VMHC Education

08/28/2026

Dispatches from the Eastern Shore! This week our Director of History Education headed to Broadwater Academy in Exmore to lead a workshop on rural school desegregation, but made a few stops along the way. Swipe to see, and learn more below:

1. Kiptopeke State Park - In the background of this photo you can just see some "ghost ships" off in the distance. These World War II era cargo ships were partially sunk in 1948 to create an artificial breakwater and protect a ferry terminal.

2. Samuel D. Outlaw Blacksmith Shop - Located in Onancock, this small building holds a big history. Outlaw was a 1925 graduate of Hampton Normal and Agricultural Institute who opened his shop in 1926, and worked there for more than sixty years, serving Black and white customers alike during the segregation period.

3. Ker Place - Currently the home of the Eastern Shore of Virginia Historical Society, this Federal style home was built in 1799 and has been restored to an 1806 appearance.

4. Eyre Hall Gardens - Pictured here are the ruins of an orangery/dovecote from 1819, sitting next to English style gardens that have occupied the grounds of Eyre Hall since roughly 1800.

08/26/2026

08/26/2026

We might be out of the "dog days of summer" but today is , so we rounded up some cute pet pictures from our collection for your viewing pleasure today!

08/25/2026

New Course on lilyPD: Exhibits in the Classroom Launches TODAY:

Developed in partnership with the Virginia Museum of History & Culture, Exhibits in the Classroom explores how museum exhibits can become powerful tools for inquiry, literacy, and project-based learning. You'll learn to use virtual exhibits to teach content, media literacy, and primary source analysis while guiding students through the process of researching, curating, writing, and showcasing their own exhibits. Along the way, you'll gain practical strategies for transforming students from consumers of information into thoughtful curators and creators. Enroll here: https://lilypd.wm.edu/

08/20/2026

08/14/2026

While the Hampton Institute is globally recognized as a pioneering educational institution for African American students, it also pursued a program of "educational internationalism" in the late 19th and early 20th centuries - recruiting students from around the world. You can learn more about this image and this initative here: https://virginiahistory.org/learn/girdle-around-world-hampton-university

08/13/2026

All of Revolution Revisited - Season 3 is now streaming!

08/10/2026

Did you know August is Black Business Month? You can learn more about Jackson Ward, a Richmond, VA neighborhood once known as "Black Wall Street", in our source packet here:https://virginiahistory.org/sites/default/files/CITC_BlackWallStreet.pdf

08/08/2026

Join us at a workshop near you as we discuss our Virginia History Day program, a student centered research project that works in all types of classrooms! Register here: https://virginiahistory.org/learn/virginia-history-day/teacher-student-resources