The Museum of the Confederacyand

The Whitehouse of the Confederacy

By: Aaron McKinney10/6/2010

Introduction

• The Whitehouse of the Confederacy is located in Richmond, Virginia. It served as the Whitehouse for the Confederate army. The President of the Confederacy was Jefferson Davis. After the war it was a school, then became The Museum of the Confederacy. Later a new building was built and became the new museum building. The Whitehouse is now restored to what it looked like in the Civil War.

Early Use

• The Whitehouse was originally built in 1818 by John Brockenbrough. In 1844 they sold it, and it passed from family to family until Lewis Dabney Crenshaw bought it just prior to the Civil War. He then sold the home to the city of Richmond, who rented it to the Confederate government as it’s Executive Mansion.

Architecture of the Whitehouse

• The original 1818 construction of the Whitehouse was Neoclassical. Parts added in 1844 were in the Greek Revival style and the final additions in 1857 were Italianate.

During the Civil War

• In August of 1861, Jefferson Davis moved into the Whitehouse with his wife and his three kids. Two more kids were born while they lived in the Whitehouse. He used the second floor of the building as his at-home office. On April 2nd, 1865, the Whitehouse was abandoned during the evacuation of Richmond. It was soon captured by Union forces led by Major General Godfrey Weitzel.

After the War

• During the Reconstruction, the Whitehouse served as for Military District Number One (Virginia). When the Reconstruction of Virginia ended in October of 1870, the City of Richmond took possession of it. It was then opened as the Richmond Central School, one of the first public schools in postwar Richmond. When the city announced plans that they were going to destroy the building and build a better school, the Confederate Memorial Literary Society was formed to save the building.

Birth of the Museum

• The Museum of the Confederacy was opened on February 22nd, 1896. For many years it was housed in the Whitehouse.

The New Museum Building

• The new building was built adjacent to the Whitehouse in 1976. The older Whitehouse building was closed in the same year and was restored to its wartime appearance. In 1988 it was reopened.

Visitors• Since the museum was opened in 1896, over 5 million people

from around the world have visited it. Among the many famous world leaders who have visited the Museum are U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt, British Prime Minister David Lloyd George, former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, and even the leader of the 2006 military coup in Thailand, General Sonthi Boonyaratglin. It is also a popular attraction for many celebrities who visit Richmond, including actors Robert Duvall and Sam Neill, musicians from Bob Dylan to The Black Crowes, and sports figures such as NASCAR driver Sterling Marlin and former Winston Cup champion crew chief and current NASCAR on Fox commentator Jeff Hammond, among others.

Notable Exhibits

• The Museum houses the largest and most comprehensive collection of artifacts, personal effects, and other memorabilia related to the Confederacy. The anchor and driveshaft of the Confederate ironclad CSS Virginia are displayed outside the museum. The museum has over 500 original, wartime battle flags carried by Confederate forces.