Civil War expert to welcome visitors at new exhibit at Manassas Museum Feb. 6

Dr. Charles Poland, retired history professor and Civil War expert, will greet visitors on Saturday, Feb. 6 at 2 p.m., at the opening of the new exhibit at the Manassas Museum, “What the Civil War Soldier Carried:  Selections from the Collection of Dr. Charles Poland.”

According to a news release from Patty Prince, communications director for the City of Manassas, the new display features both unusual and familiar pieces, like percussion caps, a match safe, a Springfield musket, tobacco leaves and more, and each has a unique story. 

For years Dr. Poland shared those stories in his classrooms at Northern Virginia Community College (NOVA).  Later, he shared stories while driving his mobile Civil War history museum to area schools, retirement homes, and community events. When his mobile museum on wheels gave out, he moved the collection inside NOVA Annandale campus.

Dr. Poland recently retired after teaching history for 48 years. During his time at NOVA, he was known for conducting field trip courses to major and minor Civil War battlefields and for giving hundreds of lectures to students of all ages.

He has received awards for teaching excellence including the “Most Outstanding Faculty Member,” the NOVA Alumni Federation Faculty of the Year, and the 2012 Outstanding Faculty Award from the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia.

Dr. Poland’s published work reflects his special interest in local history: From Frontier to Suburbia: One of America’s Fastest Growing Counties, A Loudoun County Story, and The Lure of Loudoun: Centuries of Changes in Virginia’s Emerald County.

What the Civil War Soldier Carried: Selections from the Collection of Dr. Charles Poland is open free to the public from Feb. 2 through Feb. 28. The exhibit also marks the re-opening of the Manassas Museum after month-long January renovations that will improve the visitor experience, Prince said.