The following blog post may contain affiliate links (meaning I will get a small commission if you buy through my link). You won’t pay any more if you use this link and this will help me to keep the rest of my content free! Read the full Disclosure here.
Southwest Virginia is an area surrounded by mountains and full of history and culture. It also happens to be where I’m from. I was born and raised in a small rural town that I doubt many people have heard of. That doesn’t mean southwest Virginia lacks importance and doesn’t have its fair share of history though. Not far from where I grew up, there is a little museum in Atkins, Virginia that has preserved a bit of the history of southwest Virginia and has actually kept some the history of the area alive. That museum is called, the Settler’s Museum of Southwest Virginia.
If you’ve never heard of this museum, hopefully I can clear up some of the questions you may have about it as you read on.
What kind of museum is the Settler’s Museum?
The Settler’s Museum serves as a reminder of how the the people who settled the area lived when they arrived in southwest Virginia in the 1800s. The museum is not just a building with some artifacts and a plaque to tell you about them. No, this museum is a place where visitors can really become hands-on with history.
What is at the museum?
At the Settler’s Museum, you’ll find a beautiful, restored, white farmhouse that encompasses the same look and feel that it would have when it was first built. Aside from the natural beauty of the farm land and surrounding landscape, the farmhouse is one of my favorite parts of the entire museum. While visiting the museum, visitors have the opportunity to actually step into the house and explore how the families who settled in southwest Virginia really lived. Of course, the farmhouse is not the only building at the museum.
The Settler’s Museum not only shows you what kind of house the early settler’s lived in, but how they worked as well.
There are several outbuildings that the settlers of southwest Virginia would have built and used. At the museum, visitors can step inside and explore the buildings for themselves and learn about the work that would have been done on the farm there.
Storage buildings, a cellar, a well house, barns for livestock, work buildings, and other buildings are spread throughout the property of the museum. They are all open to visitors so people can really immerse themselves in the history of the area and truly learn how those that came to the area in those early days lived. The museum also provides volunteers who help take care of the museum, give demonstrations, and teach others about the farm. Out from the farm is another building though, which is particularly special to me.
Do you just learn about the house and the farm?
Oh no. The Settler’s Museum offers more than just the history of the house and farm.
Very close to the visitor’s center building, there is a one-room schoolhouse called, Lindamood School.
Visitors can tour the schoolhouse and learn about its history as well. When you step inside the school, you are immediately surrounded by wooden desks that students in the late 1800s would have been seated at while listening to their teacher.
A woodstove sits in the middle of the room and is another reminder of how people lived over 100 years ago. While it is such an interesting building just for the history it shares, it holds a special place in my heart. You see, my grandfather actually attended the Lindamood School when he was a boy and I love having that special connection to this historical building.
The school also serves another purpose besides being part of the museum.
The Appalachian Trail runs right in front of the school building, therefore making it a great resting point for hikers. Local churches have realized this and now bring items that hikers may need such as snacks, hygiene items, and first aid items. I have personally met a few of the hikers and they are always so thankful that there are people along the trail willing to help others.
I think that gestures like that show what kind of people there are in southwest Virginia. The area is not known for having a lot of wealth, but money isn’t always important. Its the relationships between people that’s important and the people in southwest Virginia are some of the most kind and generous you’ll ever encounter.
Is there anything else to do at the Museum? What else does it offer?
If taking a self-guided tour of an 1800s farm isn’t really your idea of fun, the museum is also a great setting just for a photography session or even a wedding (and they have a shelter and restrooms)! I have a small photography business and have taken clients there and it makes the perfect background for a country theme/setting, if that is what you are looking for.
I have also seen photos of weddings that have been held at the museum and they are breathtaking! And even if you don’t want to have professional photos taken, just stopping by to take some of your own photos there is always a good idea. My sister and I love to take each other’s pictures there during the fall season. The Settler’s Museum has the most beautiful fall foliage and it makes for the perfect backdrop.
So why even tell you about this interesting, little museum?
Well, I’ve grown up visiting the Settler’s Museum and it’s where my sister and I always end up when we decide to do photo sessions or decide to get out and explore for the day. As I mentioned earlier, my family has a special connection to the place and of course, southwest Virginia in general, since it’s where we were born and raised. I think every area needs a place that preserves its history and for southwest Virginia, the Settler’s Museum is that place of preservation.
That’s why I feel the need to share this little gem with anyone who is interested and willing to read about it.
I don’t want to see little museums and historical places be forgotten when they serve as a real learning opportunity to truly understand life in early America. The Settler’s Museum of Southwest Virginia is a prime example of the real, early American life and what better way to understand it than to actually be able to see the history and have a hands-on experience like you can at this museum?
Have you ever heard of the Settler’s Museum of Southwest Virginia? Are there small museums in your ever or where you’ve traveled to that you love to visit? I’d love to hear about them in the comments section!
Did you enjoy this blog post? If so, consider subscribing to my email list so you can stay up to date on the latest from brianadayle.com and receive exclusive freebies delivered right to your inbox!
