Board Members

John Phillips, president

Graves Anthony, vice president

Hunter Haskins, secretary

W.C. Fowlkes, treasurer

Jake Abell

Mike Bass

Andy Doss

Joshua Duncan

Steve Keyser

Virginia King

Ann Martin

Andrew Mullins

Beverly Woody

Their terms run through June 1.

Incoming Board Members:

The terms of Ann Martin and Johnathan Phillips will expire on May 31. The Historical Society thanks them for their years of generous service.

Incoming board members, whose terms will begin on June 1, are Jack Stewart, Joe Williams and Andrew Palmer.

The Martinsville-Henry County Historical Society is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, donations to which are deductible to the full extent of the law.  The Historical Society’s current financial statement is available upon request.  Information submitted to the State of Virginia under the Charitable Solicitations Act is available from the Office of the Secretary of State for the cost of copying and postage.

Martinsville-Henry County Historical Society
1 East Main Street
Martinsville, VA  24112
276-403-5361

Federal I.D. Number: 54-1819472

Message from the MHCHS president

By Johnathan Phillips

The purpose of a mission, whether for an organization or an individual, is to outline the specific goals and objectives that will be pursued to achieve a broader purpose or vision. It defines the “how” and “what” of achieving a desired outcome, serving as a roadmap for action and a guide for decision-making.

The Historical Society and Heritage Museum have evolved and grown over the past four years. We survived the COVID epidemic, hired a full-time executive director, strengthened our Sunday Afternoon Lecture Series, participated in an archaeological excavation at Patrick Henry’s last home, and visited local landmarks Beaver Creek, Hillcroft, Hordsville, Ithaca, and Stoneleigh.

Our mission serves as our roadmap on our journey. We may experience bumps and hurdles along the way, but the mission keeps us focused and directed on our path. As a reminder, our mission is “To promote an interest in the broad spectrum of history with emphasis on that of Martinsville and Henry County; to collect, preserve, interpret, and make available material relating to that history; to sponsor research and publications in the field of regional history; and to provide educational services to people and institutions throughout the area.”

President Andrew Jackson stated, “Americans are not a perfect people, but we are called to a perfect mission.” The Historical Society’s Board and staff serve to the best of our ability but are not perfect.  We face limitations and demands of internal and external forces while using our mission as a guide for decision-making. I challenge our members and donors to hold the Historical Society accountable to our mission.

Past presidents

Staff

Holly Kozelsky, Executive Director

Holly Kozelsky is a graduate of The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a former editor of the Martinsville Bulletin.

She and her daughter, Mary, live in Dyer’s Store/Leatherwood, on the former Irvin Minter farm, where they enjoy gardening (flowers and vegetables) and have chickens.

In 2024-25 she is the co-chair of the local Historic Garden Week, and will be its chair in 2025-26. She runs the Facebook page “Obituaries MHC,” the only source of all local obituaries, updated four times a day, and free to the public, with no advertising.

Davis Scott, Staff Aide

Davis Scott, a 2023 graduate of Bassett High School, is a student of Patrick & Henry Community College.

Before joining the staff at the Heritage Museum, he volunteered with the Historical Society for 3 years, including serving on the Board of Directors.

He is the son of Ricky Scott of Collinsville and the late Lisa Lawson Scott. He enjoys cooking and collecting antiques.

“You’re never too young to learn about the old days,” Scott says.

Deborah Stone, Bookkeeper

Long time MHCHS volunteer Deborah Stone is now the bookkeeper and office manager for the Historical Society. She was a school/administrative secretary for Henry County Public Schools for 38 years and also previously served the Society as bookkeeper before the pandemic. She is a member of Smith River Singers and attends Horsepasture Christian Church. She also volunteers at the Spencer-Penn Centre.

She and her husband, David, live in Spencer. She has one daughter, April Haynes, and two grandchildren.