News & Events
Afro-American Historical and Genealogical Society (AAHGS) Richmond Chapter Presentation
April 19, 2025
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Coming soon.
Friends' Presentation at 15th Annual Lemon Project Conference
March 21-22, 2025
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​Board members of The Friends of Virginia’s Central State Hospital participated in the 15th annual conference of the Lemon Project. The conference took place at the School of Education at the College of William and Mary on March 21st and 22nd.
Exhibit at Petersburg Public Library
October 15, 2024
Friends of CSH and Petersburg Public Library presented an historical exhibition of the evolutionary progress and transformation of CSH from its origins outside of Richmond to Petersburg.
This exhibit, which ran from September 10 to October 15, 2024 featured important historical photos, documents, and artifacts that narrated the first hundred and fifty years of CSH as the nation’s first state mental hospital for African Americans. Visitors were able to see architectural drawings of the new CSH currently under construction.
Announcement of Exhibit at Petersburg Public Library
August 1, 2024
Friends of Virginia's Central State Hospital, in collaboration with the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services (DBHDS) and the Petersburg Public Library, is proud to announce a groundbreaking exhibition showcasing the rich history of Central State Hospital.
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The exhibition will open with a ceremony at 3 pm on September 17 and run through October 15, 2024, at the Petersburg Public Library. ​
A Gold Mine - Data Hiding in Virginia's Central State Hospital Archives
Afro-American Historical and Genealogical Society Panel Discussion moderated by Board member Adrienne Fikes, M. Ed. PCC, with panelists:
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Cara F. Griggs, MA, MIS, Reference Archivist with the Library of Virginia
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King E. Davis, PhD, Founder of the Central State Hospital Digital Library & Archives Project and Board President of Friends of Virginia's Central State Hospital
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Brandi P. Justice, Psy.D., Facility Director/CEO of Central State Hospital
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Friends of CSH Board members visit Petersburg's McKinney Library
November 8, 2023
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Board members of Friends of Central State Hospital toured the old McKenney Library in Petersburg at the invitation of Wayne Crocker, Executive Director of the Petersburg Public Library. Crocker is engaging local organizations to learn more about his plans for restoring the now closed 19th century library and converting it into a modern African American history museum.
The McKenney Library was racially segregated until 1970 and was gifted to the city of Petersburg by McKenney family heirs. Once restored, McKenney would be the first museum in the city to tell the expansive story of African American contributions to the city including preserving and displaying historical records and artifacts, profiling individuals and organizations, and highlighting seminal events.
Like the McKenney restoration project, Friends’ mission includes preserving and sharing of Central State Hospital’s documents and artifacts from 1868 to 1968 as a part of celebrating the rich history of the City of Petersburg and educating the public about the importance of the institution that served the African American population until its integration in 1968.
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Virginia eyes sale of hundreds of acres of hospital lands
June 21, 2023
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The state Department of General Services has declared 293 acres of the 543-acre Central State Hospital campus in Dinwiddie County as surplus and available for sale.
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Read on Richmond.com (paywall)
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Central State Hospital Exhibit at APA Foundation
September 13, 2022
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The American Psychiatric Association (APA) sponsored a series of events in 2022 highlighting the history and significance of Central Lunatic Asylum for Colored Insane, now named Central State Hospital (CSH). An exhibition at the APA Foundation’s National Headquarters in Washington, D.C. included numerous photographs, primary documents, news articles and other items from the hospital’s extensive archives.
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