Your connection to the past and the building blocks of our community’s future …
NEWS
NEWS
Daily dose of local history
"Looking Back" column Each day, the MHC Historical Society brings you something new: an account of what happened that day in time 100, 75, 50 and 25 years ago, and as a bonus, also 1960.
Join the Martinsville-Henry County Historical Society on Sunday, April 21, at 3 p.m. for Neal Bowman’s presentation on “Woodland Plants of the Area: History, Ecology and Uses,” at the Historic Henry County Courthouse. Admission is free.
The Andy Burnette Trio will kick off this year’s Sounds on the Square first Friday music series, performing in a free concert from 7-10 p.m. Friday, May 3, on the Plaza of the Historic Henry County Courthouse.
Click here to see Margaret Caldwell’s program on the history of the Blue Ridge Regional Library, presented in March. April’s Sunday Afternoon Lecture series will feature Neal Bowman on Woodland Plants, 3 p.m. Sunday, April 21.
Heritage Center & Museum
1 East Main Street (former Henry County courthouse); open from 1-4 p.m. Tuesdays through Fridays with a docent to provide tours; also usually staffed 9-5 weekdays with visitors welcome. Contact 276-403-5361 or mhchistoricalsociety@gmail.com.
13,000-square-foot annex
Construction on a 13,000-square-foot annex began in May 2023. It will house Dr. Mervyn King’s significant collections of antique firearms, Native American artifacts, steam engines, Marklin and other toys, toy trains and more.
Facility
The courthouse was built in 1824, significantly expanded in 1929 and retired from county use in 1996, when the Martinsville-Henry County Historical Society was formed to preserve it. The stately structure is available for rent for weddings, meetings, reunions, shows and more.
Events
The MHC Historical Society offers free programs throughout the year. Coming up with the Sunday Afternoon Lecture Series:
“Founders Day: Film” - The history of the companies that are bringing MHC into the economic future - Martin Processing, CP Films, Eastman, International Window Film Association. 3 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 24.
“Toys of Colonial Times” with Gail Vogler - 3 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 18.
“The Blue Ridge Regional Library: Enriching Our Communities for 110 Years.” 3 p.m. Sunday, March 17.
“I know of no way of judging the future than by the past.”
— Patrick Henry (1736-1799); Founding Father, Virginia Governor and Henry County planter