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A House Built of Virginia Stone

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Approximately forty miles south of Washington, D.C., the Aquia sandstone quarry on Government Island sits quietly in the...

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A Life Rediscovered: The Story of Emily Winfree

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Emily Winfree, an African American woman who lived through slavery, the Civil War, Reconstruction, and Jim Crow, never...

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Arthur Ashe Jr.’s Family Tree: Tracing the Blackwell Family to 1735

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See a rare family tree, drawn by hand on canvas, tracing Arthur Ashe, Jr.’s family.

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Carving Out Space in the Military: WAVES

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World War II opened new opportunities for women in the military and on the home front, though it was not the first war...

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Changing the Commonwealth with Crayons

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When she was in the third grade, a classmate asked her to pass the “skin-colored” crayon—a familiar request heard at her...

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Clarise Sears Ramsey

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Charlotte Clarise Sears Risley Harrold Ramsey (1867–1922), whose parents were Joseph Henry Risley and Mary Elizabeth...

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Clementina Rind

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Clementina Rind was Virginia’s first female printer and newspaper publisher, publishing important official documents for...

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Colonial Cookbooks

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Food and dining were integral to social life in the eighteenth century, particularly among the upper class. The gentry...

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Dolley Madison

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Dolley (Payne) Todd Madison (1768–1849) lived through three wars, knew eleven presidents, and was a gracious and...

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Elizabeth I

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Elizabeth I (1533–1603), queen of England, never married and was known as the virgin queen. The first English attempts...

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Elizabeth Keckley

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Born a slave in Dinwiddie County, Elizabeth Hobbs Keckley (1818–1907) purchased her freedom in 1855 and supported...

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Ella Fitzgerald's False Eyelashes

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Legendary singer and Virginia native Ella Fitzgerald, dubbed “The First Lady of Song,” exhilarated audiences with her...

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Ellen Glasgow’s Broken Heart

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Valentine’s Day cards and the celebrations around the holiday began to escalate during the early twentieth century.

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Equal Suffrage League of Virginia

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Learn about how the Equal Suffrage League of Virginia helped women gain the right to vote.

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Grace Sherwood: The "Witch of Pungo"

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On July 10, 1706, a forty-six-year-old Princess Anne County woman named Grace Sherwood faced an unusual legal procedure...

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How Did Civilians Suffer?

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White women and children were left to fend for themselves, and many became widows and orphans when one in five...

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Life Portrait of Pocahontas

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The only life portrait of Pocahontas (1595–1617) and the only credible image of her, was engraved by Simon Van de Passe...

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Lila (Meade) Valentine

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Lila (Meade) Valentine (1865–1921), president of the Equal Suffrage League, championed causes of health and education...

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Maggie Lena Walker

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Maggie Lena Walker (1864–1934) was the daughter of Elizabeth Draper, a former kitchen slave and then cook in the Civil...

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Martha (Dandridge) Custis Washington

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This portrait of Martha Washington (1731–1802) is the work of Charles Willson Peale, who also painted the sitter several...