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Magnolia Grange House MuseumMagnolia Grange Events

10020 Iron Bridge Road, Chesterfield, VA 23832

Please note: To maintain the historical integrity of the site, Magnolia Grange is not handicapped accessible.   Programs are Free. Reservations required for all programs.   The House museum reopened to the public on August 2, 2022.  The History of Magnolia Grange Families    For more details, please contact Martha Atkinson or telephone at 804-748-1498

MapMagnolia Grange in Light Snow

 Magnolia Grange House Museum offers events, programs and tours that will satisfy any age group.  Home Schools and Public Schools are encourage to arrange a trip to the County Museum.    The last tour at Magnolia Grange ends on  Tuesdays-Fridays at 3:00 PM and the last tour on Saturdays is at 1:00 PM. Call 804-748-1498 for details.  More about Magnolia Grange-select the photo above. Click on picture for a larger view of Magnolia Grange. 

New ItemHistoric Women of Central Virginia:  In celebration of Women’s History Month, a lecture will be presented featuring the captivating stories of local women such as 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. March 18, 2023 11 a.m.

New ItemHerb and Crop Gardens at Magnolia Grange: Spring has sprung and it is time to talk about gardens. A lecture and short walking tour of the garden area of the site will be presented and samples of medicinal and culinary herbs will be shared. Participants will be encouraged to share gardening experience and tips. April 22, 2023 11 a.m.

New Icon19th Century Children's Games:   Step  back into the past for some outside fun by exploring 19th century games  and activities. Test your luck with Battledore and Shuttlecock , Hoop and Stick, Graces and Jacob’s Ladder, for example. Children of all ages are welcome to participate.  Saturday, May 6, 2023 at 12 Noon.    

New IconThe Battle of Drewry's Bluff:  This power point lecture will focus on the events of May 15, 1862, when four Union warships  steamed up the James River to test the defenses of Richmond.  They were met by Confederate artillery at Drewry’s Bluff in Chesterfield County.  Join local historian H. Edward “Chip” Mann  for an in-depth presentation about the battle.  Saturday, May 20, 2023 at 12 Noon.

 

Historic Sites Collage


Chesterfield County Historic Sites

Strachan HousePoint 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 MuseumThe "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.


CastlewoodHistoric 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

Summerseat c. 1860"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.

 

Historic Trinity Church

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.

 

 

Genealogy

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Archealogical Programs

Summer Camps for Children