Correspondent James Lee and his wife created an Edgar Allan Poe weekend road trip to commemorate the author's death in October 1849. Poe acclaimed author of "The Raven," "The Tell-Tale Heart" and many more had several connections to Hampton Roads.
After a two-year overhaul, the Virginia Museum of History & Culture has reopened. Formerly known as the Virginia Historical Society, one of the oldest museums in the country, it had focused on collecting, preserving and researching Virginia’s history.
The Decatur House, on Lafayette Square in Washington, was built by Stephen Decatur and his Norfolk-born wife, Susan Wheeler Decatur. Just over a year later, Decatur met his end in a duel, at the hands of James Barron, a native of Hampton. Take a look inside.
The Exchange Hotel opened in Gordonsville in 1860, built by Robert Omohundro at the site of his recently burned tavern. Omohundro took advantage of the nearby Central Virginia Railroad, offering food and lodging to wealthy travelers. The hotel later became a Civil War hospital and then a school for the formerly enslaved.