Embark on a Voyage Through Time


Begin in prehistoric days with a model of the Zeuglodon, a fifty million year old ancestor of the whale whose giant bones were unearthed here in Essex County, VA. Explore the land of the Rappahannock Indians as Captain John Smith did when he sailed the river and mapped their village called Toppahannock in 1608. See artifacts of the English Colony, War of 1812 and the Civil War. Experience the story of African –Americans in Essex and the colorful era when steamboats landed at wharves along the Rappahannock River. Children will enjoy a natural habitat exhibit featuring birds and animals native to our area.

Carl D. Silver Gallery
“Calm Before the Storm: Life in Antebellum Essex: 1800-1860”
♦ Featuring period clothing and furniture from Essex County. Highlights include a 1805 miniature portrait on ivory of Tappahannock physician Dr. Thomas B.W. Gray by artist Benjamin Trott of Philadelphia and a silk needlework picture by his wife, Lucy Y. Gray. Mrs. Gray operated Tappahannock Female Seminary on Prince Street for almost forty years.
“From Sandlot to Semipro: Baseball in Essex County”
♦ Featuring photos and memorabilia covering post Civil War village teams to the present.
Essex Gallery
“African American pathways in Essex”
♦ Featuring a slave made chair and the April 3rd Emancipation Celebration.
“River Exhibit”
♦ Showcasing items from the Steamboat landing at Saunders Wharf, photos of steamboats, and nautical items.
“Civil War 150th”
♦ Click this link to preview some of the future events planned by the Essex County Sesquicentennial commemoration commission.
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