Westmoreland County Museum

05/28/2026

⚡️The storm today gave the museum one of the most dramatic backdrops we’ve ever seen.

Anyone doing Thunderstruck at Karaoke tonight? 😂

05/20/2026

Fresh blooms and new growth are filling the Westmoreland County Museum with life this week. 🌱🌹

A special thank you to Owen from Inn at Montross for the beautiful flowers brightening our space. At the same time, our beans and peas are beginning to sprout as we continue preparing for future hands on projects and educational opportunities at Westmoreland County Museum.

From historic preservation to hands-on learning, we are continuing to grow new ways for our community to connect with history, nature, and culture.

Our future is positively blooming.

Help us continue building programs that inspire all ages through history, archaeology, agriculture, and education.

Like, follow, share, donate, or volunteer to help support the future of Westmoreland County Museum.

05/16/2026

What do tattoos and archaeology have in common? More than you might think.

Join us at the Westmoreland County Museum on Saturday, June 6 for a unique hands on program exploring how identity, symbolism, art, and culture are preserved across generations through archaeology and material culture. Participants will examine pottery fragments, explore historical patterns and designs, and create their own inspired pieces while learning how archaeologists interpret meaning from the objects left behind.

This discussion based and interactive session bridges the gap between what is lost and what remains, showing how cultural expression can survive through symbols, craftsmanship, and artistic traditions across time.

Date: Saturday, June 6, 2026
Time: 1 PM to 2 PM
Location: Westmoreland County Museum
1503 Kings Hwy, Montross, VA 22520

$20 per participant
All materials included
Spaces are limited and registration is required.
Register by June 1, 2026.

Scan the QR code on the flyer to register now

05/12/2026

On this day, May 12, 1776, Virginia instructed its delegates to the Continental Congress to propose independence from Great Britain, becoming the first colony to officially do so. That decision helped set the stage for the Declaration of Independence just weeks later and placed Virginians at the center of the movement that would shape a new nation.

Here in Westmoreland County, those ideas of liberty, resistance, and self government were already deeply rooted. The county was home to influential Revolutionary figures including Richard Henry Lee and Francis Lightfoot Lee, both signers of the Declaration of Independence, as well as the birthplace of George Washington and James Monroe.

Long before independence was formally declared, voices from Westmoreland and the Northern Neck were already helping define what resistance and representation would mean in America. From the Leedstown Resolution of 1766 to the debates unfolding in Virginia’s leadership circles, this region played a direct role in the road toward revolution.

Today, we remember the people, places, and decisions that shaped the nation’s earliest chapters and the role Westmoreland County held within them.

Like, follow, and share to support local history and the preservation of Westmoreland’s story.

05/10/2026

Happy Mother’s Day from the Westmoreland County Museum!

Motherhood in early Westmoreland was often far more than raising children at home. Women managed plantations and farms during war, kept businesses running, preserved family records, cared for entire extended households, and carried traditions and survival knowledge across generations.

On this day in history, May 10, 1775, the Second Continental Congress convened in Philadelphia as tensions between the colonies and Great Britain moved closer toward full revolution. While many of the names remembered from that era are men, the women of Virginia and Westmoreland were holding communities together behind the scenes through uncertainty, shortages, political division, and war.

In Westmoreland County, women connected to families like the Lees, Washingtons, and countless ordinary households played critical roles in maintaining estates, raising future leaders, managing labor systems, preserving correspondence, and shaping the social and political culture of the Northern Neck. Their work was often undocumented, but it was essential.

Historic motherhood also extended beyond biological mothers. Grandmothers, aunts, enslaved caregivers, Indigenous women, and community caretakers all helped shape the lives and futures of generations here in Westmoreland.

Today we honor the mothers of the past and present whose stories helped build this county and this nation.

Happy Mother’s Day from Westmoreland County Museum. Please like, follow, and share to help support local history and preservation.

05/02/2026

You may notice a few changes when you visit the Westmoreland County Museum.

We are actively working behind the scenes and out front to improve your experience as we prepare for new and updated exhibits. From refreshed windows and improved visibility to clearer entry points and signage, our goal is simple: make the museum more welcoming, more accessible, and easier to navigate for everyone who walks through our doors.

These updates are part of a larger effort to better showcase the stories we preserve and to create a space that reflects the importance of our collections and community.

We appreciate your patience as we continue making improvements, and we look forward to welcoming you in soon to see what is new.

Like, follow, and share to stay updated on our progress and upcoming exhibits.

05/02/2026

This week was powerful for our museum as we head into celebrating the 250th for our nation!

We were honored to attend the James Monroe Wreath Laying Ceremony at Hollywood Cemetery, an event that brings together community, legacy, and remembrance in a truly meaningful way. Standing among those gathered to honor President Monroe, you could feel the weight of history and the responsibility we all share to preserve it.

It was especially meaningful to have Sam Maner with us. His work and generosity continue to deepen the stories we tell and strengthen the connections between past and present. We are grateful for the many ways he supported our museum, from sharing his expertise to helping expand access to genealogy and historical research.

We extend our sincere thanks to Lori Maner for her tremendous help throughout the visit, from organizing archives and supporting exhibit work to the many behind the scenes efforts that made this time so productive and meaningful.

We are also proud to share that our staff along side two staff members from Menokin: Re-Imagining A Ruin achieved international certification in archiving and genealogy during this visit, a meaningful step forward in strengthening our ability to preserve and interpret the past for our community.

A sincere thank you to the Inn at Montross for hosting Sam Maner and helping make this opportunity possible. Their continued support allows us to bring valuable resources and experiences to Westmoreland County.

We are grateful to be part of a community that values preserving and sharing these stories. Thank you all for helping us deliver impactful moments for our community.

Like, follow, and share to help us continue preserving and sharing the stories that shape our community.