Max Silver Memorial Courtyard

The Museum’s beautiful Max Silver Memorial Courtyard opened in 2022.  This unique outdoor space in the heart of Tappahannock is enjoyed by both residents and visitors, and is the home for many of the Museum’s special events, including the Annual Fall Oyster Roast & Courtyard Party.  The outdoor space also serves as an extension of the Museum itself, with several informative exhibits.

The Courtyard is also available for private events!  If you would like to learn more about reserving the Courtyard for your event, please email the Museum at communications@ecmhs.org 

On June 1st of 2024, the Museum planted a truly remarkable living artifact in the Courtyard, a tree that traveled around the moon!

The Artemis I mission launched in November of 2022 and carried the Orion spacecraft, a new type of deep space exploration vehicle. On board the Orion were just over 1000 seeds from five different types of trees. Once the seeds had returned to Earth, they were put into the care of the USDA Forest Service who then grew them into saplings.

NASA allowed for educational and community organizations to apply for the chance to receive one of these ‘Moon Trees,’ then selected the organizations they felt could provide the best care for the tree and best utilize the educational opportunities provided by these unique voyagers.  Executive Director Timothy Manley applied on behalf of the Museum, and NASA approved the application and gifted the Museum a sweetgum tree.

 You can help support the Museum with a Courtyard marker!

There are many ways for individuals, families, and businesses to support the Courtyard, including naming rights for some of the features as well as the purchase of commemorative bricks that are being used to pave the walkways.

All contributions are appreciated and anyone wishing to donate can do so using the links on this page or mail your gift to:

Essex County Museum/Courtyard Project
PO Box 404
Tappahannock, VA 22560