Isle of Wight County Museum

Isle of Wight County Museum Smithfield, Va.'s, Isle of Wight Museum shares its history through its pre-colonial, colonial, Civil War, ham industry and country store exhibits.

Founded in 1976, the Isle of Wight County Museum tells the story of the county through its interactive exhibits including a turn-of-the-century country store as well as displays interpreting colonial history, the Smithfield ham industry, the Blackwater River, the Civil War and the Cold War.

We are hosting Windsor Castle Walking Tour at 2 p.m. on Sunday. Make plans to join us!
06/05/2026

We are hosting Windsor Castle Walking Tour at 2 p.m. on Sunday. Make plans to join us!

06/04/2026

LIVE at 12:05: Guano a Guano

Volunteers Chris Claud and Julie Hess have been sorting through receipts, ledgers and orders from our P.D. Gwaltney & Co. records which span the 1870s to 1940s.

Join them for a discussion of guano, the nutrient-rich excrement of seabirds and bats.

Used in farming for thousands of years, guano is a natural and organic fertilizer rich in nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium--all crucial for various plant functions. Guano also contains trace minerals such as calcium, magnesium and iron which contribute to balanced soil nutrition.

While more chemically synthesized and synthetic fertilizer usage is seen today, our records show guano's early 20th century purchase and distribution in Isle of Wight County, Virginia, and beyond.



Recorded and produced June 4, 2026.

Boys and their toys...The Smithfield Times gifted us their old Dukane microfilm reader which is exactly what volunteer C...
06/04/2026

Boys and their toys...The Smithfield Times gifted us their old Dukane microfilm reader which is exactly what volunteer Chris Claud has been asking us for so that can scroll through some old microfilm in our collection.

Whazzit Wednesday?Submit your guess about this object in the museum's collection.(This is an 18th century brass mouth ha...
06/03/2026

Whazzit Wednesday?
Submit your guess about this object in the museum's collection.

(This is an 18th century brass mouth harp from the Copeland site.)

Playing in the snow on Wharf Hill, circa 1930.
06/03/2026

Playing in the snow on Wharf Hill, circa 1930.

This World War II-era civil defense surplus International pumper was the first fire engine acquired by Carrollton Volunt...
06/02/2026

This World War II-era civil defense surplus International pumper was the first fire engine acquired by Carrollton Volunteer Fire Department in 1966.

The Schroeder Family was out and about yesterday in Visit Smithfield VA for a Sunday stroll, ice cream and a visit to th...
06/01/2026

The Schroeder Family was out and about yesterday in Visit Smithfield VA for a Sunday stroll, ice cream and a visit to the museum!

Chubby in snow, February 1937.
05/29/2026

Chubby in snow, February 1937.

05/28/2026

LIVE at 12:05: Dumpster Diving for History

We love trash.

Archaeology and trash are intertwined as trash can function as a tool for understanding past societies, history and culture. Archaeologists often study discarded items to learn about daily lives, social structures and cultural practices.

Curator Rachel Popp highlights some of the artifacts in our collection which either were trash or could have been trash.



Recorded and produced May 28, 2026.

Embossed seal from Little Zion Lodge No. 3253 on a letter dated 1893. The lodge, a part of the Grand United Order of Odd...
05/28/2026

Embossed seal from Little Zion Lodge No. 3253 on a letter dated 1893.

The lodge, a part of the Grand United Order of Odd Fellows in Isle of Wight County, was instituted on July 17, 1890. The GUOOF was a prominent fraternal order particularly within Black communities during the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

Address

103 Main Street
Smithfield, VA
23430

Opening Hours

Monday 10am - 4pm
Tuesday 10am - 4pm
Wednesday 10am - 4pm
Thursday 10am - 4pm
Friday 10am - 4pm
Saturday 10am - 4pm
Sunday 12pm - 4pm

Telephone

+17573561223

Website

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