Glencoe Mansion: Museum & Gallery — Attraction in Radford City

Glencoe Museum is located in a Victorian house in west downtown Radford, Virginia. The house was built in 1870 in the 19th century Victorian style, specifically Second Empire, and was the postbellum home of Confederate Brigadier General Gabriel C. Wharton. It is a large, two-story, five bay, brick dwelling, and originally had quite extensive grounds. The original house had a barn, chicken coop, smoke house, and an ice house.

The name Glencoe is thought to be inspired by Anne Wharton's ancestry. Her family was originally from Scotland. The house didn’t appear on Radford's tax records until 1876; it took a very long time to build a house of its size and grandeur in the 1800s. The house was kept in the family till 1996 when, after being deserted for 30 years, it was given to the city of Radford. The house and grounds were donated by the Kollmorgen Motion Technology Group.

The house features some Victorian period rooms and displays about Radford's history, including Native American artifacts, early settlers, Mary Draper Ingles, local industries, railroads, river transportation, educational institutions and local sports. There is also an art gallery with changing exhibits of the art and works of contemporary...

I grew up in the Radford area, although I haven't lived there in decades. I was recently back visiting family and drove by this building, which I'd driven by thousands of times prior to its conversion to a museum. We decided to drop in and have a look. And what a wonderful hour we spent there! The young man who was on site stepped away from his other duties to give us a tour. We learned about the house itself, the family who lived there, which led right into a history of the town since the family includes some of the common names in the area. They have been able to acquire some of the original furnishings from the family's time, and they have access to some original writings which will allow them to further expand on the exhibits. For someone who wanted to learn more about the area in which I grew up, this was a perfect stop. Even if you're not from the area, though, this is worth an hour of your time. Small Southern towns always have great...

Anyone interested in VA history will love Glencoe. After living in Radford for years I randomly popped into the museum one day out of curiosity and was so happy I did. I liked that the staff let me explore the upper levels of the home on my own and at my own pace, and were promptly ready to start the tour as soon as I came downstairs. My tour guide was amazing and is such a knowledgeable man! I so enjoyed his tour and loved talking with him about other historical gems around Radford. Also, the home itself is so well preserved with tons of interesting exhibits, it was truly a walk through local history! I couldn't stop looking at everything and indulging in my nerdy...