About Thomas Day
One of the antebellum South’s most successful craftsman, Thomas Day, was born in Dinwiddie County, Virginia, in 1801, to free parents of African descent. He apprenticed as an early age to his father, who was a woodworker in Petersburg. In the early 1820s, he moved with his family to Milton, North Carolina, just south of […]
The Hudson-Day House Tour
Photo: The afternoon session Under cloudy skies accompanied by a light but cool breeze, the Historic Petersburg Foundation held both sessions of its Hudson-Day Tour on Saturday, March 14. Each of the 75 people who attended was very glad they did. Many of them were introduced for the first time to 3 fascinating people – […]
Revival Times Three Equals Opportunity
They met when she was looking for a place to rent. She took a real shining to the guy showing her the apartment and decided it was better not to rent from him. She moved into an apartment across the street instead. That guy was Dale Pittman. He was then in the middle of the […]
Restoration of Pocahontas Island Jarratt House Begins
Sitting in the middle of Petersburg’s Pocahontas Island is a 2 story brick building that has been boarded up for years. Not knowing anything about it, you might think that it had simply been abandoned and forgotten by its owner. Nothing could be further from the truth. Called the Jarratt House, efforts to save the […]
Senator Lives up to Petersburg’s “Promise”
“I hear he bought a house in Petersburg!” she said. “Yeah, but have you seen it? I think it might simply be part of a campaign strategy to get Petersburg votes,” he replied. This was a common conversation heard around town in 2019, the year that Joe Morrissey won the Senate seat in the Virginia […]
The Jarrett House Progress Report
Nearly a decade after a large portion of the rear wall of the historic Jarratt House on Pocahontas Island collapsed, the City of Petersburg has engaged quality craftsmen to stabilize the exterior brickwork and begin the restoration of the interior spaces. On Sunday November 15 at 2 PM the Historic Petersburg Foundation will recognize and […]
The Exchange Building
Welcome to Historic Petersburg Foundation’s Exchange Building webpage, first published on March 3, 2021. BackgroundIn 2019, HPF’s was named to oversee grants that were given to preserve and further interpret the Exchange Building, a registered National Historic Landmark in downtown Petersburg. The funding was awarded through a Saving America’s Treasures grant and matching grant from […]
Winter 2021 Newsletter
HPF’s newsletter has been published as often as possible subject to resources available to do so. The latest, Winter 2021, covers activities, events, plans, and changes to the organization since last fall. In this issue are some announcements that we think you will find exciting! In fact, some of this news means that you should […]