Newport News is rich with history since the English settlers arrived in 1607. Captain Christopher Newport’s expedition landed at the future site of Newport News Point in search of fresh water. Tobacco cultivation in the early 1600s led to the settlement and establishment of Warwick County by 1634. The Carys, Harwoods, and Mathews families had strong imperial ties and held important offices for the Crown and the colony. The Revolutionary War and War of 1812 history of Newport News is less familiar than the Civil War. Newport News had a significant role in the Peninsula Campaign of 1862 with over 150,000 Union and Confederate soldiers facing each other along the Warwick-Yorktown Line (Newport News Park). The Union and Confederate forces also deployed balloons, ironclads, and landmines during the Peninsula Campaign. The Post-Civil War era into the twentieth century saw great economic change. Collis P. Huntington’s Chesapeake and Ohio Railway completion from Richmond to Newport News Point led to increased financial opportunities and laid the foundation for the establishment of the City of Newport News in 1896. Huntington founded the Newport News Shipyard, in 1886, which today is the Commonwealth’s largest private employer and the nation’s only shipyard building nuclear powered aircraft carriers. Beyond the Shipyard, Newport News has been a crucial component of the military industrial complex in both World Wars with the establishment of military bases and the Hampton Roads Port of Embarkation. All these local stories had a large impact on Virginia’s History and influenced world events since the Revolutionary War.
Newport News has taken a leadership role in historic preservation on the Virginia Peninsula since the early 1990s. The City has world-class museums and important historic sites for future generations to enjoy.
Revolution Close to Home: "Hidden Voices: Black Perspectives on the American Revolution" Lecture by Marie St. ClaireWe will commemorate Black History Month with a talk by Hampton playwright Marie St. Clair, who describes the creative process behind portraying the li... Read More
Revolution Close to Home: "Whose Revolution?: Southern Black Women, Freedom, and Belonging in the Early Republic" Lecture by Dr. Elizabeth WoodDr. Elizabeth Wood offers a talk on the legacies of the American Revolution for women to commemorate Women's History Month.... Read More
Revolution Close to Home: "Classical Roots of American Culture" Panel in honoring the legacy of Dr. David Pollio - CNU ClassicsIn honor of Dr. David Pollio, CNU faculty members offer a collaborative talk on the ways America's founding generation consciously adapted classical r... Read More
Revolution Close to Home: "Bound by Letters" Revolutionary War Correspondence of Lucy & Henry KnoxIn collaboration TheatreCNU, Dr. Denise Gillman directs museum performances of selected readings of Revolutionary War-era letters and diaries. Theater... Read More
Revolution Close to Home: "Bound by Letters" Revolutionary War Correspondence of Lucy & Henry KnoxIn collaboration TheatreCNU, Dr. Denise Gillman directs museum performances of selected readings of Revolutionary War-era letters and diaries. Theater... Read More
Revolution Close to Home: "The Continental Soldier" Lecture by J. Michael MooreIn honor of Armed Forces Day, join Historic Sites Curator J. Michael Moore (City of Newport News) for an engaging look at the life, service, and sacri... Read More
Finding Peace at PotsdamEric Jacobsen, conductor Virginia Symphony Orchestra Chorus Copland: "The Promise of Living" from The Tender Land Bernstein: Selections from Cand... Read More
Revolution Close to Home: "Bound by Letters" Revolutionary War Correspondence of Lucy & Henry KnoxIn collaboration TheatreCNU, Dr. Denise Gillman directs museum performances of selected readings of Revolutionary War-era letters and diaries. Theater... Read More
Revolution Close to Home: "Bound by Letters" Revolutionary War Correspondence of Lucy & Henry KnoxIn collaboration TheatreCNU, Dr. Denise Gillman directs museum performances of selected readings of Revolutionary War-era letters and diaries. Theater... Read More
Revolution Close to Home: "An Evening of Revolutionary Spirit(s)" talk and tasting by Clanci Jo ConoverThe tavern displays in the William Grace Community Gallery will come alive with a whiskey tasting in cooperation with 8 Shires Distillery, a small cra... Read More
Revolution Close to Home: "Bound by Letters" Revolutionary War Correspondence of Lucy & Henry KnoxIn collaboration TheatreCNU, Dr. Denise Gillman directs museum performances of selected readings of Revolutionary War-era letters and diaries. Theater... Read More
Revolution Close to Home: "Founding Collections: How Presidential Art Helped Envision a New Nation" Lecture by Dr. Michelle Erhardt - CNU Art HistoryDr. Michelle Erhardt examines what the first four presidents, Washington, Adams, Jefferson, and Madison, chose to display in their homes, revealing ho... Read More
Revolution Close to Home: "Bound by Letters" Revolutionary War Correspondence of Lucy & Henry KnoxIn collaboration TheatreCNU, Dr. Denise Gillman directs museum performances of selected readings of Revolutionary War-era letters and diaries. Theater... Read More
Revolution Close to Home: "Bound by Letters" Revolutionary War Correspondence of Lucy & Henry KnoxIn collaboration TheatreCNU, Dr. Denise Gillman directs museum performances of selected readings of Revolutionary War-era letters and diaries. Theater... Read More
Revolution Close to Home: "Bound by Letters" Revolutionary War Correspondence of Lucy & Henry KnoxIn collaboration TheatreCNU, Dr. Denise Gillman directs museum performances of selected readings of Revolutionary War-era letters and diaries. Theater... Read More
Revolution Close to Home: "Hamilton: The Man, the Myth, the Musical!" Lecture and songs by Dr. Frank Garmon - CNU American StudiesWith songs from the award-winning musical Hamilton in mind, Dr. Frank Garmon offers a talk on the life and enduring influence of Alexander Hamilton.... Read More
Revolution Close to Home: "Bound by Letters" Revolutionary War Correspondence of Lucy & Henry KnoxIn collaboration TheatreCNU, Dr. Denise Gillman directs museum performances of selected readings of Revolutionary War-era letters and diaries. Theater... Read More
Revolution Close to Home: "The Marquis de Lafayette: In Conversation" Program by Dr. Michael Mulryan - CNU French - and Mark SchneiderJoin us for a dynamic program celebrating the vital role America's international allies played in securing independence. Dr. Michael Mulryan will expl... Read More