Your connection to the past and the building blocks of our community’s future …
The 2025-26 MHCHS Membership Year begins June 1! It is time to renew your membership, if you haven’t already. If you are not part of us yet - join us! Benefits start with free admission to our 25,000-square-foot museum, which features both local history and nationally significant antiques, and much more.
Each day, this column tells you what happened here 100, 75, 50 and 25 years ago. Relive the times of legendary and forgotten stores and businesses - clubs - churches - and people, as well as politics and the other “big” news.
Made possible by new staff member Davis Scott (pictured here) plus our regular volunteer hosts Johnny Nolen, Michael Sanguedolce and Jack Stewart.
10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesdays through Fridays
10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturdays.
Field trips & classes
The MHC Heritage Museum offers tours to classes and groups, such as Martinsville Middle School in May 2025 (above). Specialists from the MHC Historical Society also give classes and programs to community groups and schools on your choice of topics. Email kozelsky@mhchs@gmail.com for information.
MHC Heritage Museum
1 East Main Street (former Henry County courthouse); open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesdays through Fridays and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturdays.
13,000-square-foot annex
Displays of rare, valuable and interesting antiques are being set up in the 13,000-square-foot annex behind the courthouse. See this video from February 2025 on how volunteers, AtivWall, PRESS GLASS and Dr. Mervyn King are working together to make the new part of the museum. Half the annex is finished and open to the public, and the other half will be open in the summer.
Facility
The courthouse was built in 1824, significantly expanded in 1929 and retired from county use in 1996, when the Martinsville-Henry County Historical Society was formed to preserve it. The stately structure is available for rent for weddings, meetings, reunions, shows and more.
The MHC Historical Society offers free programs throughout the year.
The MHC Historical Society will host “Patriots on the Square” from 6-9 p.m. July 4.
“I know of no way of judging the future than by the past.”
— Patrick Henry (1736-1799); Founding Father, Virginia Governor and Henry County planter