Welcome to the Louisa County Historical Society

Bringing Louisa County History to Life!

Welcome to the Louisa County Historical Society

Bringing Louisa County History to Life!

COVID-19 Update

UPDATE 10/28/2020 - The Louisa County Historical Society and the Sargeant Museum will be closed to the public from Thanksgiving to New Year's Day this year. We will respond to remote research requests as quickly as we are able with limited staff and volunteers.

We value the health and safety of all our visitors, program participants, volunteers, staff members, and our community at large. This is a unique time with the COVID-19 pandemic and as a result, we have made the following changes to our operations and upcoming schedule. Thank you for your interest in and support of the Louisa County Historical Society. We wish everyone well and look forward to the next time we see you at the museum or at one of our programs!

Museum Operations

During Virginia’s Phase 1, no public members are allowed in the buildings. Outdoor visitation of the Heritage Farm property is allowed.

During Virginia’s Phase 2, museum visitation by appointment only. Groups are limited to 8 people or less. Research is limited to remote requests only to reduce the number of people handling items that cannot be sanitized.

During Virginia’s Phase 3, barring government restrictions or safety concerns, we will re-open to general public visitation. However, we will limit the number of people allowed in the building at one time so we encourage people to continue to schedule their visits. In-person research will be allowed by appointment only. Researchers will be required to fill out research applications and call slips ahead of their visit to limit interactions

New Safety Measures

Anyone exhibiting COVID symptoms or with a known exposure within the past two weeks should not come to the museum. Anyone who has traveled to an area with higher infection rates should wait two weeks before coming to the museum.

Masks are required in any indoor space. We encourage you to bring your own mask, but we do have some available at the museum. Please request one from a staff or volunteer if you need one for your visit.

We have hand sanitizer available at the front desk and in the research library and soap and paper towels in the restroom. People are encouraged to wash their hands frequently.

We have implemented a new cleaning schedule to sanitize highly-touched surfaces (doorknobs, faucets, etc.). While visitation is allowed by appointment only, highly-touched surfaces will be sanitized after each group visit. When we reopen with our normal public hours, highly-touched surfaces will be sanitized every two hours.

New Guest Procedures

Please maintain social distance when visiting the museum. We have added signage throughout all indoor spaces to remind people to maintain social distance. We encourage credit card payments over cash payments to limit interaction.

Program Updates

There will be no in-person programs through the end of the year. Free Family Days and research workshops will continue in an online format. Our hearth-cooking workshops (start in September), ice cream social (September), downtown walking tours (October), wreath-making workshop (first week of December), and holiday open house (first Saturday in December) will not take place this year. Our annual meeting and lecture will be held online on Sunday, November 1st. To register for our annual meeting and lecture, fill out this registration form.

We have adapted our oral history project on the 1950s and 1960s. Rather than have volunteers go to people’s homes, we have developed oral history take-home kits that are available to be checked out by the public. We encourage local community members to interview their family and other household members and donate the interview to the historical society.

Note on Possible Changes

Our Board of Directors and staff will stay up-to-date with federal and state regulations and information from the local health district. Depending on circumstances, the Board of Directors might make the decision to limit access to the building at any time to protect the health and safety of our staff, volunteers, and the local community and to adhere to local, state, and federal regulations.

Our Diverse Past

Native People

Will the Stones Whisper their Names?

Long before the arrival of European explorers, the North American Continent was home to thousands of native tribes living in thousands of villages and towns from coast to coast. Learn more about the tribes that lived in the Louisa area.

Find out more

Will the Stones Whisper their Names?

Historical Society staff, volunteers, and community members have recorded over 200 African American burial sites across Louisa County. Many of these sites contain the remains of people who died enslaved. The location of the cemeteries have been uploaded to the State's historic site registry.

If It Takes 100 Years

Will the Stones Whisper their Names?

If It Takes 100 Years

Follow our interactive timeline to explore the journey of women and African Americans toward equal rights in Louisa County from 1865-1965. Learn about the struggles, those who led the way, and the experience of all along the path.

See Timeline

Become a Member

When you join the Louisa County Historical Society you get:

Our quarterly newsletter
Our semi-annual Louisa County Historical Magazine, which features articles about well-known and lesser-known figures from our past and excerpts from documents preserved in our archives
Invitations to special programs including our Annual Membership Social and our Annual Meeting, when you can vote for board members and enjoy a special lecture and reception

Membership levels:

$35 Annual Individual

$50 Annual Family

$200 Annual Sustaining Individual or Family

$1,500 Lifetime Benefactor (includes engraved brick at the Sargeant Museum)

To join, mail a check payable to Louisa County Historical Society to P.O. Box 1172, Louisa, VA 23093 or pay online through our online store. Please provide your mailing address to receive the quarterly newsletter and semiannual magazine. Please provide your email if you would like to be added to our e-newsletter list. Contact us at (540) 967-5975 with any questions.

Business Sponsors

Welcome to the Louisa County Historical Society

Welcome to the Louisa County Historical Society

COVID-19 Update

Museum Operations

New Safety Measures

New Guest Procedures

Program Updates

Note on Possible Changes

Special Projects

Digital Tour and Maps

Digital Tour and Maps

Digital Tour and Maps

Digital Tour and Maps

Digital Tour and Maps

Heritage Day Festival

Digital Tour and Maps

Heritage Day Festival

Our Diverse Past

Native People

Will the Stones Whisper their Names?

Will the Stones Whisper their Names?

Will the Stones Whisper their Names?

Will the Stones Whisper their Names?

Will the Stones Whisper their Names?

If It Takes 100 Years

Will the Stones Whisper their Names?

If It Takes 100 Years

Donate to the Society

Become a Member

Business Sponsors

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