The Danville Museum of Fine Arts and History is a non-profit organization whose mission is to inspire community cohesiveness and facilitate impactful education through the advancement of art and history
in the Dan River Region. The Danville Museum of Fine Arts and History's mission is to inspire community cohesiveness and facilitate impactful education through the advancement of art and history in the Dan River Region. The museum has an extensive permanent collection of antiques, decorative items, historic documents, and art by 19th and 20th century artists. Most noteworthy are the Camilla Williams Collection, the Kennedy-Revell Collection, and the Stratford College Collection. Art Classes
The Danville Museum of Fine Arts and History offers art classes for all ages. Please see our website at www.danvillehistory.org or contact the museum at [email protected] or 434-793-5644 for more information on current and upcoming art classes. Rentals
The mansion and auditorium can be rented for meetings, weddings, birthdays, and parties. The museum auditorium includes a stage and a preparation kitchen. A grand piano is available as well as audio-visual equipment. For more information on renting the auditorium or the museum, please contact Cathy Eggleston by emailing [email protected] or calling 434-793-5644. History
The Danville Museum of Fine Arts and History traces its history to the 1950s when Dr. James Jennings organized the Danville Art Association. In 1963, the Association merged with the Danville Chapter of the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts. The Chapter held many cultural events, workshops, lectures, plays, exhibits, and programs in various places around Danville, including Stratford College, Averett University, George Washington High School, and the Wednesday Club. The Sutherlin property was an urban plantation built ca. 1857-59 on 4 acres and included the main, 2-story, Italian Villa-style house, a separate kitchen, carriage house, stable, and at least one other accessory building. It holds a significant amount of Danville history — including tobacco production, railroad history, the Civil War, and Civil Rights. The house accommodated Jefferson Davis and remnants of the Confederate government for eight days after they fled Richmond at the end of the Civil War. It was at the Sutherlin mansion that the last Confederate cabinet meeting was held, and Jefferson Davis wrote the last Confederate proclamation. The residence was saved from destruction in 1912 and in 1928, became the whites-only Danville Public Library. In 1960, during the Civil Rights Era, a group of Danville African American high school students attempted to study at the library, but in response, the library closed. As a step toward integration, a sit-in was also staged at the library. In response, the city closed the library entirely. After a new integrated library opened in Danville, the city council passed a resolution giving the Danville Chapter of the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts authority to use the Sutherlin Mansion for a fine arts and history museum in 1971. The museum officially opened to the public in the Sutherlin Mansion on October 15, 1974. The Danville Museum of Fine Arts and History became an independent museum in 1978. The museum is designated as a Virginia Historic Landmark and listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It is on the Civil War Trails and is one of three places in Virginia listed to the National Civil Rights Trail. https://civilrightstrail.com/
