Mission

The Chesterfield Historical Society of Virginia serves as the center for Chesterfield history. Its purpose is to collect, preserve, interpret and promote the county’s unique past for the education of present and future generations.  
     

Castlewood                Magnolia Grange          Old Jail                  Museum            

Vision
To be the premier resource for local history and provide quality programs, exhibits and information to residents of and visitors to Chesterfield County, and to support the educational goals of the public school system as well as home schooled students.  

In 1986, the Society opened Magnolia Grange (c.1822) on Ironbridge Road as a historic house museum. Since 1998, the Society head office has been Castlewood (c. 1817) on the corner of Iron Bridge Road and Krause Road which also houses our research Library. The Society oversees preservation of several Civil War sites in the county and its operations have also included the 1892 Jail and the 1917 Court House which are currently closed for restoration.  

Our volunteers are the lifeline of the Chesterfield Historical Society of Virginia.  Please join us.

The Chesterfield Historical Society of Virginia is a 501 (c) (3) organization. Your tax-deductible donation funds the continued projects, programs, exhibits, and collections of the Society. For more information, please call our office at 804-796-7121. Donations may be mailed to the Chesterfield Historical Society of VA, PO Box 40, Chesterfield, VA  23832

The Chesterfield Historical Society of Virginia traces its origins to a Museum Board organized in 1961 and its home in the County Museum, opened in 1980.  The Society was established in 1981 to meet a growing demand for genealogical and historical research.  

An all-volunteer Board of Directors provides leadership to members and interns who develop programs and conduct research on Chesterfield’s historic structures, cemeteries, coal mines, archeological resources, Revolutionary and Civil War sites and collect and transcribe the histories of Chesterfield families.  Throughout the year, the Society presents at least 50 historic events and programs that attract more than 10,000 patrons including over 1,000 school children.