The Newsome House Museum & Cultural Center

While visiting the area we had to visit this museum as it has my name. I found we are not related, but what a rich history. The tour guide was very informative. Small donation will allow you entry.

The Newsome House Museum & Cultural Center is the restored 1899 residence of the African-American attorney J. Thomas Newsome (1869-1942) and his wife Mary Winfield Newsome. They moved into the house on 2803 Oak Avenue in 1906 after the birth of their only child and daughter Maurice Ethelred. The Newsome's began making changes to the house, making the salt box structure into an elegant Queen Anne residence which served as a hub for the local black community. The Newsome House now remains one of the timeless historic fixtures in the city, and it has become a venue for meetings, exhibitions, special events and other social functions. The Newsome House is listed on the Virginia Landmarks Register and the National Register of Historic Places. It was the first structure owned by an African-American to be a recipient of a National Historic Preservation Award.

I attend the most wonderful cultural and educational gatherings here. The home is beautiful and historic! I encourage you to go!

Must see! Well preserved historical home in Newport News. Interesting history and special exhibits housed in this home owned by a black lawyer in the late 1800's/early 1900's.

Awesome cultural center. You can literally FEEL the history as you're there.