In 1865, upon the death of General James Dearing the Avoca Plantation was set to be passed to Dearing’s sister, Mary Anna Dearing. Dearing was married to Thomas Fauntleroy in 1868. The childless Charles Henry Lynch…

Juliet Fauntleroy was nothing short of an accomplished woman. A graduate from Randolph Macon Woman’s College in 1892, Juliet was a devoted teacher at Altavista High School. She was known to tutor her students in the Parlor Tower…

Today, we are discussing the life and times of another remarkable Fauntleroy sister, Gladys. Gladys lived a very accomplished and adventurous life. She was the youngest daughter of Thomas and Mary Anna…

Today’s post features another letter from Avoca’s archives. This one is addressed to Gladys Fauntleroy, and it was written by one of her Japanese pupils from her time in Japan…

Avoca is excited to announce a new exhibit of historical clothing in the museum! This display will be featured in the Pink Room, and it is expected to be fully completed by August 17th. A wide range of historical garments…

Avoca is home to hundreds of letters and documents, all stored in the museum’s archives files. A generous chunk of these letters come in the form of postcards. Today, several of these postcards will be featured…

James Dearing Fauntleroy was born in 1869 as the first child of Thomas and Mary Anna. It is clear that James held an interesting life. Avoca is home to many documents pertaining to James, including his personal…

It is not surprising that in a historic home such as Avoca there are always mysteries to be found and secrets to be uncovered. During the renovation of Avoca in the 1980s and 90s, perhaps the biggest unanswered question was found…

Avoca is happy to announce the opening of a new exhibit! Showcased in the Pink Room is a collection of historical clothing. The garments vary from 1850-1950. There are individual clothing pieces and hats, as well as a full outfit of mourning clothes…

Did you know that there was another Avoca? Before the house we know and love today was ever built, there was another Avoca which was built on the land where the current house sits. This was the first house built by the Fauntleroy…

Did you know that there was another Avoca? Before the house we know and love today was ever built, there was another Avoca which was built on the land where the current house sits. This was the first house built by the Fauntleroy…

Did you know that there is another museum in the United States that used to be a Fauntleroy family home? New Harmony, Indiana is a quaint historical town that was founded in 1814. New Harmony is unique because its founders settled there…

Gladys’ Fauntleroy was the last person to inhabit Avoca House, and when she moved out in the 1970s the house sat empty. In 1981 the grandson of Gladys, Dr. Lindley M. Winston, donated the property to the town of Altavista…

For this week’s post, we have decided to focus on another artifact from Avoca’s collections. Pictured below are three (slightly creepy) antique dolls. These dolls date from around the 1860s, but children have been playing with dolls for much longer…

The ability to capture the likeness of the world around us through the quick snap of an iPhone camera is an ability most take for granted. We live in a time where memories are most often preserved in photographs and an image of a loved one…

In the late 19th to early 20th century, the world was changing at a rapid rate. Particularly, the United States was on a journey to cement itself as an economic superpower on the world’s playing field. The subsequent Spanish-American War…