Oct. 24, 2023
Chesterfield Historical Society of Virginia
Chesterfield County Museum
CHESTERFIELD COUNTY, VA — Visitors and residents are invited to the unveiling ceremony of the Cornelius Mimms permanent exhibit in the Chesterfield County Museum at 10 a.m. on Saturday, Oct. 28.
The ceremony will be held in the Public Meeting Room at the Chesterfield County Government Center Complex at 10100 Iron Bridge Road. Afterwards, guests will take a short walk to the Chesterfield County Museum through the nearby Historic Courthouse Green at the government complex where the exhibit board will be unveiled.
Light refreshments will be served and conversations with Mimms’ descendants will take place shortly after the unveiling.
Mimms was selected as the first permanent African-American exhibit in the Chesterfield County Museum.
Representing the Midlothian District, Mimms served two terms as the county’s first Black Board of Supervisor from 1881 to 1883 and 1887 to 1889, post-Reconstruction after the Civil War.
In February 2016, the African-American History Committee of the Chesterfield Historical Society of Virginia presented its opening exhibit entitled, “Cornelius Mimms: A Legend and Legacy.” Through compelling research by the committee, it was discovered that Mimms served as a licensed teacher following the Civil War, was a prominent attorney for 46 years and was revered as the Dean of the Richmond Bar. Mimms was selected to serve on a variety of boards that included, being the Supervisor of the Roads for Chesterfield and Supervisor of the Poor. He also served as a clerk for the First Baptist Church of Midlothian for 55 years.
Mimms died on July 3, 1932.
On Dec. 17, 2002, county officials dedicated Mimms Drive and Mimms Loop at the government complex in his honor.