Chesterfield County Museum and Historical Jail
will remain CLOSED except for the
following programs listed below.
6813 Mimms Loop Chesterfield, VA 23832
Contact: 804-768-7311
MUSEUM PROGRAMS
At this time the County Museum and Historical Jail remain close for tours
but will be open for the following programs below. All programs are free but reservations are required. Space is limited and social distancing guidelines will be in effect.
To reserve a seat call Bryan Truzzie, 751-4946. All programs start at, 11 a.m.
OCTOBER EVENTS
October 17th - Apollo13th Fiftieth Anniversary
Join us for this insightful presentation to learn about the stunning accomplishments of the Apollo program and what we learned from these historic missions. Brad Perry, former Air Force pilot and astronaut instructor for NASA will discuss NASA’s bold decision to send the Apollo 8 astronauts on the initial mission to orbit the Moon in December 1968, the events leading to the historic Apollo 11 lunar landing in July 1969, the incredible accomplishment of returning the Apollo 13 astronauts home safely after their explosion in deep space in April 1970, and the significant scientific accomplishments of the later Apollo missions ending with Apollo 17 in December 1972.
NOVEMBER EVENTS
November 7th - America's Doughboys and the National Pasttime in the Great War
This presentation by Alexander Barnes, Command Historian with the Virginia National Guard, recounts the story of how baseball played an important role in entertaining the troops during WWI. Playing wherever they could find enough room to throw a ball, the Doughboys brought the game with them into the front lines and then into the occupation of Germany. Sharing their military service, in combat and on the baseball diamond, were a number of famous professional ballplayers, managers, lawyers, politicians, and even an umpire.
November 14th - Apples to Appleseed: How Cider and John Chapman Shaped the Early Frontier
This lecture will explore a brief history of the apple and apple cider, and dive into the history behind Johnny Appleseed. Attendees will learn about the origins of the apple, its unique contribution to English North American culture and development, and how Johnny Appleseed (John Chapman) sprouted from his roots in a modest New England family to grow into to one of the greatest legends our country has ever known.
THE COUNTY MUSEUM
The Chesterfield Museum is a brick reproduction of the colonial courthouse of 1749. It sits on a tract of land that was known in the 18th Century as "Coldwater Run". The County was a rural community and the Courthouse of 1749 was not only a social gathering spot, it was a political nexus. Speeches, horse trading, games, drinking, and fistfights were standard events of each court day. The old courthouse stood until 1917 when it was razed for a new "courthouse" Preservationists could not save the building. The courthouse-museum complex was a project conceived by The Bermuda Ruritan Club and later a total of ten other Ruitan Clubs were involved in the project. Thanks to these Ruritans, the Museum was built in 1977 and officially dedicated on July 4, 1980.
THE OLD 1892 JAIL
The 1892 jail, now commonly referred to as "the Old Jail", could hold up to 24 prisoners whose meals were prepared by the sheriff and his family. The building was seldom used in the 20th century until 1936, when crime became an issue in the county. Eventually the building became home for the Chesterfield County Police Department and, later, the Fire Department. It was designated a museum in 1982. The Old Jail is open for tours which begin at the County Museum next door.