Virginia War Museum
Former name | American Legion Memorial Museum of Virginia (1923-1948) War Memorial Museum of Virginia (1948-1996) |
---|---|
Established | 1923 (Collection) 1941 (Museum) |
Location | 9285 Warwick Boulevard Newport News, Virginia United States |
Type | Military History |
Director | Position Removed Circa 2012 |
Curator | Position Removed May 1, 2019 |
Website | Virginia War Museum |
37°1′10.9″N 76°27′6″W / 37.019694°N 76.45167°WThe Virginia War Museum is located in Huntington Park on Warwick Blvd., Newport News, Virginia. The museum contains exhibits on American military history from 1775 to the present.[1]
History
The Virginia War Museum was founded in 1923 by the Braxton-Perkins Post #25 of the
The building has undergone three phases of construction. The original structure is visible as older brickwork, and was essentially a long, narrow building whose construction began in 1941 using $15,000 of State funds and $15,000 of city funds.[6][2] By 1954, the shape of the museum had evolved from a line into a "T" with the completion of an addition (now the Early Wars, Poster, and African American gallery areas).[6] The final addition was completed in 1987, in which the left side of the "T" was enclosed to form the Fowler and Weapons Galleries along with the current Education areas and restrooms.
Collection
The museum's collection primarily centers on the First and Second World War, as the American Legion members who founded it were primarily World War I veterans, and many World War II troops passing through the Hampton Roads Port of Embarkation left things with the museum they did not wish to bring home. The large number of souvenirs given by American veterans has resulted in sizable displays on Imperial Japan and Nazi Germany, to include a section of the
The museum is arranged in a largely chronological manner, beginning with the
The museum's collection also includes a section of the Berlin Wall, a handwritten order by General George Washington issued after the Battle of Brooklyn (On loan from the MacIntosh Family), and a great deal of General Officer Uniforms, including former possessions and clothing from Mark Clark, James Doolittle, and Colin Powell.[9]
In the 1940s, the museum had a large collection of propellers from the First World War era and engines from both World Wars.[10][11] These are now all gone save for a single propeller attributed to a Hansa-Brandenburg C.I. A search of the National Air and Space Museum Collections Database reveals that four of the engines were given to the Smithsonian in 1972, followed by a World War I USMC balloon basket in 1974.[12][13][14][15][16]
In front of the museum is a large piece of artillery. In the past, this has been erroneously identified as a 240mm prototype of the
One former artifact, Vought F4U Corsair 84620, is currently under restoration in Australia. The warbird was on display at the museum from 1948 until 1986, having lost its engine, tail, and port wing alongside suffering severe damage to its spar as a result of efforts to make it fit within the building.[19][20] To correct this damage, 84620 has become one of the first Corsairs to have a new built main spar constructed as part of its restoration to airworthy status.
Archaeology
The Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism for the City of Newport News has their archaeology offices within the War Museum, along with the department's artifact storage. Excavations are carried out through the aid of grants and volunteers under the supervision of the City Archaeologist.
Library and Archive
The museum has a small library for researchers located behind a door in the Poster Gallery. The area also serves as Archival Storage, and is accessed by appointment. Since 2012, the library has shifted from the Dewey Decimal System to use Library of Congress Classification for its books. Texts contained in the collection include military manuals, unit histories, uniform and equipment reference works, and general histories. Historical fiction works have largely been removed from circulation to free up needed shelf space for more relevant scholarly works.
Footnotes
- ^ a b Virginia War Museum. "Virginia War Museum" brochure, Winter 2007.
- ^ a b c d Report of the Commission to the Governor and the General Assembly of Virginia House Document No. 9, Page 4 (1948)
- ^ Report of the Commission to the Governor and the General Assembly of Virginia House Document No. 9, Page 15 (1948)
- ^ "Home". vasc.org.
- ^ "Virginia War Museum, Newport News, Virginia at". Museumsusa.org. Retrieved 2022-09-02.
- ^ a b "Celebrate! 90 Years 1923-2013 Virginia War Museum Brochure"
- ^ - Section "Cleaning Up, 1946-1955"
- ^ Virginia War Museum Moses Myers Collection Didactics, May 2, 2019
- ^ VWM Artifact Didactics, present in museum
- ^ Report of the Commission to the Governor and the General Assembly of Virginia House Document No. 9, Pages 11-12 (1948)
- ^ "Look Back: Virginia War Museum".
- ^ "Liberty 12 Model A (Lincoln), V-12 Engine | National Air and Space Museum". airandspace.si.edu. Archived from the original on 2019-05-02.
- ^ "Curtiss OX-5, V-8 Engine | National Air and Space Museum". airandspace.si.edu. Archived from the original on 2019-05-02.
- ^ "Le Rhone Model J 9 Cylinder Rotary Engine | National Air and Space Museum". airandspace.si.edu. Archived from the original on 2019-05-02.
- ^ "Mitsubishi Kasei 21, Ha 32 Model 21, Radial 14 Engine | National Air and Space Museum". airandspace.si.edu. Archived from the original on 2018-11-13.
- ^ "Balloon Basket, USMC, World War I | National Air and Space Museum". airandspace.si.edu. Archived from the original on 2016-07-06.
- ^ "Virginia War Museum". Informational Didactic for T1 Gun. February 19, 2019.
- ^ "M65 Atomic Cannon".
- ^ "F4U-1D Corsair Restoration Update Downunder". 3 December 2017.
- ^ Report of the Commission to the Governor and the General Assembly of Virginia House Document No. 9, Pages 11 (1948)