The Ashland Museum Project

Beginning at least in 1967 with the foundation of Hanover Arts & Activities Center, Ashland residents have talked about establishing a Town Museum to tell the story of Ashland and to provide a safe repository for historical artifacts that are both privately and publicly owned but have been stored in various places for years.

Then in 2008 during the Town’s yearlong 150th Anniversary Celebration, it became evident that there is a huge interest among our citizens in the history of our Town. As part of the final celebration, volunteers filled the old gymnasium at Randolph-Macon with exhibits of all kinds of historical information:  family histories, oral histories, biographies of important people in the town’s past, church histories, histories of businesses, and much more. 

Everyone became aware that the stores of artifacts and photographs under people’s beds and in people’s attics were in danger of being lost, and with them, important pieces of the Ashland history puzzle.  And the 150th Yearbook, preserving forever the stories of “all those who ever considered themselves Ashlanders,” demonstrated the growing genealogical interest as well, as people began exploring their families’ pasts.

The enthusiasm generated by Ashland’s 150th Anniversary Celebration inspired a small group of citizens to move forward with plans for an Ashland Museum.    The 150th Celebration had already provided the foundation.

Calling themselves, “The Ashland Museum Project,” the group held their first official meeting in January 2009 to begin the process. They have been meeting regularly ever since. The core group has grown and coalesced to form a Board of Directors.  

The Ashland Museum is a non-profit organization.