Are you interested in this project but don't know what to make a quilt about or where to start? We’re here to help!

We’ve compiled this list of resources to help you get started. Make sure you check out the webinars and office hours that Virginia Quilt Museum will be hosting as well.

Libraries
Local public libraries
Your nearby library will have a section on local history and a librarian who would love to help you! The Library of Virginia has a handy list of the public libraries in the state, which you can find here.

Academic libraries
If you live near a college or university, you can probably use their library as well as your public library. Here in Harrisonburg, if you have a library card for the Massanutten Regional Library (our regional public library) or work for a certain employer, you can get a library card for James Madison University’s libraries. It never hurts to ask!

Museums & historical societies
We might be biased here at the Virginia Quilt Museum, but we think museums and local historical societies are a great place to find inspiration for this project! Think both big and small with museums and historical societies, and think beyond history museums: look at art museums, specialty museums (like VQM) — find inspiration everywhere! There is a lengthy list of museums in Virginia on Wikipedia that can point you in the right direction, or just Google “museums near me” and see what comes up.

The Library of Virginia has a list of historical and genealogical societies in the state.

Virginia Humanities
Virginia Humanities is the state’s humanities council. It is headquartered in Charlottesville at the University of Virginia and serves the entire state. The council aims to share the stories of all Virginians — or, better yet, find ways for people to share their own stories. It wants Virginians to connect with their history and culture, and, in doing that, the council hopes we’ll all get to know one another a little better.

Virginia Humanities includes Encyclopedia Virginia, whose mission is to provide a free, reliable multimedia resource that tells the inclusive story of Virginia for students, teachers and communities who seek to understand how the past informs the present and the future. Encyclopedia Virginia is a great place to start looking for ideas and inspiration for your quilt. Virginia Humanities also has an events calendar with listings of events happening across the Commonwealth.

VA250 Commission
The Virginia American Revolution 250 Commission (VA250) serves to commemorate the 250th anniversary of the American Revolution, the Revolutionary War and the independence of the United States in the Commonwealth of Virginia, one of the former colonies and future states, where much of this history took place. The VA250 Commission has a list of upcoming events related to the anniversary, along with a list of  
sites to visit and an interactive map.

Virginia Untold
Virginia Untold: the African American Narrative provides digital access to records that document some of the lived experiences of enslaved and free Black and multiracial people in the Library of Virginia’s collections. Traditional description, indexing, transcription, and digitization are major parts of this effort. However, and perhaps more importantly, this project seeks to encourage conversation and engagement around the records, providing opportunities for a more diverse narrative of the history of Virginia’s communities.

The Cultural Landscape Foundation
A non-profit established in 1998, The Cultural Landscape Foundation® (TCLF) connects people to places. TCLF educates and engages the public to make our shared landscape heritage more visible, identify its value, and empower its stewards. What’s Out There Database is a searchable, easy-to-navigate database that aims to raise public awareness of the rich diversity and interconnectedness of our shared designed landscape heritage. 

Virginia Department of Historic Resources
The Virginia Department of Historic Resources (DHR) is the State Historic Preservation Office in Virginia. DHR fosters, encourages, and supports the stewardship and use of Virginia’s significant architectural, archaeological, and historic resources as valuable assets for the economic, educational, social, and cultural benefit of citizens and communities. 
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The Virginia Department of Historic Resources maintains a database to find listings from the National Register of Historic Places and Virginia Landmarks Register. This database contains more than 3,000 sites, properties, and districts. Find the database here.  

DHR also hosts the Places Explorer with an interactive map that links to both Historical Highway Markers and Virginia Landmarks Register and National Register of Historic Places listings.