Historic Smithfield joins Virginia History Affiliates
As part of the celebration of America’s 250th, the Virginia History Affiliates program aims to strengthen history engagement in Virginia through connections and shared resources.
Historic Smithfield announces they have joined the newly launched Virginia History Affiliates program. Organized and funded by the Virginia Museum of History & Culture (VMHC), the professional museum collective is designed to connect historical sites, history museums and related organizations of all sizes from across the Commonwealth.
The initial group of 24 affiliates will collaborate in four key areas: education and engagement; professional connection; collections and preservation; and sustainability. Historic Smithfield and hundreds of other history organizations are doing essential work in their communities throughout Virginia.
“Until the creation of Virginia History Affiliates there has been little organized, collaborative effort to bring us together statewide,” said Jamie Bosket, president and CEO of the VMHC. “As we approach America’s 250th, we see an opportunity to create a lasting legacy by expanding our role as Virginia’s state history museum, and by investing—in a major and lasting way—in the outstanding local and regional history organizations like Historic Smithfield serving our Commonwealth.”
By building purposeful connections among institutions statewide, the Virginia History Affiliates program will expand access to robust educational tools and programming, create stronger professional connections among institutions, support broad collections stewardship and preservation work, and provide for timely sustainability efforts. As the program grows, the cohort will be able to reciprocate and share opportunities with each other and the VMHC.
“Participation in the Virginia History Affiliates program will strengthen Historic Smithfield’s ability to tell the stories of Southwest Virginia’s role in the American Revolution and beyond,” said Michael Hudson, executive director of Historic Smithfield. “By connecting with peer institutions across the Commonwealth, we gain access to resources, expertise, and collaborative opportunities that will enhance our work preserving and interpreting the complex history of the New River Valley for future generations.”
Representing a long-term multi-million dollar commitment from the VMHC to strengthen history work happening throughout Virginia, the program is offered at no cost to participating organizations, and aims to add more than 100 affiliates within just a few years. Specific benefits under development include use of VMHC exhibitions and educational resources, professional convenings and gatherings, and support for collections consultation and sharing. Participating organizations will also have preferred pathways to hundreds of thousands of dollars in grants and project support, along with shared promotional opportunities.
Liz Williams, deputy director of the Office of Historic Alexandria, added, “There is power in sharing history together across the Commonwealth. There is no limit to the impact of elevating our collective stories to help us all understand the history of Virginia—ultimately informing where we are headed in the future.”
The inaugural cohort of Virginia History Affiliates participants includes:
Tidewater
Eastern Shore of Virginia Historical Society
Gloucester County Museum of History
Hampton History Museum
Pamunkey Indian Museum & Cultural Center
Central Virginia
Fredericksburg Area Museum
Lynchburg Museum System
Preservation Virginia
Robert Russa Moton Museum
The Valentine
The Virginia Museum of History & Culture
Shenandoah Valley
Clarke County Historical Society
Harrisonburg-Rockingham Historical Society
Museum of the Shenandoah Valley
Rockbridge Historical Society
Southwest Virginia
Blue Ridge Institute & Museum
Christiansburg Institute
Harrison Museum of African American Culture
Historic Smithfield
Historical Society of Western Virginia
Montgomery Museum of Art & History
Northern Virginia
Arlington Historical Society
Fairfax Museum & Visitor Center
Manassas Museum
Office of Historic Alexandria
“Participation in this program helps us stand a little taller in our state and national museum community,” said Rockbridge Historical Society Executive Director Eric Wilson. “The readier access for object loans, grant funding and programmatic collaborations will clearly signal our particular capacities, and broader purpose, in leading the current and next generations of Virginians to new appreciations of — and advocacy for — our Commonwealth’s significance.”
The Virginia History Affiliates program is made possible through private support from numerous donors to the VMHC, including Dominion Energy and the Anne and Gene Worrell Foundation. Most recently, the VMHC received a major investment from the Anne Mullen Orrell Charitable Trust, Bank of America, N.A., Trustee to form a permanent endowment supporting the program’s continued growth and success.
“We are thrilled to provide leadership support for this timely and far-reaching program,” said George Thorn, SVP, philanthropic client manager at Bank of America. “Investing in our local and regional history organizations has never been more important—they are the keepers of our story and key contributors in building strong communities.”
The VMHC, along with leaders from its inaugural affiliates, celebrated the program’s public launch on March 16, 2026, in Williamsburg.
“A legacy of America’s 200th anniversary in 1976 was the creation of nearly one-third of our country’s history organizations. Fifty years later, we aim to establish a new legacy, not by adding new institutions, but by connecting our existing and invaluable museums across the state for greater sustainability and vibrancy,” said Bosket.
