Arthurdale Heritage, Inc. is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization dedicated to the preservation of historic Arthurdale, WV (Map).
Our Mission: to restore and preserve the cultural heritage of the nation’s first New Deal Homestead Community through education, community events, and operation of the New Deal Homestead Museum.
Arthurdale thrived in the 1930s, but by 1941 plans were underway to liquidate the community and by 1947 all federal property had been sold to private owners. For the next 40 years, after changing ownership several times, the community buildings at the town center suffered neglect and began to deteriorate. A fire later damaged some of the buildings in the 1970s and by the 1980s the buildings were derelict and unused.
In 1984, Arthurdale residents came together to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Arthurdale. Inspired to save the buildings, one year later they chartered a non-profit organization dedicated to preserving the history of Arthurdale, the nation's first New Deal community. They named the organization Arthurdale Heritage, Inc. (AHI).
Since 1985, AHI has saved 5 of Arthurdale's historic buildings, and there is more to be done. We are working hard to preserve the nation's first New Deal community. With our main buildings restored (though preservation efforts are always ongoing), we are now looking to restore the historic Arthurdale school buildings and to rebuild the community buildings lost to fire.
