Local History
From its time as Algonquian territory through its establishment as the Old Dominion, our area has a past well worth discovering.
Local History Featured
A Guide to Local Parks
Check out these beautiful natural areas in the Rappahannock region.
New in Virginia History
These are recently published adult nonfiction titles on our state's hundreds of years of history.
Local History
Westmoreland's African American History
Learn more about Westmoreland County’s African American history, which dates back to the 17th century.
Guest Pick: Ann Waters, Public Historian
This post is part of our Guest Picks series, featuring members of our library community sharing their favorite books and movies.
Janetta FitzHugh Fought for Women's Rights in Fredericksburg
Read about Fredericksburg citizen Janetta R. FitzHugh, who fought for the women's right to vote in the early 20th century.
John Francis Mercer of Stafford County
John Francis Mercer served as an officer in the Revolutionary War and was a Virginia delegate to the Continental Congress.
John Paul Jones of the U.S. Navy
From a Scottish port to colonial Fredericksburg to the royal courts of France and Russia, Captain John Paul Jones never gave up.
A Family Narrative of a Revolutionary Officer
"It may seem strange that so young as I was, not seventeen years old, that I should have the command that I had..."
Fredericksburg in Revolutionary Days, Part I
Dive into these excerpts from a Revolutionary War diary.
Genealogy Research Tips for Finding Enslaved Ancestors
Here are some research tips and resources that you can use to break through into the past and find your family.
A Civil War Christmas
If we lived during the Civil War, what kinds of memories would we have? Learn a bit more about Christmas during the years 1861-1864.
Walk Through History...Washington Avenue
This residential neighborhood was once part of the 863-acre Kenmore Plantation...
Walk Through History . . . Hanover Street
By the Fredericksburg Area Tourism Department In 1714, the Stuart dynasty ended in England with the death of Queen Anne. George I, elector…
Ferry Farm
Ferry Farm is best known as the childhood home of George Washington, though it has a history that predates the Washington…
The Weddings of Five Famous Virginia Brides
By Barbara Crookshanks These five brides from three centuries left distinctive imprints on Virginia history. One was a humble serving…
The Smoothbore Volley That Doomed the Confederacy, Chapter 1
By Robert Krick The first 18 pages of The Smoothbore Volley That Doomed the Confederacy: The Death of Stonewall Jackson and Other Chapters…
Stafford's Major Mike Wallace
Major Michael Wallace, of the American Revolutionary Army, was an enormous man, more than six feet six inches tall, broad and powerful.
White Oak Primitive Baptist Church
The simple house of worship on White Oak Road, across from the White Oak Civil War Museum, has its historic roots in the separation of…
