HJR 747 - Joint Subcommittee to Examine the Cost and Feasibility of Relocating the Museum and White House of the Confederacy

November 21, 2005

The Joint Subcommittee to Examine the Cost and Feasibility of Relocating the Museum and White House of the Confederacy held its final meeting on November 21. The meeting consisted of two formal presentations that were followed by an hour-long public hearing. Citizens were allowed three minutes each to express their views to members of the subcommittee and nineteen people took the opportunity to do so.

PRESENTATIONS

Valentine Richmond History Center
William Martin, Executive Director of the Valentine Richmond History Center, explained that the challenges facing the Museum and White House of the Confederacy are not unique to that institution. Rather, all the museums in the Court End area are dealing with the issues that have plagued the White House and Museum of the Confederacy; namely, a growing and changing neighborhood, a decrease in funding, and a decline in visitation. In the past five years, Richmond area museums have experienced a 32% decline in visitation. Given that all museums in the Court End area are facing the problems discussed during the study, Mr. Martin suggested that the subcommittee should recommend an appropriation to support all the museums in the Capitol area.

APVA Association Virginia
Elizabeth S. Kostelny, Executive Director of Association for the Preservation of Virginia Antiquities (APVA Association Virginia), stressed that the Richmond historic community needs to work together to find innovative solutions to their familiar challenges. In particular, Ms. Kostelny suggested that Court End museums could issue block tickets that would be good for admission to any area museum and that re-opening Clay Street would provide easier access to the area's historic sites. Ms. Kostelny further suggested that a study of historic landmarks and museums in the Capitol area should be initiated to address issues facing historic resources in the entire area.

PUBLIC HEARING

After the presentations, the meeting progressed to a public hearing in which nineteen citizens expressed their thoughts on a potential move of the White House and Museum of the Confederacy. The overwhelming majority of speakers opposed the relocation because of the negative effects it would have on the historical significance of the White House structure. Several people stressed that historical treasures should be preserved and that further study is needed to determine whether a move is absolutely necessary to keep the White House and the Museum's collections and educational services available to the public. On the other hand, some speakers thought that relocation, while regrettable, is the only viable long-term option for preserving the Museum and White House of the Confederacy.

RECOMMENDATIONS

The subcommittee considered the testimony presented in the course of the study and deliberated on its final recommendations. All members of the subcommittee agreed that preservation of the Commonwealth's historic resources is essential to maintaining cultural identity and that as a state rich in history, Virginia should aggressively promote its historic treasures. The subcommittee agreed that administrators of museums and historic sites should work together to preserve and promote the unique history and educational experiences that they offer.

Although the subcommittee recognized that the Museum and White House of the Confederacy faces a number of difficulties at its current location, the members did not reach a consensus as to whether the Museum and White House should be relocated and made no recommendation on that issue to the Board of Trustees of the Museum and White House of the Confederacy. The joint subcommittee did, however, recommend that the Chairman communicate to the Chairman of House Appropriations and the Chairman of the Senate Finance Committee a request that identifies sufficient funds for the Museum. In addition, the joint subcommittee recommended that the Commonwealth of Virginia, through the Department of Tourism and in consultation and cooperation with the City of Richmond and the Historic Richmond Foundation, create strategies to market and promote the Museum and White House of the Confederacy and other historic assets in Richmond.

Chairman:
The Hon. R. Lee Ware

For information, contact:
Robie Ingram and Bryan Stogdale
DLS Staff

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