About

The Westmoreland County Museum was established in 1941 and became the first museum to open regularly in the Northern Neck. The museum was built as a replica of Wakefield, the birthplace of George Washington, to display the portrait of William Pitt (Lord Chatham) painted by Charles Willson Peale in 1768. This original building is open Mon.-Sat. 10 am-4 pm. The museum expanded into an annex building (the Wakefield Building) next door. This building is now home to the Westmoreland Mercantile General Store and the Montross Soda Shoppe. The store's hours are March-December, Fri.- Sat. 11 am-5 pm. We also open for special events so contact the museum before planning to visit this building. Proceeds from the store's sales go to completing renovations on this building.