Travel Back in Time: A Civil War Weekend

Discover what life was like 150 years ago as the American Civil War visits Martinsville and Henry County Saturday, March 23, and Sunday, March 24. A Civil War Symposium will be held on Saturday, March 23 at the Martinsville-Henry County Heritage Center & Museum, 1 East Main Street, Martinsville with various speakers talking about all aspects of life during those turbulent times. Admission to the Symposium is free.

The schedule for the Symposium on March 23 is as follows:

10:00 a.m.  "Slavery and the Civil War at Hale's Ford," by Timothy Simmons and John Whitfield from Booker T. Washington National Monument. Simmons and Whitfield will speak about slavery, memories and the changes the War brought to the local community;

11:00 a.m.  "Surrender at Appomattox," by Ernie Price from Appomattox Court House National Historical Park. Price will discuss how Lee came to be at Appomattox Court House and why he chose to surrender the Army of Northern Virginia there;

2:00 p.m. "Lee, Jackson and Stuart: The Virginia Triumvirate," by historian and author Thomas D. Perry. Perry will examine the military careers and the relationship between the three men known as the "Virginia Triumvirate"; and

3:00 p.m. "Danville and the Civil War," by Tom Fowler. Fowler will discuss the role of Danville in the Civil War and how it left a lasting impact on the city.

All Symposium programs will be held in the second floor courtroom which is accessible only by stairs.

A Civil War Tea will be held on Sunday, March 24, at 2:00 p.m. Come for afternoon tea and learn about tea customs while enjoying scones, cookies, tea bread, and, of course, tea. The cost for the tea is $15 per person and is limited to 30 participants. The Tea will be held on the first floor of the Heritage Center & Museum. Call 276-403-5361 to register.

The mission of the Martinsville-Henry County Historical Society is to help preserve, promote and protect the rich heritage and history of Martinsville and Henry County, Virginia by collecting, preserving, interpreting and presenting artifacts relating to that history, by sponsoring research and publications in the field of regional history and by providing educational services to people and institutions in the area.

These events are presented as part of the Martinsville-Henry County Historical Society's "Civil War Weekend: Travel Back in Time."  The weekend is made possible through the cooperation of the Martinsville-Henry County Historical Society, the City of Martinsville, the Martinsville-Henry County Economic Development Tourism and Film Division and the Comfort Inn of Martinsville.

The weekend will also include the Virginia CW 150 History Mobile, an expandable 53-foot tractor-trailer that uses immersive spaces and interactive exhibits to draw together stories of the Civil War and Emancipation from the viewpoints of those who experienced it across Virginia-young and old, enslaved and free, soldiers and civilians. Admission to the HistoryMobile is free

The HistoryMobile represents an extraordinary cooperative partnership among public agencies and private/nonprofit organizations. Working with the Virginia Sesquicentennial of the American Civil War Commission to manage the tour are the Virginia Tourism Corporation and the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles.  HistoryMobile exhibits were designed in partnership with the Commission, Virginia Historical Society, and the Fredericksburg/Spotsylvania National Military Park.