A Richmond institution.
A collection preserved.
A legacy shared in New Market.
Discover the Wellford Gallery of Confederate Art in New Market.
Explore the gallery
The Westmoreland Club’s history connects Richmond’s social life with an art collection now on public display in New Market. Original Confederate portraits from the club are housed in the Wellford Gallery at the New Market Battlefield Visitor Center and Museum, where visitors can explore the people and history represented in the collection.
01 / The club in Richmond
A place for conversation
and companionship
Established in 1877, The Westmoreland Club provided a gathering place for Richmond gentlemen, including former Confederate officers. Its members shared meals, conversation, and recollections of their wartime experiences.
In 1879, the club moved into a Greek Revival mansion at Sixth and Grace Streets. Its facilities included dining rooms, a library, and accommodations for visiting members. Paintings and portraits became a distinctive part of the clubhouse.
Financial difficulties during the Great Depression led the club to suspend its activities in 1937. Its library went to the city of Richmond, furnishings went to the Valentine Museum, and its art collection was loaned to the Commonwealth Club.
02 / A lasting contribution
Mr. Wellford and the club’s revival
The gallery bears his name. His connection to the club spanned generations.
Mr. Wellford helped restore The Westmoreland Club as an active social organization alongside Mr. Lamb and Mr. Warthen. Their efforts brought a new generation into the club while maintaining connections with its earlier membership.
Mr. Wellford later served as president. His family’s association with the club stretched back to its founding, when his kinsman, Major Wellford, was among the original nine members.
Before his death in 2022, Mr. Wellford welcomed plans to lend the club’s Confederate portraits to the Shenandoah Valley Battlefields Foundation. His younger brother, serving as executor of his estate, offered a generous matching gift to help establish a gallery in his memory. The club also contributed toward the project.
03 / The collection in New Market
The Wellford Gallery today
Formally named the B. Randolph Wellford Gallery, the gallery honors Mr. Wellford and displays the club’s original Confederate portraits. In 2022, the trustees unanimously agreed to lend the portraits indefinitely for public exhibition in New Market.
The collection is displayed behind glass with interpretive panels, helping visitors understand the artwork and its historical context. Support from the Wellford family, the club, and its members helped make the gallery possible.
