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Celebrate 2019 Preston County History Days on every third Sunday from June – October

Learn more about the amazing history in your backyard during Preston County History Days on June 16, July 21, August 18, September 15, and October 20. The Arthurdale Heritage Museum will have free admission to the museum for Preston County residents during the regular hours of 1 – 5 p.m.

        Some sites charge admission; parking is free.

Arthurdale Heritage, a five-building museum complex representing the New Deal subsistence homestead project championed by Eleanor Roosevelt, including a restored homestead, on Rt. 92.  Craft Shop also open.

  • 1:00 – 5:00 p.m.

Aurora Area Historical Society, in its new building, features collections ranging from old-time retail and farming to manufacturing and home life, as well as extensive groups of area photos, at 23904 George Washington Highway (Rt. 50).

  • 1:00 – 4:00 p.m.

James McGrew House in Kingwood, 1841 brick home built by the prominent businessman involved in the formation of West Virginia.  Gift shop also open.  Along Rt. 7

  • 1:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.

Szilagyi Center in Rowlesburg featuring the World War II Museum, Preston County Sports Museum, B&O bridges exhibit, Emporium and café, on Rt. 72

  • 1:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.

Preston County History House in Terra Alta with three floors of Preston County history exhibits and photos, including genealogy records, 109 East Washington Street

  •  1:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m.

Tunnelton Train Depot Museum is a 1913 brick train station constructed for the B&O Railroad and an extensive collection of artifacts.  Nearby are two historic train tunnels, Boswell Street (from Rt. 26, in the center of town, go through the short underpass and the train depot is on your left).

  • 1:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.

Plus three outdoor Civil War Trail sites in Aurora and Rowlesburg.

Hoof it through history at the Goat Gallop 5k

The 2019 Goat Gallop 5k Run / Walk is just around the corner and we can’t wait! Join us on Saturday, June 15 for a gallop around historic Arthurdale with the herd. Celebrate the history of Preston County by enjoying an event in the heart of Eleanor Roosevelt’s “Little Village”.

Registration will be open online and onsite until the event.

Register online at runsignup.com/Race/WV/Arthurdale/goatgallop5k or stop by the office for paper registration. Visit the race website goatgallop5k.wordpress.com  for more information!

AHI featured on WBOY’s Roaming West Virginia

Last Saturday morning, a man stumbled upon Arthurdale Heritage. He said he had just spent the day driving around Preston County, looking for unique things to feature on Roaming West Virginia. He was pleasantly surprised to discover Arthurdale! Check out the article and video here!

“You can certainly make a day out of it, or a whole weekend out of it. This is just a small portion of what this part of West Virginia has to offer. “

Why Join AmeriCorps at AHI

Why join AmeriCorps at Arthurdale Heritage?

After graduating from WVU last year with a degree in International Studies, I decided to take an AFHA AmeriCorps position at Arthurdale Heritage. My year of service here has been incredible. It’s not only a great resume booster, but also the perfect transition from college to a career. Thanks to the meaningful work we do here, I have learned so many new skills and can now market myself in so many different directions. I’ve seen improvements with my public speaking, confidence, networking, marketing and communication, people skills, and so much more. It also provides invaluable experience if you want to work in the nonprofit world. 

Because of this position, just to name a few examples, I’ve been in the paper twice, on the news once, and on two separate occasions met a WV Senator and a WV Representative. It truly has been a year of personal development, while also making a difference in the community.

About the site, Arthurdale Heritage, Inc. (AHI)

Arthurdale is right next door in Preston County and is a wealth of unique American history. It was the first community created under the New Deal Homestead Subsistence Act. It became Eleanor Roosevelt’s pet project and therefore, she spent a great deal of time here. AHI comprises of the Center Hall complex, Administration building, Forge, old Esso station, and two original homes. One of the coolest things about this AmeriCorps position is that they actually provide housing for their members—a perk not common of other AmeriCorps sites and programs. I get to live in one of the beautiful original homes that the museum owns! Besides a free place to stay while serving for a year, there are other perks to joining AmeriCorps, as well. You get bi-monthly stipends, eligibility for SNAP and other assistance programs, loan deferral, and upon completing your term, you receive an education award of nearly $6,000 that can go towards more schooling or towards student loans.

The community is so fun to work with, too! Being a small nonprofit, we rely a lot on volunteers and fundraising. Those two struggles, believe it or not, are some of the best parts of working here. Many of the volunteers are descendants of original homesteaders or grew up in Arthurdale their whole lives, so they have amazing stories to share. Just being a part of this community alone has made my time here worthwhile.

What do you do?

Day-to-day activities can range from giving tours, to planning events, handling the social media page, helping with unique classes (from weaving to baby goat yoga), volunteer recruitment and management, and overall doing what you can to help the small non-profit museum. You can also attend an array of seminars, courses, conferences, and receive free admission into events to represent AHI, such as Cheat Fest. Serving here is pleasant, fulfilling, and fun! AHI gets two AmeriCorps members a year which makes it even more enjoyable. Serving at AHI has been one of the best decisions I’ve made upon graduation. Both of us AmeriCorps members are grateful for this experience and want to share it with some of those unsure of what to do or looking to serve next year.

  • AmeriCorps member participating in baby goat yoga
  • AmeriCorps members Torey and Meredith passing out candy to trick-or-treaters at AHI

  • Meredith presenting our  beautiful and historic Center Hall as the perfect rentals for all events, including weddings.
  • Receiving a neat donation
  • The 2018-2019 AmeriCorps’s service project: Shoe Drive Benefit Concert.
  • Museum building E-2 that one AmeriCorps member gets to live in!

New donations for our collections

A BIG thank you to Tom Belmaggio for donating two photos, three reflectors, and two sets of post office boxes!! The reflectors were made in the forge and had come from Wagner house U3. The post office boxes are from the original post office, which was a part of our Center Hall complex, located right next to the Craft Shop. It is so neat to have these items back here to display!

The post office likely moved to its current location in the ’60s. Two postmasters that worked at the original location, however, were Mr. Lovett and Mr. Vanaman. Does anyone have any information about the original post office that they could share with us?

Rep. McKinley visits Arthurdale!

Arthurdale Heritage, Inc. was honored to host Rep. McKinley, his wife Mary, and 14 staff members to celebrate our 18 county area being designated as the Appalachian Forest National Heritage Area (AFNHA).

Years of hard work and dogged determination by Rep. McKinley and members of AFNHA paid off and will bring a vast array of new opportunities to the area. This is a huge plus for regional tourism!

To see the video of Rep. McKinley’s visit: https://www.facebook.com/RepMcKinley/videos/440556530022926/


Thank you Rep. McKinley and AFHA for your years of perseverance to get our 18 county area designated as a National Heritage Area. This is a HUGE win for tourism. 

  • Representative McKinley and his wife, Mary are passionate about historic preservation! Congressman David B. McKinley, P.E., (WV-1) was honored as a champion of the Historic Preservation Tax Credit in 2018.
  • Executive Director, Darlene Bolyard, talks about the national importance of Arthurdale as the nations first New Deal Community. #ThisPlaceMatters
  • Congressman McKinley spoke about the importance of working together for the greater good. #BiPartisanEffortsProduceResults #ThisPlaceMatters

Community Yard Sale 2019

The annual Arthurdale Community Yard Sale is Saturday May 11!

Drive around historic Arthurdale and stop at the many houses that will be selling all sorts of treasures. Free maps with a list of sellers will be available outside the Visitors Center on Saturday morning.

Want to add your house to our map? The deadline is Friday April 27 at noon. Registration is FREE! Call the office or email ahi@arthurdaleheritage.org with any questions. Add your listing to the online form at your convenience (click here or the link below), drop by the office, or give us a call.

Community Yard Sale 2019 List and Form 

Pampered Chef Benefit Party

You’re invited to a Cooking Show party! Mark your calendar and invite a friend or two! Get ready to learn recipes and tips to make mealtimes simple and stress-free.
Don’t miss out on the fun! Wine, cheese and hor d’oeuvres will be served.
All proceeds from this fundraiser will be donated to AHI to help pay for critical repairs to the historic Center Hall.
Can’t attend the party? No problem! Start shopping right now online:
https://www.pamperedchef.com/party/ArthurdaleHeritage
Orders will be processed as soon as they are placed and quickly SHIPPED DIRECTLY TO YOU!

2019 Cabin Fever Craft Show

Spring is on it’s way! Shake the winter blues and join Arthurdale Heritage at the annual Cabin Fever Craft Show on Saturday, March 23 10am-4pm. Browse the handmade goods of the talented West Virigina artists visiting Center Hall and find some treasures to take home. Grab a bite to eat at the free will donation lunch with some favorite recipes like Roger’s Sloppy Joes and Jeanie’s delicious soups plus homemade desserts and more. Visit the administration building for an art show of works by late Preston Co. artist Dolores Ryan–original pieces from her collection will be available for purchase. Admission and parking are free! We’ll see you there.

https://www.wboy.com/community/noon-interviews/baby-goat-yoga-and-craft-show_20190320164709/1863681875