Upcoming Events
200 Years of Food Preservation Grand Opening
October 3rd
2 Pm – 6 PM
Join museum staff and volunteers to welcome the first of a series of exhibits dedicated to the rich and unusual history of food preservation. To mark this special occasion, visitors may also try a variety of dishes made by our volunteers using some of the same recipes used by Native Americans, residents of Red Hill, and a few more modern, American Classics.
Special Exhibits
Of Natural Liberty and Independance
2 October 2019 – 2 November 2019
The nineteenth-century painter George Catlin (1796-1872) recorded the appearance and customs of Native Americans for his generation and for posterity. Beginning in 1830, Catlin made numerous trips to the American West to document the “natural liberty and independence” of a disappearing culture. He often presented Native Americans in formal poses prevalent in portraits of the period. They were presented as proof of the commonalties among all people.
The nine illustrations in this exhibition are taken from two editions of James Cowles Prichard’s The Natural History of Man. The prints are hand-colored etchings printed on time-toned paper.
This exhibition is supported by the Paul Mellon Endowment, Virginia Museum of Fine Arts.
200 Years of Food Preservation
2 October 2019 – 14 March 2020
In a time long before instant TV Diners, Supermarkets, and rise of Fast Food chains, the colonial housewife spent her days hard at work preparing meals for the family. Much of the food a household consumed was grown on the family farm. Even with careful vigilance and a bountiful harvest one year, a prolonged drought or a freezing winter could quickly lead to mass food storages.
Walk with us through time as we examine how advancements in food preservation technology changed the way our ancestor lived from the time Halifax County was founded in 1752. It is the history that connects county residents from the earliest of English settlers to 19th-century French confectioners and rulers, U.S. Founding Fathers, the mid-Atlantic slave trade, the odd pickle peddler at the 1894 World’s Fair.
With so many different types of preservation technology impacting the county in numerous ways, the South Boston – Halifax County Museum presents a series of three exhibits with unique stories and artifacts from all corners of the county.
This exhibit is produced in partnership with Patrick Henry’s Red Hill, Cedar Forest Mills, Members of the Southside Virginia Master Gardeners Association, and Sunnyview Inn and Events.
Series 1: Harvest
From the Garden to the Table
2 October 2019 – 30 November 2019
Series 2: Salt, Sugar, and Snow
Preparing for a White Christmas
4 December 2019 – 25 January 2020
Series 3: Brine and Brandy
How Science and Chemistry Changed Food Preservation
29 January 2020 – 14 March 2020
D-Day 75th Anniversary Commemoration
6 June 2019 – 4 January 2020
When local residents think of World War II, some may still recall the group of soldiers from South Boston who comprised Company F of the 116th Infantry Division. Of all the Companies who stormed Omaha Beach on D-Day, Co. F was one of the first four to disembark in the amphibious assault.
This exhibit includes a wide range of artifacts, photos, maps, and even a 14-foot mural of the landing site! These artifacts and display pieces will be used to recognize the importance of this regiment and what they experienced on Omaha Beach. In order to properly honor these soldiers, a Wall of Honor was created by museum staff and volunteers listing all Halifax County soldiers who served with Company F at the time of the landing. A special tribute is made in the exhibit to those that lost their lives on that beachhead of the coast of France.