WHRO Events

Join us for an exclusive early sneak peek of The American Revolution, a captivating new documentary that brings history to life at WHRO Studios!

We'll have TWO chances to watch this exclusive clip reel at 11am & 6pm — get there early for a chance to win an American Revolution prize pack.

The entire 12-hour, 6-part documentary, which includes scenes filmed throughout Colonial Virginia, premieres on PBS on November 16th and is co-directed by Ken Burns, Sarah Botstein and David Schmidt.

Admission is free. Seating is limited—register today at the ticket link!

ABOUT THE FILM:
THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION examines how America’s founding turned the world upside-down. An expansive look at the virtues and contradictions of the war and the birth of the United States of America, the film follows dozens of figures from a wide variety of backgrounds.

Through their individual stories, viewers experience the war through the memories of the men and women who experienced it: the rank-and-file Continental soldiers and American militiamen (some of them teenagers), Patriot political and military leaders, British Army officers, American Loyalists, Native soldiers and civilians, enslaved and free African Americans, German soldiers in the British service, French and Spanish allies, and various civilians living in North America, Loyalist as well as Patriot, including many made refugees by the war.

Corporate funding for THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION was provided by Bank of America. Major funding was provided by The Better Angels Society and its members Jeannie and Jonathan Lavine with the Crimson Lion Foundation; and the Blavatnik Family Foundation. Major funding was also provided by David M. Rubenstein; The Robert D. and Patricia E. Kern Family Foundation; Lilly Endowment Inc.; and the following Better Angels Society members: Eric and Wendy Schmidt; Stephen A. Schwarzman; and Kenneth C. Griffin with Griffin Catalyst. Additional support for THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION was provided by: The Arthur Vining Davis Foundations; The Pew Charitable Trusts; Gilbert S. Omenn and Martha A. Darling; Park Foundation; and the following Better Angels Society members: Gilchrist and Amy Berg; Perry and Donna Golkin; The Michelson Foundation; Jacqueline B. Mars; Kissick Family Foundation; Diane and Hal Brierley; John H. N. Fisher and Jennifer Caldwell; John and Catherine Debs; The Fullerton Family Charitable Fund; Philip I. Kent; Gail Elden; Deborah and Jon Dawson; David and Susan Kreisman; The McCloskey Family Charitable Trust; Becky and Jim Morgan; Carol and Ned Spieker; Mark A. Tracy; and Paul and Shelley Whyte. THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION was made possible, in part, with support from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.

Jeff Harrison and Mia Laufer (the first and current Irene Leache Curators of European Art at the Chrysler Museum, respectively) will share the legacies of Irene Leache and Annie Wood. Leache and Wood are important yet often overlooked figures in the history of both Norfolk and the Chrysler Museum. After Leache’s death, Wood created the Irene Leache Library Association and, later, a memorial, the Irene Leache Art Association, effectively establishing the first art museum in Norfolk. Those actions paved the way for the institution that would later become the Chrysler Museum of Art.

The three-part Salon series features intimate discussions around Susan Watkins exhibition’s big ideas. The salons will take place in the exhibition gallery, with discussions led by art curators, academic scholars, community members, and historians. The interactive and intimate format allows the public to engage more deeply with the exhibition’s subject matter.

$8 for members, $15 for non-members.

'Stars Among Us' podcast offers an immersive and intimate journey into the lives of Holocaust survivors and liberators, blending powerful personal narratives with evocative sound design to illuminate untold tales of resilience and hope amid one of history's darkest chapters.

Produced by the United Jewish Federation of Tidewater.

The old courthouse, located at 130 Main Street in Smithfield, Virginia, was built between 1750-1751. The construction of the courthouse was believed to be modeled after the Capitol Building in Williamsburg, Virginia, and was used as the main courthouse for Isle of Wight for about 50 years. Around 1800 the court system was moved to a more central location, Isle of Wight, Virginia, its present location. Today, the 1750 Isle of Wight County Courthouse has been beautifully restored and is available for free tours and as a rental space.

EVENTS:
Constitution Week : September 13th at noon
Join us on Saturday, September 13th at the Isle of Wight County Courthouse, starting at 12:00 noon, for a Constitution Week Proclamation Event. This event features the Proclamation and Preamble, Drum and Fife performance, Ringing of the Bell, and special appearances by James and Dolly Madison.
Step back in time and honor our nation's history—see you there!

Ghost Walk : October 17-18, 2025
ould you like to meet ghosts from Smithfield? Our Ghost Walk gives all attendees an opportunity to walk through the historic town of Smithfield and meet interesting citizens from Smithfield's past.

18th Century Trades Demonstration Day : October 25th 9am-4pm

Christmas in Smithfield : December 6-7, 2025
Headed into town for the holidays? Swing by and check out Christmas in Smithfield! The 1750 Courthouse and Windsor Castle Manor travel back in time to show you how Christmas was celebrated by our town's founders over 200 years ago.

Operations:
March - December
(Sunday - Thursday: 1-4pm)
(Friday 11am-4pm
(Sunday 10am-4pm)

https://1750courthouse.com/

There were over 5000 Rosenwald Schools in the United States and around 700 are still standing. Out of that 5000, only five have had any archaeology done as of 2022. The Woodville Rosenwald School has had the most extensive archaeological excavation of any Rosenwald School. The first Woodville School was a Black school that predated the Rosenwald project on the same site and many of the artifacts are from that earlier period. Bethel School, another Rosenwald School in Gloucester, is no longer standing but a smaller unit excavation study was done on that site as well.

In the summer of 2021, we had 80 volunteers come work at Woodville from all over the country to help complete excavations before the construction of Woodville’s parking lot. These were mostly professional archaeologists with some other volunteers from the Archeological Society of Virginia. We also had an open public dig in early 2020, and over 25 people showed up from all over the Hampton Roads area.

We found 47,920 artifacts on the site. Many of these artifacts are interesting things relating to daily life in the school like slate pencils and not just bricks and nails. These artifacts will be on display when the renovations of the school are completed, and the site is open to the public.