November 2010

The Museum of North Texas History houses exhibits related to local heritage, including a Western Room, displaying a horse-drawn buggy, Joe Bridwell’s saddle, a collection of barbed wire, a chuck box and a side saddle. The museum also contains an Oil Exhibit and other special exhibits.

This museum chronicles the branch of the armed forces that supplies troops with food, fuel, and equipment.

Since 1957 the Quartermaster Museum has preserved the history and heritage of the U.S. Army Quartermaster Corps, the Army's oldest logistic branch. For more than two centuries Quartermaster soldiers have fed, clothed and equipped the United States Army. Visitors are welcomed into Fort Lee, just outside Petersburg, to see the museum.

Schwartz Tavern was once operated by John A. Schwartz. Since Schwartz is German for Black, his establishment soon became known as Black's. Another tavern in Blackstone was operated by a man named White. The crossroads stop for stagecoaches was called Black's and White's after the two rival tavern keepers. The name remained the same until 1886 when citizens adopted the name of the noted English jurist, Blackstone.

Petersburg National Battlefield is most widely known as the site of the longest siege in American warfare. With General Robert E. Lee's Confederate forces stretched between Richmond and Petersburg, Union General Ulysses S. Grant cut off all supply lines and forced General Lee's hand. By early February 1865, General Lee had 60,000 troops in contrast to General Grant's 110,000 men. After 10 months of battle, General Lee evacuated Petersburg on April 2.

The modest brick home was commandeered to be used as the Federal Command Post while the Carter family, and two neighboring families, took refuge in the basement. At 4 PM on November 30, 1864, General John Bell Hood gave the order for the Confederate Army of Tennessee CSA to attack the breastworks held by the Federal troops in Franklin. The battle that ensued is now called "the Gettysburg of the West". The 1,000 bullet holes that today remain in the side of the house testify to the ferocity of the fighting. Indeed, the Carter house is the most bullet-damaged building that remains standing from the entire Civil War.

This Registered National Historic Landmark is now open to the public and serves as a memorial to the Carter Family and to the countless heroes in the Battle of Franklin. Visitors tour the house with a guide who explains the rich history of this tragic site.

The Doss Heritage and CultureCenter brings ParkerCounty’s past to life in its historical gallery. Visitors will get a special look into the life led by early inhabitants of ParkerCounty. The first exhibit shows the lifestyle of the Native Americans who lived across the central and west Texas area. Just around the corner, the exhibit moves into the beginning of the settlement in ParkerCounty. Text and graphics explain the conflicts between Native Americans and incoming settlers.

Pamplin Historical Park is where Union troops finally broke through Confederate defenses, captured Petersburg, and marched on to Richmond and the end of the war.

The award-winning National Museum of the Civil War Soldier forms the Park's centerpiece. Here, the story of the 3 million common soldiers who fought in America's bloodiest conflict is told in breathtaking fashion using the latest museum technology.

An impressive artifact collection is set amidst lifelike settings. Interactive learning stations attract kids and grownups alike. The entire experience is keyed to an audio tour featuring the words and "voices" of real participants in the war.

Museums interpreting plantation life, slavery in America, and the breakthrough battlefield of April 2, 1865 are within a short walk of the National Museum.

The ground floor galleries in Centre Hill feature permanent and temporary exhibitions on the history of Petersburg. Permanent exhibits include memorabilia and photographs from Centre Hill's archives and archival items and artifacts related to the Bolling family. A turn-of-the-century aviary of stuffed birds from Australia is also on display. The interior features outstanding examples of Greek revival architectural ornamentation as well as earlier Federal style and later Colonial Revival style architectural modifications.

Through guided tours, visitors can learn about the history of Centre Hill, including its role during the Civil War and the two Presidential visits to the house. Examples of eighteenth, nineteenth and twentieth century decorative arts, many from the Petersburg area, are also exhibited. Visitors can also view the tunnel, constructed in the 1840s that led from the back of the house to nearby Henry Street.

A museum exploring the history of the settlement of the Lehigh Valley.

The museum traces the history of the Lehigh Valley area from early rural German settlement to industrial development. On display are a wide variety of authentic artifacts as well as historic photos of people and places significant to the area as well as interactive exhibits.

This 18th-century church became a memorial to the Southern soldiers who died during the Civil War. In honor of the Confederate dead, each state contributed a stained glass window designed by Louis Comfort Tiffany. Some of the weathered tombstones of the cemetery date to the early 1700s. Among the more noted individuals buried within the cemetery is one foreigner, Major General William Phillips, British citizen and commander of the British troops during the April 25, 1781 "Battle of Petersburg." Phillips died on May 13, 1781 in Petersburg following a fever that was most likely malaria or typhus. A memorial stone, erected by the Daughters of the American Revolution in 1914, stands adjacent to Blandford Church, marking the general location of Phillips' secret burial, done at the direction of his deputy commander, Brigadier General Benedict Arnold.