Patrick Henry’s Scotchtown

Perhaps no member of the Hanover Branch of the Association for the Preservation of Virginia Antiquities (APVA) was more crucial to the purchase, restoration, and early interpretation of Scotchtown than […]

My name is Nina Earle, and I grew up in Richmond, Virginia.  I am working on a history major with public history and anthropology concentrations through the honors program at Roanoke College. Preservation Virginia has been a great place to intern while I am exploring different public history career options. Through working under the Manager of Education, I have gotten the chance to explore museum education and programming for all ages.

During the historic period, the main house at Scotchtown was supplemented by a variety of outbuildings. The ice house -one of the two outbuildings reconstructed today- is a remarkable satellite […]

As a historic house museum, Patrick Henry’s Scotchtown has unique opportunities to study and explore the details of daily life, including foodways. While Virginia was still a colony of Great […]

Black history is American history and essential every day of the year. And in honor of Black History Month, we recognize that at this time, we have much to learn about the enslaved who lived and worked at the historic sites we open to the public.

As noted in this 16th century children’s rhyme, the question of how best to grow healthy and productive gardens was an ever present challenge our forefathers and ancestors faced. Whether by accident or studied practice, many cultures and societies through trial and error learned about the many benefits achieved by replenishing nutrients in the soil.

Born into a family with one brother and seven sisters – and father of seven daughters himself – women always held a prominent place in the life of Patrick Henry. Our newly furnished bedchamber debuts in 2019 to bring to light some of the stories of the strong women in Henry’s family and the enslaved women who were with him at Scotchtown during the tumultuous 1770s.

Our restoration craftsman, Mike Adams, has been hard at work at our historic sites during the off-season. Historic preservation is an ongoing, never quite finished process, and these cold months are the perfect time to tackle small projects, like remaking and replacing windows. Today, we’re highlighting two recently completed projects at Patrick Henry’s Scotchtown and Smith’s Fort.