Urgently needed repairs were finally able to begin thanks to YOUR generous support! YOU helped us raise $25,000 to make this project a reality. Total project cost is almost $50,000!
Your support combined with 50% matching “federal funds from the National Park Service, Department of the Interior, and administered by by the West Virginia Department of Arts, Culture and History” has made this preservation possible. Thank you so very much!! #ThisPlaceMatters#ArthurdaleHeritage#EleanorRoosevelt#NewDealCommunity
Operations continue here as we work to reopen June 1.
Sadly, we share with you news of the passing of William “Bill” Bauer. On January 4th, Arthurdale gained another angel when Bill was reunited with his beloved wife Barbara. Bill and Barbara lived in one of the historic Arthurdale homes and raised six children there. Many of us have wonderful memories of playing in the Bauer home as kids with Linda, Hank, Eddie, Jack. Suzy and Nancy.
The family has asked that in lieu of flowers, donations be sent to Arthurdale Heritage, Inc., P O Box 850, Arthurdale, WV 26520 or online at: https://arthurdaleheritage.org/giving Please include a note stating your gift is for the William and Barbara Bauer Family Legacy. Donations in lieu of flowers may also be sent to the Arthurdale Cemetery.
Friends will be received at Morgan Funeral Home in Reedsville, WV on Tuesday, January 7th, 2020 from 2 – 8:00PM and on Wednesday, January 8th, 2020 from 10Am until the 11:00AM funeral service. Interment will follow at the Arthurdale Cemetery.
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. “
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!
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?
We wanted to share a recent article from the Appalachian History: Stories, Quotes and Anecdotes website. Storyteller Judi Tarowsky shares her father’s unique story during the 1930s when he freelanced newspaper articles and photographs as a WVU graduate student. She describes his experience with his large Speed Graphic camera used to successfully capture photographs of Eleanor Roosevelt during her visits to Arthurdale, WV. This two-part story describes the national attention on the New Deal and the efforts made by Mrs. Roosevelt to improve coal miners’ lives.
Arthurdale WV: poster child for New Deal efforts to ease the suffering, part 1 Continue Reading
Front Row (left to right): Helen Nikirk, United Way coordinator Martha White. Back Row (left to right): Nick Taylor, Chris Hudson II, Brandon Hudson, Chris Hudson Not Pictured: Lora Quince
Volunteers from the United Way of Monongalia and Preston Counties rolled up their sleeves to help Arthurdale Heritage (AHI). It was all part of the United Way’s Day of Caring. Six United Way volunteers from WesBanco’s Kingwood branch and Allegheny Energy’s Albright Power Station teamed up with AHI volunteers to clean and organize storage facilities at its Center Hall Complex.
Arthurdale Heritage President Sarah Barnes (left) and AHI Executive Director Jeanne Goodman (right) display Governor Manchin's proclamation declaring July 'Arthurdale Heritage Month.'
Arthurdale Heritage (AHI) is celebrating its Silver Anniversary this July at its New Deal Festival. To kick off the celebration, West Virginia Governor Joe Manchin issued a proclamation declaring July ‘Arthurdale Heritage Month.’
The Preston County Master Gardeners have received top honors for their efforts to construct and maintain Arthurdale Heritage’s Eleanor Roosevelt Memorial Garden. Master Gardeners Becky Friend, Mildred Lindley, Russ Sanders, and Barb Sanders were awarded the West Virginia Master Gardener Award of Excellence for Outstanding Volunteer Project. The award, given by West Virginia University’s Extension Service, recognizes volunteers who dedicate a significant amount of time and creative effort in gardening and landscaping projects.
Win two passes to all practice and competition rounds. Your passes include guaranteed admission to a special concert featuring country music superstars Brad Paisley and Carrie Underwood.
Arthurdale Heritage, Inc. can help you make this Father’s Day special with the ideal gift for the dad who loves golf. Treat dad to the thrill of watching the world’s top golfers including Phil Mickelson, Tiger Woods, and Sergio Garcia. Held at the world-famous Greenbrier, your passes include guaranteed admission to the entire week’s events, including practice rounds. They also include admittance to a special concert featuring West Virginia native Brad Paisley and Carrie Underwood.
The Greenbrier Classic is a PGA Tour FedEx Cup event and runs from July 26 through August 1, 2010. Measuring nearly 7,000 yards and playing to par 70, The Old White Course originally was designed by Charles Blair MacDonald and reopened in 2006 after an extensive renovation by Lester George which returned it to its original design. In preparation for the tournament, minimal course modifications are expected to add a couple of tees and the practice facility will be enhanced. The event features a $6 million-dollar purse and weekend competition rounds will be nationally televised on CBS.
Bidding opens at 9:00am, May 24th here at our website and closes at 4:00pm on June 16th. The winner will be announced Friday, June 18th. Rebid at any time while the auction is open. The highest bid wins. Be sure to check back regularly to see if you’ve been outbid.
Sadly, we share with you news of the passing of William “Bill” Bauer. On January 4th, Arthurdale gained another angel when Bill was reunited with his beloved wife Barbara. Bill and Barbara lived in one of the historic Arthurdale homes and raised six children there. Many of us have wonderful memories of playing in the Bauer home as kids with Linda, Hank, Eddie, Jack. Suzy and Nancy.
