The Albemarle Charlottesville Historical Society

Collecting, preserving, and interpreting the history of our community!

Programs

The Albemarle County Courthouse in downtown Charlottesville. Albemarle was carved from Goochland County in 1744. The original county seat was located at Scott’s Landing (now Scottsville) on the James River to the south. After the town of Charlottesville was founded in 1762 — named for King George III’s new bride, Queen Charlotte— a modest wood-framed courthouse was built on this site. It was later replaced in 1803 by a two-story brick structure that still forms the northernmost (or back) portion of the Courthouse. The statue honoring deceased Confederate soldiers was installed in front of the Courthouse in 1909. A decorative fountain for horses is visible on the right. Photo by Rufus Holsinger (1866-1930), November 4, 1912. (courtesy of the Special Collections Library at the University of Virginia).

Join Us for Our VA250 Program Series

Fighting for Freedom: The Declaration of Independence & Its Legacy

 

To commemorate the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, ACHS is launching an 8-part program series entitled “Fighting for Freedom: The Declaration of Independence & Its Legacy.”

Join us January through July for programs that will discuss the many ways Americans have fought for freedom throughout the country’s history, and the importance of continuing to question what Thomas Jefferson’s words of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness mean.

Learn more about the upcoming programs:

  • January – Hamilton and Jefferson: Their Future and Our Past – Moderated Discussion with Peter Onuf, Joanne Freeman, and John Ragosta
  • February – Enslaved Voices and the American Dream: Where Did They Fight For? – Moderated Panel Discussion with Helice Henderson Jones, Jennifer Saylor Stacy, Ty’Leik Chambers, and Shelley Murphy
  • March – Freedom and Liberty in the American Civil War – Lecture with Caroline Janney
  • April – The Price We Pay: Tax Policy and the Struggle for Equality in America – Lecture with Andrew Kahrl
  • May – Women and the Fight for Inclusion: A Local to National Look – Moderated Panel Discussion with Congresswoman Jennifer McClellan, Phyllis Leffler, Chloe Fridley, and Catherine Allgor
  • June – Roosevelt, Truman and the Fight for Freedom, Abroad and at Home – Lecture with Melvyn P. Leffler
  • June – We Demand: Student Activism and the Struggle for Racial Justice at the University of Virginia, 1966-Present – Lecture with Claudrena Harold
  • July – Reestablishing Religion: How the Supreme Court Dismantled the Separation of Church and State – Lecture with Micah Schwartzman

The Albemarle Charlottesville Historical Society is proud to be a Commemorative Partner of VA250—Virginia’s American Revolution 250 Commission. As we mark 250 years of Independence, come reconnect with your country in the place that made it possible. Join us at VA250.org.

July 2026

Reestablishing Religion: How the Supreme Court Dismantled Separation of Church and State

VA250 Program Series – Fighting for Freedom: The Declaration of Independence & Its Legacy

Thursday, July 23, 2026 | 6:00 p.m. at The Center at Belvedere, Learning Center A (Room 206)

Free Registration | Reserve Tickets Here

As we finish out our VA250 Program Series – Fighting for Freedom: The Declaration of Independence and Its Legacy, join us for an important look at one of the five freedoms protected in the First Amendment. For this final installment of Fighting for Freedom, Micah Schwartzman, director of the Karsh Center for Law and Democracy and the Hardy Cross Dillard Professor of Law, will take a deeper look at the freedom of religion.

 

In the last few years, the Supreme Court has upended its doctrine of religious freedom under the First Amendment. The Court has explicitly rejected the doctrine of strict separation, which limited government support of religion, and it has adopted interpretations of disestablishment and free exercise that provide special solicitude for religion. Now, the government must treat religion equally with respect to providing public benefits. But it must also grant special exemptions from regulations that burden religion. This pattern of equal treatment for benefits and special exemptions from burdens yields a doctrinal that gives preference to religion. In the next year, the Supreme Court is likely to extend this pattern in several cases involving government funding of religious schools and the display of religious symbols in public education, signaling a transformation in the law of religion and state.

 

 

Then & Now: Charlottesville in the 1970s

Special Exhibit Gallery Tour

 

Fridays, July 3 & July 17, August 7 & August 21 | 12:00 p.m. at Vault Virginia, 300 E Main Street

$10 General Admission/Free for ACHS Members | Reserve Tickets Here

 

Tour meets at the Vault Virginia first-floor gallery – entrance through the 3rd Street door offers stairs and elevator access.

 

 

Take a guided tour of the special exhibition Then & Now: Charlottesville in the 1970s with ACHS Executive Director and exhibit designer Olivia Brown.

This 60-minute gallery tour will feature portraits by Frances Brand that are central to the exhibition and will share unique stories behind the photographs, paintings, and information chosen in the exhibition’s creation. The 1970s were a period of change in Charlottesville, marked by changing civic leadership, the construction of the Downtown Mall, and strong social activism. Make sure you take the chance to see this exhibit before it’s gone!

Vision

We are committed to reflecting the fullness of local history to help members of our community become better citizens through an understanding of the past.

Mission

We collect, preserve, and share the history of Albemarle County and Charlottesville, inspiring people to learn from our past.

We collect and preserve: archives, artifacts, research, and stories.

We share through: educational programs, exhibits, digital resources, and publications.

Values

We pursue historical truth.

We seek accuracy without bias or partiality.

We value integrity and transparency in all we do.