The museum holds a collection of portraits of Radnorshire dignitaries, all of whom were of great importance locally (and sometimes nationally). Each of these portraits was specially commissioned for the building and always hung in the rooms. They provide a strong depiction of prominent Radnorshire Victorians and the importance that Presteigne, and the building, once held. These include Sir Thomas Frankland Lewis, Chairman of the Poor Law Commission; Sir George Cornewall Lewis, MP for Radnorshire who became Home Secretary, Chancellor of the Exchequer and Minister for War; Richard Lister Venables, Chairman of the Magistrates for Radnorshire for 30 years and employer of famous diarist Francis Kilvert (the portrait, by Lowes Cato Dickinson, is mentioned in Kilvert’s diary). Also on display are various paintings within the period settings to enhance overall atmosphere.