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A Treasured Gem Becomes Home to the Middleburg Museum
A Treasured Gem Becomes Home to the Middleburg Museum
By Laticia Headings
Middleburg has a unique tapestry of people, places, and events that give it a rich history, evoking equal parts pride and fascination.
For almost 300 years, these stories live on through historical record and can be seen in the architecture of buildings and heard through the voices of the people who lived here and in the neighboring villages.
The Middleburg Museum was the vision of long-time resident Eura Lewis, whose idea and dream it was to record, preserve, and share the area’s myriad stories with locals and visitors.
As of August, the museum will return home to the historic Pink Box, located at the corner of North Madison and West Marshall streets, and welcomes all visitors with a smile and a story. It will showcase two rooms of artifacts and documents dating back to the 1700s, and partner with other museums to share rotating exhibits, as well as spotlight the oral histories of residents through today’s modern technology.
The tiny, 400-square foot building is as interesting as the history it will house. Built between 1800-1820, it was constructed of hand-cast brick and laid in the “common bond” pattern over 200 years ago.
Legend has it the Pink Box name came from a brightly colored paint job it received at the beginning of the 20th century, something Jennifer Long of Long Design focused on when she volunteered her time to create the museum’s new logo.
“It was designed to reflect this architectural civic gem,” said Long, a museum board member.
The building has been home to a variety of businesses—a gunsmith, retail shop, a shoemaker, a leather maker, a horse transportation company as well as the law offices of Burr and Humphrey Powell, descendants of Middleburg founder Levin Powell.
The Pink Box also was home to the Middleburg Chronicle Magazine, which later became The Chronicle of the Horse, and served as the Information Center for the town for many years. The current board plans to use the garden for mission-based events.
Museum President Dorsey deButts said, “We’re similar to ‘The Little Engine That Could.’ We have this unique opportunity in time to capture the past, create relationships and connections in the present, and leave a legacy for the future. We are all history in the making.”
As part of ongoing fundraising efforts, the museum is offering engraved bricks for purchase to “have your legacy be a part of the story of our community for future generations.” The bricks will be placed on the grounds of the museum near the town’s “Christmas Tree” and come in two different sizes: 8 x 8 inch bricks are $350, 4 x 8 bricks are $250. A bricklaying ceremony will be held in August for museum donors and supporters.
There are big future plans for this tiny museum. The board and its supporters are dedicated to putting the historical museum on the map and making it one of the nation’s most interesting small-town destinations.
Details: www.themiddleburgmuseum.org
