Wilton House Museum

Over 20 years after an archaeological excavation uncovered a record of nearly a century of Black families who were enslaved on the Wilton House tobacco plantation in Henrico County, the home’s museum is finally telling the story.

Nearly 100 years since the home’s relocation, the story of its existence is coming to light in a new exhibit this February filled with artifacts and art renderings: “Wilton Uncovered: Archaeology Illuminates an Enslaved Community.”

Originally built in 1753 for the prominent Randolph family, the 2,000-acre tobacco population was at one point home to the largest enslaved population in Henrico, located in the Varina District on the north bank of the James River.

Hired in 2017 to rewrite the narrative for the Wilton House tours, Katie Watkins, the museum’s education director, stumbled upon an archaeological report and collection that had gone straight into storage once completed. Watkins immediately asked to see the artifacts.

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