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.
Our first event, “History of Education at A.T. Johnson,” was an exciting lecture commemorating the legacy of African Americans in Westmoreland County's pursuit of access to higher education.
A.T. Johnson High School opened in 1937 thanks to the concerted efforts of the African American community to provide its youth with more opportunities.
In 1970, it became one of two integrated public high schools in the county. Keynote speaker, Dr. Lois Harrison-Jones, is a distinguished educational leader across the nation.
One of her many accolades includes being the first woman and first African American woman superintendent in Virginia. Dr. Harrison-Jones is a 1950 graduate of A.T. Johnson High School.
