The Patawomeck Museum and Cultural Center is one of the only dedicated spaces for the Patawomeck Tribe since the 17th century. Located along the Rappahannock River, the museum opened in 2023 to educate the public about the tribe’s history and provide opportunities for the Patawomeck community to gather, share, and learn from one another. Furthermore, the educational village adjacent to the museum provides an outdoor, tangible experience for visitors. The museum also plays a key part in preserving the tribe’s history and highlighting the persistence of their community through time. 

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Prior to establishing the museum, the tribe received a lease of the land from Stafford County in 2019, and began independently curating collections. The museum houses many artifacts from site 44ST1, which is a major ancestral village of the Patawomeck, occupied from approximately 1550 to 1650. While most of this site has eroded into Potomac Creek, archaeological digs recovered pottery, tobacco pipes, beads, and tools, which are on display at the museum. Colonial explorer John Smith wrote about this village during his voyage up the Potomac in 1608, but the museum is located closest to the Seckobeck village on the north side of the Rappahannock River, which Smith marked on his map of Virginia.

Learn more about the Patawomeck Museum and Cultural Center through David Jett, a Patawomeck citizen. Additionally, learn more about the museum, and the tribe, here: https://www.patawomeckindiantribeofvirginia.org/museum-village.