The Valentine
For more than a century, The Valentine has been the city of Richmond’s history museum. Located at 1015 E Clay St, Richmond, VA 23219, United States. The historic site consists of four homes from different eras, including the restored Wickham House, Cecil House, and the Valentine Row Houses. While it has been renovated, the Owner of The Valentine strives to keep the historic character of these homes. Today, visitors can explore the museum’s main public areas and enjoy a variety of community-centered events.
In the late nineteenth century, the Valentine family began collecting objects in various areas, including archaeology, anthropology, and decorative arts. Their sons even excavated Native American earthwork mounds in western North Carolina. Today, a permanent exhibition tells the story of the capital city through these collections. While many objects represent the individual stories of the Valentine family, most reflect the larger history of the Richmond region. Whether it’s the art of the city, the Valentine museum is sure to impress.
The Kent-Valentine House is situated on the corner of Franklin Street in Richmond. It was originally built by Mr. and Mrs. Horace Kent in 1845 and later enlarged by Granville Gray Valentine in the early 1900s. The house was originally designed by Isaiah Rogers, the noted architect from Boston. In the early 1900s, the Valentines replaced the cast-iron veranda with a tall portico and added a two-story wing on the west side. The house is currently used as the headquarters of Historic Garden Week. Next article.
A research spotlight on racial history is the focus of two projects. Mariah Gruner’s work shows the soft politics of white women abolitionists, while Kate Sunderlin’s field report explores Edward V. Valentine’s studio, which contained troubling ideas about racial equality while showing plaster sculptures of African Americans. It’s an intriguing exploration of the Valentine Richmond VA museum, and the history of the region and the American South.
A wide range of databases is available at the Library of Virginia, which is an affiliate of FamilySearch, giving people access to more than 400 million digitized records. These records are otherwise available only at the LDS Church’s family history centers. Registering for an online account with the library allows you to access many of the database’s online resources from home. This way, you can research history in the comfort of your own home and not have to travel to the city.
The photo collection at the Valentine Richmond VA museum features a collection of photographs by William Frank Browne. Browne, a photographer from Northfield, Vermont, enlisted in the 15th Vermont Infantry at Berlin. While serving in the army, he also served as an assistant cameraman for William Bell, a museum photographer. In Spotsylvania, he worked with Lt. George E. Chancellor’s family. Browne’s work was recognized, and Maj. General Henry H. Abbot hired him to photograph James River water batteries around Richmond. Back to home.
