My name is Elizabeth Satterfield, and I am serving with the West Virginia Association of Museums. I am studying history at West Virginia University, with emphases in historic preservation and West Virginia history. Currently, I am researching Swiss settlement in Randolph County, WV, for my senior capstone in addition to creating an exhibit for WVU’s library based on summer research on the Sunnyside neighborhood of Morgantown
When I heard about Preserve WV AmeriCorps positions in Morgantown, I quickly applied, hoping to expand my experience and network within the preservation field. I accepted a position with the West Virginia Association of Museums to learn more about the administrative side of museums, how to write grants, and improve my event planning skills. I am also excited to contribute to a stronger museum community within the state through educational workshops and accessible resources. I am looking forward to meeting many new people through the Preserve WV program and participating in service projects across the state.
GRAVEYARD GLAMMING: PRESERVE WV AMERICORPS MEMBERS PARTNER WITH FRIENDS OF THE OLD STONE CEMETERY8/8/2017
By Patrick Corcoran, Preserve WV AmeriCorps Member Eastern Regional Coal Archives/National Coal Heritage Area
West Virginia continues to gain value, due to successful historic resource improvement projects, just like the one recently undertaken at Old Stone Church Cemetery in Lewisburg, WV. Preserve WV AmeriCorps members partnered with Friends of the Old Stone Cemetery for a day of historic burial preservation education, as well as, hands-on restoration experience. What if there was a way to discover West Virginia’s history, simply by going for a walk or drive? Thanks to the efforts of universities, historical societies, libraries, and local historians throughout the state who are using Clio, that future is now possible. And thanks to a $60,000 challenge grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities, there will soon be even more to discover throughout the Mountain State when residents and visitors use Clio, a website and mobile application that makes history come alive. Clio was built in West Virginia and is free for everyone at www.theclio.com.
The National Endowment for the Humanities announced the grant to Marshall University on August 2, 2017. The federal grant, together with tax-deductible donations raised by Marshall University to secure their portion of the match, will support a three-year effort by a team of scholars, librarians, museum professionals, and graduate students throughout the state. These scholars and students will work with the Preservation Alliance of West Virginia, Appalachian Studies Association, West Virginia Division of History and Culture, Foundation for the Tri-State, and the West Virginia Association of Museums to create heritage tourism walking tours throughout the state. On Monday, June 26, 2017, at the Old Stone Cemetery, 25 volunteers from local communities and the Preserve WV AmeriCorps program, cleaned and repaired over two dozen tombstones under the instruction of cemetery preservationists, Morgan and Kate Bunn, of Friends of Old Stone Cemetery. This was a record number of tombstones cleaned in a one day workshop. In addition, volunteers helped uncover most of the antique fencing of a lost family plot dating to 1857.
The restoration workshop, organized by Preservation Alliance of West Virginia (PAWV) and Friends of Old Stone Cemetery, began with a short instruction of the do’s and don’ts of tombstone restoration and a demonstration of the process of cleaning the stones with plenty of water and D/2 (a non-toxic biological cleaner that removes stains from molds, algae, lichen, and air pollutants). Each volunteer was given a take-home bucket of the necessary cleaning tools. PAWV invites YOU to help 3 preservation nonprofits match their AmeriCorps funding NOW!
What is AmeriCorps and Why are these Matches so Important? As you know, each nonprofit that wants to receive an AmeriCorps member has to raise match money. AmeriCorps members are essential to these nonprofits being able to do what each of them does. AmeriCorps members manage volunteers and take the lead on historic preservation projects. Their service is irreplaceable and vital. All donations are processed through the Network for Good webpage and are tax-deductible. Here’s Where Your Money Will Go! PAWV is recruiting for Preserve WV AmeriCorps members for the 2017-2018 program year.
The purpose of the Preserve WV AmeriCorps program is to implement historic preservation and heritage tourism projects throughout West Virginia by way of historic resource re-use, improvement, development, and interpretation. Members’ service will emphasize community development and revitalization through projects focused on historic preservation, volunteer management, and cultural heritage tourism development. Preserve WV AmeriCorps members will be placed with individual sites throughout the state of West Virginia, ranging from museums and archives to Main Street organizations and city agencies. Positions open for recruitment are noted below. For more information about position descriptions, contact dlapresta@pawv.org. By Hailey Horn, Preserve WV AmeriCorps with the Clio
At the beginning of my service year, I was extremely confident that I could cover, at the very least, one historic landmark in every county of West Virginia. That soon proved to be difficult, and most likely unrealistic, as I became obsessed with each community I was researching, and had to force myself to move on to the next before getting lost in studies that could easily take up all of my 1750 hours. I determined my research area upon importance: which area of the state PAWV or Clio was presenting in, the hometowns of gracious donators, or areas that needed serious improvements. After a couple of months into my service year, I found myself writing about a city that I thought I knew like the back of my hand and quickly learned that I was completely ignorant about the history of a place I have called home the past five years: Huntington, WV.
By James Shepherd, Preserve WV AmeriCorps at the Pocahontas County Opera House
|
Preserve WV StoriesCategories
All
Archives
August 2023
|