History

Celebrating Jane Austen’s Birthday in Virginia

That handflex. It’s taken on a life of its own. Matthew Macfadyen as Mr. Darcy in the 2005 Pride and Prejudice movie created an iconic moment in cinema history with a powerful and oh-so-subtle gesture after helping Elizabeth Bennet into her carriage. It’s become a cultural phenomenon, sparking endless debate among Janeites worldwide. Was it […]

by Kinsey Gidick

Sesquicentennial Series: The 150th Anniversary of the Civil War

A new series explores the sesquicentennial of the Civil War in Virginia with first guest blogger S. Waite Rawls III, President and CEO of the Museum of the Confederacy.

by S. Waite Rawls III

Banjo Men

Memories of a talented picker and the man credited with inventing the instrument.

by Chiles T.A. Larson

Where Richmond Shopped for 150 Years

A “true history” of how Thalhimers department store was founded, managed by three subsequent generations of the family and grew into a 26-store chain.

by glose bill

George Washington Foundation

April 23, 2010 • Kenmore, Fredericksburg

by Staff

Call of the Wild

The Virginia Chapter of The Nature Conservancy, now 50 years old, is a front-line group that works to protect natural resources and wildlife habitat by buying land and managing its 60 preserves.

by Richard Ernsberger Jr.

The Iron Forger and the Gold Digger

Sam Jones and Marguerite Upton were each raised in Norfolk’s Berkley neighborhood and came of age in the Roaring Twenties. Each went on to a life of great wealth and notoriety—but they could not have been more different.

by Staff

Bragging Rights

The annual football game between Episcopal High School and Woodberry Forest School is the South’s oldest continuous high school football rivalry

by tupponce joan

Putting Up the Harvest

Community canneries have had their ups and downs over the decades—but owing to several factors, they are now making a comeback. Call it preserving a tradition.

by Ellen F. Brown

All in the Family

Lineage societies are reputed to be stuffy, shrinking refuges for the few. But, in fact, many are now growing in size, thanks to an Internet-driven rise in genealogical research, and most do charitable work.

by miley theobald mary

Peter Francisco, Revolutionary Hero

Wherein illustrator Sterling Hundley conjures the Revolutionary War hero known as the Virginia Giant.

by Sterling Hundley

In Bermuda Waters

A grandparent and grandchild search for the Sea Venture—the supply ship that ultimately saved the James Fort colony in 1610—and discover their family’s ‘First Virginian’ on the way

by roberts carey

“Where You Tend a Rose. . .”

Sandy Helsel’s Williamsburg cottage garden, inspired by a trip to the Cotswolds, packs plenty of surprises in a not-so-secret place.

by Ginger Warder

No Joke for the John

Independence’s Privy Races Flush Out Racers in the Blue Ridge

by bland crowder

Top to Bottomley

After a painstaking restoration effort, a historic Albemarle County manor house has been returned to its 1920s design, when renowned architect William Lawrence Bottomley and landscape architect Charles F. Gillette imbued it with an effortless charm.

by erin parkhurst

Saving the Shade

A treetop gambit by Shenandoah Greens

by bland crowder

Mayo Island Homer

Wherein illustrator Sterling Hundley depicts Lou Gehrig hitting a ball into the James River.

by Sterling Hundley

The African Jamestown

Virginia and Liberia have been inextricably tied for almost 200 years. Blacks from Virginia helped to build and lead the colony that became Liberia.

by tricia pearsall

The Lady of Belvoir

George Washington would not have become the man he was without the help of Sally Fairfax. She mentored the young Washington and fired his ambition, and the two by all accounts shared a hidden—forbidden—love.

by Jean Geddes

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Events

July 26, 2025

ARTfactory’s Actors Theatre presents Cabaret

ARTfactory

July 26, 2025

Valeria Stewart and Friends

Creative Cauldron

July 26, 2025

Shrek the Musical

All Saints Performing Arts Center

New Innovative Virginia Tea Rooms to Try

Around the world, as both a beverage and a pastime, tea is steeped in history and ritual. From the casual to the ceremonial, tea is a throughline for many cultures, and now, it’s enjoying a renewed interest from beverage pros who are drawn to tea’s unique flavor characteristics, health benefits, and cultural connections. Recently, two […]

by Stephanie Ganz

Virginia’s Top 10 Summer Festivals and Events 2025

STAUNTON – Festival of Concerts June 26–Aug. 2: The stunning strums and resounding chords of classical music echo through Staunton’s mountain landscape as Heifetz International Music Institute students from around the world take the stage, with new concerts every day. HeifetzInstitute.org GLOUCESTER – Food Truck Frenzy July 13: Virginia’s most mouthwatering food trucks descend on […]

by Hope Cartwright

Top Summer Mountain Events in Virginia

Making the most of summer’s fleeting sweetness reaches new heights in a mountaintop setting. From the Blue Ridge to the Alleghenies, sun-soaked adventures unfold among soaring trees and peaks. Discover what Virginia’s ridges offer at mountain venues this summer. Chairlift Sunset Sessions, Roseland July 12 & Aug. 16 Take in sunset views of misty blue […]

by Hope Cartwright

History

Celebrating Jane Austen’s Birthday in Virginia

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Events

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Celebrating Jane Austen’s Birthday in Virginia

Current Issue

Events

ARTfactory’s Actors Theatre presents Cabaret

Valeria Stewart and Friends

Shrek the Musical

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New Innovative Virginia Tea Rooms to Try

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