Historic Petersburg Foundation, Inc.

06/01/2026

Don't miss this informative and fascinating walking tour downtown on Saturday, June 20 – "City Under Siege". Part of the Petersburg National Battlefield and Petersburg Battlefields Foundation Sunset Tour series.

By June 1864, the residents of Petersburg had endured the strain of faraway war. Everything changed when the war came to their doorsteps. Discover how the people of Virginia’s second largest city experienced, adapted to, and persisted through an unimaginable ordeal.

Meet at the South Side Depot/Petersburg Visitor Center at 37 River Street. Tour will be led by Park Ranger Andrew Frantz and begins at 6 pm. There is no charge to join. Just wear comfortable shoes and bring water.

05/18/2026

05/15/2026

For the last several months, the City has been working on a comprehensive update to the Historic Districts Design Guidelines, which lay out the do's and don'ts for properties in the city's local historic districts. The Walker Collaborative will be presenting a final draft of the updated guidelines on Wednesday May 27 at 5:30 p.m. in the Peterburg Public Library multi-purpose room. Light refreshments will be provided, and the consultant and city staff will be available for questions.

Whether you own property in a historic district or you're interested in the city's ongoing preservation efforts, please feel encouraged to attend!

05/13/2026

S.T.E.A.M. Comes to City Point this Saturday, May 16 at 6 p.m.--the first program in the 2026 History at Sunset series. Learn more about City Point in 1864-65 through Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Math. Meet the ranger at the entrance gate to City Point, 1001 Pecan Avenue, Hopewell, VA. Wear comfortable walking shoes and dress for the weather.

Image: Library of Congress “City Point, Virginia. View of barges transports, etc.”



Alt Text: A black and white photo taken between 1861-1869 of the barges and transports along the James or Appomattox River at City Point.

05/12/2026

Check out The Archive Project at the Appomattox Regional Governor's School (which we recently gave the 2026 Petersburg Heritage Award):

thearchiveproject.us

(Image: Mr. Stoneking and some of his students at our recent Annual Meeting)

05/09/2026

The Eisenhower Executive Office Building is a National Historic Landmark. Its distinctive granite exterior isn't just beautiful, it's historically significant. Painting over it would trap moisture, damage the stone, and create a costly, irreversible cycle of maintenance at taxpayer expense.

Yesterday we testified before the National Capital Planning Commission in opposition to the proposal to paint the EEOB. NCPC's own staff raised key questions about the paint and also identified alternatives, like cleaning and lighting the building, which would enhance its appearance without causing permanent harm. We're urging the Commission to listen to the public, the experts, and its own staff, and deny this proposal.

05/09/2026

The season finale happened Sunday, April 26, 2026. It was a major hit! Check out our strings!!

05/07/2026

Cultural Heritage Partners, PLLC (“CHP”), and the DC Preservation League, filed a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia seeking an emergency injunction to prevent any federal action to alter the Eisenhower Executive Office Building (“EEOB”) until the Administration ...