I made it back to the Franklin County Historical Society today; while I think I’ve done all the research I need there for my project, I really wanted to see the museum on the second floor.

The FCoHS is housed in a 1925 home, beautifully preserved. They do not allow photographs inside without arranging it ahead of time, so I cannot show you the wonders that I saw today, but if you check out their website, you can see some for yourself.

One does not simply roll around the museum on the second floor of the FCoHS. I was escorted by Ruth, who explained to me that she was also a newcomer to Franklin County, having lived here a mere 25 years ( in contrast, her husband’s family has been here for generations). The Society’s museum packs into its spaces an immense collection of artifacts, clothing, military (including Confederate) uniforms and memorabilia, and documents. Ancient church organs, land grant documents from the 1700s, and reminders of the tobacco industry that had enriched Virginia compete for attention, and it’s worth a look around and behind everything, because every object may well hide another.

Ruth explained that the “tobacco room” and the moonshine exhibits were being moved to the annex in the back of the building, which is not open to the public yet. I was able to capture it from the outside, though; it’s the sight that greets you as barrel up the driveway to the parking lot behind the FCoHS office.

The museum absolutely does its job, reflecting a devotion to the people who have lived in Franklin County since before the Europeans settled it. This visit reinforced for me that I still have a lot to learn about the place.