Craig Wofford (still left) and Ginger Gentry scan historical files in the study center of the Chaffin Household in Halifax. The home also includes a significant meeting area, an business office, substantial kitchen area and an abundance of storage spots.
The Halifax County Historic Culture has a new residence but the similar mission, continuing its aid and recognition of history at the Chaffin Property, situated at 110 Mountain Highway in Halifax.
The Culture, established in October 1973, obtained its standing as a 501(c)(3) firm in 2004 and has as its motto, “preserving the previous for the long run,” with a mission such as aiding people in preservation of historic structures and presenting programs of historic price to the general public.
It co-sponsors the annual, nationally-recognized 1781 Crossing of the Dan Observance, supports a Crossing of the Dan 1781 riverside show on the Dan River, assists with genealogical analysis requests and delivers plans and tours of users and the community.
It is presently concerned in the renovation of its new property, the Chaffin Property, a two-story body cottage designed circa 1880 and donated to the Culture as a result of the generosity of an anonymous donor, in accordance to Barbara Bass, president of the board of directors of the Culture.
The Chaffin dwelling now has a investigate library with donated exploration textbooks, household histories and other files, and a lesser area contains a reward shop with around 100 Culture released guides and other things.
Its investigation library currently is open by appointment. The library has a number of textbooks created and posted by users of the Society, in addition to textbooks, annual ornaments, prints, jigsaw puzzles featuring place historic buildings and/or activities, with proceeds benefitting the Modern society.
The foyer of the Chaffin Residence, the new house of the Halifax County Historical Society, has been renovated in advance of the grand opening scheduled for later on this year.
The residence also has a large conference place, an business, substantial kitchen area and an abundance of storage regions.
Renovations include things like acquiring oil tanks taken out and the again steps replaced, inside painting and repairs, new siding for the home and an HVAC technique, in accordance to Bass, who is optimistic about the upcoming of the Modern society in its new dwelling.
The Halifax County Historic Modern society was honored in 2020 for its e-book, “An Architectural Historical past of Halifax County, Virginia,” becoming the recipient of the George B. Stoner and Melville Jennings Study and Education Award from Preservation Virginia.
The award regarded the Modern society for generating a substantial contribution to the induce of historic preservation or archaeology in Virginia by way of research, interpretation or education.
That exemplifies the mission of the Society, which has endured with the assist of passionate historians, Bass famous, beginning in 1973 when an organizational assembly was held at Cedar Grove, the household of Donna and Ned Weird.
A committed conference place is aspect of the renovation of the Chaffin Residence for use by the Halifax County Historical Society.
The assembly was prompted by the demolition of one particular of the oldest properties in Halifax, the W.W. Hankins Residence, which was developed in 1831 and razed for an condominium sophisticated.
Halifax residents Mason and Hazel Sizemore managed to preserve a story and a 50 percent wing of the household and moved it at the rear of their property on Maple Avenue, and afterwards Mary Louis (Mrs. Robert) Edmunds and Virginia (Mrs. Henry) Zenke, Greensboro citizens with ties to Halifax County ended up instrumental in supporting others grow to be a lot more mindful of historic properties and properties in the county.
A grand opening for the new property of the Halifax County Historical Culture will likely be scheduled for afterwards this yr.
“No date has been set, but the grand opening will almost certainly just take position later on in the slide,” Bass stated.
The investigate library is accessible by appointment by getting in contact with Bass at 434-570-0083 or electronic mail [email protected].
