Museum Awarded Two Grants this spring.

The Middlesex County Museum and Historical Society is pleased to share some wonderful announcements with the residents of the county. We have received news that we are being awarded two grants this spring.

Virginia Humanities has awarded us a grant to support the research and creation of a curriculum of educational materials focused on local Middlesex County history that meets the guidelines of the Virginia State SOLs to include the personal stories of our residents and county and world historical events.

This grant request is an extension and continuation of a project initiated with funding from a River Counties Community Foundation Grant awarded in June of 2024.

Preservation Northern Neck and Middle Peninsula has given us a grant for the conservation of two Revolutionary Land grants written in the late 1700s. We were gifted the land grants during the calendar year of 2024 as a wonderful addition to our document collection.

Both were signed by the seated governor of the Commonwealth at the time as awards to two different residents of the county of Middlesex for service performed during the American Revolution. One is signed by Virginia Governor Patrick Henry to Abraham Chapline in 1785 for 330 acres. The second is signed by Virginia Governor Beverley Randolph to Ralph Wormley, jr. in 1790 for 200 acres.

This PNNMP grant will cover the costs of conserving the documents and will allow them to be displayed and utilized in a digital form as part of the museum’s educational outreach. This leads directly to our third piece of news…a new exhibit is opening soon. Within the Historic Courthouse in Saluda’s new first floor display area, a new exhibit will highlight the life and stories of our local soldiers during the Revolutionary War entitled “On the Road to Freedom.” It will be opening to the public in late spring.

The museum has had a productive year with our ongoing educational partnership with the schools utilizing Middlesex history. We also hosted the opening of the exhibit, “Enterprising Spirits: African American Entrepreneurs in Middlesex County.” New accessions to our collection include historic textiles of wedding and swimming apparel, photographs of 1900s farm life, mercantile documents and a turn of the century oak baby highchair. We turn to you for further support of our mission with a donation. Please help us in telling the story of Middlesex and its deep and rich history. We appreciate your generous support.