The Battle Abbey, or Confederate Memorial Institute, houses a large collection of portraits of Confederate officers, and collections of Confederate battle flags, arms and equipment, but is chiefly distinguished for its very beautiful series of mural paintings of Confederate scenes by the French artist, Charles Hoffbauer. The artist had done much of his preliminary work when he was called back to fight for France in 1914. When he returned to Richmond after the war, Hoffbauer painted out all he had previously done and painted war as only one who had been through it could. Since 1946 the Abbey has been the property of the Virginia Historical Society. ¶ _Proceed on the Boulevard to Grove._ Virginia Museum of Fine Arts [Illustration: _Virginia Museum of Fine Arts_] This State institution, opened in January, 1936, houses the famous John Barton Payne collections of paintings and prints; the T. Catesby Jones collection of twentieth century European paintings, the Glasgow collection of European Renaissance art, and the fabulous Lillian Thomas Pratt collection of Russian jewelry. The Museum and collections are valued at more than $5,000,000. In addition to its collections, it conducts a regular program of specially assembled exhibitions, lectures and concerts. The museum is the largest art museum in the South and has gained a national reputation because of its biennial exhibitions of contemporary American paintings as well as many other special exhibitions. ¶ _Proceed on the Boulevard two blocks to Ellwood Avenue, turn right on Ellwood six blocks to Nansemond. Turn left on Nansemond one block to Cary Street. Turn right on Cary to central entrance of Windsor Farms residential area. (Street is marked Windsor Way). Proceed through Windsor Farms to Virginia House on Sulgrave Road at Wakefield Road._ Virginia House [Illustration: _Virginia House_] Virginia House, home of the late Ambassador and Mrs. Alexander W. Weddell, is built of materials they brought from Warwick Priory, Warwick, England, in 1925. The central section is a reproduction of the Tudor portion of Warwick Priory, founded by the first Earl of Warwick; the right-hand section is an exact replica of the only portion of Sulgrave Manor which remains as it was at the time Lawrence Washington occupied it as his manor house. The royal coat of arms may be seen over a second-story window to your right. The arms were conferred to show that the house had given shelter to Queen Elizabeth in 1572. The house is now the property of the Virginia Historical Society. ¶ _Pull up about 100 yards._ Agecroft Hall