"Museum of the Confederacy Moving" Topic

For those of you who haven't heard, the Museum of the Confederacy in Richmond, VA is moving. It's been many years since I visited the facility, but I understand a huge medical complex now surrounds it and visitors have dropped off considerably.

Among other things, I understand the MOC has the largest collection of Confederate battle flags along with an ongoing program to conserve them. I hope this good work won't be affected.

Don't know whether the museum will be relocated to an existing facility, a new facility built, or the collection scattered among other facilities. Whatever happens I also understand there's a movement afoot to change the name; drop "Confederacy" which apparently some people find offensive.

[sigh]. Perhaps they'll name it the Museum of We'rereallyreallysorryaboutwhathappened150yearsagopleasepleasepleasedon'tbeoffended.

Tried to visit the Civil War Museum in New Orleans last weekend but it was closed for repairs.

Mosby,

Current plans are to break up most of the museum collection and move it to museums at several of the National Parks here in VA.

My gut tells me that we won't be seeing much of that stuff after it moves since anything Confederate is soooooo not politically correct anymore. :o(

I'm sorry to hear that the collection will be broken up. Even though I am a staunch supporter of the stars and stripes, it was a great museum and a joy for any historically minded person. I wonder what will happen to the drive shaft for the CSS Virginia, which rests nearby.

That's just sad. The loss of any specialized facility is a loss to everyone.

I am kind of amazed that they could not raise enough money for a new facility, but then "don't you know there's a war on!" I am sure there was a good reason. And the killer is some very rich guy could have waved his hand and make an amazing place appear – but gave to some silly cause of the month.

On a similar vein, I was talking to a militaria dealer who was telling me that ACW artifacts are actually dropping in price. Anything common is now getting hard to sell as so many older collectors are passing, and there are less younger ones as crazy prices drove them away to other hobbies.

Maybe it won't have to be broken up. I understand some museums in Virginia are willing to take the entire collection; the museum in Lexington, VA for example. I for one would like to see it relocated to Fredericksburg, VA; can't think of a more appropriate location for a Museum of the Confederacy than the site of one its most famous victories. Plus Fredericksburg is centrally-located in an area rich in near-by famous ACW battle sites; Wilderness, Spotsylvania Courthouse and Chancellorsville.

What becomes of the CSA White House? They can't move it.

I'd like to see the Confed Museum collection housed at Tredegar. That's a great historical site itself, and there's plenty of room to build a new M of the C.

This is supposedly "what is going to happen"…

1: The MOC (staff and administrative offices) will remain in Richmond.

2:The entire collection will be split between THREE locations, (and will rotate between them on a constant basis). The three proposed are : 1: Appomatox, 2: Chancellorsville 3: Fort Monroe VA.

3: The Staff of the MOC has stated that they have "been guaranteed" that there will be a new "museum facility of several thousand feet" built at EACH LOCATION to hold MOC displays, which will then be administered by the NPS.

More info on it can be found here: link

Over the past few years, the MOC staff has pretty much done everything it can to literally ruin the museum. They've hired a study group to learn how to make the museum more poplular. The study groups suggestion was to "drop the word Confedracy" from it's name.
The museum has never been adequately represented or advertised in Virginia in decades, and anyone that tries to get to it will have to fight massive traffic problems around the monstrosity that is the VCU medical center.
The land that the museum is currently on has been coveted by VCU for years and once the museum is relloacted to the winds will be sold to VCU who will in turn "develop it" into a parking lot.

The current plans are for the White House of the Confederacy to stay in it's present location.

This is a very sensitive topic to a lot of people, and a lot of folks with interest in the Civil War and Southern History have worked hard and far to keep the museum together, and working, only to have our efforts literally snubbed by Mr. Waits, and the rest of the "Executive Committee".

Once again, history goes "away"…because of the dollar signs.

See it now before it's too late.

Bummer! I still remember Jeb's hat and pistol and Lee's camp gear. What a shame.

Murphy,

Thanks for the info and the link. I feel a bit better about the process. I hope it all works out as planned.

Murphy,

From your reference to "our efforts" I take it you were part of a group that was personally involved in this situation. I am very sorry you and your group didn't meet with more success. But your disappointment does help explain the strange response I got a while back when I contacted the MOC about their Confederate battle flag collection. I was looking for a photo or illustration of the 30th VA Infantry regiment's battle flag. My own research found a reference in a pre-WWI era Confederate veteran publication stating that this battle flag had been given to the MOC for safe-keeping. But when I contacted the MOC to confirm this I was told that they couldn't respond to this question because they did not have an inventory of their flag collection.

What??!!

How is it that an institution entrusted with preserving the heart of any state's military heritage –its battle flags – doesn't even have an inventory? Most military museums I know of have published books of their collections with descriptions and photographs and issue periodic updates. Kinda the point of a museum isn't it?; letting people know what you have. An MOC staff member did say they had started working on such a publication. Started working? What have they been doing for the past decades?

Sounds like this place needs to be shook up. Maybe, after all, this change may turn out to be a good thing.

Just so it doesn't move to further North. That would be just plain mean.

Brian

When I took the family to Richmond back in Jan 2005 we got out of the station (arrived from DC) and walked to the MOC and the COnfederate White House. Didn't take long. We were the only people there for the two hours I poked around the place. After that we walked to the Tredagar Iron Works, looked around there, the kids got a first hand lesson in loading a 12pdr Napoleon and then we walked back along the river and up tot he station again. Great day.

Brian
(New Zealand)

We ate at a place called the 3rd St Diner. Best meal I had in the States.

Mosby65…They have an inventory and a nice listing of their flags in their collection. Having them is one thing…trying to see them is somehting else. They don't like "John Q Public" to have access to them.

You probably got one of their "historical research associate" chumps, who was too busy doing whatever they were doing,rather than doing what they want.

If you are still interested in getting info on the 30th VA battle flag, email me at m_murphy_1963ATYAHOO DOT COM and I'll see what I can do to help you.

Thanks, Murphy. I'll contact you off thread.

I loved that museum. I've been twice and was amazed at all the personal kit on display. I'm sorry to hear that its moving and could be broken up.

Terry
Up in Canada
Used to reenact the 26th Alabama