Start your historical journey here. RELIC's email newsletter highlights upcoming free events and happenings. Genealogy and local Virginia history are our specialties as a service provided by Prince William Public Libraries. You can always find more about us on RELIC's webpage

RELIC service is available in person at Central Library,
by email at [email protected], and by phone at 703-792-8380. 

Hours of Operation
Monday – Wednesday: 10:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m.
Thursday – Saturday: 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Closed Sunday
UPCOMING PROGRAMS
All programs are now in person at Central Library unless otherwise stated. Please wear a mask or face covering. In accordance with CDC guidelines, Prince William County requires all employees and visitors to wear a mask or face covering while inside county facilities.

Previous RELIC programs can be viewed on RELIC's Programs webpage.
DNA is a very hot topic. Join Shannon Combs Bennett as she explains what DNA tests are, what they can and cannot tell you, and how to read and analyze results. Register at 703-792-8380, online, or email [email protected]
Join Manassas Museum Curator Mary Helen Dellinger for an enlightening look at some of the museum’s outstanding holdings. Register at 703-792-8380, online, or email [email protected]
Discovering African American family history prior to 1865 can be difficult. There are special challenges to finding documentation during the age of slavery. RELIC's Don Wilson will identify sources that can be used to trace lives and relationships while demonstrating the process using a case study approach. Register at 703-792-8380, online, or email [email protected]
RELIC INSIDER
RELIC PERIODICALS – LOCAL HISTORY MAGAZINES
Here are several of the important magazines we have devoted to local history.  

The Alexandria Historical Society, Inc. Newsletter: The April 2021 issue describes recent activities of the society and planned programs on Zoom: “A Jewish History of Old Town Alexandria” (May) and “A Short History of Shuter’s Hill and the Construction of the George Washington Masonic National Memorial” (June). The City of Alexandria online calendar includes Historical Society activities.

The Arlington Historical Magazine, published by the Arlington Historical Society. The 2020 issue includes: A Biographical Sketch of “Gertrude Lynde Crocker” (1884-1969); “Arlington’s Battle to Integrate Private Schools;” “Memories of Disruption: When I-66 Shook Up Arlington;” “A GOOD SOLDIER at Arlington House, 1861-1864 [Robert K. Sneden];” “One Boy’s Childhood in Arlington Village;” “Ellen Bozman: A Lifetime of Service, a Legacy of Leadership in Arlington County;” and “Arlington Historical Society Year in Review 2019-2020.” 

Germanna Foundation Newsletter: The fall 2020 issue talks about projects of the Foundation. Also: “Germanna Archaeology Field Notes;” “Missing: Catharina Fischbach Executed for Witchcraft;” and an obituary of historian Bernard Bailyn.

Historic Perspectives: Published by Prince William County’s Office of Historic Preservation. The fall 2021 issue contains: “A Wedding at Rippon Lodge” (Julia Ann Blackburn to Bushrod Washington, 1785); “Color Crayon Portrait[s] of Lt. Col. Thomas Blackburn and Mrs. Christian Blackburn;” “Courage and Perseverance: The Seventh Annual Prince William/Manassas History Symposium” (March 26, 2022); and “History Corner” (Bushy Park’s use as a hospital during the Civil War).  

Louisa County Historical Magazine: Fall 2020 contains: “The Family History of Lindsay Richardson of Louisa County;” “Disease in Louisa County in the 1920s;” “History of Providence Church;” “The Blacksmith Shop;” “Speeches of John Mercer Langston (excerpts);” “The Mineral Milling Company;” and “Memories of Annis Mallory.” Their newsletter for Summer 2021 includes “Freedom of Choice: A Step Towards the Integration of Schools in Louisa County, Part II.”

The Mill Racer: Published by the Occoquan Historical Society. Winter 2021 has an article about the history of “Rockledge” mansion.

Northern Neck of Virginia Historical Magazine: The December 2020 issue includes: “The Physical Evolution of King George County, Virginia;” “An Unwelcomed Traveler” (Abraham Lincoln); “St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, Owens, King George County, Virginia;” “Dahlgren: A Bubbling Cauldron of Technical Curiosity;” “King George County Colonial Vintner Charles Carter, c.1707-1764;” “An Ordinary Family’s Journey Through the Extraordinary History of the Northern Neck (McGinniss Family);” “Hanover-with-Brunswick Episcopal Parish Churches;” “Old ‘Barnesfield;’” and “My Family in King George County, Virginia (Quesenberry Family).” 

Rappahannock Historic Times: Published by the Rappahannock Historical Society. The summer 2021 issue includes “Knights of Old – Chivalry in Rappahannock” and “A Rappahannock Summer.”

Trend and Tradition: The magazine of Colonial Williamsburg. Winter 2021 includes: “Uncovering a Story of Courage: The First Baptist Church Archaeological Dig;” “Stories Seldom Told: Interpretation Program Brings to Light the Rich History of American Indian Tribes in early Virginia;” “A Rare Rendering Showing Treatment of the Enslaved;” “America’s First Ordained Black Minister (Gowan Pamphlet);” “Designs on History (Creating Historic Wallpaper);” “A School of Thought: When Thomas Jefferson Wanted to Give His Grandson an Education, He Sent Him to Live in Charles Willson Peale’s Museum;” and “Freedom to Preach: Patrick Henry’s Own Experiences Signaled a Tolerance for Religious Expression.”            

Virginia History & Culture: Journal of the Virginia Museum of History & Culture (owned by the Virginia Historical Society). Fall/Winter 2021 includes “Care Beyond National and Color Lines: Filipino Nurses in Virginia Across the 20th Century;” “Collections Spotlight: John Marshall’s Robe;” “The 100th Anniversary of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier;” and “George Washington’s Farewell Address at 225.” 

Virginia Magazine of History and Biography: Published quarterly by the Virginia Historical Society. No. 3 for 2021 contains: “’We Have Lived and Loved as Brothers’: Friendship, Honor, and Violence at the University of Virginia, 1825-1861” and “’A Period of Misunderstanding’: Reforming Jim Crow in Richmond, Virginia, 1930-1954.”

The William and Mary Quarterly: A magazine of early American history and culture. The October 2021 issue contains: “Sounding the African Atlantic;” “’Like an Epidemic: One Could Only Stop with the Most Violent Remedies’: African Poisons versus Livestock Disease in Saint Domingue, 1750-88;” “Sigenaur’s War of Independence: Anishinaabe Resurgence and the Making of Indigenous Authority in the Borderlands of Revolution;” and “Law, Lineage, Gender, and the Lives of Enslaved Indigenous People on the Edge of the Nineteenth-Century Caribbean.”   

Winchester-Frederick County Historical Society Journal: The 2019-2020 issue contains: “Oral History Interview of World War II Veteran Eugene Babb;” “The Salvation Army, 1919-2019: A Century of Service in Winchester;” “Francois-Louis Picote de Belestre: A French Marine in Winchester [1755-1780];” and “A Guide to Mount Hebron Cemetery.”

Word from the Junction, newsletter of the Manassas Museum Associates. Fall 2021 issue describes the major renovations the Museum will be going through in 2022, requiring the building to be closed. Curator Mary Helen Dellinger will continue to use the collection for talks, programs and social media. All the Museum’s photos are now viewable online.
VISIT THE "TREE DOCTOR"
You can now make appointments for virtual or in-person visits with Don Wilson, "The Tree Doctor." We can set up an hour appointment to discuss and dive into your brick wall research problem. Call 703–792–8380 or email [email protected] to set up a time.
January 2022 - pwcva.gov/library
Make sure to download our Winter 2021 – 2022 Explore magazine, or grab one at your nearest library, to learn more about our upcoming events.

[email protected] or 703-792-8150
Questions and comments are always welcome.