Virginia Beach History Museums

08/11/2020

Instagram Live with Military Aviation Museum

It’s a Museum crossover episode! ICYMI, check out our Instagram Live interview with Keegan Chetwynd, the Director of the Military Aviation Museum. Keegan took us on a brief tour of the facility, and discussed the importance of aviation to US and world history. Make sure to fly on down to Pungo and pay them a visit! #vbhistorymuseums #visitvirginiabeach

It’s a Museum crossover episode! ICYMI, check out our Instagram Live from last week with Keegan Chetwynd, Director of the Military Aviation Museum. Keegan to...

08/11/2020

Princess Anne County Training School/Union Kempsville High School had a proud, successful athletic tradition, and competed in sports such as football, track and field and boys and girls basketball 🏀 🏈. Check out our page next week for a mini-virtual tour of the Museum dedicated to this historic school! #vbhistorymuseums

08/07/2020

#VirtualHistoryVB: Herbs, Gardens and Witchcraft

All of our Historic Homes have gardens, which have several types of herbs (such as rosemary, dill, sage and lemon balm). Homeopathic medicines have been used for centuries, and have gained popularity, but do you know about their connection to witchcraft? Join Miriam to learn more about why herbs are such a big dill to Virginia history! #vbhistorymuseums

08/06/2020

We can’t wait to bee back 🐝 🌸! A special shout out to the Virginia Beach Master Gardeners and the Lynnhaven Heritage Garden Club for their incredible assistance in maintaining the gardens behind the Francis Land House. Our grounds are open from dawn to dusk to those who’d like to take a stroll! #vbhistorymuseums

08/05/2020

#OnThisDay in history, President Abraham Lincoln signed the Revenue Act of 1861 into law, creating the first federal income tax statute. The Act, created as a way to help fund Civil War efforts, imposed a flat tax, with a rate of 3% on incomes over $800. The Act was repealed in 1872, but the 16th Amendment to the Constitution, ratified in 1913, eventually gave Congress the full Constitutional authority to levy and collect taxes on incomes “without apportionment among the several States, and without regard to any census or enumeration.” (Image from the National Archives)

08/04/2020

We are happy to report that, apart from some minor fence damage on the perimeter of the Thoroughgood House site, our Historic Homes fortunately emerged unscathed after Tropical Storm Isaias passed through. City staff will begin the process of cleaning up the many small branches and sticks that fell, along with a small tree near the Francis Land House. We hope you are safe! #vbhistorymuseums

08/03/2020

It's a Museum crossover episode! Fly over to our Instagram page this Friday at 4pm for an Instagram Live interview with Keegan Chetwynd, Director of the Military Aviation Museum, which is located in the Pungo area. #vbhistorymuseums

07/31/2020

#FBF the Francis Land House was a plantation, and the property was used for farmland for many years after the Land family moooooved out 🐄. #vbhistorymuseums

07/29/2020

The Princess Anne County Training School/Union Kempsville High School Museum pays tribute to (and is located on the same site as) the first high school for African Americans in Princess Anne County (now known as Virginia Beach). Learn more about the people and stories behind this historic site as part of the virtual Virginia Beach Public Library “History Comes Alive!” Book Club on August 3.

Registration info: 📚👉 https://www.museumsvb.org/calendar/event/1402/

(Image is of the Princess Anne County Training School Class of 1944) #vbhistorymuseums

07/28/2020

Virginia Beach City Government

Have you completed our latest Public Input Survey, yet? We know you're passionate about our sites, so we want you to help us plan for the future! We're interested in your thoughts on what you'd like to see in our public and educational programming, events and exhibits, so we can provide you with the best experience possible. The survey is open until August 31 at http://publicinput.com/HistoryMuseums. #vbhistorymuseums

Virginia Beach History Museums needs your input on what you'd like to experience for future programming and events at the Thoroughgood House, Lynnhaven House, Francis Land House, and Princess Anne County Training School/Union Kempsville High School Museum. Please take a few minutes to complete the brief survey below. It's open through August.

07/27/2020

#VirtualHistoryVB: First Peoples of Virginia

Miriam shares a brief lesson, from the Thoroughgood House Education Center, on the history of the Chesapeake Indians, also known as the First People of Virginia. The Chesapeake Indians lived in the Hampton Roads area in the late 1500s up until the early 1600s. #vbhistorymuseums #VirtualHistoryVB

07/24/2020

Have you heard about the Virginia Beach Surf & Rescue Museum's Women in Surf Rescue exhibit? The exhibit highlights women in surf and rescue from around the country and the globe. Do you know a female life guard who may want to be a part of the exhibit? VBSRM is still accepting featured submissions! Visit https://vbsurfrescuemuseum.org/women-in-surf-rescue/ for more information. #vbhistorymuseums

Welcome New Participants! Thanks for being part of our Women In Surf Rescue exhibit, celebrating women life-savers!

Our call to Women Lifeguards remains open as we continue to add your stories, experiences, and inspirations. DM us here for how to submit your entries. All female surf rescue guards, past or present, are welcome.

The new online exhibit will also be featured in the main museum gallery. Check it out on the bio link! Stay tuned for new features and vlogs as the exhibit keeps on growing! Thank You Lifeguards for making this exhibition possible! #womenlifeguardsrock! @ Virginia Beach Surf & Rescue Museum

07/23/2020

#VirtualHistoryVB: Staying Cool

This summer heat wave is rough! Now, imagine how the July heat would've been for families before the invention of modern air conditioning systems. To cool their homes the best they could, families in the 18th century would open their doors and windows, and hope a cool breeze would provide some relief. Stay hydrated and stay cool, Museum enthusiasts! #vbhistorymuseums #VirtualHistoryVB

07/22/2020

We want to hear from you! The Virginia Beach History Museums are seeking input on future public and educational programming and events!

Virginia Beach residents can provide feedback online at https://publicinput.com/HistoryMuseums through August 31.

#vbhistorymuseums

07/20/2020

#reposting with permission from our friends at the Regency Society of Virginia:

“With Hamilton back in the news, we’re looking back to the Hamilton-Burr duel put on by the Virginia Beach History Museums at the Francis Land House in 2018. Members of the Society played their part as the seconds to Messrs. Hamilton and Burr.”

#vbhistorymuseums #hamilton

07/19/2020

It’s #NationalIceCreamDay! While we can’t be together to celebrate this year, we’re thinking of the memories made at last year’s Ice Cream Festival 🍦! If you were there, which of our “Founding Flavors” (Lavender, Rose, Apricot, Chocolate and Rosemary) did you enjoy most? #vbhistorymuseums

07/17/2020

We've received some questions from those wishing to walk our historic grounds, and yes, you can! While our Museums remain closed, you are welcome to walk the grounds of the Francis Land House, Lynnhaven House and Thoroughgood House, which are open to the public from dawn to dusk. We do ask that you please be mindful of the restoration work at the Lynnhaven and Francis Land Houses. #vbhistorymuseums

07/16/2020

On July 16, 1969, Apollo 11 launched from Kennedy Space Center, carrying three astronauts en route to a historic mission to the Moon. Four days later, on July 20, 1969, Neil Armstrong became the first human to set foot on the Moon. The astronauts carried with them this plaque, which bears their names, along with then-President Richard Nixon, and now sits on the lunar surface (NASA photo).

07/16/2020

You've made sure to fill out your 2020 Census, right? The Land family took care of theirs 160 years ago! The image below is from the 1860 Census, and shows the daughter of Francis Moseley Land, Anne White Land (who married John Minson Galt on March 19, 1833), living in Augusta, Georgia in 1860 with seven of her children (she had eleven children all together). #vbhistorymuseums #vbcounts #tbt

07/13/2020

On July 13, 1787, the Congress of the Confederation (the immediate predecessor to the U.S. Congress) enacted the Northwest Ordinance, which created the Northwest Territory, the first organized territory in the newly formed United States. The Ordinance created a blueprint for the organization and settlement of this region (the modern day states of Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, Wisconsin and parts of Minnesota), but lacked a strong central government to implement. The 1st U.S. Congress reaffirmed, with some changes, the Ordinance with the Northwest Ordinance of 1789. The Northwest Ordinance established how the U.S. could add new states during westward expansion, set precedent for public domain lands and more. The prohibition of slavery in the Northwest Territory also set the stage for political issues leading up to the Civil War. (150th Anniversary Commemorative Northwest Ordinance Stamp from the U.S. Post Office, 1937) #vbhistorymuseums

07/10/2020

#OTD 314 years ago, on July 10, 1706, Grace Sherwood was found guilty of practicing witchcraft, and tried by water in the Lynnhaven River at what is now known as Witchduck Point. Sherwood survived, but was then imprisoned for seven years. Upon her release, she lived out her life on a farm working the land until her death in 1740. Sherwood was the only convicted witch ever tried by water in Virginia. In 2006, then Virginia Governor Tim Kaine officially pardoned Sherwood, and restored her good name. (Photo of Sherwood Memorial at Old Donation Church from Wikimedia Commons) #vbhistorymuseums

07/08/2020

The restoration of the Francis Land House is set to begin in mid July, and the house will remain closed to the public. The work will involve interior and exterior modifications, heating and air conditioning (HVAC), fire protection, and electrical work. For complete details on the planned restoration work, and an update on our other sites, please read our Director's letter at https://bit.ly/2Za59vp.

For the latest VBHM and Cultural Affairs updates, make sure to subscribe to our e-newsletter at https://bit.ly/2O47gdx. #vbhistorymuseums

07/07/2020

#VirtualHistoryVB: Old School Sleep Number

Well before fancy modern electrical bed comfort systems emerged, families like the Lands had manually adjustable rope beds. One person on either side of the bed would take a bed key, and twist to tighten or loosen the bed to the user's comfort. Sleep tight! #VirtualHistoryVB

07/04/2020

Watch How (Slowly) News of the Declaration of Independence Spread in Real Time

Happy Independence Day 🇺🇸! In 2020, we can pull up our smartphones, and get breaking news second by second. In 1776, they didn’t quite have that luxury, yet. Check out this graphic from Harvard University, which shows how the news of the signing of the Declaration of Independence took weeks to spread via newspapers throughout the colonies. #vbhistorymuseums

Before social media, TV, radio and even telegraphs, news of America's independence took a long time to reach some Americans

07/01/2020

#VirtualHistoryVB: War of 1812 Plate

On display in the Francis Land House is a commemorative War of 1812 plate, which families like the Lands would've had on display for guests at the time. While the plate depicts an American naval victory, these plates were actually made by the British to sell to Americans. Talk about making a buck off of taking an L! #vbhistorymuseums

06/29/2020

As we draw towards the end of African-American Music Appreciation Month, we celebrate the musical traditions on display at the Princess Anne County Training School/Union Kempsville High School Museum. The school had a chorus, led by Dr. Ruby Allen, as well as a band, which was led by Dr. Roy Reid from 1954 until the school's closure due to City-wide integration in 1969. The school’s choirs and bands performed often and at many different functions including music festivals and competitions. Both the band and chorus had three levels: beginner, intermediate and advanced. On display at the Museum are drumsticks, a trumpet case and clarinet, which were donated by former band members, among other things. Please be sure to check out the recent The Hampton Roads Show story on the Museum, which includes interviews with Dr. Reid and Dr. Allen: https://youtu.be/QaA-fowuV5I #vbhistorymuseums

06/24/2020

#VirtualHistoryVB: Historical Paint Jobs

Now for something a bit more entertaining than watching paint dry! The details of the Francis Land House reflect the period in which it was built, all the way down to the paint choices. Black and Spanish Brown paint was often used at the bottom of walls and baseboards to cover up dirt and scuff marks. #vbhistorymuseums

06/22/2020

Whitehurst-Buffington House Foundation

Whitehurst-Buffington House Fall Festival 2020 deadlines extended for Artists & Crafters who are interesting in participating

06/21/2020

Happy Fathers Day to all of our museum enthusiast dads! In the early half of the 20th century, when Raymond DeFrees lived at what is now the Francis Land House, he spent many evenings gazing into the night sky with this telescope, often with his daughter by his side. #vbhistorymuseums

06/19/2020

Today, we celebrate Juneteenth, the emancipation of the last enslaved people on June 19, 1865 in Galveston, Texas, which ended the institution of chattel slavery in the United States.

Every day at the Virginia Beach History Museums, our staff works to tell the story of the enslaved people who were present at the Francis Land House, Thoroughgood House and Lynnhaven House. We strive to continue to research and incorporate their stories into each of our tours and programs, and improve the historical experience for our visitors. While our sites remain closed, we invite you to view our Juneteenth message: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EMv6Hr3_d0A #vbhistorymuseums

06/18/2020

#TBT to our "Revelations" exhibit. The exhibit, which was a collaborative unit of study between the Thoroughgood House, Virginia MOCA and students from Green Run Collegiate, focused on Black Loyalists, who were promised their freedom from enslavement in exchange for loyalty to the British Crown during the Revolutionary War. Pictured are an origami installation created by students from Green Run Collegiate, which used images of birds and boats to symbolically represent the concepts of freedom and passage throughout the Black Loyalist experience, as well as photos of current local African American citizens, which students used to preserve modern voices and compare and contrast to those in the past. #vbhistorymuseums

06/17/2020

Yesterday, Governor Northam announced legislation to make Juneteenth a state holiday in Virginia.

Juneteenth is a celebration of the emancipation of the last enslaved people on June 19, 1865 in Galveston, Texas, which ended the institution of chattel slavery in the United States. Union General Gordon Granger read federal orders (seen below) with the announcement. Although the Civil War effectively ended with Robert E. Lee's surrender at Appomattox in April 1865, Texas was the most remote of the slave states, with a low presence of Union soldiers, so enforcement of the Emancipation Proclamation had been inconsistent. #vbhistorymuseums #Juneteenth

06/12/2020

What is Loving Day? June 12 marks landmark Supreme Court decision for interracial marriage

53 years ago, today, the U.S. Supreme Court unanimously struck down a Virginia law that prohibited interracial marriages. In 1958, Richard and Mildred Loving, of Caroline County, married in Washington, D.C., then returned to Virginia, where they were arrested and ultimately forced to leave the state. In 1963, Mildred wrote a letter to then-U.S. Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy asking him to intervene. Kennedy referred her to the area branch of the ACLU, which led their case. After years of the appeals process, the Supreme Court ultimately decided in their favor. In the opinion of the Court, Chief Justice Earl Warren proclaimed "to deny this fundamental freedom on so unsupportable a basis as the racial classifications embodied in these statutes, classifications so directly subversive of the principle of equality at the heart of the Fourteenth Amendment, is surely to deprive all the State's citizens of liberty without due process of law."

Loving Day commemorates the anniversary of the Supreme Court striking down state bans on interracial marriage on June 12, 1967.

06/05/2020

Dear Museum Enthusiasts,

Today marks the beginning of Phase II in Virginia, however, the Virginia Beach History Museums remain closed, as we are making preparations needed to provide a safe and enjoyable experience for our guests, in light of the current pandemic. We appreciate your understanding, and will keep you updated with the details regarding when and how we will be welcoming guests back to our historic sites. Stay tuned to our social media, website and email list for the latest information. #vbhistorymuseums