By Dr. Lauranett Lee
University of Richmond

Welcome guest bloggers, Brian Palmer and Erin Hollaway Palmer. The Palmers moved to Virginia in 2013 from Brooklyn to produce "Make the Ground Talk," a documentary that traces their journey to reveal the story of a vanished black community near Williamsburg. It was this project that led them to East End Cemetery, an African American burial ground that has suffered from decades of neglect. 

The White House of the Confederacy turns 200 this year, so what better time to take a look back at the design and architecture of the house? In two posts below, Museum historian John Coski shares research findings by Museum employees and graduate students from the 1990s, and architectural historian Edwin Slipek suggests a brand new theory. 

Who Designed the “White House of the Confederacy”?

By John Coski
American Civil War Museum Historian

Famous houses have famous architects.  Or if they don’t, they should.

By Michael C. Hardy
Historian 

Michael C. Hardy is the 2010 North Carolina Historian of the Year. He specializes in writing about North Carolina and Civil War history. You can learn more about him by checking out his web page at: michaelchardy.com

He probably started off as a Confederate soldier, deserted, joined the Union army, and even had a fort named for him. But when it comes to the life of William W. Rollins, plenty of questions remain.

The plight of refugees has been in the news a lot since the November presidential election. The phenomenon is not new, however. People have been displaced through disaster and war for millennia. The American Civil War was no exception.

Our guest blogger, historian David Silkenat, provided a glimpse into the story of one such refugee.