MEET ELIZABETH ~ PRESERVE WV AMERICORPS

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.

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.
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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.