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March 2018
Gwynn’s Island Museum Open
Gwynn's Island, Mathews County, Virginia is located where the beautiful Piankatank River meets the Chesapeake Bay. Gwynn's Island Museum is open Friday, Saturday and Sunday from 1 to 5 p.m. Opening day is Friday, March 30. Museum will be open every weekend until the end of October. Admission is free. Memorable exhibits are on display. Nice gift shop items available.The Gwynn's Island Civic League supports this museum.
Find out more »April 2018
Thomas James Store Open
The Thomas James Store, maintained by the Mathews County Historical Society, Inc., is a rare and excellent example of an early nineteenth-century rural commercial building. Although it has undergone some alterations and was almost certainly moved from its original location, the store retains much of its original fabric and is remarkably well preserved for its age. It dates to c. 1820, and appears to be one of the oldest buildings in the downtown commercial district. It is a registered National…
Find out more »Tompkins Cottage Museum Open
Tompkins Cottage, located on Brickbat Road, takes its name from former owner Christopher Tompkins, a mariner, wealthy landowner, and store-owner, who bought the property and structure in 1837. The cottage has been undergoing reorganization and is incorporating new themes in its displays. The recently-restored coat belonging to Capt. Sally L. Tompkins is featured in the exhibit area honoring her. Other new items on display in the cottage are enlarged reprints of photographs taken in 1935 by Francis Benjamin Johnston (1865-1952),…
Find out more »May 2018
May Faire
May Faire's second annual festival is a family-friendly event sponsored by the Mathews County Historical Museum, will be held on Saturday, May 5, 2018 from 9:30 a.m. until 4 p.m. on the County’s Historic Court Green. The event has been officially named Mathews' Heritage Event! This year will be focusing on the 1950's theme. There will be a vendors, food trucks, live music and festival events!
Find out more »Tompkins Cottage Museum Open
Description: Tompkins Cottage, located on Brickbat Road, takes its name from former owner Christopher Tompkins, a mariner, wealthy landowner, and store-owner, who bought the property and structure in 1837. The cottage has been undergoing reorganization and is incorporating new themes in its displays. The recently-restored coat belonging to Capt. Sally L. Tompkins is featured in the exhibit area honoring her. Other new items on display in the cottage are enlarged reprints of photographs taken in 1935 by Francis Benjamin Johnston…
Find out more »June 2018
Crickets on the Hill
Saturday June 30, 7:30-8:30pm Sunday, July 1, 3:00 matinee performance Mathews High School ”Crickets on A Hill” a musical play by County resident Judy Ward, is part of a series of events planned to commemorate the 242nd anniversary of the Battle of Cricket Hill which took place on Gwynn’s Island, July 9-10, 1776. The Crickets musical is well known and beloved by Mathews residents and honors the role that the county played in the Revolutionary War. Contact [email protected] or A. Minuth at…
Find out more »July 2018
“The Legacy of Gilbert Klingel: Man of Steel” Film Premier
Catch the first showing of this documentary about naturalist, boatbuilder, and more, Gilbert Klingel. For PBS broadcast dates, please see the website: https://gilbertklingel.org/ “This film, as you know, is the untold story of Klingel, a Chesapeake Bay pioneer, naturalist, author, diver, and boat builder. Klingel accomplished so many things in his lifetime that his story needs to be told as an educational, historical, and inspirational film to folks today.” – Dave Miller, Director/Producer The film will be broadcast on PBS…
Find out more »August 2018
Profiles of Honor Tour – WW I & II Mobile Museum
Mathews Memorial Library is pleased to join other communities in Virginia in hosting the Virginia World War I and World War II Commission’s Profiles of Honor Mobile Tour. Visitors are encouraged to bring their WWI and II related photographs or letters to be scanned for inclusion in the mobile exhibit, helping to further preserve the legacy of our Veterans.
Find out more »November 2018
Saving Lives, Making Friends: The Flying Physician Who Kept His Promise To Tangier Island
32.3 miles from Mathews across the Chesapeake Bay lies the island of Tangier. More than two-thirds of it has become submerged since 1850, and it is estimated that the encroaching waters of the Bay could drown it completely within a few decades. Those who are familiar with the history and people of the Island note that this daunting future has not dampened the spirits of its residents. Among those documenting this courageous story is Richmond Times Dispatch feature writer, Bill…
Find out more »December 2018
Christmas at the Museum
Winners of the art raffle will be announced at 4:30 p.m.! There is still time to come by on Saturday and purchase some raffle tickets. Hot cider and cookies will be served, a donation requested. Please come by and select some artful Christmas presents from our collection!
Find out more »Holiday Open House – Tompkins Cottage Museum
Step back to the 19th century! The Tompkins Cottage Museum, 43 Brickbat Rd., will be open to celebrate the Christmas season with period decorations and holiday shopping. Author and historian Martha W. McCartney will be on hand to sign her book “Mathews County Virginia: Lost Landscapes, Untold Stories.” HOLIDAY SHOPPING Ornaments | Publications | Capt. Sally Tompkins Dolls
Find out more »February 2019
Civil War Lecture: Harriet Tubman
Presented by Laurie King Assistant Conservator, USS Monitor Project Harriet Tubman is most commonly known for her actions as a conductor in the Underground Railroad, repeatedly crossing into slave territory to lead enslaved friends and families to freedom, However, this is only part of Tubman’s life. Between her work as an abolitionist and humanitarian, and serving as a nurse, scout and spy for the Union Army, Tubman spent her life fighting for freedom and justice. Join Laurie King as she…
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