
Civil War Tours
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.
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 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
11:00 a.m. - Chesterfield Remembers World War II. Memories of 6 Chesterfield WWII veterans
11:30
a.m. - Chesterfield County Police
100th
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
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.
"C.
1860 Summerseat" - 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.
Genealogy Research
Summer Camps for Children