What are the opening hours?

Wednesday 10am - 6pm Thursday 10am - 4pm Friday 10am - 4pm Saturday 10am - 3pm

Fayette Area Historical Initiative

Name: Fayette Area Historical Initiative
Address: 211 Fayette Street, Martinsville, VA, 24112, US
Telephone: +12767323496
Price range: $$

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Fayette Area Historical Initiative

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📍 211 Fayette St | Free Tours Weekly

Preserving the African American story of Martinsville & Henry County, Virginia since 2004. ✨ Exhibits, oral history, community programs & the revival of the historic June German Ball.

08/03/2026

Lieutenant Colonel Armour G. McDaniel Sr. was born on July 7, 1916 in Martinsville, Virginia. He went on to become a Tuskegee Airman, commanding the 301st Fighter Squadron of the legendary 332nd Fighter Group — the Red Tails.

On March 24, 1945, McDaniel was shot down over enemy territory and taken prisoner by N**i Germany. He was freed at the end of the Second World War. He attended the Piedmont Christian Institute right here on Fayette Street before going on to Virginia State University and ultimately to the skies over Europe.

His family says he used to tell them that when he was in the air, he was as free as he ever would be in this life. Martinsville gave the world a hero. FAHI is making sure we never forget him. 🖤

07/31/2026

Anne Spencer was born in Henry County, Virginia, and her family moved to Martinsville shortly after her birth. Born Annie Bethel Bannister on February 6, 1882, she went on to become one of the most celebrated poets of the Harlem Renaissance, a movement centered in New York City that she shaped from right here in Virginia.

She was the first African American from Virginia to be included in the Norton Anthology of Literature by Women. Her home in Lynchburg became a gathering place for Langston Hughes, W.E.B. Du Bois, and George Washington Carver.

It all began here in Henry County.

07/29/2026

She did not set out to make history. She was just tired of giving up. 🖤

The people who built Fayette Street felt the same way. Dr. Baldwin did not open a hospital to make a statement. He opened it because his community needed one and no one else was going to build it. The Baldwin Brothers did not launch the June German Ball to prove a point; they did it because Black Martinsville deserved to celebrate in style.

Quiet, persistent, determined action. That is how history gets made. That is what FAHI is here to preserve.

Ready to leave your own mark on history? FAHI is looking for volunteers! Visit our website to get in touch.

07/27/2026

Did you know? Michelle Obama's roots trace directly to Henry County, Virginia.

Genealogical research has confirmed that a significant portion of the First Lady's ancestry is concentrated in this region, with ancestors recorded in the Henry County Cohabitation Registry just after Emancipation in 1866.

The story of America's first Black First Lady runs through the same soil as Fayette Street.

FAHI is here to make sure that connection is never forgotten. Learn more at fahimuseum.org.

07/25/2026

Armour McDaniel used to tell his family that when he was in the air, he was as free as he ever would be in this life. The people who built this community on Fayette Street felt the same freedom every time they opened a business, built a school, or packed a ballroom. They created their own world because the world outside refused to make room for them.

That history does not preserve itself. Someone has to show up for it.
FAHI is that someone. And we need your help to keep doing this work. Donate, become a member, or volunteer your time at fahimuseum.org.
The torch was passed to us. Help us keep passing it forward. 🖤

07/22/2026

We want to hear from you. 👇

FAHI exists to serve this community and that means showing up in the ways that matter most to you.

So tell us: what activities, events, or programs would you love to see more of from FAHI?

Lecture series? Youth programs? Cultural events? Community dinners? More exhibits?

Drop your thoughts in the comments. Every idea helps us grow.

07/20/2026

We are the ones we have been waiting for. 🖤

At FAHI, this is not just a quote. It is a mandate. The people who built Fayette Street did not wait for permission to create excellence. They were the change they sought right here in Martinsville, Virginia.

Now it is our turn.
Visit us at 211 Fayette Street and be part of what comes next.

07/17/2026

Did you know? 🤔

The Fayette Street Historic District in Martinsville, Virginia, was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2007, recognizing 116 historically significant buildings across 42 acres spanning 16 blocks.

It is one of the most significant African American historic districts in the entire Commonwealth of Virginia. Every one of those buildings is part of the story of a community that built its own world during segregation.

That world is preserved at FAHI. Come see it.
📍 211 Fayette Street, Martinsville, VA

07/15/2026

We have a question for you. 👇

What building, built in 1946, was one of Martinsville's first Black community hubs; housing a hotel, restaurant, dance hall, barbershop, beauty salon, meat market, and grocery store all under one roof?

It hosted national acts including Ike and Tina Turner, James Brown, and Ray Charles. Drop your answer in the comments.
The answer drops tomorrow.

Address

211 Fayette Street
Martinsville, VA
24112

Opening Hours

Wednesday	10am - 6pm
Thursday	10am - 4pm
Friday	10am - 4pm
Saturday	10am - 3pm

Telephone

+12767323496

Website

http://www.fahimuseum.org/

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