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46-1012: In November 2013, the Museum of the Confederacy and the American Civil War Center at Tredegar merged, creating the American Civil War Museum. Its current name was announced in January 2014. The Museum of the Confederacy was founded in 1894. It is located in the house that served as the White House of the Confederacy , two blocks north of the Virginia State Capitol , which the Ladies Hollywood Memorial Association saved from destruction. It opened as

92-608: A Welsh town and iron works. In 1841 Deane hired Joseph Reid Anderson as commercial sales agent. Under Joseph Reid Anderson's ownership, Tredegar manufactured an array of items including locomotives, train wheels, spikes, cables, ships, boilers, naval hardware, iron machinery, and brass items. In 2019, the museum completed a major new building on the site of the Tredegar Iron Works in downtown Richmond. The new building features more than 7,000 square feet of new gallery space for permanent and changing exhibitions of items from

138-720: A Greek Revival mansion at the northeast corner of West Franklin and Cathedral streets (across from the Old Baltimore Cathedral/Basilica of the Assumption of Mary). The mansion was later occupied from 1857 to 1892 by the Maryland Club , a dining and leisure society of Southern-leaning gentlemen. Mills designed the nation's first Washington Monument , located in Baltimore with four surrounding park squares. These were named Washington Place along

184-462: A child and later attended the lower school of the College of Charleston . He then studied with Irish architect James Hoban . Mills followed his mentor Hoban to Washington, D.C. after he received a commission for design and construction of the White House in the new capital. During this time, Mills met Thomas Jefferson , who became the first full-term resident of the new presidential residence as

230-827: A prison to be used mostly for reform of prisoners. In 1811, the prison was constructed in Mt. Holly, New Jersey . "With the possible' exception of Eastern States Penitentiary in Philadelphia, it is considered "the most significant prison building in the United States", according to the Historic Burlington County Prison Museum Association. Also in 1811, Mills was involved in a significant renovation and remodeling of [Old] St. Mary's Church in Burlington, New Jersey, including

276-489: A purpose-built museum building in 1976, the collections and exhibits were moved to the new building. From 1976 to 1988, the museum led a full-scale restoration of the mansion, which ultimately returned the exterior and the first and second floor interiors to their wartime appearance. Critically acclaimed for the extensive attention to detail during restoration, for its full complement of period furnishings, and for its fair quantity of relevant pieces from its original furnishings,

322-944: Is a gray stuccoed neoclassical mansion built in 1818 by John Brockenbrough , who was president of the Bank of Virginia. Designed by Robert Mills , Brockenbrough's second private residence in Richmond was built on K Street (later renamed Clay Street) in Richmond 's affluent Shockoe Hill neighborhood (later known as the Court End District), and was two blocks north of the Virginia State Capitol. Among his neighbors were U.S. Chief Justice John Marshall , Aaron Burr 's defense attorney John Wickham , and future U.S. Senator Benjamin Watkins Leigh . Sold by

368-742: The Appomattox Court House National Historical Park , the American Civil War Museum – Appomattox tells the stories of the closing days of the Civil War, and the beginnings of the United States' journey toward reunion. The museum is situated on eight acres of land and contains 5,000 square feet for exhibits. The location changed its name in 2017 as part of the transition into the American Civil War Museum. Historic Tredegar, home to The American Civil War Museum, traces its roots to 1836, when Francis B. Deane founded Tredegar Iron Works. He named his Richmond plant for

414-888: The Department of Treasury building, east of the Executive Mansion ( White House ), and several other federal buildings in Washington, D. C., including the U.S. Patent Office Building , patterned after the Parthenon . It has been renovated and adapted as two adjoining museums of the Smithsonian Institution : the Smithsonian American Art Museum and the National Portrait Gallery ). He also designed

460-652: The Mexican War , including bone spurs in his heel, and insomnia . As a result, Davis maintained an at-home office on the second floor of the house, where his personal secretary Colonel Burton Harrison also resided. (This was not an unusual practice at the time, and the West Wing of the White House in Washington, D.C. , was similarly added during the Theodore Roosevelt administration .) The house

506-783: The National Park Service ; and William J. Cooper Jr. of LSU have each served as members of the museum's governing board. White House of the Confederacy The Second White House of the Confederacy is a historic house located in the Court End neighborhood of Richmond, Virginia . Built in 1818, it served as the main executive residence of the sole President of the Confederate States of America , Jefferson Davis , from August 1861 until April 1865. It currently sits on

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552-657: The White House . This became the official home of US presidents. Both Hoban and Mills were Freemasons . Mills also studied and worked with Benjamin Henry Latrobe of Philadelphia . He designed numerous buildings in Philadelphia, Baltimore, and South Carolina, where he was appointed as superintendent of public buildings. His Washington Monument in Washington, DC was not completed until 1885, 30 years after his death. Born in Charleston, South Carolina , to Ann (Taylor) and William Mills, Robert received private education as

598-596: The Antebellum South ; Embattled Emblem: The Army of Northern Virginia Battle Flag, 1861 – Present ; A Woman's War: Southern Women, Civil War, and the Confederate Legacy ; R. E. Lee: The Exhibition ; The Confederate Navy ; and Virginia and the Confederacy: A Quadricentennial Perspective . The Museum of the Confederacy was founded by Richmond's society ladies, starting with Isabel Maury, who

644-605: The Brockenbrough family in 1844, the house passed through a succession of wealthy families throughout the antebellum period, including U.S. Congressman and future Confederate Secretary of War James Seddon . Just prior to the American Civil War , Lewis Dabney Crenshaw purchased the house and added a third floor. He sold the home to the City of Richmond. In May 1861, the capital of the Confederate States of America

690-474: The Confederate Museum and White House of the Confederacy on February 22, 1896, the anniversary of Jefferson Davis 's inauguration. The house was named a National Historic Landmark in 1963 and Virginia Historic Landmark in 1966. A new building next door was built in 1976 for the expanding collection (and a 12-year restoration of the building began). In 2006, museum officials announced that neither

736-858: The Department of Virginia. Following the end of Reconstruction, the House became a school—the Richmond Central School. When the city announced its plans to demolish the building to make way for a more modern school building in 1890, the Confederate Memorial Literary Society was formed with the purpose of saving the White House from destruction. Opened in 2012 as the Museum of the Confederacy – Appomattox, in Appomattox, Virginia , adjacent to

782-618: The Museum of the Confederacy) for eight decades. As an interpretation of the house museum's relevance, the name "White House of the Confederacy" began common use. The structure was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1960, was listed as a National Historic Landmark in 1966, and was added to the Virginia Landmark Register in 1969. When the Museum of the Confederacy completed construction of

828-546: The Virginia State Capitol. President of the Confederate States of America Jefferson Davis , his wife Varina , and their children moved into the house in August 1861, and lived there for the remainder of the war. President Davis maintained an at-home office on the second floor of the White House due to his poor health. The house was abandoned during the evacuation of Richmond on April 2, 1865. Within twelve hours, soldiers from Major General Godfrey Weitzel 's XVIII Corps seized

874-704: The addition of a new semi-octagonal apse on the east end of the building. In 1812, Mills designed the Monumental Church in Richmond, Virginia . It was built to commemorate the deaths of 72 people in the Richmond Theatre fire. Moving to Baltimore , Maryland, Mills designed St. John's Episcopal Church , the Maryland House of Industry, the First Baptist Church of Baltimore at South Sharp and West Lombard streets in 1817, and

920-437: The better known Washington Monument in Washington, D.C. He is sometimes said to be the first native-born American to be professionally trained as an architect. Charles Bulfinch of Boston perhaps has a clearer claim to this honor. Mills studied in Charleston, South Carolina , as a student in the lower school at the College of Charleston and of Irish architect James Hoban , and later worked with him on his commission for

966-578: The campus of Virginia Commonwealth University . The Jefferson Davis Executive Mansion was owned by the Confederate Memorial Literary Society from 1894 until 2014, when the Museum of the Confederacy merged with the American Civil War Center. The merged entity is now the American Civil War Museum . It was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1960. The second White House of the Confederacy

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1012-849: The campus of the University of South Carolina, jails, and the Fireproof Building in Charleston. In 1825, he published the Atlas of the State of South Carolina . One year later, he published Statistics of South Carolina . He designed the Old Horry County Courthouse , Union County Jail , and Wilson House , which have been listed on the National Register of Historic Places . In 1836, Mills won

1058-464: The centennial anniversary of the Civil War, the museum's governing board determined that it wanted to see the museum evolve from a shrine to a more modern museum. In 1963, the CMLS hired its first museum professional as executive director, and in 1970, changed the name of the institution to "The Museum of the Confederacy." Visitors peaked at 91,000 per year in the early 1990s but were down to around 51,000 in

1104-427: The city announced its plans to demolish the building to make way for a more modern school building in 1890, the Confederate Memorial Literary Society was formed with the sole purpose of saving the house from destruction. The CMLS raised funds to start a museum and acquired the deed to the property from the city of Richmond. Opened to the public in 1896, the house became the home of the Confederate Museum (later renamed

1150-628: The competition for the design of the Washington Monument on the future Mall of the National Capital, Washington D.C. This is his best known work. Construction began in 1848, but was interrupted in 1854 and postponed by the outbreak of the American Civil War . Construction of the monument resumed in 1879 after the Reconstruction era . It was dedicated in 1885, thirty years after the architect's death. He also designed

1196-561: The county records on the first floor were protected due to his fireproofing measures. But a fire destroyed much of his Lancaster County, South Carolina Courthouse in August 2008. Mills died in Washington, D.C. , in 1855. He was buried there at the Congressional Cemetery . In 2007, Mills was inducted into the South Carolina Business Hall of Fame. The broadest context for Mills' architecture

1242-419: The early 2000s. The White House of the Confederacy is a gray stuccoed neoclassical mansion built in 1818 by John Brockenbrough , who was president of the Bank of Virginia. Designed by Robert Mills , Brockenbrough's private residence was built in early nineteenth century on East Clay Street in Richmond 's affluent Shockoe Hill neighborhood (later known as the Court End District), and was two blocks north of

1288-651: The famed "Maryland Line" regiment of the Continental Army . Construction on Baltimore's signature landmark began in 1815 and was completed in 1829. In 1820, Mills was appointed as acting commissioner of the Board of Public Works in South Carolina . In 1823, he was the superintendent of public buildings. In the next few years, he designed numerous buildings in South Carolina, including court houses,

1334-524: The first floor, feeling it would be improper to visit the more private second floor of another man's home. Admiral David Dixon Porter accompanied Lincoln during the visit. They held a number of meetings with local officials in the house, including Confederate Brigadier General Joseph Reid Anderson , who owned the Tredegar Iron Works . During Reconstruction , the house served as the headquarters for Military District Number One (Virginia), and

1380-421: The former Confederate White House, intact. During his tour of Richmond, President Abraham Lincoln visited Davis's former residence, and it was where Union officers held a number of meetings with local officials in the aftermath. During Reconstruction , the building served as part of the headquarters for Military District Number One (Virginia), and was occasionally used as the residence of the commanding officer of

1426-453: The historic house reopened for public tours in June 1988. The house remains open for public tours as part of the visitor experience at the American Civil War Museum . Robert Mills (architect) Robert Mills (August 12, 1781 – March 3, 1855) was an American architect and cartographer best known for designing both the first Washington Monument in Baltimore , Maryland , as well as

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1472-668: The house, in 1861 and 1864, respectively. Among their neighborhood playmates was George Smith Patton , whose father commanded the 22nd Virginia Infantry , and whose son commanded the U.S. Third Army in World War Two. Joseph Davis died in the spring of 1864, after a 15-foot fall from the railing on the house's east portico. Mrs. Davis' mother and sister were occasional visitors to the Confederate executive mansion. Davis suffered recurring bouts of malaria , facial neuralgia , cataracts (in his left eye), unhealed wounds from

1518-607: The more local context of building in the Mid-Atlantic States . There, and especially in Washington D.C., many figures were contributing architecture of high quality. To build as Mills did on what is now the National Mall , he had to contend with the strictures of the plan by Pierre Charles L'Enfant , as well as Andrew and Joseph Ellicott . He was likely also influenced by the powerful example of Thomas Jefferson and his Jeffersonian architecture . Mills created

1564-507: The museum nor the building would be moved. In 2017, the location became a part of the American Civil War Museum. It maintains a collection of flags, weapons, documents, and personal effects related to the Confederacy, and offers tours of the home restored to its 1861–65 appearance. The museum houses more than 15,000 documents and artifacts along with 500 original, wartime, battle flags from the Confederate States of America . Among

1610-549: The museum's collections was built and opened in 1976 adjacent to the White House, on its remaining 0.75-acre (3,000 m) property. The anchor of the first ironclad warship , CSS Virginia , which fought the USS ; Monitor in the Battle of Hampton Roads on March 9, 1862, was displayed in front of the museum. The White House of the Confederacy was closed in 1976, to be restored to its wartime appearance. The restoration project

1656-604: The museum's renowned collections of Civil War artifacts. An “immersion theater” highlighting Richmond's role in the war is still under construction. Several prominent Civil War historians have had connections to the museum. Douglas Southall Freeman , the biographer of George Washington and Robert E. Lee , started his career at the museum. Jack Davis , Emory M. Thomas , and Harvard University President Drew Gilpin Faust have all done research there. James I. Robertson Jr. , of Virginia Tech ; Edwin C. Bearss , Historian Emeritus of

1702-844: The nation's third president . In 1802, Mills moved to Philadelphia , where he became an associate and student of Benjamin Henry Latrobe . Philadelphia buildings designed by Mills are Washington Hall, Sansom Street Baptist Church, and the Octagon Church for the First Unitarian Church of Philadelphia . He also designed the Upper Ferry Bridge covering. In 1807, Mills designed the First Presbyterian Church in Augusta, Georgia , built between 1809 and 1812. In 1808, Mills created blueprints for

1748-401: The north–south axis of North Charles Street, and Mount Vernon Place along East and West Monument streets. This development took place in the new Mount Vernon-Belvedere neighborhood. This land had formerly been a part of Howard's Woods, the country estate and mansion "Belvedere" of Col. John Eager Howard (1752–1827), north of old Baltimore Town. Howard was a Revolutionary War commander of

1794-698: The old General Post Office . In South Carolina, Mills designed county courthouses in at least 18 counties, some of the public buildings in the capital Columbia , and a few private homes. He also designed portions of the Landsford Canal in Chester County , on the Catawba River in South Carolina. Mills was an early advocate of fireproof construction. When a fire broke out in the Kingstree, South Carolina Building, which he designed,

1840-437: The thousands of other important pieces found there are items owned by Jefferson Davis , Robert E. Lee , Joseph E. Johnston , John Bell Hood , Stonewall Jackson , Simon Bolivar Buckner , J.E.B. Stuart , Joseph Wheeler , Wade Hampton , Lewis Armistead , and Raphael Semmes . The provisional Confederate Constitution and the Great Seal of the Confederacy are also housed there. A newer building to better preserve and exhibit

1886-405: Was neoclassical architecture . This was the dominant style of building that was winning architectural design competitions and major projects of the time, both in Europe and in the United States. Under the umbrella of neoclassicism, his designs were partly Palladian , Georgian , and often Greek Revival . Apart from stylistic movements in architecture going on in the world, Mills was involved in

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1932-411: Was abandoned during the evacuation of Richmond on April 2, 1865 and within twelve hours had been seized intact by soldiers from Major General Godfrey Weitzel 's XVIII Corps. President Abraham Lincoln , who was in nearby City Point (now Hopewell, Virginia ), traveled up the James River to tour the captured city, and visited Davis' former residence for about three hours – although the President only toured

1978-414: Was completed in 1988, and it reopened for public tours in June 1988. The White House featured extensive reproduction wall coverings and draperies, as well as significant numbers of original White House furnishings from the Civil War period. Notable past exhibitions include: The Confederate Years: Battles, Leaders, and Soldiers, 1861–1865 ; Women in Mourning ; Before Freedom Came: African-American Life in

2024-427: Was later joined by Ann Crenshaw Grant and Isobel Stewart Bryan. Isabel Maury was the founder of the Museum of the Confederacy but she also was the first Regent of the Confederate Memorial Literary Society (CMLS). The Isabel Maury Planned Giving Society continues the work of Mrs. Isabel Maury, daughter of Robert Henry Maury, who, with the Relics Committee, was instrumental in securing much of the museum's collection. By

2070-566: Was moved from Montgomery, Alabama to Richmond, and President Jefferson Davis and his family vacated the First White House of the Confederacy in Montgomery and moved to the house in Richmond, which was leased by the Confederate government from the city. The Davis family was quite young during their stay at the house. When they moved in, the family consisted of the president and first lady, six-year-old Margaret, four-year-old Jefferson Davis, Jr., and two-year-old Joseph. The two youngest Davis children, William and Varina Anne ("Winnie") , were born in

2116-445: Was occasionally used as the residence of the commanding officer of the Department of Virginia. Among those who served there were Major Generals Edward O.C. Ord , Alfred Terry , Henry Halleck , and Edward R.S. Canby . When Reconstruction ended in Virginia, (October 1870), the city of Richmond retook possession of the house, and subsequently used it as Richmond Central School, one of the first public schools in postwar Richmond. When

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