The Lancaster VA Historical Society/Mary Ball Washington Museum and Library is a

museum A museum ( ; plural museums or, rarely, musea) is a building or institution that cares for and displays a collection of artifacts and other objects of artistic, cultural, historical, or scientific importance. Many public museums make these ...

and historical

archive An archive is an accumulation of historical records or materials – in any medium – or the physical facility in which they are located. Archives contain primary source documents that have accumulated over the course of an individual or ...

in the

Northern Neck The Northern Neck is the northernmost of three peninsulas (traditionally called "necks" in Virginia) on the western shore of the Chesapeake Bay in the Virginia, Commonwealth of Virginia (along with the Middle Peninsula and the Virginia Peninsula ...

of The

Chesapeake Bay The Chesapeake Bay ( ) is the largest estuary in the United States. The Bay is located in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic region and is primarily separated from the Atlantic Ocean by the Delmarva Peninsula (including the parts: the ...

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...

, United States. Its purpose is to preserve the history of

Lancaster County, Virginia Lancaster County is a county located on the Northern Neck in the Commonwealth of Virginia. As of the 2020 census, the population sits at 10,919. Its county seat is Lancaster. Located on the Northern Neck near the mouth of the Rappahannock Riv ...

. It opened in 1958 and was named in honor of

George Washington George Washington (February 22, 1732, 1799) was an American military officer, statesman, and Founding Father who served as the first president of the United States from 1789 to 1797. Appointed by the Continental Congress as commander of th ...

's mother, Mary Ball, a

native and granddaughter of the ''ca'' 1653 emigrant, William Ball I. Past curators of the Mary Ball Washington Museum include Thomas M. Thacker II, Cathy Currey, Sarah J. Walker, and Sonja Headley.

Collection

The Library has an extensive collection of books and

genealogical Genealogy () is the study of families, family history, and the tracing of their lineages. Genealogists use oral interviews, historical records, genetic analysis, and other records to obtain information about a family and to demonstrate kinsh ...

research material dating back to 1651, covering some 350 years of history in Lancaster County in particular and the Northern Neck in general, as well as Middlesex and Essex counties. It contains approximately 10,000 books, periodicals and manuscripts concerning Virginia and the Northern Neck, as well as research material on adjoining states. The Museum seeks to recapture the stories and the rich history of the people of The

Complex

The museum and library are open to the public, who may tour the historic buildings, view exhibits, participate in educational programs and trace family histories. In addition to the museum and library, the five building complex, located in the Lancaster Courthouse Historic District, includes the

Old Jail Old or OLD may refer to: Places *Old, Baranya, Hungary *Old, Northamptonshire, England * Old Street station, a railway and tube station in London (station code OLD) *OLD, IATA code for Old Town Municipal Airport and Seaplane Base, Old Town, Ma ...

(1820), Clerk's Office (c. 1797), Lancaster House and the

Steuart Blakemore Building The Steuart Blakemore Building, originally built in 1900 and used as the Lancaster Post Office until 1931, is a museum and historical archive, part of the Mary Ball Washington Museum and Library in Lancaster, Virginia. It forms a part of a five b ...

(c.1900).

References

Official website of The Mary Ball Washington Museum and LibraryMary Ball Washington Museum and Library at www.virginia.org
{{Coord, display=title, 37.768643, -76.464786 Museums established in 1958 Museums in Lancaster County, Virginia Libraries in Virginia History museums in Virginia 1958 establishments in Virginia

Collection

Complex

See also

References