Madison County Virginia Historical Society

05/14/2026

Our speaker for the May 17, 2026, quarterly meeting of the Madison County Historical Society will be Colonel Bill Schwetke, past president of the Culpeper Minutemen Chapter of the Sons of the American Revolution. In this year when we are celebrating all year long the 250th anniversary of the American Revolution, Colonel Schwetke will tell the story of the original Culpeper Minutemen.

Most all of us have heard of the Minutemen but probably in a very general sense. Colonel Schwetke will give us more detailed information about how those in Culpeper County (of which Madison was a part at the time) participated in the American Revolution.

Madison County Historical Society Quarterly Meeting
Sunday, May 17 at 2 pm
Madison County Administration Building Auditorium
414 N. Main St.

05/12/2026

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Woodberry Forest School to Host Commemoration Honoring Enslaved Individuals Whose Labor Shaped the Institution

This program is not sponsored by the Madison Co. Historical Society, but fits our mission to share the history of Madison County.

WOODBERRY FOREST, VA — May 16] Woodberry Forest School invites the public to attend a Special Commemoration on Saturday, May 16, recognizing the lives and contributions of enslaved individuals whose labor built and sustained the land that became the school.
The event will include the unveiling of a commemorative bench inscribed with the names of enslaved individuals identified in an 1843 inventory of the property’s resident owner, William T. Madison. This act of remembrance represents an important step in acknowledging histories that have long gone unrecognized.
The project is being led by Jayden Crosby-Brewer, a member of the Class of 2026 from Richmond, whose research began as an academic inquiry and evolved into a deeper commitment to historical recognition.
“I started out wishing to examine comparisons among examples of Black labor at Woodberry Forest,” Crosby-Brewer explained. “I came to reflect on the enslaved people whose labor built and sustained the land that became Woodberry Forest School, an institution that has shaped the lives of hundreds and thousands of young men, yet whose stories have largely gone unheard. That realization shifted my work into a responsibility to honor those voices, giving recognition to the people whose labor made the school possible and bringing light to histories long overlooked. The school has been very supportive, and on May 16 we will be unveiling a commemorative bench with all the enslaved names discovered in an 1843 inventory of Woodberry’s resident owner, William T. Madison.”
The May 16 commemoration will provide an opportunity for reflection, recognition, and community engagement, honoring those whose lives and labor are foundational to the institution’s history.
Event Details:
Date: Saturday, May 16
Time: 2 pm
Location: Gardens at the Residence
Woodberry Forest School Madison, VA
Media Contact:
Jayden Crosby-Brewer
Graduating Student at Woodberry Forest School
[email protected]
804.479.4231

05/11/2026

With great sadness, we share news of the passing of Max Lacy. Max was a lifelong historian and loved sharing the history of Madison County with everyone. He was a driving force in the Historical Society, and will be greatly missed.

05/04/2026

Museum Mondays!

The Mountain Museum has a wealth of resources on the people who once lived in what is now Shenandoah National Park. Visitors can access articles from professional journals, transcripts of interviews of displaced residents, family trees from mountain folks, and more. The museum is an incredible source for your genealogical research!

04/27/2026

Museum Mondays!

There are always two (or more!) volunteer guides at our museums during regular hours ready to show you around, answer questions, and share stories. You never know where your conversation will go as personal stories and family connections are shared.

When a Madisonian found some original prints of the “Scheel Map” of Madison County, of course everyone at the museum that day had to check out some of the older place names still listed on this fairly modern map. The map is also framed and hanging in both of our museums.

Interested in getting your own copy of Eugene Scheel’s 1984 map? Copies can be purchased next door to the Kemper Residence at the Madison County Library.

04/23/2026

Save the date: Sunday, May 17! Colonel Bill Schwetke, past president of the Culpeper Minutemen Chapter of the Sons of the American Revolution, will be the featured speaker at our quarterly meeting. The program is open to the public. Madison's celebration of the 250th anniversary of the American Revolution will be ongoing throughout the summer.

Madison County Historical Society Quarterly Meeting
Sunday, May 18 at 2 pm
Madison County Administration Building Auditorium
414 N. Main St.

04/20/2026

Museum Mondays!

Did you know that The Mountain Museum in Criglersville has a lending library? A variety of titles relating to the people of the Blue Ridge Mountains and the formation of Shenandoah National Park are available to borrow, both fiction and non-fiction. Check it out Sundays 1-4 pm.

04/14/2026

If you ordered a Spring Tea Luncheon, remember to pick it up tomorrow (Wednesday, 4/15) between 11:30 and noon at the Madison Museum entrance. If you missed ordering this time, look for our Fall Tea later this year!

04/13/2026

Museum Mondays!

Check out this treasure chest at the Madison Museum at the Kemper Residence! It was used by the Germanna settlers that came to Madison County in 1725, moving west from Fort Germanna to the Hebron Valley.

Find more artifacts such as this on your next visit to our museum. Learn more about the Germanna settlers at Historic Germanna .

04/12/2026

It's a beautiful day for a drive to Criglersville! Join us this afternoon for opening day for the Mountain Museum.

Mark your calendars to visit the Mountain Museum in Criglersville! Opening day for 2026 is Sunday, April 12, 1-4 pm. Regular hours are Sundays 1-4, or by appointment. The museum is located beside the former Criglersville Elementary School, at 1128 Old Blue Ridge Tpk., Madison, VA 22727. It also serves as the site of Madison County's memorial to the families displaced by the creation of Shenandoah National Park, part of the Blue Ridge Heritage Project.

For additional information about the museum, or to volunteer, please contact [email protected].