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Study: heritage tourism economic engine for West Virginia

2/18/2019

 
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AmeriCorps members stand outside Arthurdale's E-15 House in Preston County.

A recent study of the Preservation Alliance of West Virginia’s AmeriCorps program suggests its heritage tourism programming is an important economic engine for West Virginia, according to Danielle Parker, executive director for the alliance.

The study found that more than half of travelers who visit the program’s heritage sites traveled from more than 50 miles and that each visit generated nearly one night’s hotel stay and an average of $271.30 for the local economy, Parker said.

Heritage tourism usually include museums, state parks, historical theaters, and living history sites such as Jackson’s Mill, near Weston, or Carnegie Hall, in Lewisburg.

The study also found that museums and historical organizations contribute positively to the quality of life in the state’s cities and towns and that people enjoy and learn from their visits to sponsor organizations, Parker said.

The alliance worked with McMahon Consulting Group to study the effects that the program and heritage tourism have on West Virginia.

“We discovered that AmeriCorps members are essential to providing an excellent visitor experience and to developing their site for tourists,” Parker said.

“It’s clear from the study that AmeriCorps members’ service is leading to more effective organizations and improving the quality of visitor experiences.”

The Preserve WV AmeriCorps program is a statewide service initiative in which AmeriCorps members are engaged to Main Streets thrive and communities capture their history, and to preserve beloved historical landmarks.

AmeriCorps members serve one-year terms at historical organizations where they complete special projects aimed at developing heritage-tourism destinations and improving the sponsoring organization’s ability to carry out its missions.

There are more than 20 historical sites sponsoring Preserve WV AmeriCorps members in 2019, Parker said. Two high-profile sponsors include Cockayne Farmstead, at Glen Dale, and the Waldomore, at Clarksburg.
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Jessica Kittle, assistant director for the memorial foundation for Pricketts Fort State Park, reported that her organization’s participation in the program for two years benefited the foundation “by helping us fulfill our mission of preservation through various projects that we would not have been able to complete on our own.”
The Preserve WV AmeriCorps program is celebrating its sixth year of operation and is currently competing to become a nationally-recognized program.

Download the full report here.

Preservation Alliance of West Virginia’s AmeriCorps Members Get Things Done!

8/23/2018

 
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During the 2017-2018 service year, the Preservation Alliance of West Virginia’s Preserve WV AmeriCorps program and its members have volunteered over 10,000 hours at historic sites throughout our beautiful mountain state. However, their service extends beyond their assigned sites. In addition to their day-to-day responsibilities, members have completed more than a dozen individually-organized group projects at non-AmeriCorps sites in more than 10 West Virginia counties, including Jefferson, Marion, Fayette, Raleigh, Monongalia, and Pocahontas. For these projects to be successful, Preserve WV AmeriCorps members recruited 96 volunteers and raised $5,450 in donations and successful grant applications.  

The concept of requiring AmeriCorps members coordinate group projects originated in 2017 after a meeting between Danielle Parker, executive director of the alliance, Kelli Shapiro, the organization’s program associate, and a Baltimore-based consultant, Cole McMahon, hired to evaluate the organization’s AmeriCorps program and the impact it is making across the state.  With the new group project program in place, AmeriCorps members submitted proposals to alliance staff to be approved as a qualified AmeriCorps project, and then they went to work organizing their respective group projects. Thanks, in part, to the funding received by the Public Welfare Foundation, the results were better than expected, and Preservation Alliance was able to help dozens of organizations and sites throughout the state such as the Dunbar School Foundation, the Harpers Ferry-Town of Bolivar Foundation, and the Winding Gulf Restoration Organization.

The completed group projects were diverse in nature and involved everything from cemetery preservation at Clarksburg to marking trails at Old Hemlock. While most projects lasted only a few hours, a project in Cass took place over the course of five days. Organized by AmeriCorps member, Sharell Harmon, volunteers spent five days painting the company store, walkway, stairs, and handrails. While there, members also spent time participating in the Make it Shine program in which they cleared brush, fallen branches, and litter from the surrounding walkways. The projects in Cass were a great success and the park’s employees have already requested that Preserve WV AmeriCorps members return to aid with another project.
Another group project took place in Arthurdale and involved adding UV film to nine sets of windows, plus small window panes near a doorway, at New Deal era house, E-15. Volunteers first cleaned the windows with a wood-safe solution then applied UV film to individual window panes. The added film will help block UV radiation from the sunlight and control indoor temperatures. It will also help preserve a number of sensitive artifacts displayed in the living room and two bedrooms, including textiles, documents, photographs, and furniture. Upon completion of the project, it was clear that the UV film dimmed and cooled the light entering the rooms while still allowing enough natural light to enter for visitors to see without turning on artificial lights aiding in the preservation of light sensitive artifacts.

In a work day organized by AmeriCorps member, Kyle Warmack, at the Dubois on Main Museum in Mount Hope, AmeriCorps members and volunteers cleaned out the DuBois community garden, including weeding more than half a dozen large planters. Museum exhibition areas were dusted and cleaned. Most importantly, members created a collections list and cataloged 230 museum items, laying the foundation for a future collections database and building a much-needed inventory before the Museum embarks on a large-scale document scanning project. This project served the Mount Hope community and the 150+ remaining DuBois alumni who meet every two years to commemorate their school and its important chapter in African American and West Virginia history. This museum is the only comprehensive repository of DuBois knowledge.

The success of the projects and the gratitude shown by the individuals and organizations who benefitted from them demonstrated a clear need to continue to plan and organize AmeriCorps group projects throughout West Virginia. As a result, these projects will continue to be a program requirement again during the 2018-2019 service year, which begins on August 28. As we enter a new service year, the Preservation Alliance plans to implement even more group projects throughout the state with members reaching out to different organizations and sites who are dedicated to historic preservation throughout West Virginia.  If you are interested in hosting a team of AmeriCorps members for a group project, contact Danielle Parker at dlapresta@pawv.org.  All group project sites must be owned by a nonprofit or municipality and be historic in nature. You can also aid in these projects by donating to PAWV.  We accept monetary, supply, and volunteer time as donations. 

    The Preserve WV AmeriCorps is a statewide service initiative where AmeriCorps members help main streets thrive, help communities capture their local history, and preserve beloved West Virginia landmarks.  This program is made possible through a generous grant from Volunteer West Virginia and the Corporation for National and Community Service.

AmeriCorps Members and Arthurdale Heritage Help Preserve Local History

4/5/2018

 
A New Deal-era house in Arthurdale is better preserved thanks to a collaborative project between Arthurdale Heritage, Inc., and local AmeriCorps members.
 
On March 15, AmeriCorps members with the Preservation Alliance of West Virginia worked with the Arthurdale Heritage community to apply UV protection film to the windows of the site’s historic house museum. This UV film will help ensure the longevity of artifacts inside the house, such as documents, photographs, textiles, and furniture, that are sensitive to light and changes in temperature.
 
The two-story Wagner-style house built in 1935 gives visitors a sense of life at Arthurdale, the nation’s first New Deal Subsistence Homestead Community. Established by the Roosevelt administration in 1933, Arthurdale provided jobs, education, and modern housing for impoverished and unemployed local people. It also served as a laboratory for new educational, industrial, and farming techniques. Arthurdale Heritage, Inc., was formed in 1985 as a nonprofit organization dedicated to restoring and preserving the cultural heritage of historic Arthurdale, located in Preston County.
 
This hands-on service project brought together a number of AmeriCorps members from West Virginia. It was organized by Pamela Curtin, a Preserve WV AmeriCorps member serving with Clio, a nonprofit website and mobile app developed by Marshall University that connects the public to historic and cultural sites.
 
“Arthurdale’s historic structures and artifacts have unique stories to tell,” says Curtin, who is based in Morgantown. “These stories are not only nationally-significant, but also personally meaningful to the families who lived and continue to live there. This project presented a wonderful opportunity to help preserve this history.”
 
Curtin coordinated the project with Nora Sutton, an Appalachian Forest Heritage Area AmeriCorps member serving with Arthurdale Heritage as a Museum Associate. “Collaborative projects like this one are so important to Arthurdale Heritage’s mission to preserve the structures and artifacts in our care,” says Sutton. “Applying this protective film to the house windows will help us care for unique textiles and furniture that were made here by original homesteaders. It was great to work with other AmeriCorps members dedicated to preserving the past.”
 
Both Curtin and Sutton are alumni of West Virginia University’s Public History MA program.
 
Several other AmeriCorps members volunteered for the project, including Rachel Niswander, Charlotte Riestenberg, Sydney Stapleton, and Jason Wright. Ed Turnley, Vice President of the Board of Directors and member of the Arthurdale Heritage Maintenance Committee, oversaw volunteer tasks, such as cleaning the windows and measuring, cutting, and applying the UV film. Turnley is also an Arthurdale homesteader descendant whose family lived not far from the house the volunteers worked on.
 
This project contributes to a larger effort by Arthurdale Heritage to preserve its historic structures, which also include community and administrative buildings, barns, a former gas station, and an iron forge.
 
Supplies for this project, including the professional UV film, were generously funded by the Preservation Alliance of West Virginia, the state’s leading grassroots organization dedicated to the support and promotion of historic preservation. In addition to education, outreach, and advocacy, PAWV coordinates an AmeriCorps program that places volunteers with small museums, heritage tourism agencies, and main street groups.
 
AmeriCorps is a program of the Corporation for National and Community Service, an independent federal agency whose mission is to improve lives, strengthen communities, and foster civic engagement through service and volunteering. 

Preserve WV AmeriCorps meets with Dr. Emory Kemp - esteemed West Virginia University Professor Emeritus and PAWV Co-Founder

3/1/2018

 
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Written by Samuel Richardson, Preserve WV AmeriCorps member serving at the West Virginia & Regional History Center (Samuel (left) pictured above with Dr. Emory Kemp (right))

It was no surprise that I was going to face some serious challenges in my Year of Service with AmeriCorps. I would be examining and arranging the life’s work of Dr. Emory Kemp, with the goal of making his 300 box collection of blueprints, maps, restoration project reports, structural analysis papers, drawings, correspondence, and much more accessible to patrons of the West Virginia and Regional History Center (WVRHC). Public History, as an academic field, was foreign territory for me. However, as a graduate from the Public Administration program at West Virginia University, I was prepared to tackle any project that served the public’s interest. The transdisciplinary shift was a challenge, but complimented my “Clifton Strength’s Finder” examination which discovered my strength in adaptability.

            Transdisciplinary shifts into public history are not unheard of, as according to Dr. Kemp, the structural mechanics PhD, was moved from civil engineering to the History Department at West Virginia University. Despite resistance in his early educational career to studying history as an academic discipline, he choose to remain in engineering.   His resistance however, was no match for the orders of West Virginia University President James G. Harlow, who would implore Dr. Kemp lead the newly founded Institute for the History of Technology and Industrial Archaeology in the Department of History, not engineering.

            This was one of the many anecdotes that developed in the Monday afternoon meeting with the retired academic stalwart. Perhaps, in the process of officially retiring, as he promises his newest developing book on the Big Sandy River will be his last.

            The materials in the collection were assembled to support projects over Dr. Kemp’s 50 year career. The materials were arranged in a manner with no particular emphasis on a preserved original order. Dr. Kemp stated that he expected the professional expertise of the faculty and staff at the WVRHC to arrange the materials in a fashion that would make his work most accessible to researchers.

            Kemp also agreed with the proposed series arrangement, where WVRHC faculty member, Jane LaBarbara, and I hope to divide the collection into three major series, Kemp’s Personal Library, Publications by Kemp, and finally, “Subject Files” or “Research Projects.”

            In hopes of understanding which areas of the large collection are appropriate to highlight and exhibit, Dr. Kemp will provide Jane and I with a list of 35 projects that were of noteworthy accomplishment and could be listed as potential engineering breakthroughs. Some of which, were his role in the construction of the Sydney Opera House, and saving the Baltimore Gas and Electric Company potentially millions of dollars, by engineering a way for them to integrate new equipment without completely destroying an older building. Kemp hopes to sit down with LaBarbara and me to discuss each of the projects in further detail. 

Preserve wv americorps site sponsor application period open

1/25/2018

 
PAWV is currently accepting applications for sites to sponsor Preserve WV AmeriCorps members for the 2018-2019 program year beginning August 2018.  Applications are due to Kelli Shapiro at kshapiro@pawv.org by Friday, March 16, 2018, at 5pm.  Application Guidelines and an application form are available as Microsoft Word documents at http://www.pawv.org/sponsor.html.

PAWV invites historical and community development nonprofit organizations, as well as, local government agencies to apply to serve as a host site with Preserve WV AmeriCorps.


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The purpose of the Preserve WV AmeriCorps program is to promote historic preservation, economic development, revitalization, and heritage tourism in West Virginia through historic resource development projects.
 
Site sponsors across the state hosting current Preserve WV AmeriCorps members range from museums, libraries, and historical theaters to historic landmarks commissions and Main Street organizations. For the 2018-2019 AmeriCorps service year, PAWV expects to receive a grant award of at least 30 members, configurable into half-time or full-time as needed.  Preserve WV AmeriCorps members will serve a minimum of 950 or 1,750 hours between August 2018 and August 2019 (with an opportunity to renew for a second year).

HISTORIC NOMINATION COULD SPUR ECONOMIC GROWTH IN FORMER MINING TOWN

1/4/2018

 
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Efforts to nominate a former coal-mining town in southern West Virginia to the National Register of Historic Places could spur economic growth there, according to a spokesman for three development agencies engaged in the effort.

Once a mining boomtown, Helen, with a population near 125 residents, is among the last coal camps that remain in the mountains southwest of Beckley, and financial incentives for historic rehabilitation there would be provided if the nomination succeeds.

According to Kyle Bailey, Preserve WV AmeriCorps member serving with the Preservation Alliance of West Virginia, who is conducting the survey to nominate the community, financial incentives such as grants and tax credits will supplement the costs of expenditures needed for property repairs and improvements.

The nomination would also secure the community's status as historically important on official state and federal levels, he said.

"This would help homeowners and other property owners in Helen fund tasks such as replacing the roof, preserving the windows, and updating electrical systems," Bailey said.

"Helen could once again experience growth and expansion, especially in light of recreation initiatives, such as the development of hiking and ATV trails, and transportation initiatives, such as the completion of the adjacent Coalfield Expressway."

A joint effort by the Preservation Alliance of West Virginia, the National Coal Heritage Area Authority, and the Winding Gulf Restoration Organization, the effort builds on projects already established in the town, including the development of a Coal Miner's Memorial Park and the stabilization of a historic apartment building there.

Helen was recently selected as a stop along the African American Heritage Auto Tour, sponsored in part by the coal-heritage authority, and wayside that interpret the town's history will soon be installed, Bailey said.

Like other camps of the Winding Gulf Coalfield, Helen experienced rapid growth through the early and mid-20th century. Mines there produced some of the highest quantities of coal in the state, and by 1940 almost 2,000 people lived in the town. 

Bailey, who grew up in a coal camp in nearby Amigo, is a member of the Preserve WV AmeriCorps program, a statewide service initiative established to help communities capture their history and preserve beloved West Virginia landmarks.

ARTIFACTS: TOOLS FOR ENGAGEMENT

5/26/2016

 
By Crystal Wimer, Preserve WV AmeriCorps serving at Harrison County Historical Society

Recently, I read a new book on how to sustain historic house museums entitled Anarchist Guide to Historic House Museums. The authors, Frank Vagnone and Deborah Ryan, theorize that the key to sustainability lies in more community engagement and a more balanced approach when it comes to preserving its collection and improving visitor experiences. Historic house museums are not just storehouses for artifacts, but should be interpreted as places for community engagement and dialogue. Often, the Harrison County WV Historical Society struggles to get feedback regarding its programming and from its volunteers, and I was ready to experiment with new methods for better community engagement. As I was reading the Anarchist Guide, I unintentionally tested Vagnone and Ryan’s theories on community engagement with my volunteers. Then later, I deliberately used them on a recent tour of the Stealey-Goff-Vance House. I discovered there was better engagement with our historic house museum and the HCWVHS when I encouraged physical interactions with our artifacts.

Unbeknownst to me at the time, my first “test subjects” were our volunteers. The artifact collection housed in the rear display room and dining room had to be packed in preparation for repairs to the foundation of the Vance House. I’ve had trouble retaining volunteers to work in the archives, so I believed that working with the collection in the house would produce a similar outcome. To my surprise as my volunteers worked with artifacts week after the week, the more they kept dropping hints about wanting to reorganize artifacts in other rooms of the house. The question I heard over and over for five weeks was “Well, once we’re done with this, what’s next?” Apparently, our volunteers formed a connection while handling the artifacts when they were packing them for storage. For them, the packing process was like uncovering rare treasures. Their fascination with our collection inspired them to want to assist more with reorganizing the collection and unpacking it when the preservation work is over. Since the packing finished, these new volunteers have been regulars at our open meetings and programs.

Now, my volunteers may have been unknowing “guinea pigs,” but my Vance House tour with the Stealey family was a planned trial of the Anarchist Guide’s theories. Previous house tours were restricted to the main floor, and we typically didn’t allow visitors to sit on the furniture or handle the artifacts. The Anarchist Guide; however, advocates letting visitors handle stable artifacts and giving them access to areas previously off-limits. So, this is exactly what I did with the Stealey family on their tour. The Stealeys were permitted to visit all locations in the house including the basement, attic, and artifact storage areas. Visitors rarely get to see the house’s original electric switch because it’s in the attic’s gable, but they did on this tour. If one of the children wanted to see an artifact up close, I brought it down and once I determined it was stable for them to handle, I let them. They also excitedly took advantage of the open invitation to take as many photographs as they wanted.

During the tour, the Stealeys still learned about the history of the Vance House, but this Anarchist-style tour was so much more personal because they had the freedom to explore every aspect of the house. I knew the tour was a success just based on the high level of enthusiasm from the family at the time. But, it wasn’t until I received an email from Mr. Stealey the following week that I officially knew these Anarchisttechniques should be something the HCWVHS does for future tours. Mr. Stealey wrote:

“Thanks so much for taking time to show us the house. We really enjoyed the informative tour. You did a great job with a lot of information/history to tell/show us. My kids keep saying that they could not believe that you let them look at and pick up stuff.”

Again because they were allowed to connect to the artifacts and the house, they were actively engaged with history, and they had a unique experience at the Vance House that they will remember years later.

So through my experiences, it seems Vagnone and Ryan’s theory on better community engagement through making connections with artifacts works. Through their engagement with our artifacts, the newer volunteers are eager to start new projects at the Vance House, and the Stealey family had a unique experience that they won’t forget because most museums don’t allow visitors handle the artifacts. So, I encourage West Virginia’s historic house museums to give their visitors access to their artifacts. Because who knows? Those visitors could turn into new volunteers, members, or possible donors, and I don’t know of any historic house museum that wouldn’t want more people caring about history.

This position is made possible through an AmeriCorps State and National Grant provided by the Corporation for National and Community Service and Volunteer WV.

SERVING AND PRESERVING AT THE OLD HEMLOCK FOUNDATION

5/25/2016

 
By Ian Gray, Preserve WV AmeriCorps serving at the Old Hemlock Foundation
“It is pleasant to hope when Kay and I are no longer gunning Old Hemlock setters will keep our ideals alive.” 

George Bird Evan 
Troubles with Bird Dogs
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Helen and LeJay Graffious and Ian Gray (right)
Most days when I head into the “office,” the first thing to do is reach down and greet the black and white ball of energy that runs to the front door.  While serving with a pair of dogs is a soothing experience and an incredible perk, it also stands as a metaphor of the unique legacy and nature that makes Old Hemlock (http://www.oldhemlock.org/) so special.  Many places claim it, but we at Old Hemlock can truly say that our history is alive.

Enthralled by the Allegany Mountains, grouse hunting, and English setters from a young age, George Evans knew the type of life he wanted to lead and lived it well.  Finding success as a graphic artist in New York, George was able to secure the funds to acquire the country home he dubbed Old Hemlock and demonstrate enough talent to convince his art director at Cosmopolitan that working from the beauty of the West Virginia mountains was in everyone’s best interest.  After the interruption of WWII, George quickly wrapped up his professional illustration career and turned his full attention to the things he loved the most, his wife Kay, grouse and woodcock hunting, writing, and breeding the line of gun dogs that have become a living legacy.  Every March, that living history gathers in the rolling hills of southwestern Pennsylvania in the form of a small herd of beautiful dogs and their doting owners.

For three days, the Hunting Hills Shooting Preserve is filled with the sounds of joyous conversation, the sharp crack of gunshots, and collective barking from dozens of Old Hemlock setters eager to hit the field and find the waiting birds.  Having never even held a gun, much less embarked on a hunting trip, being able to simply follow the dogs and owners into the field was an eye-opening experience.  I had read the literature and had a basic grasp of the history associated with Old Hemlock, but the three-day immersion made everything come together.  The bond between gunner and dog, the beauty of the slender setter on point, the exhilaration of a productive shot and subsequent retrieve, and so many other things described so eloquently in the pages of George’s writings were now before me in living color.  In each dog rested the legacy of the man and woman who so carefully bred the line and the equally carefully selected owners carried on George’s view of hunting and respect for the game.  While we are blessed at Old Hemlock with the natural beauty of nature around us and a literal house full of artifacts to tell the story of George and Kay, the real legacy and best storytelling tool will always remain the dogs and owners who gather at the reunion.  Luckily for myself, the first AmeriCorps member to serve here realized the same thing and left an incredible resource to build off of and add to.
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At every reunion, stories of times spent with George and Kay, their writings, their legacy, and, most numerous, the line of setters can be heard around the tables and out in the field.  The history that the foundation was established to preserve rests in the hearts and minds of the close knit group of dog owners that form the Old Hemlock family, and in an external hard drive sitting in a box on a shelf back at the foundation.  These precious stories, around twenty interviews, were copiously compiled and transcribed to provide the foundation with an Oral History archive of the anecdotes, thoughts, and feelings that were alive in the oral tradition but never written down or recorded.  At the recent reunion, I got the chance to try my own hand at adding to the already rich archive.

Over the three days, three interviews were conducted capturing the perspectives of a new member to the Old Hemlock family and two individuals that experienced a common interest in dogs and gunning evolve into ownership of a setter placed by George and Kay and a treasured friendship.  Having conducted oral history interviews before, I knew the stories shared by interviewees can be powerful, and it’s often surprising how much people are willing to share.  However, I was still amazed and horned at what was spoken of in the interview process.

First and foremost, talking to the interviewees brought the subject and history squarely into the present.  The interviewees’ testimony made memories of George and Kay, the dogs, and past reunions seem if they had happened only yesterday.  I was brought back to the moments shared by the interviewees that conjured warm feelings of fond embraces, and at one point a few tears of joy, and felt, in some small way, that I had gotten to meet the people behind the wonderfully written books I had been reading the past few months.  Beyond the figurative aspect of the past existing in the present, each interview made clear the story of Old Hemlock has yet to end.  As the new member to the Old Hemlock family aptly demonstrated, the writings of George and Kay, the line of setters, and the annual reunion continue to carry on their memory have ensured that legacy will not die anytime soon.  Old Hemlock’s mission is to preserve and promote the legacy of George and Kay and it benefits immensely from that legacy being more than static objects and writings, it is a group of people and a line of dogs that continues to grow with every new litter or owner.  With this archive of interviews laying at my fingertips, the natural next step was to get the content out of the archive and into the public sphere.

The internet is a truly wonderful thing.  A few clicks of the mouse can share virtually anything around the world in an instant.  Having basic video editing skills in my tool belt, the possibilities inherent in the over twenty hours of raw video stuck out like a sore thumb.  Each interview contained segments that eloquently and powerfully spoke to the many aspects of Old Hemlock’s history that were screaming to be shared and help the foundation’s mission.  After taking inventory and some brainstorming, a plan emerged.  Each interview would be dissected and the beset of the best content pulled out to form short (one to four minute) clips and then organized into groups (the impact of George’s writing for example) to be uploaded to the foundation’s YouTube page and shared with the online world.  So far, the subsequent implementation has provided further valuable experience in video editing and gleaned a deeper appreciation for the past and present so enthusiastically shred by the interviewees.

Each time I hear and see the voices and faces on the screen, faces that went from strangers to incredibly welcoming and good natured people over the reunion, the tales told become more and more like conversations shared in the relaxed atmosphere of the reunion rather than files on some hard drive.  Each clip sheds new light on the muti-faceted story we celebrate here at Old Hemlock and puts it in words that seem to be inspired from the pen of George and Kay as they look down on what they would be proud to call their legacy.  As George poignantly stated, “Some men tell of beauty, speak of grace.   I tell of grouse dogs that enriched me beyond measure and made me glad.” [1]  Thanks to that intimate love for the dogs and his tireless effort to perfect the line, the Old Hemlock Foundation has, itself, been enriched beyond measure in the dogs that still bear the breeders mark and the owners who carry on a living memory that shows no signs of fading.

[1] George Bird Evans, An Affair with Grouse (Bruceton Mills: Old Hemlock, 1982), 110.

This position is made possible through an AmeriCorps State and National Grant from the Corporation for National and Community Service and Volunteer WV.

PRESERVE WV AMERICORPS DEVELOP BUSY SUNDAYS EXHIBIT IN SHEPHERDSTOWN

5/23/2016

 
By Michael Langmyer, Preserve WV AmeriCorps for Historic Shepherdstown Commission

On the first of April 2016, the Historic Shepherdstown Commission (http://historicshepherdstown.com/) hosted its annual museum opening for their members. Something was different about this particular museum opening, however. At the opening we unveiled our new exhibit, Busy Sundays. This exhibit was the product of over two years of planning and laboring over interviews, newspaper articles, and tracking down people to participate.  The exhibit can be viewed at the Entler Hotel located at 129 E. German Street in Shepherdstown, WV.   The museum is regularly open Saturdays from 11:00 am to 5:00 pm and Sundays from 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm.  Private tours are available upon appointment.
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Michael Langmyer, Preserve WV AmeriCorps
The reason behind the exhibit’s creation was from a lack of information and display on the African-American community in the Shepherdstown museum. The idea of adding a new exhibit started with the donation of a baseball uniform from a local team, the Shepherdstown Red Sox. The Red Sox were a baseball team of local African-American townspeople from the 1930s up to 1970. They played ball on Sunday afternoons, and we learned that those same people, plus others, were also a part of a choir group, the Brothers of Harmony. This group would travel around to religious organizations and perform choir concerts, and this with everything else, created busy Sundays.

The April 1st event was for Historic Shepherdstown Commission members and was for them to get together and see the museum before its reopening. The president of our commission stood in the new exhibit and greeted everyone who came up to see the exhibit. She talked to each of them telling about the exhibit, the history, and the background of the artifacts on display. Two people helped us with the mechanics of the construction of the exhibit, Rob McDonald and Angie Faulkner. Rob was instrumental in our ability to create the physical exhibit. Rob built a kiosk for a spinning information booth displaying three individuals who were interviewed for the exhibit. He also had a huge part in the development of the large display box we used for that exhibit. Angie put our ideas and thoughts into the world of graphic design and imagery. All of our graphics for that exhibit were designed and developed by Angie for use in the museum. The two of them together helped us to make a fantastic new exhibit that was up to par with professional exhibits.
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Saturday April 2, 2016 was the moment of truth for the new exhibit. On this day, the Historic Shepherdstown Commission and Museum had an open house for the public. This open house had some of the members from the Shepherdstown Red Sox and the Brothers of Harmony come. These members were the ones who made the exhibit go from a thought to an actuality, through interviews and donations of artifacts for the exhibit. These men and their families stuck around for the majority of the day, talking and catching up with one another. Later in the day a newspaper editor came up to the men and interviewed them about the exhibit and its opening. These men were extremely pleased with the outcome of the exhibit. They made this point when talking to the newspaper editor. The editor stayed for a while and then left with a story to tell. The exhibit open house, shortly after this, came to an end around 5 p.m. and the ball players and choir members were there the whole time. They are now publicly in the story of the oldest town in West Virginia.

To learn more about this exhibit and the Shepherdstown Red Sox, visit
http://historicshepherdstown.com/portfolio-item/red-sox-uniform/.   

The exhibit can be viewed at the Entler Hotel located at 129 E. German Street in Shepherdstown, WV.   The museum is regularly open Saturdays from 11:00 am to 5:00 pm and Sundays from 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm.  Private tours are available upon appointment. Call 304-876-9010 for more information.

This project was made possible through the Preserve WV AmeriCorps program – funded through a grant from the Corporation for National and Community Service and Volunteer WV.

MEET ELIZABETH ~ PRESERVE WV AMERICORPS

11/23/2015

 
By Elizabeth, Preserve WV AmeriCorps

My name is Elizabeth, and I hail from Tuscaloosa, Alabama. This is my first year serving as an Americorps at the Cockayne Farmstead in Glen Dale, West Virginia, and also my first year in West Virginia! Since I’m relatively new to the area, I’m still acclimating to many things that most locals are used to. For instance, I’ve never had my ears pop while driving down the road! However, I’ve really been enjoying getting to know both the people and the area, and my year thus far has been fun but busy.
Picture
Elizabeth (left) with site supervisor and Cockayne Farmstead employee, Caitlin.
The Cockayne Farmstead is an incredibly unique place in a sea of historic homes. Built in 1850 and willed to the city in 2001, four generations of the same family lived in the home. However, what makes the home really special is that the family kept everything. And I do mean everything. With an eclectic collection covering everything from Adena arrowheads, an 1895 electric bill, and a calendar from 2001, I’m constantly surprised by the contents of our collections.
​
Although I’ve only been at the Cockayne Farmstead for a little over two months, I’ve gotten a pretty good idea of what to expect for the upcoming year. Thus far, I’ve acquired a grant to create the first permanent exhibition on the life of the Cockayne family from 1850 through WWII, set up and began operating the Farmstead’s social media pages, and assisted the county convention and visitor’s bureau in their move to our office next door to the Farmstead. More broadly, I’ll be working on developing the Farmstead as a heritage tourism destination, and improving its capacity to become an arts and educational center within the county. Suffice to say, it’ll be a pretty exciting year! I can’t wait to discover not only what West Virginia has to offer, but also what I can offer my corner of it.
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