Historic Smithfield

10/03/2026

Thank you, Virginia Humanities ! 🎉

Historic Smithfield has received a $4,999 grant from Virginia Humanities for Voices of Smithfield: A Living History Initiative.

This funding will help us bring recent scholarship about the enslaved and indentured communities of Smithfield into our interpretation through new exhibit panels, display cases, and 4th grade lesson plans.

Stay tuned as the project moves forward, and watch for an exhibit reception to be announced at a later date!

10/02/2026

Roanoke author Amanda McGee joins us for Grave Matters on October 16 to read from her new novella, A River Wide, about a pair of Appalachian sisters who are witches. It's the kind of story that pairs perfectly with a warm fire and a warm drink.

About the novella:
“Mountains have deep, dark hearts, and those hearts are carved by water. Deep in the shadowed hollers of Appalachia, Rhia Blackburn has always kept her powers and her heart buried. Around here, the river whispers dark secrets, the earth remembers every cut, and survival is a skill women pass down in blood. But when her cousin Amey is kidnapped up the mountain, Rhia is forced to confront the terror of her home and her own troubled history. To save her, Rhia must trust her powers—and herself—because in Appalachia, family comes first and water always finds a way.
​
An Appalachian horror novella about family, grief, and the stubborn strength it takes to survive.”

Get your ticket and come hear it firsthand.

https://www.historicsmithfield.org/events/grave-matters2026

10/01/2026

Historic Smithfield will be closed this Friday, October 2 for the Virginia Tech game. Go Hokies! 🦃

09/30/2026

A handmade broom was never meant to be disposable. Today's mountain broommakers still cut handles from tree branches in winter and let them cure for up to a year before shaping them. Some makers will even re-broom a piece that has already seen up to 30 years of use.

Make something with that same handmade spirit this Thursday, Oct 15, 6:00 to 7:30 PM. A few spots may still be open: https://www.historicsmithfield.org/classes/p/broom-workshop-with-gabriella-the-garden-sage

09/30/2026

Our next free webinar on Civil War history is in just 2 days!

📅 Oct 1, 2026 at 07:00 PM EST

Join us for a lecture and discussion with author Warren Eugene Milteer, Jr., a former assistant professor in the Department of History at Virginia Tech, on the role of free people of color in promoting equality and justice as fundamental features of American life during the Civil War era. This webinar is free, but registration is required.
Visit https://civilwar.vt.edu/ to register!

09/29/2026

Did you know Kentucky's Berea College runs the country's longest continuously operating broomcraft workshop? The shop opened in 1920, and at its peak it turned out more than 100,000 floor brooms a year.

Appalachian broommaking is a craft with deep roots, and you can try your own hand at a botanical version of it on Oct 15 at Historic Smithfield.
Save your seat!

Get creative and craft your own unique broom using an assortment of dried and preserved natural materials. Choose from colorful flowers, textured grasses, fragrant herbs, and other seasonal botanicals to create a broom that reflects your personal style and intentions. Participants are also welcome t

09/26/2026

There will be something for everyone at this year's Harvest & Haints at Historic Smithfield program, scheduled for Sat., Oct. 24 from 11-3pm! Visit for history, art, spooky stories, crafts, and much more (maybe even some candy... 😏).

09/23/2026

Make something with your own hands this fall. 🌿

Join Gabriella the Garden Sage for a Broom Workshop at Historic Smithfield on Thursday, Oct 15, from 6:00 to 7:30 PM. You'll build your own broom from dried and preserved botanicals: colorful flowers, textured grasses, fragrant herbs, and other seasonal finds. Bring your own dried plants if you'd like to work them in.

Spots are limited, so book yours here: https://www.historicsmithfield.org/classes/p/broom-workshop-with-gabriella-the-garden-sage

09/22/2026

Meet one of our Grave Matters storytellers: Dr. Daniel Wood of Radford University will open the evening exploring the legend of Tailypo, a demon-like creature that some say has haunted the Appalachian region for generations. If you've ever wanted to know where these mountain stories really came from, this is your night. October 16, 6:30-8:30pm at the Pavilion.

Get your ticket:

History Haunts at Historic Smithfield This October, the past comes alive after dark. Join Historic Smithfield at the Pavilion on Friday, October 16, from 6:30–8:30 PM for an evening of Appalachian folklore, fireside storytelling, and a chilling literary reading. Dr. Daniel Wood will dive int