Who We Are & What We Do

Who are the members of the Gilmer County Historical Society and what do we do? How do we use the funds that we raise to provide value to the community and it’s members? Good questions, right?

First, we are all volunteers and we have no paid staff. We are a group of people who enjoy history, heritage crafts and community service! You probably already know the historical society is a non-profit organization, so all funds raised go right back into supporting the organization and maintenance of the buildings; but what exactly do we use those funds for besides administrative costs like pens, paper, and paying the utility bills? Right now the funds we raise manage to cover the bills. We pay the utility bills and liability insurance for the two buildings which we own. We receive no government funding. That’s pretty much it. We can’t really afford regular trash pick up, so volunteers take turns taking the trash home to put with their home trash. All of the pens, paper, administrative things like computers and printers, etc, are donated supplies and equipment, as are the equipment and supplies to run our heritage crafts programs. The items we sell in the gift shop for fund raising are handcrafted by our volunteers and donated to sell for fundraising purposes. The volunteers pay for their own supplies to craft these items and then donate the finished product to the gift shop at no cost to the historical society. It truly is a labor of love to keep our doors open!

Continue reading “Who We Are & What We Do”

Fiber Arts Display

Our new Gilmer county Fiber Arts Guild (in conjunction with the historical society) has been working on a fiber arts display in the historic Holt House in preparation for this years annualWest Virginia State Folk Festival in June. You can come down early and explore this excellent display by the guild during regular open hours before the folk festival. The display includes flax, cotton, wool, broom corn, local grasses, and willow, as well as what can be made from these natural fibers and how they were processed and used historically and commercially today. Free broom corn seeds will be given out while supplies last.

Continue reading “Fiber Arts Display”

Happy Valentines Day

English poet Geoffrey Chaucer wrote the first recorded poem in 1375 titled “Parliament of Foules”.  Doesn’t sound very romantic to me. But then what do I know of romance in the year 1375?  By 1840, Easter A. Howland was the first person to mass-produce the Valentine card.  To read more about the “Mother of the Valentine”, check out this link on an interesting read about an amazing person. She broke all the rules when it came to a woman in a man’s world of entrepreneurs.    Happy February 14th. !  

http://www.victoriana.com/VictorianValentine/estherhowland.htm

Momma T’s Buttermilk Biscuits

When you grow up in WV the one thing you become a Connoisseur of is a well made biscuit! Unfortunately I’ve never really gotten the hang of making a really good homemade biscuit… until Momma T. taught me how. I’ve tried every recipe for biscuits known to man kind practically, and they never turn out the same as a good ol’ WV biscuit for some reason. Those other recipes always failed to quench my cravings as I moved around the US during my career in the military.

Continue reading “Momma T’s Buttermilk Biscuits”

Traditions used to bring in the New Year. 

Ever wonder, ‘Why Pigs, Four Leaf Clovers, Horse Shoes, Toad Stools, and Chimney Sweeps?’

The history of New Year’s good luck is a mix of many theories and are all tied into folk lore.  Each country brought with them their own tales which they told around the campfire during the settling of the New World.  Why some stuck and others have faded is a mystery……………….(To read more, click on the picture.)  

Continue reading “Traditions used to bring in the New Year. “

We Need Your Help!

Its very difficult to fund raise, especially in a rural area. We really need all our our members and viewers to help in a way that won’t cost you a single penny!

We would like to ask that everyone please go to their Amazon account and under settings select Amazon Smile and select ”Gilmer County Historical Society” as your preferred charity. This way… when you shop Amazon donates funds to the historical society and it does not cost you one penny. Please help us stay solvent by making this one slight change in your Amazon account settings.

You can get more info here: https://smile.amazon.com/ch/55-0692861

Looking for old Photos or Info about Ludwik Glass Co Inc, on Glass Factory Hill…..

If you know anyone or you have any information, pictures, glass pieces, etc. connected to the Ludwik Glass Factory, please call 304-462-8390 or email me at [email protected] (attn: Sandy)

Thank you

2021 Christmas Tea Party Gift Exchange

Photograph compliments of Sandra Hershey

Christmas Present Exchange Tea Party on Wednesday, December 15th at 12:00 pm.

At The Holt’s House Annex Building on Main Street, Glenville, WV

Bring a $5 gift, wrapped and ready to swap.

Everyone is welcome! The more the merrier.

Fall Tea Party

Come do some Day-Before Thanksgiving Shopping. Then sit and unwind with a cup of tea and baked sweets at our Fall Tea Party.  Bring your favorite cup and saucer to show-and -tell or use one of ours! Share your family recipes. Baked-goods donations are  welcome. Tea will be self-serve at the Holt’s House Annex Building,  302 East Main Street, Glenville, WV.  Come on out and get a jump on Black Friday gift shop sales. 

Hunters welcome! Come in for a snack to take back onto the mountain, get your shirt tail cut, or picture taken of the big kill.  We’d love to share your stories with everyone.  Maybe you can find a Christmas gift for that special someone. 

We’re open every Wednesday from 11am-3pm. 

And this year

Black Friday, Nov. 26th, and Saturday, Nov. 27th. 

We look forward to seeing you. 

Photo courtesy of Pexels.com 

It’s Folk Festival Month!

Print allIn new windowThe WV State Folk Festival is coming up!  It opens at 4 PM on Thursday June 17th and we have a lot of interesting events at the Holt House!!  We’ll be open Thursday, June 17th, 4 to 9 PM; Friday and Saturday, 10 AM to 9 PM.  and yes, our air conditioning works in both buildings!

One of the events will be a maple tree tapping demonstration.  Along with that, you can buy chances on winning a maple tapping kit. See photo below:  Each of 4 maple tapping kits, courtesy of Brandon Daniels of CDL maple supplies (304-575-7266, [email protected]) contains  * 10 taps with short tubes* 3 paper filters* 1 Instruction sheet* 1 catalog for more mapling supplies We will also include coloring and activity books, which may be included upon request, courtesy of Kate Fotos, Future Generations University’s Maple in the Classroom project ([email protected]), printing costs donated by Tina Barton at Croagh Patrick Maple Works in Tanner, WV ([email protected]). 

There will also be children’s activities, demonstrations in weaving and spinning throughout the festival days at the Holt house. Friday and Saturday morning, basket making demonstration by Carol Reed.  You will be able to make a rope on Saturday afternoon using an antique rope making machine.  You can weave your own mug rug, weave on the big barn loom, and take a tour of the Holt House. There will be wool preparation for spinning demonstrations. We will even have a hands-on grain grinding event on Friday afternoon. There will be members with hand made merchandise and art in the annex as well as outside. 

Don’t forget we have ghost stories at 7:30 Thursday and Friday evenings with Dave Corcoran. We have books and gifts items (handcrafted by our volunteers) in our Holt House gift shop (all proceeds from gift shop sales go towards maintaining the historical society property and future events) – 2022 calendars (and ask my why some are bound on the top and some on the side)… if we run out, you can order them and we’ll print more… There are a lot of things in the Holt House you haven’t seen before, so come see us!! our newest display is a mid 1700’s baby cradle (be sure to ask one of our volunteers to explain the, unusual but very traditional to that time period, cradle straps and woolen baby items!

Our normal hours to be open are Wednesdays, 11 to 3.  Come on in.  Don’t be surprised to see creative people doing their thing, as we have been having a lot of fun on Wednesdays handcrafting items to sell in our gift shop and creating new displays for the museum…We also have 2 computers and a lovely new printer that was graciously donated that you can use in the annex, as well as a lot of genealogical, WV history books, old property maps etc in our library for you to use.

If you would like to learn to weave, spin, sew, knit, crochet etc please contact us and we can set you up with free lessons! Although we do ask that you consider a small donation to help cover utility usage during the days of those lessons if you can afford to do so.
Maple Syrup kits to be raffled during Folk Festival
%d bloggers like this: