Westmoreland County Museum
welcome to the Westmoreland County Museum
our Mission Statement
“The purpose of the Westmoreland County Museum and Library is to preserve the history of Westmoreland County and its people through its collections, library, research materials, exhibits, and educational programs in order to increase the understanding and
appreciation of the County’s heritage.”
Westmoreland County, Virginia is ancestral home of three of our nations first five presidents – George Washington, James Monroe and James Madison. The only two brothers to sign the Declaration of Independence- Richard Henry and Francis Lightfoot Lee were also Westmoreland County residents. The County is also the location of Nomini Hall, where Robert Carter III voluntarily freed nearly 500 of his enslaved people, beginning in 1791. This manumission is the largest known release of the enslaved in North America prior to the American Civil War.
Founded in 1939, the Westmoreland County Museum, Inc. preserves and advances the history of our special place in the Northern Neck. Stop by the original museum to view the Charles Willson Peale painting of William Pitt (Lord Chatham) from 1768, as well as furniture donated by the Washington family.
The Historic Courthouse features rotating exhibits on local history and includes the Henry Hungerford Library and Genealogical Research Center. Make sure to stop in the Wakefield Building on Saturdays to shop at our Mercantile and make yourself a float at the Soda Shoppe.
latest news & updates
Below are our latest updates. Click Here to view past updates.
Bringing Eliza Home, A Lecture by Barbara VornDick & Kathryn Willis
Friday, March 28, 2025 - 5pm - 7pm
“Bringing Eliza Home" is a lecture about the eldest daughter, Eliza Monroe Hay, of Elizabeth Kortright Monroe and Colonel James Monroe, 5th President of the United States of America (1817-1825) new research that rewrites Eliza's story; and efforts to reinter her remains from Pere Lachaise Cemetery in Paris, France to the Monroe family plot at Hollywood Cemetery in Richmond, Virginia.
VornDick shares her fascinating journey into the realm of historical research and how the discovery of archival documents on both sides of the Atlantic has illuminated new information about Eliza’s life.
Location:
A.T. Johnson Museum
18849 Kings Hwy Montross, VA
Dinner available for purchase from a Food Truck TBA
thank you all for your donations
On behalf of Westmoreland County Museum, I would like to thank you for your support in 2025.
Your generous donation will allow us to add new community programs, develop special museum exhibits, continue beautification and renewal of the Presidents’ Garden, restore and renovate the Original Museum and grounds, and redesign and upgrade the Mercantile General Store and Museum Gift Shop.
We hope you will have an opportunity to join us for our 2025 Lecture Series: Introduction to Westmoreland County History, as well as other community events programmed throughout the year. We are excited as we move forward into 2025 with new events and activities.
Please visit our website often and follow us on Facebook at Westmoreland County Museum and/or on Instagram @westmorelandcountymuseum to learn about upcoming events.
Sincerely yours,
Rosemary M. Mahan
Executive Director
Westmoreland County Museum and Library, Inc.
