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.’

“We are delighted that Governor Manchin has honored our beautiful community by declaring July ‘Arthurdale Heritage Month,’” said AHI President Sarah Barnes. “This recognition helps us spotlight the important role our state played during the New Deal era.  Eleanor Roosevelt would be proud to know that her ‘little village’ is doing so well and telling the story of what she set out to accomplish,” Barnes said.

The New Deal Festival is Saturday, July 10^th and features artisan demonstrators, a craft market, living history actors, an antique car, truck, and tractor show, quilt show, kids activities, live entertainment, barbecued chicken dinners, and more. More information about the New Deal Festival is online at: http://www.newdealfestival.org.

Throughout its 25 years, AHI has tirelessly worked to restore and preserve the New Deal Homestead Community of Arthurdale. The organization started as a grass-roots community group in 1985, raising money through donations from local residents and businesses. Today, AHI has successfully restored and preserved five buildings comprising the New Deal Homestead Museum. AHI also has three major capital projects underway to restore five additional structures.

“Arthurdale Heritage has truly been a grassroots organization.  Those of us involved in 2010 are so grateful to the determined group who started the organization 25 years ago and the community who supported it. They worked so hard to raise every penny to restore what is now the New Deal Homestead Museum today.  The community of Arthurdale is such a wonderful place to live – due, in no small part, to the efforts of this organization.  Without AHI, the community would be another town with abandoned buildings and struggling to survive.  The people of Arthurdale are to be commended for their efforts over the years by taking such pride in their community and seizing the opportunity to tell their story,” Barnes said.

West Virginia Governor Joe Manchin issued this proclamation declaring July 'Arthurdale Heritage Month.'

“This award is a huge honor for our group. Our project was selected over projects in larger counties in Monongalia and Kanawha Counties,” said award recipient Becky Friend.

AHI President Sarah Barnes said, “Arthurdale Heritage is very fortunate to have a dedicated group of volunteers like the master gardeners. Their dedication and vision has helped turn what was once an abandoned building foundation into a beautiful garden.”

The garden, built on the site of the former Finks Co-op General Store, was completed in the summer of 2009. The project was funded with a Green Thumbs/Healthy Joints Grant from the West Virginia University Robert C. Byrd Health Sciences Center, Center for Excellence in Disabilities and a donation from Arthurdale Heritage, Inc. It features raised flower beds, decorative metal benches, and inspiring quotes from Eleanor Roosevelt.

The garden features raised flower beds to help teach ergonomic gardening techniques.

The garden sits on the site of the original Arthurdale co-op general store.

Being a tour guide is fun and enables you to meet some very interesting people. Last year, we had visitors from as far awa…y as the Ukraine. Another tour guide met a woman who served as a Peace Corp volunteer in Bosnia during the 1992-95 war!

Help Arthurdale Heritage do more to help others understand the value of this historic preservation project.

If you’d like to see what it is like to be a tour guide, please come to the training session this Saturday. Email or call for more info: ahi@arthurdaleheritage.org, phone: 304-864-3959 Tuesday through Friday, noon to 4 p.m., and we’ll be happy to discuss your interest in lending a helping hand.

We hope you will be able to help Arthurdale Heritage reach its goal of $8,500 by June to meet these grant requirements. By achieving this goal, each gift will be doubled by the state funds.

Click here to make your gift online or mail a check made payable Arthurdale Heritage, Inc. to P. O. Box 850, Arthurdale, WV 26520.

All donors who give $50 or more will be included on the donor listing displayed in the Center Hall year-round (in gift categories of $50 – $99, $100 – $249, $250 – $499, $500 – $999, and $1000 and above).

Fortunately, Rick isn't afraid of heights!

AHI only exists because of people like you who are willing to give of their time and money.  Please help us continue to save the past for the future.

Thanks so much,
Sarah Barnes, President
Jeanne Goodman, Executive Director

* The projects we’re so proud of are the new Center Hall floor, new garage bay doors, new service station doors and windows, and drainage improvements.

Deborah Miller has been a volunteer and member of Arthurdale Heritage since 1991 and served two terms on the board of trustees (1992-1998).

As a board member, she had the vision to make the homecoming weekend a marketable event outside the community, and her vision was realized when it became the New Deal Festival.

It also was through her perseverance and knowledge that the board created the maintenance/salary endowment fund. In addition to contributing to the newsletter, she presently schedules volunteers for museum tours and serves as a tour guide.

Deb was named AHI Volunteer of the Year in 2009.

To find out more about this award, please visit WV History Heroes

One of these family-oriented events is our annual Beat the Heat BBQ coming up next Saturday.  Tom and Dyanna Bonnette, Susie and Richie Davis and a slew of our dedicated volunteers will be grilling and serving up char-grilled hamburgers and hot dogs for this winter fundraiser.  And, yes, Tom and Richie will be outside in the freezing cold grilling. They do this every year and we are so very thankful for their dedication.

This event will also feature a SUPERVISED play area for the kids (so mom and dad can relax and have fun) and the Craft Shop will be open. The Craft Shop is not normally open until April when we start offering weekend tours again, so this is your chance to stop by and pick up unique gifts. (Valentine’s Day is just around the corner, fellas…hint hint!) We really hope to see you there!

Other fundraising events we are planning are the annual Elimination Dinner (April), Mother/Daughter Tea (May), the annual New Deal Festival (July 9-10), and an Ice Cream Social/Kids Day in August.  Also, October 11 is Eleanor Roosevelt’s Birthday and we’re thinking about throwing her a party!

That said, all of these events and initiatives take time, effort, and lots of planning. However, we always pull it off because we have such wonderful volunteers.  If there is anything that you would like to be a part of or help out with, we would love to hear from you.  If you are not on our volunteer email list, please let us know so we can add you.

One of the great things about technology is being able to easily get feedback from anyone and everyone.  We’re making lots of plans for 2010, but also for years to come.  We’d love to hear what Arthurdale Heritage means to you and what you would like to see us doing, so take a moment to add your comments below!

- Sarah Barnes
President, Arthurdale Heritage, Inc. Board of Directors

Victor and Becky Friend, creators of the Eleanor Roosevelt Memorial Garden

Becky and Victor Friend have transformed the overgrown lot where the general store used to stand into a beautiful garden.

Their self-less dedication, combined with countless hours of work, created a garden befitting the memory of  First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt,  who’s life it commemorates.

The materials for the Eleanor Roosevelt Memorial Garden were purchased with funds from the DHHR’s  Green Thumbs & Healthy Joints grant.    The labor for the garden was donated by Becky and Victor Friend; their son Tyler and numerous other AHI volunteers.

In a recent interview about her involvement in Arthurdale, Becky said,   “I have been a Preston County Master Gardener since 2002.   When the opportunity came up for writing a WV AgriAbility Grant, it was my vision to apply it to transform the old co-op store foundation into a colorful garden.    I believe the best gardens are the ones designed for everyone to enjoy.”

Preston County Master Gardeners (PCMG)  have been working to beautify Arthurdale since 2002.  In 2006,  PCMG members designed the “World World II Victory Garden”, which is  located at the Arthurdale Museum house E-15.   This garden won the prestigious Award of Excellence presented  at the WV State Master Gardener Conference.

Marilee Hall, center, receives WV History Hero award for 2009

Arthurdale Heritage is pleased to announce that Marilee Hall has been chosen volunteer of the month for April.

Arthurdale resident, Marilee Hall, named WV History Hero for 2009

Former President of Arthurdale Heritage,  Marilee Hall, was recently selected as a WV History Hero for 2009.  History Heroes are individuals who go beyond the call of duty to ensure the success of local history, genealogy, preservation and museum organizations.

Marilee has given years of dedicated service to Arthurdale Heritage.  She has served as a member of the Board of Directors, secretary, second vice president, and president, as well as a member of several committees. She compiles the newsletter, helps plan the annual New Deal Festival, presents living history at society events and other gatherings such as the Preston County Buckwheat Festival, and has been interviewed by various media about Arthurdale’s history.   She was instrumental in acquiring the original Arthurdale schools for the society and spearheaded fundraising for and assembled the 75th Anniversary Arthurdale Calendar for 2009.

Arthurdale Heritage is pleased to announce David Huxtable as April’s Volunteer of the Month.

David is a native of London, England and moved to Arthurdale in 2004.    He has helped AHI with numerous projects including the annual community clean up,  community dinners, leading tours and now serves on the Board of Directors as an associate member.

Mr. Snyder and his wife Nancy, live in Morgantown but have roots in the Arthurdale community.  Nancy’s grandfather, Mr. Ambrose Brotherton, was an original homesteader and lived in A-3.

When Dale was a child, he remembers visiting his aunt, Bertie Cress, who also lived in Arthurdale.

Arthurdale Heritage would like to take this opportunity to thank Dale for his time and support.  It is volunteers like Dale that make AHI a success!