Located on the campus of Sweet Briar College, Tusculum Institute is a historic preservation resource center, dedicated to preserving and studying the region's historic assets within a context of environmental stewardship.
William Sidney Crawford (1760-1815) inherited his family home, Tusculum, in the late 18th century.
As the earliest colony, Virginia provides an ideal setting for a flagship institute that reminds us of our roots and shared history. Housed in a reconstructed timber-frame building from the 1700s, Tusculum Institute stands as a literal testament to the importance of preserving the material culture of the past. On a figurative level, the house symbolizes Sweet Briar's commitment to creating a unique laboratory of history that provides instruction in environmental and historic preservation and in the local heritage of European, African, and Native Americans.
At Sweet Briar efforts are ongoing to research our 19th-century past as both an ante-bellum and post-bellum plantation. Learn more about our findings at the Sweet Briar Plantation History site and the related African American Heritage at Sweet Briar site.
Why is it more sustainable to refurbish an old house, rather than buying a new one ? How does the preservation of a historic structure encourage tourism and community involvement? What tax credits are available? Follow the link below to visit our on-line historic preservation toolkit.
The Tusculum Institute's mission is to support the preservation of the region's historic assets in a context of environmental stewardship. First and foremost we are saving valuable resources by adaptively reusing an old building - which also preserves a piece of history. We are also dedicated to designing an innovative mechanical system with environmentally sound components so that we minimize our environmental footprint during day-to-day operations.
Click below to view lesson plans for grades K-12 that emphasize environmentally sustainable historic preservation and the importance of studying local history.