5.31.final review2015 AAHGS Conference Registration v.2rp2

From the Conference Planning Committee
On behalf of the Conference Planning Committee, we invite you to the
36th National Genealogy Conference of the Afro-American Historical and
Genealogical Society to be held October 15-17, 2015, at the Richmond
Marriott Hotel in Richmond, Virginia. The conference theme is Virginia,
Where African-American Roots Run Deep: Family History and the National Narrative. This conference will explore Virginia’s unique place in
African-American family history, local and national episodes in the
American history narrative, and connections between Virginia and the rest
of the nation. An exciting and informative array of speakers and workshops will be offered. Pre-conference activities include visits to numerous
historical sites and family research opportunities that only Richmond can
offer. We hope that you will plan to be a part of what promises to be a
most stimulating and educational genealogical experience.
Sincerely,
AAHGS 2015 Conference Planning Committee
Conference Location/Hotel Information
The conference will be held at the Richmond Marriott Hotel, 500 East
Broad Street, Richmond, Virginia. Special AAHGS conference rates of
$149 single and $159 double (plus 13.3% tax) are available. These rates
are available from Monday, October 12 through Sunday, October 18. Onsite self-parking is $17 daily and valet parking is $27 daily. Internet use in
rooms is $14.95 per 24 hours.
Hotel reservations may be made by calling 888-236-2427 or 804-6433400 and requesting the AAHGS rate. The deadline for receiving the special rate is 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time on September 24. Although these
rates are available until September 24, rooms in the block may not
be. Therefore, you are urged to make your hotel reservation as soon as
possible. Please note that rates cannot be changed at check-in or checkout
for guests who fail to identify their affiliation at the time the reservation is
made.
Transportation
Richmond International Airport (RIC) is serviced by several airlines. The
Richmond Marriott does not have shuttle service to and from RIC which
is 12 miles and approximately 15 minutes away. Estimated taxi fare is
$30 one way. Groome Transportation (804-222-7222) provides limo service for up to three people for $35. Reservations must be made at least 24
hours in advance and prepaid.
Amtrak service from the northeast corridor is available to two Richmond
stations: the suburban Staples Mill Road Station (RVR) and the downtown Main Street Station (RVM). Taxi service from Staples Mill Road is
approximately $25 one way; from Main Street Station it is less than $10.
Special Needs
Special dietary needs must be detailed in writing and submitted with your
registration form.
Cancellation Policy
Requests for registration cancellation must be made in writing and postmarked no later than August 1, 2015. All cancellations will be subject to
a $50 service fee.
The 2015 conference will be hosted by
the four Virginia AAHGS Chapters:
Burke, Brown, Steppe; Central Virginia;
Greater Richmond; and Hampton Roads.
Enjoy more than thirty conference
sessions focused on resources, research methods, and historical accounts. Sessions are for beginning,
intermediate, and advanced genealogists.
Conduct family research at facilities
such as the Library of Virginia, Virginia Historical Society, and Virginia
Baptist Historical Society.
Attend pre-conference activities from
October 13 through October 15:
Tours will include AfricanAmerican Heritage, American
Civil War Museum, Maggie Walker
House, Virginia Historical Society,
Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, and
James River Plantations.
Library of Virginia will provide a
special orientation and modified
hours for AAHGS researchers from
October 13-15.
Take advantage of the chance to network with genealogists and historians
from around the country.
The Virginia Chapters of AAHGS look
forward to welcoming you to Richmond
for the AAHGS 36th National Genealogy
Conference. Plan now to attend what
will be a wonderful genealogical learning experience, October 13-17, 2015.
For further information contact:
2015 AAHGS Conference
Planning Committee
conference@aahgs.org
REGISTER ONLINE at www.AAHGS.org or mail with payment to:
AAHGS - P.O. Box 27833, Richmond, Virginia 23261
EMERGENCY CONTACT NAME AND NUMBER___________________________________________________________
Pre-Conference Film Series
Plans call for special screenings of independent African-American films on Tuesday, October 13, and Wednesday, October
14, at 6:30 p.m. at the University of Richmond, Downtown Campus, 626 East Broad
Street, Richmond (one block from the Richmond Marriott). The filmmakers have been
invited to present their work and to lead post
-screening discussions. Films to be screened
will be announced in the next AAHGS newsletter.
Friday Opening Plenary Speaker
Edward L. Ayers
President, University of Richmond
Dr. Edward L. Ayers is a noted historian and the author of ten books on American history. He is the recipient of numerous honors and awards, including the National Medal
for the Humanities, awarded by President Obama at the White House in the summer of
2013. He has also won the Bancroft Prize for distinguished writing in American History
and the Beveridge Prize for the best book in English on the history of the Americas since
1492, as well as being named a finalist for both the National Book Award and the Pulitzer Prize. Dr. Ayers’ digital archive project, The Valley of the Shadow: Two Communities in the American Civil War, has been used in thousands of classrooms around the
world, and he works closely with the Digital Scholarship Lab at UR. Dr. Ayers is a cohost of BackStory, a nationally syndicated radio show that ties history to the present day.
Dr. Ayers is an accomplished teacher. In 2003 he was awarded the National Professor of
the Year from the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching.
Dr. Ayers has long been a partner with museums. He is currently serving as the chair of
the board of the new American Civil War Museum in Richmond, bringing together the
resources of the Museum of the Confederacy and the American Civil War Center at Historic Tredegar to create an ambitious new museum devoted to telling an inclusive story of the pivotal event in our nation’s history.
Dr. Ayers has been president of the University of Richmond since 2007. He will step down as president effective June 30, 2015,
and will continue his scholarly work as a tenured member of the University of Richmond faculty. He will expand his efforts to
make history accessible to as many audiences and in as many ways as possible. These efforts will include his ongoing work with
the university’s Digital Scholarship Lab, the opportunity to again write books, and a deeper engagement with public history projects, such as BackStory.
Friday Luncheon Speaker
Greg Crawford
Local Records Service Program Manager, Library of Virginia
Greg Crawford is a native of Alabama and a graduate of Auburn University where he received a
B.A. and M.A. in History. Greg was hired as a Local Records Archivist at the Library of Virginia in
1999 to process local court records, mainly chancery causes. He is currently the Local Records Services Program Manager responsible for managing the processing of local court records stored at the
Library of Virginia.
Saturday General Session
The Honorable Lawrence Douglas Wilder
L. Douglas Wilder’s career in public service spans 40 years and is noted for several historic
milestones. Mr. Wilder became the first African American to be elected governor in the
United States, leading the Commonwealth of Virginia from 1990 to 1994. Prior to his time
as governor, he served as lieutenant governor from 1986 to 1990. As a state senator representing Richmond from 1969 to 1985, Mr. Wilder became the first African-American state
senator in Virginia since Reconstruction.
Persuaded to run for mayor of the City of Richmond in 2004, Mr. Wilder received eighty
percent of the vote and carried each of the city’s nine council districts and every precinct in
the city. He was sworn in as Richmond’s first elected mayor in 2005 and served until 2009,
making him the first African-American mayor elected by popular vote by the citizens of
Richmond. At present, Mr. Wilder is a Distinguished Professor at Virginia Commonwealth
University’s L. Douglas Wilder School of Government and Public Affairs. He is the recipient of more than 36 honorary degrees
and numerous awards that include the NAACP Spingarn Medal and the SCLC Drum Major for Justice Award.
An attorney by profession, Mr. Wilder graduated from Howard University Law School in 1959 and later established the legal firm
that became known as Wilder, Gregory & Associates. Prior to earning his J.D. from Howard University, he graduated from Virginia
Union University with a B.S. degree in Chemistry. Serving in the U.S. Army during the Korean War, he was awarded the Bronze Star
for heroism in combat while rescuing wounded GI’s and capturing enemy troops.
Born on January 17, 1931, in Richmond, Mr. Wilder is the second generation born free in his family, his grandparents having been
enslaved. Wilder’s parents named him after abolitionist-orator Frederick Douglass and poet Paul Lawrence Dunbar.
Saturday Luncheon Speaker
Christy S. Coleman
Co-CEO, American Civil War Museum
Christy S. Coleman began her career as a living history interpreter at the Colonial Williamsburg
Foundation. Over the course of a ten year career, she had increasing levels of responsibility,
finally serving as Director of Historic Programs. In 1999 she was named President and CEO of
the nation’s largest African-American museum, the Charles H. Wright Museum of African
American History in Detroit, MI.
In 2008, Ms. Coleman was named President and CEO of the American Civil War Center at Historic Tredegar. Today, she serves as Co-CEO of the American Civil War Museum—a new museum that combines the Center at Tredegar with the Museum of the Confederacy. She has lectured extensively and consulted with some of the country’s leading museums, written a number
of scholarly and public history articles, as well as being an award winning screenwriter for educational television. Her work Freedom Bound won an Emmy in 2009 for Outstanding Educational Programming for the Colonial Williamsburg Productions.
Saturday Banquet Speaker
Kenyatta D. Berry
Genealogist, Television Personality, and Attorney
Kenyatta D. Berry is a genealogist, businesswoman and lawyer with more than fifteen
years of experience in genealogical research and writing. A native of Detroit, Ms. Berry
graduated from Bates Academy, Cass Technical High School, Michigan State University, and Thomas M. Cooley Law School. She began her genealogical journey while
attending law school and studying at the State Library of Michigan in Lansing. Ms.
Berry is a host and star of the PBS series, Genealogy Roadshow.
Ms. Berry has deep roots in Detroit; her ancestors have lived there since the late 1920s.
She is the President of the Association of Professional Genealogists (APG) and is on the
Council of the Corporation for the New England Historic Genealogical Society
(NEHGS) in Boston. A frequent lecturer and writer, her area of focus is AfricanAmerican and slave ancestral research. Ms. Berry is an avid Detroit sports fan and loves
to watch the Lions, Tigers, and Red Wings from her home in Santa Monica.
Pre-Conference Tours for
Tuesday, October 13 - Thursday, October 15
Tuesday, October 13, 2015
African-American Heritage Tour of Richmond
12:30 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Tour Cost - $35 (lunch not included)
Richmond’s African-American history spans more than four centuries. The Heritage Tour will illuminate the experiences of African Americans in Richmond from the 18th century to the present. This bus tour of Richmond’s African-American heritage will
include visits to Church Hill for a discussion of the arrival of the first Africans to Richmond and to Shockoe Bottom for a discussion of the slave trade, Lumpkin’s Jail, and the Reconciliation Statue. Sites will include the places where the U.S. Colored
Troops marched on their April 3, 1865, emancipation of Richmond and where black college students conducted sit-in demonstrations in the 1960s. The tour will continue through Jackson Ward, Richmond’s “Harlem,” with a visit to the grand home of
Maggie L. Walker. It will include a drive by the statue of Bill “Bojangles” Robinson who provided funds to erect a traffic light
at a dangerous intersection near this site. A drive by the new home of the Black History Museum, an armory built in 1895 to
house Negro soldiers, will also be included.
The Maggie L. Walker National Historic Site, a National Park Service site, is the home of Maggie Lena Walker, American’s
first female bank president. Maggie Walker devoted her life to civil rights advancement, economic empowerment, and educational opportunities for Jim Crow-era African Americans and women. As a bank president, newspaper editor, and fraternal
leader, Walker served as a symbol of progress and as a source of inspiration and pride. Today, Walker’s home is preserved as a
tribute to her enduring legacy of vision, courage, and determination. The guided tour will include the visitors’ center, exhibition
building, and Mrs. Walker's home.
Housed in a former Confederate foundry, The American Civil War Museum is the nation's first museum to interpret the Civil
War from three perspectives: Union, Confederate, and African American. Sharing the campus with the Civil War Museum is the
Richmond National Battlefield Park Visitors Center which features three floors of exhibitions and artifacts. The group will
receive a guided tour of the entire Tredegar site.
This tour will primarily be conducted from the bus. Some walking will be required at the Maggie Walker House which has steps
and is not wheelchair accessible. Walking will also be required at the Civil War Museum and the Visitors Center.
Wednesday, October 14, 2015
Museum District Tour
Virginia Historical Society and Virginia Museum of Fine Arts
9:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
Tour Cost - $15 (lunch not included)
The tour of Richmond’s Museum District includes two of the city’s premiere facilities – the Virginia Historical Society (VHS)
and the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts (VMFA). The day will begin at VHS with a tour of the signature exhibition, The Story
of Virginia, An American Experience, led by Dr. Lauranett Lee, VHS Curator of African-American History. Attendees will be
invited to provide a critique of the exhibition. Dr. Lee will also give an overview of VHS’s extensive holdings of AfricanAmerican materials. She will introduce visitors to Unknown No Longer, a database of the names of thousands of enslaved Africans found in VHS’s unpublished holdings.
Following the VHS tour, the group will go next door to the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts for lunch in one of VMFA’s award
winning restaurants. Casual dining is available in the light-filled Best Café featuring a wall of windows and terrace overlooking
a reflecting pool and the Robins Sculpture Garden. Another option is the Amuse Restaurant for more formal dining. Amuse features views of the Sculpture Garden and VMFA’s multi-storied atrium.
After lunch, the group will experience a curator-led tour of VMFA. The museum’s collection of African art is regarded as one of
the most comprehensive in the United States. It features figures, masks, textiles, regalia, and ritual objects from more than 100
cultures throughout the African Continent. The collection presents a coherent, broad-based view of the arts and cultural history in
Africa, from the first millennium BC to the present day. In addition, visitors will be able to view the works of African-American
artists such as Henry O. Tanner, Aaron Douglas, Beauford Delaney, Thomas Day, Romare Bearden, Jacob Lawrence, Norman
Lewis, Charles White, Kehinde Wiley, Kara Walker, Hank Willis Thomas, Martin Puryear, and Lorna Simpson.
After the tour, visitors may browse the galleries or visit the gift shop, which features the work of several Virginia artists, decorative arts for the home, unique jewelry, toys, cards, and books, as well as educational items. With over 3,500 square feet of merchandise, the shop is sure to have something to please every taste and desire.
This tour will require walking to view the galleries at VHS and VMFA. Both facilities are fully wheelchair accessible.
Thursday, October 15, 2015
James River Plantations Tour
Shirley Plantation and Berkeley Plantation
9:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
Tour Cost - $70 (box lunch included)
Located along scenic Route 5 in Charles City County some thirty miles east of Richmond, the James River Plantations were established in the Virginia Colony along the James River from Hampton Roads to the head of navigation at the Fall Line, which is
now Richmond. A number of these historic plantations, some of the grandest in America, still overlook the tidal portion of the
James.
Shirley Plantation, settled in 1613, is Virginia’s first plantation and the oldest family-owned business in North America, dating
back to 1638. Occupied by the Hill family and their descendants since 1738, Shirley was the birthplace of Anne Hill Carter, the
mother of Confederate General Robert E. Lee. In 1793, she married Light Horse Harry Lee in the mansion's parlor. The tour of
Shirley Plantation includes an exhibition on slavery that shows evidence of African servants from as early as the late 17th century, a guided tour of the main house, and a self-guided tour of the gardens and original 18th-century outbuildings, which have
their own exhibitions.
Berkeley Plantation was the birthplace of Benjamin Harrison V, who was a signer of the Declaration of Independence and three
-time Governor of Virginia. His third son, William Henry Harrison, was also born at Berkeley. Known as "Tippecanoe," William
Henry Harrison became the ninth President of the United States in 1841. William Henry Harrison’s grandson, Benjamin Harrison, was the twenty-third President. On December 4, 1619, early settlers from England came ashore at Berkeley and observed the
first official Thanksgiving in America. Berkeley was one of the largest slave plantations in America. The visit to Berkeley will
include a guided tour of the manor house, a model of a typical slave dwelling, and a self-guided tour of the gardens. Box lunches
will be served in the Berkeley dining room. There will also be the opportunity to eat in the garden if the weather permits.
The tours of Shirley and Berkeley Plantations will require walking through the manor houses. Some steps are involved with touring both properties. Neither is wheelchair accessible.
Interested in serving as a vendor at the
AAHGS National Conference?
Go online to www.AAHGS.org for an application.
Spaces are limited!
Call (804) 218-2107
AAHGS Tours Richmond,VA October 13-15, 2015
ORDER FORM - T0URS
PO Box 27833, Richmond, VA 23261, or you may register online at www.aahgs.org
Each tour participant must complete this registration form. Please print.
Pre- and Post-Conference Research Opportunities in Richmond
Richmond, Virginia has numerous research facilities that will be of interest to genealogists. Several facilities have made special
arrangements to accommodate persons attending the AAHGS Conference. While the Library of Virginia will be closed on Monday, October 12 for Columbus Day, the other research facilities will be open. The Library of Virginia will also be closed Saturday,
October 17.
The Library of Virginia
The Library of Virginia’s 55 miles of shelves and files contain the stories of famous Americans, but they also hold the history of
all Virginians. These stories are told through 116 million books, manuscripts, photographs, maps, newspapers, and more. Here
you’ll find Bible records, genealogy notes and charts, military and service records, county records, maps, birth, marriage, and
death records, land grants, and tax records. Special collections include ledgers of plantation owners, petitions of slaves and free
blacks, Indian treaties, and Virginia’s original copy of the United States Bill of Rights. In addition to fantastic records, the Library
has a knowledgeable and helpful staff ready to help you find your history. It is no surprise that the Library of Virginia is one of the
nation’s foremost centers for family research.
Library of Virginia
800 East Broad Street
Richmond, VA 23219
Phone: 804-692-3500
Web: http://www.lva.virginia.gov and http://www.virginiamemory.com
E-mail: archdesk@lva.virginia.gov
Relevant Library of Virginia Policies and Procedures:
1. You must have a library card to be able to make copies at Library of Virginia. Information on library cards is available at: http://
www.lva.virginia.gov/about/policies/circ.htm. Documents may be saved on a USB drive, so you are encouraged to bring one with
you or one can be purchased at the Circulation Desk for $8.00.
2. Time limitations:
a. For time limits, if patrons are waiting, Map Research Room use will be limited to 1 hour, and Archives Research Room use will
be limited to 2 hours. Staff will stop taking requests at 4:00 p.m. and close at 4:30 p.m. every day except Wednesday, when requests will end at 8:00 p.m., and the rooms will close at 8:30 p.m.
b. Microfilm scanner use will be limited to 1 hour if other patrons are waiting. Patrons will need to wait 30 minutes before signing
up for a scanner if they have been bumped from one. The scanners will be turned off at 4:45 p.m. every day except Wednesday,
when they will be turned off at 8:45 p.m.
c. Waiting lists will be kept for the Map and Archives Research Rooms and the microfilm scanners. Patrons will need to remain in
those areas so they can listen for their names to be called. Materials from Closed Stacks (books and microfilm) need to be requested by 4:30 p.m. each day except on Wednesday, when requests need to be made by 8:30 p.m.
Library of Virginia Events and Schedule:
1. Tuesday, October 13; Wednesday, October 14; Thursday, October 15, 8:15-9:00 a.m.
Network Training Lab, "Introduction to Using the Library of Virginia for Genealogical Research," an overview of the genealogical
resources at the Library of Virginia. The presentation will include Archives Research Room policies and procedures as well as tips
on using the Library's online card catalog and databases. Limited to 24 persons per day on a first come, first served basis.
2. Wednesday, October 14, 12 Noon - 1:00 p.m.
Public lecture related to the Library of Virginia Emancipation exhibition, “Restructuring the African-American Family.” Before
1865, Virginia law refused to recognize relationships between enslaved couples. However, Emancipation permitted formerly enslaved people to reconnect, if not reunite, with family members. Local records archivist Greg Crawford will share stories found in
the collections at the Library of Virginia of African Americans seeking to rebuild their families following Emancipation. He will
also discuss resources offered by the Library of Virginia to access these stories.
3. Wednesday, October 14, 1:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.
“African-American Research at the Library of Virginia: Genealogy to 1870”
Reference archivist Cara Griggs will discuss methods and resources for African-American genealogy prior to the end of the Civil
War. Attendees will learn about ways of determining whether an individual was enslaved or free and what types of records will be
useful for further research. The lecture will focus on the Library of Virginia's collections including cohabitation registers, free
Negro registers and lists, wills, deeds, and tax records, as well as selected federal records that can be accessed through LVA’s
databases. Cost: $15 per person for the three-hour session. Please register in advance with Library of Virginia at http://
tinyurl.com/2015AAGHS or by calling Adrienne Robertson at (804) 692-3001. Limited to 70 persons.
4. Wednesday, October 14, Library of Virginia will be open from 9:00 a.m. until 9:00 p.m.
The Archives and Map Research Rooms will stop taking requests at 8:00 p.m. and close at 8:30 p.m. The microfilm scanners will
be shut down at 8:45 p.m. Requests for materials in Closed Stacks (books and film) will be taken until 8:30 p.m.
5. Monday, October 19, morning and afternoon sessions (hours to be announced).
In honor of the Commonwealth of Virginia’s Archives month program, the Library of Virginia is offering special public tours
through some rarely seen parts of the Library. Attendees will get a chance to visit the closed stacks and the conservation lab to see
the inner workings of the Library and will be able to ask the knowledgeable staff detailed questions about the Library’s remarkable collections.
Pre-registration is required.
For further information, contact Adrienne Robertson at (804) 692-3001 or adrienne.robertson@lva.virginia.gov. Limited to 20 persons per session on a first come, first served basis.
Virginia Historical Society
The research library of the Virginia Historical Society (VHS) draws scholars and genealogists from around the world to mine its
collections. Since its founding in 1831, the VHS has assembled a wide-ranging collection of private family and personal papers,
business and organizational records, books, maps, photographs, artwork, plantation business records, and other materials, all of
which provide insight into the history and culture of Virginia and its people. The VHS online catalog, http://www.vahistorical.org/
collections-and-resources/search-collections, has family papers, Bible records, genealogical notes and charts, and the papers of
professional genealogists who left their research files to the library. VHS also has published state and county histories, directories,
biographies, genealogies, and journals. Unknown No Longer is a database of the names of all the enslaved Virginians that appear
in VHS’s unpublished documents. See http://unknownnolonger.vahistorical.org/
Virginia Historical Society
428 North Boulevard
Richmond, VA 23220
804-358-4901
Virginia Baptist Historical Society
Located on the campus of the University of Richmond, the Virginia Baptist Historical Society’s (VBHS) library and archives contain original church records which include racially-mixed congregations prior to Emancipation. The collection includes about
20,000 books by and about Baptists, extensive biographical material, over 3,400 original church record books from about 500
congregations, and other archival material. VBHS’s records include church membership rolls that in many cases list enslaved persons by name and by slave owner. VBHS has recently compiled a registry called “free indeed!” that contains more than 51,000
names – blacks, slave and free, and white surnames – arranged by county and then by church. The registry is in hard copy and in a
digital format, but cannot be accessed remotely.
Due to limited staff and space, research access is strictly by appointment, and reservation slots are limited. Telephone Darlene
Herod, research assistant, for a research interview and possible research appointment. She will discuss with you the nature of the
materials as they may be useful in research.
Limited research appointments for the time of the conference will be scheduled for mornings or afternoons from October 12
through October 16 and again on October 19. The Society is closed on weekends. The Society’s library is located at the University
of Richmond in the far West End of Richmond. Ms. Heard can also arrange for your use of the University of Richmond shuttle
service from downtown Richmond.
While at the Virginia Baptist Historical Society, you will have the opportunity to view the exhibition, “free indeed!” which examines the relationships between white and black Virginia Baptists prior to emancipation and stresses the trials and triumphs of Virginia’s enslaved people. Through period manuscripts and documents, the story is told of Baptists welcoming the enslaved people
into the churches where they were accorded the recognition of membership. The exhibition notes that in the 18th century, Virginia
Baptists took an anti-slavery stand. The “free indeed!” project to commemorate the 150th anniversary of Emancipation is comprised of three components: the “free indeed!” exhibition, the compilation of the name registry of blacks – slave and free – from
antebellum church records, and a book on the subject.
For further information, contact:
Darlene Herod, Research Assistant
Virginia Baptist Historical Society
P.O. Box 34
University of Richmond, VA. 23173
804-289-8434 or 35
Virginia Union University (VUU) Archives & Special Collections
The University Archives serves as the official repository for the archival records of Virginia Union making accessible official
University publications and records that document its history and information about VUU events, faculty, and alumni. The Special Collections Department is a growing collection of rare books, photographs, manuscripts, and sheet music. Special Collections
emphasizes the African-American experience in Richmond and Virginia history after Virginia Union University was founded
(1865-present). The Archives includes records of Hartshorn Memorial College, the women's school that became a part of Virginia
Union University in 1932.
VUU Archives Hours: Monday – Friday, 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. or by appointment.
General inquiries are welcome, but researchers planning to visit the archives for extensive research are required to make an appointment.
For further information, contact:
Selicia Gregory Allen
Archivist & Special Collections Librarian
L. Douglas Wilder Library
Virginia Union University
1500 Lombardy Avenue
Richmond, VA 23220
804-278-4117
sngregory@vuu.edu
Sixth Mount Zion Baptist Church
Sixth Mount Zion Baptist Church was organized in 1867 by the Rev. John Jasper, who was born enslaved on July 4, 1812. The
church‘s extensive archives include church records, as well as documents about the greater Richmond community. Notable in its
museum collection are a 1925 church census, funeral programs that go back at least 100 years, and other artifacts. Appointments
must be made for in-person research, and inquiries are welcome.
For further information, contact:
Benjamin Ross, Historian
14 W Duval St
Richmond, VA 23220
(804) 648-7511
LDS Family History Center
The Family History Center has many volumes on Virginia counties and numerous other books by state, country. In addition,
there are many books on immigration, the military, and surname histories, as well as maps and dictionaries. Its microfilm/fiche
collection includes VA birth, death, marriage, census, plus miscellaneous records by county; other films/fiche for various states
and countries. This center has access to the Family History Center Portal page which gives visitors free access to premium family
history software and websites that generally charge for subscriptions. Hours of operation are:
Tuesday: 9:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
Wednesday: 9:30 a.m. 2:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
Saturday: 9:30 a.m. to 2:00 .p.m.
For further information, contact:
LDS Family History Center
5600 Monument Avenue
Richmond, Virginia 23226
804-288-8134
Explore On Your Own
Places of African-American Historical Interest
In or Near Richmond, Virginia
The Natives, the English, and the Africans converged in Virginia in the early 1600s, and the deep roots of
our combined histories on this soil began. The four Virginia AAHGS chapters welcome you and hope that
your visit here will be a rich one of discovery. If you are coming to Richmond for the first time, you will
find there are many interesting places to see both in Richmond and in nearby cities in Eastern Virginia. The
focus of the sites suggested here will be on African-American, African, and Native American experiences,
all within 80 miles or less. You may want to come early or stay after the conference ends to take in some of
these places on your own.
Some suggestions for saving on entrance fees: Virginia residents interested in visiting Jamestown Settlement and the Yorktown Victory Center may purchase the American Heritage Annual Pass for the price of
one day - $21 adults – available on online. http://www.historyisfun.org/virginia-vacation-getaways/
american-heritage-annual-pass/ . The National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands have three different
passes. The lifetime pass for U.S. citizens 62 and over is $10. This pass owner may take others with him/her
into the park at no additional charge. See web site for details. Military persons and persons with permanent
disabilities also receive free or discounted passes. See web site for details. http://www.nps.gov/findapark/
passes.htm Historic Jamestown is a national park.
Distances given to points outside of Richmond are from the Richmond Marriott Hotel. Be prepared for
heavy traffic on I64 East between Williamsburg and Hampton affecting travel times.
Richmond
 Richmond Canal Walk – Located along the Riverfront between 5th Street and 17th Streets
http://www.venturerichmond.com/experience/canal/
 Civil War Battlefields – five in Richmond, six within a 6 to 10 mile radius of Richmond, and 11
within an 11 to 24 mile radius. http://www.virginia.org/directory/historicsites/battlefields/?
city=Richmond&categories=3&page=2&view=list
 The Valentine (formerly The Valentine Museum and the Richmond History Center) –
The exhibitions focus on "American urban and social history, costumes and textiles, decorative arts
and architecture." http://thevalentine.org/index.php#
 Richmond Slave Trail, walking tour http://www.virginia.org/Listings/HistoricSites/
RichmondSlaveTrail/
 The American Civil War Museum offers special exhibitions on African-American life during the
Civil War http://www.tredegar.org/
 Arthur Ashe statue on Monument Avenue
Petersburg via I-95 South, 25 minutes
 The Joseph Jenkins Roberts Memorial commemorates independent Liberia’s first president; http://
www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=40466408
 See Petersburg’s African-American business center for more than a century, The Triangle
http://www.petersburgarea.org/attractions/african-american-history-tours
 Pamplin Historical Park – Site has 4 museums including the National Museum of the Civil War Soldier and Tudor Hall Plantation, circa 1812, including the plantation home and slave quarters
http://www.aahistoricsitesva.org/items/show/326?tour=3&index=3#.VWEKytJViko
Charlottesville via I-64 West about 1 hour
 Monticello, Thomas Jefferson’s home, Black history tour, Mulberry Row http://
slavery.monticello.org/mulberry-row
 Ashlawn, home of James Monroe, near Thomas Jefferson’s home, Monticello
 Montpelier, home of James Madison
 Jefferson School Heritage Center; http://www.jeffersoncitycenter.com/tenant_information/
partners.php?partner=JSAAHC
Farmville via US 360 West, about 1 hour, 15 minutes
 Home of Robert Russa Moton Museum, formerly Moton High School, where a 1951 student strike
led to a school desegregation case that was consolidated with the 1954 school desegregation case,
Brown v Board of Education. http://americanhistory.si.edu/brown/history/4-five/farmville-virginia1.html http://www.motonmuseum.org/about/
Colonial Williamsburg via I-64 East, 50 minutes.
 “During the 18th century, half of Williamsburg's population was black. The lives of the enslaved and
free people in this Virginia capital are presented in reenactments and programs throughout the Historic Area.”
http://www.history.org/almanack/life/af_amer/aalife.cfm
Jamestown via I-64 East, 1 hour.
 Jamestown Settlement –stroll through a gallery of visual and audial information on the first Africans
who arrived in this country, see recreated English and Native American settlements, interact with interpreters http://www.historyisfun.org/jamestown-settlement/
 Historic Jamestown – location of the original fort, original church, and museum with excavated artifacts. A National Park. http://www.virginia.org/Listings/HistoricSites/HistoricJamestowne/
Newport News via I-64 East, about 1 hour
 The Newsome House Museum, home of J. Thomas Newsome, first African-American lawyer in
Newport News, 2803 Oak Ave, 23607. Open Thur-Sat, 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. Suggested $2 donation. 757.247.2360. http://www.newsomehouse.org/
 Virginia War Museum, includes a section on the black soldier, 9285 Warwick Blvd, Newport News,
VA 23607 http://www.warmuseum.org/
Hampton via I-64 East, approximately 1 hour and 20 minutes
 Hampton University Museum – An outstanding collection of African, Native-American, and AfricanAmerican artifacts and art; http://museum.hamptonu.edu/
 Hampton History Museum, 120 Old Hampton Ln, 23669; http://www.hampton.gov/Index.aspx?
NID=119
 Casemate Museum at Fort Monroe, VA 23651; http://www.fmauthority.com/visit/casemate-museum/
http://www.tradoc.army.mil/museum/museum.asp
 Old Point Comfort “Shortly after the start of the Civil War, William Davis escaped from a plantation
in Hampton and then rescued his mother, wife, and seven children from other plantations and sought
asylum with them inside the walls of Fort Monroe. Old Point Comfort was no stranger to slaves, as it
was here in 1619 that the first ‘20 Negars’ in North America were unloaded and traded for food. The
Union army enlisted numerous African American troops from those former slaves who sought refuge
at the fort.” http://lighthousefriends.com/light.asp?ID=444
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