The Danville Museum of Fine Arts and History is housed in the home of Major William T. Sutherlin, the wealthiest and most influential man in Danville, Virginia, during the mid-to-late 19th century. A fine example of Italianate architecture, the Sutherlin Mansion is a Virginia Historic Landmark. During the last week of the Civil War, Confederate President Jefferson Davis was a guest in the mansion, earning it the title of “Last Capitol of the Confederacy” on the National Register of Historic Places. After Mrs. Sutherlin’s death in 1911, the Mansion served as a Confederate memorial and meeting place for various organizations until 1928, when it became the city’s public library.

In 1971, when plans for a new library were underway, the Danville Chapter of the Virginia Museum petitioned the city for use of the residence to establish a museum of fine arts and history. The museum opened in 1974. Today, tours include film, audio tours of the historic house, a Civil War exhibit, and changing art exhibits.