Association for the Preservation of Virginia Antiquities
Encyclopedia
Founded in 1889, the Association for the Preservation of Virginia Antiquities was the United States
' first statewide historic preservation
group. In 2003 the organization adopted the new name APVA Preservation Virginia to reflect a broader focus on statewide Preservation and in 2009 it shortened its name to Preservation Virginia. Preservation Virginia owns historic sites across Virginia including Historic Jamestowne
, located at Jamestown, Virginia
, site of the first permanent English
settlement in North America
, and the Cape Henry Light, one of the first public works
projects of the United States of America.
came decades before Colonial Williamsburg
's creation.
In some ways similar in mission to organizations such as The National Trust for Historic Preservation
in the U.S. and The National Trust
in Britain
, Richmond-based Preservation Virginia also serves as a resource for organizations and individuals on preservation issues. However it also seeks to cultivate an awareness of the importance of Virginia's heritage as an "economic asset". The organization's branches represent Preservation Virginia across the state; in Richmond, Preservation Virginia's self governing affiliate is Historic Richmond Foundation
, which merged in July 2005 with Preservation Virginia's William Byrd Branch.
Preservation Virginia also operates the statewide revolving fund, which protects historic properties with easements before placing them on the market, and organizes an annual Preservation Conference.
Starting in 1994, a major archaeological campaign conducted by Preservation Virginia at Jamestown
known as Jamestown Rediscovery
has discovered the remains of the original 1607 settlement, and greatly increased the knowledge of Jamestown.
Several museum sites are open on a limited basis or by appointment, including:
Preservation Virginia also manages Warner Hall Graveyard in Gloucester and the Cub Creek Church site in Charlotte County
.
Of the current Preservation Virginia properties, six are designated as National Historic Landmark
s and others are Virginia or National Register properties.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
' first statewide historic preservation
Historic preservation
Historic preservation is an endeavor that seeks to preserve, conserve and protect buildings, objects, landscapes or other artifacts of historical significance...
group. In 2003 the organization adopted the new name APVA Preservation Virginia to reflect a broader focus on statewide Preservation and in 2009 it shortened its name to Preservation Virginia. Preservation Virginia owns historic sites across Virginia including Historic Jamestowne
Historic Jamestowne
Historic Jamestowne is the official name used for promotional purposes for the original site of the 1607 James Fort and the later 17th century city of Jamestown. It is located on the James River at Jamestown, Virginia and operated as a partnership between Preservation Virginia and the U.S...
, located at Jamestown, Virginia
Jamestown, Virginia
Jamestown was a settlement in the Colony of Virginia. Established by the Virginia Company of London as "James Fort" on May 14, 1607 , it was the first permanent English settlement in what is now the United States, following several earlier failed attempts, including the Lost Colony of Roanoke...
, site of the first permanent English
English people
The English are a nation and ethnic group native to England, who speak English. The English identity is of early mediaeval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn. England is now a country of the United Kingdom, and the majority of English people in England are British Citizens...
settlement in North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
, and the Cape Henry Light, one of the first public works
Public works
Public works are a broad category of projects, financed and constructed by the government, for recreational, employment, and health and safety uses in the greater community...
projects of the United States of America.
Organization
It has had a leadership role in historic preservation in Virginia; its 1889 saving of the Powder Magazine in WilliamsburgWilliamsburg, Brooklyn
Williamsburg is a neighborhood in the New York City borough of Brooklyn, bordering Greenpoint to the north, Bedford-Stuyvesant to the south, Bushwick to the east and the East River to the west. The neighborhood is part of Brooklyn Community Board 1. The neighborhood is served by the NYPD's 90th ...
came decades before Colonial Williamsburg
Colonial Williamsburg
Colonial Williamsburg is the private foundation representing the historic district of the city of Williamsburg, Virginia, USA. The district includes buildings dating from 1699 to 1780 which made colonial Virginia's capital. The capital straddled the boundary of the original shires of Virginia —...
's creation.
In some ways similar in mission to organizations such as The National Trust for Historic Preservation
National Trust for Historic Preservation
The National Trust for Historic Preservation is an American member-supported organization that was founded in 1949 by congressional charter to support preservation of historic buildings and neighborhoods through a range of programs and activities, including the publication of Preservation...
in the U.S. and The National Trust
National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty
The National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty, usually known as the National Trust, is a conservation organisation in England, Wales and Northern Ireland...
in Britain
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, Richmond-based Preservation Virginia also serves as a resource for organizations and individuals on preservation issues. However it also seeks to cultivate an awareness of the importance of Virginia's heritage as an "economic asset". The organization's branches represent Preservation Virginia across the state; in Richmond, Preservation Virginia's self governing affiliate is Historic Richmond Foundation
Historic Richmond Foundation
Historic Richmond Foundation was founded in 1956 by Mary Wingfield Scott in order to save the Church Hill area surrounding St. John's Church. It is an organization "dedicated to salvaging properties of historic or architectural value."-Preservation:...
, which merged in July 2005 with Preservation Virginia's William Byrd Branch.
Preservation Virginia also operates the statewide revolving fund, which protects historic properties with easements before placing them on the market, and organizes an annual Preservation Conference.
Starting in 1994, a major archaeological campaign conducted by Preservation Virginia at Jamestown
Jamestown, Virginia
Jamestown was a settlement in the Colony of Virginia. Established by the Virginia Company of London as "James Fort" on May 14, 1607 , it was the first permanent English settlement in what is now the United States, following several earlier failed attempts, including the Lost Colony of Roanoke...
known as Jamestown Rediscovery
Jamestown Rediscovery
Jamestown Rediscovery is an archaeological project of Preservation Virginia investigating the remains of the original settlement at Jamestown established in the Virginia Colony beginning on May 14, 1607. The period under study was from 1607-1698.Preservation Virginia archaeologist Dr...
has discovered the remains of the original 1607 settlement, and greatly increased the knowledge of Jamestown.
Historic sites
Preservation Virginia museum sites include:- Historic JamestowneHistoric JamestowneHistoric Jamestowne is the official name used for promotional purposes for the original site of the 1607 James Fort and the later 17th century city of Jamestown. It is located on the James River at Jamestown, Virginia and operated as a partnership between Preservation Virginia and the U.S...
- ScotchtownScotchtown (plantation)Scotchtown is a plantation located in Hanover County, Virginia, that was once owned and used as a residence by Patrick Henry, revolutionary and first Governor of Virginia. It is located in Beaverdam, Virginia, northwest of Ashland, Virginia on VA 685...
, the Hanover CountyHanover County, VirginiaAs of the census of 2000, there were 86,320 people, 31,121 households, and 24,461 families residing in the county. The population density was 183 people per square mile . There were 32,196 housing units at an average density of 68 per square mile...
home of Patrick HenryPatrick HenryPatrick Henry was an orator and politician who led the movement for independence in Virginia in the 1770s. A Founding Father, he served as the first and sixth post-colonial Governor of Virginia from 1776 to 1779 and subsequently, from 1784 to 1786...
, revolutionaryAmerican RevolutionThe American Revolution was the political upheaval during the last half of the 18th century in which thirteen colonies in North America joined together to break free from the British Empire, combining to become the United States of America...
and first Virginia GovernorGovernor of VirginiaThe governor of Virginia serves as the chief executive of the Commonwealth of Virginia for a four-year term. The position is currently held by Republican Bob McDonnell, who was inaugurated on January 16, 2010, as the 71st governor of Virginia.... - John Marshall HouseJohn Marshall HouseThe John Marshall House is the home of Supreme Court Chief Justice John Marshall, located in Richmond, Virginia. Marshall was appointed to the court in 1801 by John Adams and served for the rest of his life, writing such influential decisions as Marbury v. Madison and McCulloch v...
, the home of Chief Justice of the Supreme CourtChief JusticeThe Chief Justice in many countries is the name for the presiding member of a Supreme Court in Commonwealth or other countries with an Anglo-Saxon justice system based on English common law, such as the Supreme Court of Canada, the Constitutional Court of South Africa, the Court of Final Appeal of...
John MarshallJohn MarshallJohn Marshall was the Chief Justice of the United States whose court opinions helped lay the basis for American constitutional law and made the Supreme Court of the United States a coequal branch of government along with the legislative and executive branches...
in RichmondRichmond, VirginiaRichmond is the capital of the Commonwealth of Virginia, in the United States. It is an independent city and not part of any county. Richmond is the center of the Richmond Metropolitan Statistical Area and the Greater Richmond area... - Rising Sun Tavern in FredericksburgFredericksburg, VirginiaFredericksburg is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia located south of Washington, D.C., and north of Richmond. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 24,286...
- Mary Washington HouseMary Washington HouseThe Mary Washington House, at 1200 Charles Street in Fredericksburg, Virginia, is the house in which George Washington's mother, Mary Ball Washington, resided towards the end of her life.-History:...
in FredericksburgFredericksburg, VirginiaFredericksburg is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia located south of Washington, D.C., and north of Richmond. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 24,286... - Hugh Mercer ApothecaryHugh Mercer ApothecaryHugh Mercer Apothecary was a pharmacy founded by Hugh Mercer in the mid 18th century. Mercer was a doctor who fled Scotland after the Battle of Culloden...
in FredericksburgFredericksburg, VirginiaFredericksburg is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia located south of Washington, D.C., and north of Richmond. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 24,286... - Smith's Fort PlantationSmith's Fort PlantationSmith's Fort Plantation is a house and parcel of land located in Surry County, Virginia, United States. The current main house on the property, also known as the Faulcon House, dates from 1751...
in SurrySurry, VirginiaSurry is an incorporated town in Surry County, Virginia, United States. The population was 262 at the 2000 census... - Bacon's CastleBacon's CastleBacon's Castle, also variously known as "Allen's Brick House" or the "Arthur Allen House" is located in Surry County, Virginia, USA, and is one of the oldest dateable brick buildings in Virginia....
, Virginia's oldest datable brick residence, in SurrySurry, VirginiaSurry is an incorporated town in Surry County, Virginia, United States. The population was 262 at the 2000 census... - Smithfield PlantationSmithfield (Blacksburg, Virginia)Smithfield is a plantation outside Blacksburg, Virginia built from 1772 to 1774 as a home by Col. William Preston. It was the birthplace of two Virginia Governors: James Patton Preston and John B. Floyd...
in BlacksburgBlacksburg, VirginiaBlacksburg is an incorporated town located in Montgomery County, Virginia, United States, with a population of 42,620 at the 2010 census. Blacksburg, Christiansburg, and Radford are the three principal jurisdictions of the Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford Metropolitan Statistical Area which... - Cape Henry Light House, the first federal public works project under PresidentPresident of the United StatesThe President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
George WashingtonGeorge WashingtonGeorge Washington was the dominant military and political leader of the new United States of America from 1775 to 1799. He led the American victory over Great Britain in the American Revolutionary War as commander-in-chief of the Continental Army from 1775 to 1783, and presided over the writing of...
, in Virginia BeachVirginia Beach, VirginiaVirginia Beach is an independent city located in the Hampton Roads metropolitan area of Virginia, on the Atlantic Ocean at the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay... - Eastville Courthouse BuildingsNorthampton County Courthouse Historical DistrictThe Northampton County Courthouse Historical District is a nine-acre historic district in Northampton County, Virginia, in the United States. The district is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Three buildings are located on the property: A courthouse and a clerk's office , and a...
- Old Isle of Wight CourthouseOld Isle of Wight CourthouseThe Old Isle of Wight Courthouse was built around 1750 and used as the main courthouse by the town of Smithfield in Isle of Wight County, Virginia.-History:The courthouse was in use for around fifty years, and considered the center of the town...
in SmithfieldSmithfield, VirginiaSmithfield is a town in Isle of Wight County, in the South Hampton Roads subregion of the Hampton Roads region of Virginia in the United States. The population was 8,089 at the 2010 census.... - Farmers' Bank in PetersburgPetersburg, VirginiaPetersburg is an independent city in Virginia, United States located on the Appomattox River and south of the state capital city of Richmond. The city's population was 32,420 as of 2010, predominantly of African-American ethnicity...
- Old Stone House, part of and operated by the Edgar Allan Poe MuseumEdgar Allan Poe Museum (Richmond)The Edgar Allan Poe Museum is a museum located in Richmond, Virginia, dedicated to American writer Edgar Allan Poe. Though Poe never lived in the building, it serves to commemorate his time living in Richmond. The museum holds one of the world's largest collections of original manuscripts, letters,...
in RichmondRichmond, VirginiaRichmond is the capital of the Commonwealth of Virginia, in the United States. It is an independent city and not part of any county. Richmond is the center of the Richmond Metropolitan Statistical Area and the Greater Richmond area... - Thomas Read's Clerk's Office, part of the Museum of Charlotte County
Several museum sites are open on a limited basis or by appointment, including:
- Cole Digges House in RichmondRichmond, VirginiaRichmond is the capital of the Commonwealth of Virginia, in the United States. It is an independent city and not part of any county. Richmond is the center of the Richmond Metropolitan Statistical Area and the Greater Richmond area...
- St. James' House in FredericksburgFredericksburg, VirginiaFredericksburg is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia located south of Washington, D.C., and north of Richmond. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 24,286...
- Debtors' PrisonDebtors' Prison (Accomac, Virginia)The Debtors' Prison is a historic debtors' prison in Accomac, Virginia. Constructed in 1783 as a house for the Accomack County jailer, it is the oldest public structure in the county. It was converted to use as a debtors' prison in 1824, which purpose it served until 1849...
in Accomac, VirginiaAccomac, VirginiaAccomac is a town in Accomack County, Virginia, United States. The population was 547 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Accomack County.-General information:* ZIP Code: 23301* Area Code: 757* Local Phone Exchange: 787... - Pear ValleyPear ValleyPear Valley is a one-room Yeoman's Cottage and prime example of Vernacular architecture. The modest embellishments and its high level of preservation make it one of the most architecturally interesting examples of small, historic homes in Virginia....
in Northampton CountyNorthampton County, VirginiaAs of the census of 2010, there were 12,389 people, 5,321 households, and 3,543 families residing in the county. The population density was 63 people per square mile . There were 6,547 housing units at an average density of 32 per square mile... - Walter ReedWalter ReedMajor Walter Reed, M.D., was a U.S. Army physician who in 1900 led the team that postulated and confirmed the theory that yellow fever is transmitted by a particular mosquito species, rather than by direct contact...
Birthplace in Belroi, VirginiaGloucester County, VirginiaGloucester County is within the Commonwealth of Virginia in the Hampton Roads metropolitan area in the USA. Formed in 1651 in the Virginia Colony, the county was named for Henry Stuart, Duke of Gloucester, third son of King Charles I of Great Britain. Located in the Middle Peninsula region, it...
Preservation Virginia also manages Warner Hall Graveyard in Gloucester and the Cub Creek Church site in Charlotte County
Charlotte County, Virginia
As of the census of 2000, there were 12,472 people, 4,951 households, and 3,435 families residing in the county. The population density was 26 people per square mile . There were 5,734 housing units at an average density of 12 per square mile...
.
Of the current Preservation Virginia properties, six are designated as National Historic Landmark
National Historic Landmark
A National Historic Landmark is a building, site, structure, object, or district, that is officially recognized by the United States government for its historical significance...
s and others are Virginia or National Register properties.