Martinsville-Henry County Heritage Center & Museum

09/01/2026

The MHC Historical Society was honored to be visited by Virginia Sons of the American Revolution President Darrin Schmidt, pictured here with MHCHS Executive Director Holly Kozelsky. This picture was taken on August 9, when he came for our VA250 Symposium and the VA 250 Mobile Museum.

08/29/2026

The local newspaper in the mid-1900s regularly would have a picture of a bathing beauty, skimpily dressed pageant winner or sexy actress on the front page -- once we saw a picture of a woman with no clothes on at all, from the 1930s! This one from July 2, 1951, is a new take on the old theme: Contestants in the Beautiful Legs pageants wore (nothing but) pillow cases to cover their "beautiful faces" and "shapely figures", so that the judges would give a fair assessment and not be distracted by those. July 2, 1951, Martinsville Bulletin (this was a wire photo - not a local contest)

08/29/2026

The museum is a stop on the First Baptist Church of Ridgeway’s Amazing Race - and these teens are hard at their assignment of hemming pants!

08/24/2026

Before there were plastic bags and boxes, screws and nails were sold in bulk, sorted in sturdy containers such as this one. It has 13 levels, and each level (a circular tray with one wedge “cut out”) has wedge-shaped compartments. Have you ever bought nails from inside one of these? It comes from the collection of Dr. Mervyn King and is so heavy that Hector Zelaya Antúnez, Dylan Chappell, Davis Scott and Kimberly Sanchez moved it. Thank you guys - and Kimberly - and especially Dr. King!

08/22/2026

For many years, visitors to the MHC Heritage Museum saw the Military exhibit which included information on World War II hero Dorie Miller. He was killed in 1942 but made the news many times, including having a Navy destroyer es**rt named after him in 1973, in recognition of his heroic acts. Now in the news: A new aircraft carrier named after him might be renamed.

https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1LXv9LF5TA/?mibextid=wwXIfr

08/10/2026

WSET did an informative piece on elder law, estate planning and asset protection, through an interview with MHC Historical Society board member and past president Graves Anthony.

https://wset.com/lifestyle/living-in-the-heart-of-virginia/senior-living-real-on-protecting-your-assets-at-the-elder-law-and-estate-planning-center?fbclid=IwZnRzaATnF8NwZG9mBWZkaWQWUMODpLCVOlbo7iCoCKVqwvtf-2kI_2V4dG4DYWVtAjExAHNydGMGYXBwX2lkCjY2Mjg1NjgzNzkAAR5ObTo2QjYfOBM1VyZbyzYda0X_b3BLBrOshnhA9AQN9aYL0Vv842YAYGuMTw_aem_LbUSBxFYBKAEM2VZ63BANQ

When is the best time to get a Power of Attorney for your medical and asset needs?The Elder Law and Estate Planning Center of Southwestern Virginia has the ans

08/10/2026

Usually we tell about local history, but this time we'll talk about a museum staff member -- on his day off work. MHC Historical Society Executive Director Holly Kozelsky writes a weekly column for the Henry County Enterprise, and this edition's column is on a funny account Davis gave of his adventures on a Friday he probably later wished he had spent at the museum instead.

Kayaking is fun. Usually. That’s why MHC Historical Society Staff Aide Davis Scott took a Friday off work to go with his friends kayaking on the Smith River. He went with Jake Belton, sisters Jolie and Autumn Boyer and a person we’ll just call Lady X so as not to embarrass her for what we [...]

08/09/2026

VA 250 Mobile Museum is at the MHC Heritage Museum, 1 E. Main St., Martinsville - coordinated by local historian Jarred Marlowe.

08/03/2026

Communist Workers Party in Martinsville, 1980 - Washington Post

(This is shared as a “Gift Article” from a personal newspaper subscription, so there should be no paywall.)

By Megan RosenfeldMartinsville, Va., seems an unlikely place for an outpost of American radicalism. It is a working-class town of 18,149, set in a rural area 30 miles from the Blue Ridge Mountains. The factories there and in Danville to the east make furniture, textiles and nylon; the farms grow tob...

08/02/2026

We sat down to watch a reel on how life was different in 1776 - 250 years ago - We didn’t realize it was THIS different!