Previous Events
On Sunday, October 22, photographer Michael Joseph Wade presented his work at the fall meeting. Mr. Wade is a semi-retired photographer who is preserving history by photographing the rapidly disappearing historic landmarks that are found along the rural roads of Virginia. He has an extensive portfolio of old houses, barns, stores, churches, schools, and other structures and a lot of interesting stories to go with them.
Michael Wade with the abandoned Odd Fellows Lodge building on Sunnybank Road near Reedville in the background.
The Northumberland County Historical Society presented its spring program in the Ball Memorial Library and Museum presentation room on Sunday, April 7, at 2:30 PM. Dr. Wallace Emory Lewis, Jr., a retired local physician, and lifelong resident of Northumberland County presented stories, pictures, and artifacts depicting different aspects of life in the county, especially the area’s Menhaden fishing industry. His presentation was titled “Reedville: The Town that Fish Built.”
“Emory,” as he is known to his many friends, was born in Fleeton, the son of Wallace Lewis, Sr., a well-known and successful Menhaden fishboat captain. Emory grew up totally immersed in the Northumberland County waterman’s culture. Emory developed an appreciation for “the old ways” in this tight-knit community and has spent his life collecting interesting pieces of a bygone culture.
There was standing-room-only at the event. Armed with a brilliant sense of humor, anecdotes from his personal experiences, and artifacts from his extensive collection Emory educated, entertained, and amused the audience.
Light refreshments were served in the Board Room following the presentation. Thank you to those who were able to attend and thank you to our members for their continued support.
UPCOMING EVENTS~THE 2024 ANNUAL MEETING AT NCHS WILL BE HELD ON SATURDAY, JULY 27 ~ BEGINS AT 10:30 AM ~ NO CHARGE
The Northumberland County Historical Society 2024 Annual Meeting will convene at 10:30 AM on Saturday, July 27, at the Ball Memorial Library and Museum at 86 Back Street in Heathsville. The event is open to members and nonmembers at no charge. Following a brief business session, educator and pastor Rev. Dr. Randolph Meade Walker will present “The Heroic Homemaker: Ella Fallin Walker, 1881–1970.” After a lunch break, the meeting will reconvene at 1:30 PM for a presentation by documentary filmmaker Mark Huffman titled “Capturing Local History With Video.”
Dr. Walker, a Heathsville native, has dedicated his life to faith and education. He holds a B.A., M.A., and Ph.D. in American History and an M.Div. from Memphis Theological Seminary. Before his recent retirement, he served as an Assistant Professor of History and the Director of the Center for African and African American Studies at LeMoyne-Owen College in Mamphis from 1987-2002. Dr. Walker, an ordained Baptist clergyman, also served three pastorates from 1976 to 2023. During this busy career, Dr. Walker also found time to write eleven books and numerous articles for newspapers, historical journals, and magazines, and create a philanthropic legacy. His presentation promises to be a unique learning opportunity.
Mark Huffman is a renowned documentary filmmaker who is known for his engaging and informative productions about local subjects, such as: “Kilmarnock, Virginia: Living History,” “The Museums of Virginia’s Northern Neck,” “The Pirates of Chesapeake Bay,” “Historic Churches of Virginia’s Northern Neck,” and his most recent production, “A Fish Story: How Chesapeake Bay built the Northern Neck.” Huffman’s presentation will be a multimedia experience featuring clips from “A Fish Story” and other productions. Huffman, who uses interviews very effectively in his productions, will demonstrate how amateur historians can utilize video to record oral histories and showcase and interpret artifacts and historic sites to a global audience. Huffman is the president of 26th Street Media in Richmond and has been a writer for Consumer Affairs.com for the past twenty years.
For your convenience we are offering box lunches from Newsome’s Restaurant for $18. We will be dining at St. Stephen’s Church, just across the road, to ensure a comfortable and enjoyable break. To join us for lunch, please make reservations by July 19. If the reservation form sent in the mail is unavailable, use the “CONTACT US” option on the website or call us at (804)580-8581.