Angelou and Coretta Scott King. She also spends her time as a fashion show coordinator, acting coach and conference speaker. Go here to register

February 17, 2023:  Winter Lecture Series  at Beulah United Methodist Church, 6930 Hopkins Road. At 7:00pm and are free to members and $5 for non-members. “Spy Pilot: Francis Gary Powers, the U-2 Incident and a Controversial Cold War Legacy”.   Gary Powers;  Founder and Chairman Emeritus of the Cold War Museum at Vint Hill, Va.  He founded  the museum in 1966 to honor Cold War veterans, preserve Cold War history, and to educate future generations for this time period.  Because of his efforts to establish the museum, the Junior Chamber of Commerce selected him as one of the "Ten Outstanding Young  Americans" for 2002.

February 18, 2023:  Black History Month Presentation - Theresa Gee will have a historic interpretation of "Elizabeth Keckley," dress maker and confidant of Mary Todd Lincoln and native of Dinwiddie Countye. February 18, 2023  11:00 am.  Theresa Gee will tell the story of Elizabeth Keckley, born in Dinwiddie County, Virginia in 1818, detailing her life experiences from slavery to her successful career as first lady Mary Todd Lincoln’s dressmaker Details.

March  2023

March 9, 2023 – Historic Trees of Chesterfield: Silent Witnesses to our Past:  This presentation will explore the history of Chesterfield’s most notable trees.  Learn about the Nunnally oak tree that has been standing for over two centuries at the old courthouse, the Osage orange tree that once stood at Magnolia Grange and other old local trees.  Details

March 4, 2023:  County Museum Short Film Day:  Four short films highlighting various aspects of Chesterfield history will be shown. These films are approximately 15 minutes in length and feature first-person oral histories.

• 11:00 a.m. - Chesterfield Remembers World War II. Memories of 6 Chesterfield WWII veterans

• 11:30 a.m. - Chesterfield County Police 100^th Anniversary.  Interview of Major Charles Richter

• 12:00 noon - Firefighting in Chesterfield County. Memories of fire department volunteers

• 12:30 p.m. - Oral History Interview of African American Octogenarian

March 18, 2023: Historic Women of Central Virginia In celebration of Women’s History Month, a lecture about " Jane Minor, Lucy Winfree and Susannah Bolling".  Join us for an opportunity to learn more about intelligent and brave women at a time when they were often seen but not heard.  Go here to register

Chesterfield County Historic Sites

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.

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.

Help Save Chesterfield County's Rich History

"C. 1860 Summerseat"  - According to tradition, this 19^th 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.

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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Summer Camps for Children