Museum of the Confederacy

[MuleyGil]

Re: Museum of the Confederacy

I much prefer the Museum of the Confederacy.

The ACWC is way too PC for my tastes. I was part of a tour group this past June and I wish that I had spent my time exploring the outside portion of Tredegar, instead of the main exhibit hall.

[Dignann]

Re: Museum of the Confederacy

Another locality enters the bidding war for the MOC's attention.


Civil War museum eyeing Spotsy

Richmond's Museum of the Confederacy looks to partner with Spotsylvania

By DAN TELVOCK

The Free Lance-Star [Fredericksburg, Va.]
September 5, 2007

Imagine combining the world's largest Civil War collection with two of the war's major battlefields.

Museum of the Confederacy President Waite Rawls and Spotsylvania County officials already have.

The museum in Richmond plans to announce today that it wants Spotsylvania to become a partner in a system of museums statewide to relocate some of its artifacts. Spotsylvania is home to all or part of four Civil War battlefields--Chancellorsville, Court House, Wilderness and Fredericksburg.

"I think the idea of bringing artifacts to the battlefields is a wonderful concept," said Civil War Preservation Trust President Jim Lighthizer. "Spotsylvania is ground zero for the American Civil War. More happened in that county than anywhere in the country."

Richmond's museum officials have been searching for a new home since October. Dwarfed by Virginia Commonwealth University hospital, the museum has seen its business drop by half since 1991--to about 45,000 visitors in 2006.

Relocating artifacts, Rawls said, would take the collection to the visitor, "rather than trying to get the visitor to come to us."

Spotsylvania and Appomattox counties are named as the top locations to begin the system of museums. Rawls hopes to open new sites by 2011, the 150th anniversary of the start of the Civil War.

But his plan is contingent on financing and local approval.

The Richmond museum will remain open for at least five years. After that, its future is uncertain, Rawls said.

There are no plans to change the operation of the museum-owned White House of the Confederacy next door, he said.

The Museum of the Confederacy's collections include uniforms, battle flags and soldiers' personal possessions. Rawls said one of the items he'd like to re- locate to Spotsylvania is the famous 1869 painting "The Last Meeting" of Gens. Robert E. Lee and Thomas J. "Stonewall" Jackson at Chancellorsville.

"If there is any iconic image of the Confederacy, it's that painting," he said.

The Mullins Farm off State Route 3 is the site of fighting on the first day of the Battle of Chancellorsville. Several sources close to the discussions said supervisors are eyeing this site to house the artifacts.

More than 200 acres of the 800-acre Mullins farm are preserved for its historic value. Toll Brothers agreed to sell 74 acres to the Civil War Preservation Trust for $1 million as part of a rezoning deal with supervisors. The land is west of 140 acres that CWPT purchased from Tricord last year for $3 million.

Russ Smith, superintendent of the Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania County National Military Park, said the museum plan still needs a lot of work. Ideally, he'd like to move the Chancellorsville visitors center because it's on land where Jackson was mortally wounded.

If we could combine a visitors center with the museum in some way, I think that would be good for everybody," he said.

Supervisor Chris Yakabouski said county staff is developing a master plan for the land on the Mullins Farm that Tricord donated to the county.

"We welcome any and all proposals," he said.

Rawls said he hopes to hold town-hall-style meetings in Spotsylvania in the next six weeks to gauge public interest in the plan.

Some supervisors were slow to embrace the idea this week.

"I am concerned that we could possibly be giving away property in the county that is very valuable," Supervisor Emmitt Marshall said. "I have concerns that there could be people in the community who wouldn't support it."

Supervisor Gary Jackson noted that the county already has museums in the Courthouse area and near Massaponax off Interstate 95. And the U.S. National Slavery Museum is planned in Celebrate Virginia in Fredericksburg.

"If they want to come here and open a museum then they are free to do that, but I expect they are going to want some help from the county," Jackson said. "I'm nervous about what they are going to want."

THE ARTIFACTS

The Museum of the Confederacy has the largest collection of Civil War artifacts in the world. Some that have direct ties to Spotsylvania County include:

The 1869 painting of Gens. Thomas J. "Stonewall" Jackson and Robert E. Lee. "The Last Meeting" depicts the two Confederate legends devising strategy for an attack on Union forces at Chancellorsville.

A map Jackson and a staff officer created to thwart federalists from crossing the Rappahannock River. The map has two bullet holes. The staff officer was killed and Jackson was mortally wounded. The museum also has Jackson's blood-stained uniform.

A handkerchief used to stanch Jackson's blood.

Jackson's sword.

Two bullets fired at Spotsylvania Court House, near the Mule Shoe, that hit head on and melded together.

A letter from a soldier at Spotsylvania Court House informing his parents of his "horribly mangled shoulder" and the realization he may die soon. The letter is stained with his blood.

"This all can be within several hundred yards of where it happened," said Waite Rawls, the museum's president.

"The museum system is an interesting idea that many major museums have adopted," said Charles F. Bryan, president and CEO of the Virginia Historical Society. "All have been concerned that the Museum might leave Virginia, which would be a great loss to the commonwealth. The system will keep the collection in Virginia, which allows the sharing of the Museum of the Confederacy's resources with many historical organizations while also playing an important role in the Richmond community."

"The idea of combining artifacts with battlefields will bring new life to both," said Civil War Preservation Trust's President Jim Lighthizer. "It will provide visitors a glimpse into the stories of the war, which is the most defining conflict in American history. It's the perfect marriage."

http://www.fredericksburg.com/News/FLS/2007/092007/09052007/311519

Eric

[Dignann]

Re: Museum of the Confederacy

Museum of Confederacy to split

It will divide artifacts among 3 sites; two are Chancellorsville, Appomattox

By JANET CAGGIANO

Richmond Times-Dispatch [Richmond, Va.]
September 5, 2007

The Museum of the Confederacy has found a new home for the world's largest collection of Civil War artifacts.

Make that homes.

Three Virginia localities will serve as a museum "system," replacing the single museum that has stood at 12th and East Clay streets since 1976. Officials yesterday announced two of those sites -- the Appomattox Court House National Park and the Chancellorsville Battlefield Visitor Center near Fredericksburg.

The location of the third site is likely to be announced by the end of the month. Other national battlefield sites in the state include Petersburg and Manassas.

The museum headquarters, including the library and research center, collections storage and administration, will remain in Richmond. The White House of the Confederacy, the home of Confederate President Jefferson Davis during the Civil War, will also stay put.

"If our mission is to use our artifacts to educate the public about the Civil War and the Confederacy, man are we going to accomplish that so much better because we are going to have more on view and more visitors," said Waite Rawls, the museum's president and CEO. "We are taking the artifacts back to where they were made famous."

Plans call for the construction of an 8,000-square-foot museum at each site, with about 5,000 square feet of exhibit space. That adds up to 15,000 square feet of exhibit space -- more than twice the space the museum has now. Each museum will also house a gift shop, educational rooms and offices.

"The idea of combining artifacts with battlefields will bring new life to both," said Jim Lighthizer, president of the Civil War Preservation Trust. "It will provide visitors a glimpse into the stories of the war, which is the most defining conflict in American history."

The project will cost about $15 million, Rawls said, or $5 million per site. The museum will begin a capital campaign, and Rawls is hoping for local, state and federal funding.

"In this case, we will be building one [museum] while raising money for the second," he said. "We will move into them gradually so we can spread it out logistically and financially."

The move won't come until 2011, the beginning of the sesquicentennial of the American Civil War.

"After three years of hard work involving a state study commission, a peer review study and a large number of volunteer experts, the board feels that a system of museum sites is the best way to accomplish our central mission of using artifacts to educate the public about the Civil War and the Confederacy," said Carlton Moffatt Jr., chairman of the museum's board of trustees. "The prospect is very exciting."

The museum is relocating its collection to escape the sprawling medical campus of Virginia Commonwealth University. Visitation has been falling for years, from about 92,000 in the early 1990s to 44,000 in the last budget year.

"We are focused on taking our collection to the visitor, rather than trying to get the visitor to come to us," Rawls said. "[These sites] hold great war-time significance. They have strong visitation numbers and name recognition."

The May 1-5, 1863, Battle of Chancellorsville is known as Gen. Robert E. Lee's greatest victory. The visitor center there contains exhibits, a 22-minute movie and bookstore, walking trails and a 7-mile driving tour.

Chancellorsville, which attracts about 47,000 visitors a year, is one of four Civil War battlefields near Fredericksburg run by the National Park Service. The four battlefields draw about 1.8 million visitors a year.

The Appomattox Court House National Park brings in about 155,000 visitors each year. The Civil War effectively ended at Appomattox on April, 9, 1865, when Lee and Union Gen. Ulysses S. Grant signed the surrender terms.

Each site, which will employ 10 to 15 people, will exhibit artifacts relevant to that area. Appomattox, for example, will display Lee's surrender uniform and sword, the clothes Jefferson Davis was wearing at the time of his capture and some of the flags surrendered. The Chancellorsville site will showcase a letter written by a dying soldier, a painting depicting the last meeting between Lee and Thomas J. "Stonewall" Jackson and J.E.B. Stuart's personal effects.

"Our big asset is this unbelievable collection," Rawls said. "The question has been how to get it to work for itself. Well, you get it in front of the people. Now, we will be able to do that."

http://www.timesdispatch.com/cva/ric/news.apx.-content-articles-RTD-2007-09-05-0218.html

Eric

[LWhite64]

Re: Museum of the Confederacy

Mixed feelings about the news, although for the NPS it is great, however, I am very concerned about where the 3rd site is going to be, if it is say Manassas, then what about all of the Western and Trans Mississippi items that they have? I know that we, with the exception of the Fuller Gun Collection, dont display items not related to the story of the Battles for Chickamauga and Chattanooga.

Lee

[Charles Heath]

Re: Museum of the Confederacy

Getting vast majority of the artifacts out of the basement sounds like a great idea.

Lee's comments remind me of the fate of Gen. Sweeney's museum. I'm glad Wilson's Creek was able to take advantage of that situation, and I hope to revisit those artifacts some fine day.

[ley74]

Re: Museum of the Confederacy

Charles:

If the Civil War Museum and Library (Pine Street in Philly) found a good home, I have to beleive Waite could do better. At 8,000 sq. ft currently, the MOC has a little less than 10% of the collection on display. Now they are spending $15 million to double their exhibit space? As a numbers kind of guy, something does not add up.

I wish them well. Don't think it will work but, I wish them well.

[Linda Humphries]

Re: Museum of the Confederacy

I know some of you are southerners also and may be concerned about this move. The Museum of the Confederacy in Richmond VA will be moved to 3 separate locations. My greatest worry is what will happen to the Confederate White House, which is really in spitting distance from the MOC.

They will be splitting the collection among three sites in Virginia: Appoxmatox, Chancellorsville, and one to be named later but could be Manassas or Petersburg.

Here is the link to an article in the Richmond Times: http://www.timesdispatch.com/cva/ric...9-05-0218.html

Linda Humphries
Tarheel Civilians

[Emmanuel Dabney]

Re: Museum of the Confederacy

Civil War museums have to find funding
September 6, 2007 12:35 am

By DAN TELVOCK

Museum of the Confederacy officials have a steep hill to climb when they lobby local and state officials for funding for museums in Spotsylvania County and two other locations.

Museum President Waite Rawls announced yesterday that the Museum of the Confederacy in Richmond wants to relocate the world's largest Civil War collection to three different facilities.

Declining visitation at the Richmond museum and being surrounded by the growing Virginia Commonwealth University hospital has forced him to create a "system of museums."

Spotsylvania's Chancellorsville battlefield at the old Mullins Farm off State Route 3 and Appomattox Court House National Park are the two sites he mentioned. Rawls wouldn't disclose the location of the third proposed museum. He hopes to have the system of museums open by 2011, the 150th anniversary of the start of the Civil War.

Rawls plans to lobby local, state and federal governments and private donors for help funding the museums.

"I view it as a public- private partnership," he said. "The contribution each one makes might be very different."

Rawls said each museum will be about 8,000 square feet and house exhibits, offices and a gift shop. Rawls projected the cost to be about $5 million each, for a total of $15 million.

Rawls said he is hoping local officials and the communities actively support the fundraising effort.

He may not get that support.

Who Will Pay?
"That's pretty rich for us, if you ask me," Spotsylvania Supervisor Gary Jackson said about the $5 million price tag per museum. "That's a lot of money for us."

State Sen. Edd Houck, D-Spotsylvania, said museums do get state funding. But Gov. Tim Kaine has asked state agencies to cut budgets by 5 percent to make up for a projected $641 million shortfall.

But, it's "too early to say how the funding will ultimately work out. We don't know if this revenue picture is going to get worse or better by December," Houck said.

Del. Mark Cole, R-Spotsylvania, said it will be tough to get money next year.

"I think the idea has merit, linking the museum more closely to the battlefields," he said. "My only concern is what kind of help are they looking for from the state and localities?"

Spotsylvania Supervisor Chris Yakabouski, who is challenging Houck for his seat in November, said the county shouldn't provide funding for the project. Instead, maybe it can negotiate a lease agreement for land at Mullins Farm, he said.

"I just don't think us cutting them a check is our only option," he said. "I do believe in the private sector and private individuals being part of that process."

Supervisors aren't clear yet on what the museum wants from the county.

"I don't want private museums to lean solely on government handouts," Yakabouski said.

Jackson said the county already has the Civil War museum near Massaponax and one in the Spotsylvania Courthouse area.

"I kind of feel like we are spending as much as we should on museums right now," he said.

Supervisor Vince Onorato said he and Yakabouski met with Rawls earlier in the summer to discuss options. He said he's still "up in the air" about the proposal and wants to hear from the public.

"I think the only type of incentive that they might be looking for from the county is a site," he said. "I imagine it is still a work-in-progress of what they really want to do."

Supervisor Hap Connors said he's excited about the opportunity to relocate Civil War artifacts to the Chancellorsville battlefield.

"I would support investing in a living-history museum somewhere on the [Mullins Farm] as part of our ongoing efforts to create a successful heritage program in Spotsylvania County," he said.

The museum has a $2 million budget. Rawls said museum officials raised $5 million two decades ago to renovate the White House of the Confederacy in Richmond. He recognizes this funding campaign won't be easy.

"Getting funds from any government agency is always tough to do," Rawls said. "Having said that, this project resounds very well with the government officials we have talked to. I am as confident as I can be. Nothing is certain until the checks are written and the funds are cleared."

Dan Telvock: 540/374-5438
Email: dtelvock@freelancestar.com


----------------------------------------------------------
Copyright 2007 The Free Lance-Star Publishing Company.

Online at: http://www.fredericksburg.com/News/F...9062007/314801

[Marc]

Re: Museum of the Confederacy

Since the museum cannot be in Richmond due to the hospital etc...why 3 museums? Just my opinion, but one museum would be less costly in terms of operating costs, security etc, plus one place to visit is much easier for the visitor. I have always enjoyed the MOC and it is a very good museum with nice displays and I know many more items not displayed. I have always liked their display on the common Confederate soldier.

I hope everything does get squared away for the best for the collection and the visitor.

[CheeseBoxRaft]

Re: Museum of the Confederacy

Just speculating if the third un-named museum mentioned in the article might be The Mariners' Museum in Newport News. MoC has a great naval display and it would a nice companion piece to the USS Monitor Center at MM.

https://www.mariner.org/

http://www.monitorcenter.org/

- Tom Green

[Gary of CA]

Re: Museum of the Confederacy

The advantage of Newport News is not only the Mariner's Museum, but also the Virginia War Museum with its firearms, uniforms collection.

[ley74]

Re: Museum of the Confederacy

Emmanuel:

Thanks for the FLS article. Now from Appomattox. Read carefully where the money is to come from.

______________________________________

Persistence pays off for Appomattox museum bid


By Sarah Watson
swatson@newsadvance.com
September 6, 2007


Give your opinion on this story




An early reaction from Museum of the Confederacy officials to Appomattox tourism proponents about relocating the largest collection of Civil War artifacts in the world in part to a tiny town off U.S. 460?
"It's in the middle of nowhere."

But S. Waite Rawls III, the museum's president and CEO, said Wednesday that Appomattox's persistence in selling itself as a tourism destination despite the location is what paid off in the end.

"They drove home the point that despite its inaccessibility, a whole lot of people were getting there anyway," he said. "That really caught our interest."

Though it isn't a done deal yet, the Richmond museum announced Wednesday its intent to locate permanent exhibits from its collection to Appomattox, Chancellorsville and possibly other locations.

The museum's headquarters, collections storage and research facilities would stay in Richmond because of close ties to the Library of Virginia and the Virginia Historical Society, Rawls said.

"Right now, it's at the real good idea stage where a lot of people have said, 'That's a really good idea and let's pursue this as hot and heavy as we can,'" Rawls said.

The museum's exact location has yet to be determined, but it won't be part of the Appomattox Court House National Park, said park historian Patrick Schroeder. "But it will be a benefit to have another historical institution with the original artifacts so close by."

News of the plan was embraced Wednesday by officials in Appomattox County and the Town of Appomattox, who see it as a potential boon for tourism dollars and economic development.

Appomattox already attracts between 150,000 and 200,000 visitors a year, including a large number of Civil War tourists who are known to spend time and money, Rawls said. The goal is finding ways and reasons for tourists to stay longer.

The announcement comes just as several projects are deep into their planning stages, including preservation of the site of the Battle of Appomattox Station, the precursor to the famed surrender at the courthouse in April, 1865.

"It's exciting that this announcement comes at the same time that we're in the process of discovering a lot of new information about the Battle of Appomattox Station," said Scott Smith, project manager for the battlefield restoration.

In May, a consulting firm announced that the battlefield's roads and characteristics were still visible and an antebellum house was found in the woods in remarkably good shape, with full restoration a very strong probability.

The town responded to a proposal request about possibly relocating the Museum of the Confederacy away from Richmond about a year ago, Beckie Nix, tourism director for the town of Appomattox said. "We felt in the beginning it would be a tremendous site and a win-win situation for both the museum and Appomattox," she said.

"The town has the name recognition to help them," she said. "And anytime you do a paired site of similar interests like the national park and the Museum of the Confederacy, you're going to bring more visitors who are going to stay longer, and that results in a very positive economic impact on the area."

While there had been numerous conversations, Nix said the town didn't know for sure until the news release was sent Wednesday morning.

Rawls said he has been to the town to tour several potential places near the national park property. "We have a lot of options," he said.

The museum hired an architect to design the first plans about two weeks ago.

Nix thought the town might be included in some form of the project and put together a basic economic impact study to show town council members last month.

Using data from the Virginia Tourism Corporation's profile on Civil War travelers and their spending habits, Nix realized that the town could see an additional $8 million per year "just resulting from a one-night stay of the visitors we already have."

"We believe the future of Appomattox's growth is in tourism," Del. Watkins Abbitt, I-Appomattox, said. "This would certainly be a great addition to the national park here. It would attract more people and hopefully hold visitors longer and overnight."

Museum visitation in Richmond has dropped significantly in the last 10 years, from 92,000 in the early 1990s to 44,000 in the last budget year.

Appomattox County administrator Aileen Ferguson said the county was hoping the town would be the final choice, but was unaware of the decision until Wednesday afternoon. "We really felt it would be an enhancement to the community and a great tourism draw, so we're really excited about the opportunity."

The first step is to get the concept to the public, meaning access to potential donors, Rawls said. The museum will need to raise about $15 million for the entire project, including new museum buildings in Appomattox and Chancellorsville.

"The first stage is conceptual. Then raise the money, do the details and then you put a shovel in the ground," Rawls said.

As soon as the concept is approved by the museum's board of directors sometime in early 2008, the fundraising process will begin, Rawls said. They will look for state, local and federal money as well as private donations, he said.

"This will take a lot of assistance from the General Assembly," he said. "We think it's a real good thing for the General Assembly because it's not just focused on one area of the state."

The fundraising campaign will likely take about 18 months. The goal is to start construction on the entire project in 2009 for completion in time for the 150th anniversary of the start of the Civil War in 2011.

Conceptual plans call for about 5,000 feet of exhibit space, with roughly half devoted to Appomattox-related exhibits. The other half would be dedicated to rotating and traveling exhibits, Rawls said.

The project will put about three times the amount of artifacts on display with four to five times as many people having opportunities to view items from the collection, Rawls said. "That's the exciting part."

"It's hard to get more than 50,000 to 75,000 people per year to one site," he said. "I think we can get that many or more at these sites because the people are already there" for other reasons.

"It's exciting news for the local people, for the town of Appomattox," Schroeder said. "Any time you can draw in a quality museum, it's going to be a benefit to the local area. It will just add to the history here."

__________________________________________________ __________

"They drove home the point that despite its inaccessibility, a whole lot of people were getting there anyway," he said. "That really caught our interest."


Wonder why the MOC cannot accomplish the same thing?

[ley74]

Re: Museum of the Confederacy

Now, just for &$#@'s and giggles, let's compare the RTD, FLS and LN&A to the press release. Interesting that once the CEO of the MOC is quoted, a new spin entirely is created.

http://www.moc.org/site/DocServer/Museum_System_Release_9-5-07.pdf?docID=3241

[Canebrake Rifle Guards]

Re: Museum of the Confederacy

Well, the silver lining for me is if this Appomattox location pans out, it'll only be a 20 minute drive from my house to visit. (20 minutes through the Virginia countryside).

Greg Starbuck

[Danny]

Re: Museum of the Confederacy is Moving

Fellas,.. the old Confederacy -- a sacred chapter in American pride and history. Give me "moonlight and magnolias" any day over this coarse and perverted society we have today. This period in our country's history represents all that is good in civilization, men were gentlemen, and women were ladies. No fault in that, period! Maybe someday there will be tolerance for the honorable breed and unvanquished...

Have decided not to dignify this with a reply.

- Dan Wykes