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Building a Town: The Early Years of Bassett This presentation will explore the origins and development of Bassett, Virginia, from its rural agricultural beginnings through the establishment of the Bassett Furniture Company and the growth of the town that emerged around it. Through historic photographs, maps, and local stories, we will examine the people, industries, and events that transformed a small Appalachian farming community into one of Virginia's most significant furniture manufacturing centers. Join local historian Andy Doss for an exploration of Bassett's earliest years and the transformation of a rural farming community into a thriving furniture town. Through historic photographs and local history, discover the people and events that shaped the Bassett we know today. This program will be held on Tuesday, October 13, at 10:30am in the Susan L. Adkins Memorial Meeting Room of the Bassett Historical Center. This program is free and open to the public.Law and Order for Hire in Virginia Violence and lawlessness plagued late nineteenth-and early twentieth-century Virginia, and with no bureau of investigation or state police force, the Old Dominion relied on the Baldwin-Felts Detective Agency to solve a multitude of crimes. Formed by William G. Baldwin and Thomas L. Felts, the agency, headquartered in Roanoke, was charged with investigating some of the state’s most sensational murder cases. Among these were the brutal killing of Fannie McCue, wife of the former mayor of Charlottesville; the slaughter of a mountain family in Buchanan County; the shot gunning of Louise Beattie, the young wife of a wealthy Richmond playboy; and the unprecedented shootout in the Carroll County courthouse that left five dead. Author and historian Phillip Andrew Gibbs recounts how the Agency’s detectives who worked these cases succeeded in bringing some of the state’s most heinous criminals to justice. Join us at the Bassett Historical Center on November 3, 2026 at 10:30am for this book talk. This program is free and open to the public and will be held in the Susan L. Adkins Memorial Meeting Room at the Bassett Historical Center. Books will be available for purchase from the author.The Henry Guard: Company H and the 24th Virginia Infantry in the Civil War Raised from the farms, villages, and crossroads of Henry County, Virginia, Company H, known as the Henry Guard, answered the call to arms in 1861 and became part of the 24th Virginia Infantry. Throughout four years of war, these local soldiers marched across some of the Civil War's most famous battlefields, including First Manassas, Williamsburg, Seven Pines, Gaines' Mill, Second Manassas, Fredericksburg, Chancellorsville, Gettysburg, the Wilderness, Spotsylvania, Cold Harbor, Petersburg, and Appomattox. This presentation follows the wartime experiences of the Henry Guard from its formation through the Confederacy's final surrender. Drawing on soldiers' records, personal accounts, and local history, it examines who these men were, why they enlisted, the hardships they endured, and the impact their service had on the families and communities they left behind. More than a regimental history, this program tells the story of Henry County's connection to the Civil War through the lives of the men who carried its name into battle and those who awaited their return at home. Attendees will gain a deeper understanding of how a single company of local volunteers experienced the war and how their service became part of the legacy of Henry County and the 24th Virginia Infantry. Please join us at the Bassett Historical Center on November 17, 2026 at 10:30am. This program which is free and open to the public will be held in the Susan L. Adkins Memorial Meeting Room of the BHC. |
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Bassett Historical Center . 3964 Fairystone Park Highway . Bassett, VA 24055
Voice: (276)629-9191 . Fax: (276)629-9840 . Facebook . Sitemap . ©Copyright/Credits . bhcenter3964@gmail.com
A 501(c)3 Nonprofit Organization
