History Discovery Lab
History in Our House
“History in Our House” takes visitors through the evolution of an 1820s house. As the new owners renovate it, they peel away layers that reveal the differences between older and newer materials. They uncover clues that show how building techniques have changed over time. From old city records at the library and personal papers in the local historical society, they discover who lived there from the time it was first built to the present, and how the house’s setting has changed as the population has grown. The house started out as a two-room, one-and-a half-story simple dwelling in an area that was rural, not far from a city, a building that could be found, for instance, in Henrico, Hanover, Chesterfield, Amelia, or Dinwiddie Counties. By the time the house was purchased by the young couple, the original dwelling had become the side wing of a larger building.
The exterior of the house is a good place to start exploring its history and evolution. This exterior consists of many layers, including weatherboard, asphalt panels, and vinyl siding. Exterior materials are clues to the age of the house and the kind of architectural evolution it has experienced. Like its exterior, the house itself has gone through many phases. The change from one architectural phase to another often coincided with a change in house ownership. The changes in ownership are described in historical records, such as deeds, that are on display for visitors to examine.
Historical records reveal that in 1820, a farmer and his family built "a-room-over-a-room" house and expanded it in later years, eventually moving the kitchen inside. In 1870, a banker and his family moved in and lived there until 1925. They were instrumental in founding the town's historical society. From 1925 to 1965, the house was modernized by an African American family. In 1965, the house became rental property and was inhabited by various families until it was purchased by a young urban African American couple in 2001.
The fireplace is a feature of the house that tells visitors a lot about the lifestyle changes that have taken place since the house was built. The presence of a chimney outside is a clue to the existence of a fireplace in the house, even though no such feature is readily visible. The couple restoring the house found a fireplace behind the wall, which had been covered with a wood stove in the late 1800s by the owners. It was common for people of that era to install wood stoves because they were more modern, efficient, and safer than old fireplaces.
Another lifestyle change in the house was the introduction of gas and electricity lines. The appearance of gas pipes in the walls can be traced to around 1892, when gas lighting was first made available in the area. Electricity was first installed in the house in the early 1940s, according to letters kept on record at the Virginia Historical Society. After tracing ownership of the house through deed records, the new owners went to the historical society to see if any family records were kept there. In a letter to her son in the army, the owner of the house at the time describes her appreciation for their new electric lights. The light-filled house helped her feel less lonely while her sons were away at war.
Through the example of this house, visitors learn not only about historical architecture, but also about the lives of the individuals who lived in these dwellings, and how the house and its surroundings changed over time.
Students read about the history of the house before going inside to study clues and learn more details about its past.
Visitors discover hidden layers and features of a recreated house built in the 1820s.
This student sees the changes in style over the last century by viewing old layers of wallpaper in the house.