Dear Generous Supporter of Local History!
As we do every year during the Holiday Season, we look back and reflect on the many things
we are THANKFUL for and look ahead with hope for what we will accomplish in the future with your support.
Click below to read our end of year appeal letter, and sign up to join our
email list to stay on top of local history news and updates.
Program Updates
Guided history walking tours are available year-round. Contact Sterling Howell at [email protected] or (434) 296-1492 to learn more and to schedule a tour. Many of our upcoming programs will be hybrid – a combination of in-person and online. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube for additional information and to watch recordings of our programs! Join our email newsletter list to receive regular program updates.
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Saving Hatton Ferry 2022
Watch the video below to learn about Hatton Ferry and the work we accomplished in 2022 to preserve this one-of-a-kind historic landmark.
Frances Brand's "Firsts"
Frances Brand (1901-1990) was a U.S. Army major, a civil rights activist, a world traveler, a devoted churchgoer, and a portrait artist, among other things. Some remember her as a colorful eccentric who loved to dress in purple, while others knew her as a committed social activist.
In the 1970s, Brand undertook a series of portraits of her fellow community members that would become the Gallery of “Firsts.” This collection had at least 157 portraits of those whom Brand believed to be the first to do something. Many were firsts in their field of study or line of work, but Brand included those with lower-profile accomplishments that were nonetheless valued by the community. She made an effort to represent a myriad of races, classes, religions, and professions in her art. Of the 157 portraits, 93 feature women. Brand captured in her “Firsts” images of change in a small Southern community during the latter half of the twentieth century, a time when social change made it possible for individuals to achieve firsts where previously their gender, race, or nationality denied them the opportunity.
The Albemarle Charlottesville Historical Society handpicked twenty-five “Firsts” to “Re-Open the Gallery” at the Center at Belvedere from July 5 to August 31, 2022. We hope to bring back the exhibit in 2023 at another venue in Albemarle County. For more information about Frances Brand and her “Firsts,” check out our page about her on cvillepedia. To see the Gallery of Firsts in its entirety, check out our digital exhibit.
Did You Know that Charlottesville-Albemarle Has It's Own Wiki?
Cvillepedia is a wiki dedicated to sharing and building community knowledge and history about the people, places, and events in Charlottesville and Albemarle County. This site is built with the same software as Wikipedia and is a free, public, collaborative encyclopedia that anyone can edit and improve. Cvillepedia is a volunteer run project. Click HERE to become a volunteer and add to the stories we tell about the past!
Membership
Albemarle Charlottesville Historical Society members, if you have already renewed for 2022, thank you!
Membership dues make up a large portion of our annual operating budget. Every membership counts! Please continue to support us!
Support Us
The Albemarle Charlottesville Historical Society is reinventing and
reimagining the role of the historical society in the 21st Century.
Vision
Our vision is to reimagine and reinvent the role of the historical society in the twenty-first century: to be a strong civic organization that embraces, in all that we do, the diversity of our community’s history and experience, and promotes a greater understanding of our past, to enlighten the present and foster an inclusive history for future generations.
Mission
History is not the past; it is the story we tell about the past. Every person in Albemarle County and the City of Charlottesville has a unique and powerful story to tell. Through collecting, preserving, and interpreting the history of our community, we are committed to informing, inspiring, and bringing together all people, creating opportunities for new relationships and new understandings.
Values
Our work is grounded in a belief in the worth and dignity of every human being. We respect people, communities, and cultures. We value discovery, creativity, integrity, and diversity. We believe in the potential for history to enrich our lives and to create stronger relationships and more vibrant communities. We approach our work with integrity and transparency.
Our organization earned a 2022 Gold Seal of Transparency! Now, everyone can view our financial details and learn about the people at our organization. Click on the gold seal for our updated #NonprofitProfile on Candid:
This website was funded in part by a CARES Act grant from Virginia Humanities. Click on their logo to learn more.
