Brownsburg Museum reopens with new exhibit

Big things come from small places.

Brownsburg is a community passionate about its history. Since 1973, the village itself has been listed by the National Register of Historic Places and as a Virginia Historic Landmark. It's no wonder the town's heart is its small museum, The Brownsburg Museum. 

The museum is an all-volunteer non-profit organization and will open to the public its most recent exhibit, Interwoven: Unearthed Stores of Slavery, on March 23. Over a year in the making, the exhibit went from concept to installation through a remarkable collaboration between University of Virginia graduate students, high school students, local historians, community volunteers, writers, and designers. 

The idea for the exhibit originated from the highly popular tour of slave dwellings in and around Brownsburg called, "Still Standing." From the success of that tour came the idea to develop a more comprehensive story about slavery in the area. 

“Interwoven,” the exhibit title represents how we are all interconnected by history, community, and family. It traces an intimate journey of the lives of an enslaved family from the Brownsburg area and draws from the voices of living descendants. 

Starting in the present day, Interwoven progresses through the history of slavery in the area up to the Civil War. The visitor’s journey has a unique and surprising ending, with a rare family letter written from across the ocean and mailed back to a Brownsburg.

The exhibit also showcases photographic art of local slave dwellings from an internationally award-winning New York photographer. And it recognizes the 154th anniversary of Asbury Methodist Church, a historic African American church located within the village — big things in small packages indeed!

The Brownsburg Museum is located at 2716 Brownsburg Turnpike (Rt. 252). It is open to the public on weekends, Saturday from 10 am to 4 pm, and Sunday from 1 pm to 4 pm. The museum is also available to groups by appointment. Contact (540) 348-1600 and leave a message for more information. Also visit our website at: www.thebrownsburgmuseum.org