Built in 1859 for Alexander Pope Abell, this Greek Revival style home is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. This home is an accurate representation of the popular architecture of Charlottesville in the mid-1900s. The four pillars on the front facade as well as the stucco cornice are classic elements of the Greek Revival style. The Abell-Gleason House continues to be a single family home with no available tours.
Built in 1876, the historic Albemarle County Jail is located in Court Square. The complex provides an example of the evolution of penitentiary facilities during the 19th and 20th Centuries. Prisoners were kept in the jail until 1974, including former Mayor J. Samuel McCue who, in 1905, underwent the last public execution in Virginia history. Following the construction of a new penitentiary in 1974, the structure has since been closed to the public and serves as a storage facility for the County. Efforts are underway to convert the jail into a museum.
A statue of Civil War General Stonewall Jackson was dedicated at this location in 1921 and removed in 2021 after years of community discussion and public debate. The dedication ceremony in 1921 celebrated the war as a noble cause to defend "Southern institutions" - a clear reference to slavery in an era of segregation. By contrast, the removal of the statue was done privately owing to fears of violence by the statue's defenders. As evidenced by the dedication speeches, the statue was intended to reflect the early 19th century defense by many white Southerners of the "Lost Cause" ideology of the Civil War. At the same time, the dedication ceremony included tributes to Confederate veterans and the military leadership of Jackson. The statue was located next to Albemarle County Courthouse and created by artist Charles Keck. At the time of its dedication, it was considered one of the best equestrian statues in the world.In 2012, Charlottesville vice-mayor Kristin Szakos attended a history lecture by Edward Ayers. The vice-mayor asked a question that was on the minds of many residents-"should the city consider" moving or even destroying Confederate monuments given their connection to men who fought to defend slavery and the racial politics of many of the people who erected these statues in the early 1900s. She also asked if the city should consider creating new monuments to honor Virginians who fought for the Union and/or against slavery. The city’s first Confederate statue was unveiled in 1893-a year that coincided with a sudden increase in racial violence. The statue to Confederate General Robert E. Lee was dedicated in 1924-the same year that Virginia saw a peak in racially-motivated lynchings. The question led to a firestorm of controversy, with the vice-mayor receiving a number of threatening phone calls from defenders of the Confederate monuments. In the years that followed, more attention has been given to the connection between the sudden "explosion" of Confederate monuments and the racial politics of the era and the disturbingly high number of lynchings throughout Virginia. Defenders of the statue point out the men like Jackson and Lee were military leaders who performed well on the field of battle and distanced themselves from the politics of the war. The question of the statue's propriety, like the nature of the war itself, remains controversial even after its removal. While it stood, historians like Ayers recommend more interpretative signage to demonstrate the contested nature of historical memory. After removal, historians continue to emphasize the importance of context and interpretation as communities reimagine their monumental landscapes.
Built in 1921 and donated to the city by Paul Goodloe McIntire, The McIntire Building was Charlottesville's first municipal library. This building is now home to the Albemarle Charlottesville Historical Society. The Society is a non-profit organization that focuses on preservation of Charlottesville and Albemarle history. This membership based organization holds a research library with over 2,000 periodicals, 1,500 artifacts, and 60,000 photographic images.
This bronze statue of Confederate General Robert E. Lee astride his horse Traveller was dedicated in 1924 as part of a reunion of Confederate soldiers and removed in 2021 after years of public debate. Artist Henry Shrady began the statue, but he passed away prior to its completion. The statue was completed by Leo Lentelli and donated to the city of Charlottesville by Paul McIntire. The dedication ceremony included tributes to veterans as well as a defense of the "Lost Cause" ideology - racially charged set of ideas that in the 1920s - included the defense and maintenance of segregation. Modern supporters of this and other Confederate monuments emphasize the region's efforts to pay tribute to veterans and military leaders. Others point to the troubling racial legacy of the Confederacy and the connection between the erection of pro-Confederate monuments and the defenders of the Lost Cause. Defenders of the statue argue that removal is tantamount to destroying history, although both sides do agree that Lee himself has no direct historical ties to the city of Charlottesville. University of Virginia historian John Mason spoke in favor of removing the statue in 2016, citing the racial climate at the time of its creation as well as the Confederacy's efforts to defend and preserve chattel slavery. "If we want a city that does not celebrate racism, does not celebrate the cause of the Confederacy," Mason explained, "then we’re going to have to remove [the statue]." While the statue's dedication was a celebrated public affair, it's removal was completed without an announcement for fear of potential violence.
Located at the intersection of Ridge and Main Street in Charlottesville, this statue of Sacagawea, William Clark, and Meriwether Lewis commemorates the 1803-1806 Lewis and Clark expedition. The statue is located in Midway Park, is a prominent historic and geographic position that predated the settlement of the town. The statue was erected in 1919 and is known as "Their First View of the Pacific." This was the first of three statues donated to Charlottesville by Paul Goodloe McIntire. In recent years, residents of the city have considered replacing this statue with one that better reflects the centrality of Sacagawea's contribution. The artist's decision to portray the Native American guide behind Clark and Lewis and in a manner that differs sharply from the heroic pose of the two European-American explorers has led to numerous conversations about the way monuments reflect choices about who should be included and how they should be depicted. More recent monumental depictions of the Lewis and Clark expedition usually include Sacagawea and York, an enslaved person of African descent who was also central to the success of the expedition. A recent monument in Kansas City, for example, depicts these four persons together and is known as the Corps of Discovery monument to further emphasize the important roles played by many diverse participants.
Opened in 1926, the Jefferson School was Charlottesville's first African American high school. This site at the corner of 4th Street NW and Commerce Street was also home to the Jefferson Graded School which opened in 1895. Both schools were successors to the first Jefferson School, a freedmen's school, founded in 1865. Today, the Jefferson School houses numerous non-profit organizations, including the African American Heritage Center which offers historical and contemporary exhibitions as well as community events.
Also known as First Baptist Church and First Colored Baptist Church, construction began on this site in 1877 and was completed in 1884. Empowered by the Emancipation Proclamation of 1863, 800 African American congregation members sought to created a Baptist place of worship where they would not be segregated. Initially the congregation was held in the basement of the Delevan Hotel. When the building was condemned in 1876, the congregation opted to tear down the hotel and created the building that stands today.
This Tour is a Walking Tour.
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Enjoy a walk through Charlottesville, Virginia. This historic city was founded in 1762 and is the seat of Albemarle County and home of the University of Virginia. This tour gives you a taste of Charlottesville's fascinating past and includes a handful of monuments and historic buildings as well as the Albemarle Charlottesville Historical Society.
