Fundraising continues for Confederate Museum
STEPHANIE A. JAMES
Staff Writer
Wednesday, March 3, 2010Fundraising efforts for the Museum of the Confederacy are continuing to move forward.
Mayor Paul Harvey explained during a Feb. 8 Appomattox Town Council meeting that the Museum of the Confederacy is moving along in their fundraising efforts.
A meeting was held on Feb. 5 between the museum and County officials.
Museum officials informed County officials that they were not ready to break ground, said Harvey.
Museum officials have not set a date for breaking ground but hope to have the museum ready just in time for the 150 anniversary of the Civil War.
Museum spokesman Sam Craighead said that Appomattox would be the first of the satellite museums to be built.
In 2007, Appomattox was among two other sites in Virginia selected as satellite branches of the museum help accomplish the museum’s mission of educating as many people about the Civil War.
Other sites include Chancellorsville of the Fredericksburg area and Fort Monroe of the Hampton area.
The museum is in the middle of a fundraising campaign to raise money towards the cost of the satellite museum, which is estimated to be $4 million for the building.
When discussion first began about the size of the museum building, each location was going to have a 8,000 square foot building.
However, the size of the museum building will increase from 8,000 square feet to 10,600 to compensate for more exhibits to be on display.
The gallery space will be 5,000 square feet.
Construction is targeted to take place on four-acres of property located at the intersection of Route 24 (Old Courthouse Road) and the 460 Bypass, where Horseshoe Road and Burge Road cross.
As Richmond’s oldest museum, the Museum of the Confederacy houses a collection of civilian and military Civil War artifacts and a post-war era collection.
The White House, where Confederate President Jefferson Davis and his family lived during the Civil War, will remain at its current location in Richmond along with the administrative offices, the library and research center and the preservation and conservation center.
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