Our September Meeting - Sepember 9 (2 pm) - Kyle Warmack of the South Charleston Interpretive Center made an excellent presentation about the history of the Naval Ordnance Plant and Ordnance Park. Kyle presented to our group a copy of the 1941 Plot Plan.
November Meeting will be on sunday, November 11 at 2 pm. Being Veterans Day, Carman Kostelansky of the Nitro WWI Museum will talk about their museum. You wan't want t miss this.
Founders Day - The 14th Annual St. Albans Founders Day will be held on Main Street, Saturday, May 11, 2019. Sponsored by the St. Albans Founder's Day Committee and the St. Albans Historical Society, this event brings people to Main Street for food, arts & crafts, plenty of entertainment and concerts and helps to celebrate the history of St. Albans, as well as to promote the downtown businesses.
See "Founders Day" page for more information.
October 26 - Scary Stories at Morgan's Kitchen - Several people joined us Friday evening at 6 pm inside the cabin to share spooky stories. Fire in the fireplace and marshmellows added to the fun.
October 27 (Sat. 5-8 pm) The First annual Fall Homes History-Mystery Tour began at the Loop and going down historic Main St. and Eighth Ave. and ended at the Chilton House/Angela’s for refreshments. A sidewalk tour with actors along the way to pointed out historic events and mystery. See on Facebook: "St. Albans Homes/Mystery Tour". Over 65 people particiopated !!
2018 Up-coming Events:
December 8 (Sat. – 6-9 pm) 26th Christmas Historic Homes Tour. Visit inside several historic homes, churches, and the C&O Railroad Depot. All of the properties will feature Christmas decorations and refreshments. The tour begins at the St. Albans Historical Society building at 404 Fourth Ave., adjacent to the C&O Depot. A shuttle will take visitors to the various properties and make a continuous loop, or you have the option to drive to each. Tickets are $10 for adults; students free.
Year 2017 Accomplishments
- Printed two Newsletters (Spring & Fall)
- Worked with our Founder’s Day Committee to have a great event in May on Main St.
- Greeted over 75 visitors at Morgan’s Kitchen during our Summer Open House on Sundays. (June – August)
- Had over 35 visitors during our Open Houses on the 1st Saturday of each month at the Historical Society Building. Thanks to Kevin Bragg for volunteering to be their every 1st Saturday every month (10-2 pm) !!
- Held the 14th Annual Morgan’s Kitchen Fall Festival. Over 9 vendors, music, re-enactors apple butter making and cabin tours
- Opened Historical Society Building 4 Mornings in October for the New River Fall Train.
- Presented local history to the 4th graders at Weimer Elementary (Fall 2017) and St. Francis - Elementary 4th/5th grade (Jan. - March 2017).
- Continue to maintain a web site (18 pages) (www.stalbanshistory.com) (since 2009).
- Meeting Speakers:
· February – St. Albans Black History (and art) – Cubert and Philander Smith
· April – Craik Patton House Presentation – Paul Zuros
· September – Ft. Scammon history – Dr. Billy Jo Peyton
· November – WWII Experiences – Walter Filipek
· History Day at Capitol – (February) We had a display there & nominated
Patty Swango to be a WV History Hero.
· Received various donations of books, photographs and maps: (www.stalbanshistory.com)
· June 11 - Sunday Picnic, 2 p.m. at Morgan’s Kitchen.
· December 2017 – 25 Annual Christmas Historic Homes Tour. 80 people participated.
· Printed 200 vintage 2018 calendars.
· Printed Folders for Elementary School History Lessons.
· Purchased a sign for Morgan’s Kitchen Fall Festival.
· Sold numerous Historical Society books (12 different books) at the Village Sampler.
· Provided one representation to the St. Albans Convention and Visitors Bureau (ceased meeting 2017), the Downtown Landmarks Commission and History Wednesday.
· Maintain a Facebook page with historical information.
(see: St. Albans Historical Society)
· Held a Business After Hours for the Chamber of Commerce in April at our Bldg.
· Made 40 gallons apple butter for a fund raiser.
· Had a Coal River History display at the Forks of Coal Education Day in September.
· Participated in the Coal River Group Water Festival and demonstrated and displayed the history of the Coal River to 4th and 5th graders. (May)
· Fixed the A.C/Heat at the Historical Society Building. Leaking Freon.
· Worked with the St. Albans Teen Court to provide Community Service hours for 2 teens.
School History Project: Weimer Elem. History Lessons
Our group is currently (September - December 2018) teaching Local History to the 4th grade class at Weimer Elem. Started by Margaret Bassitt in 2011, this is our seventh year with this project. Neil Richardson and Denise Ash are presenting the lessons once a week on Thursday. Some topics are: early native peoples, early explorers and settlers, Ft. Tackett, early churches, schools and transportation, Coal River history, old homes in town and Morgan’s Kitchen.
Ellen Mills-Pauley having class make a Morgan Kitchen cabin from construction paper - 2016 (below left). Fall 2016 combined 4-5 graders at St. Francis.(right)
New Shelter Built: The City constructied a new picnic shelter beside the Historical Society Building in October 2017. It can be used by people during the Fall New River Train Days, C&O Depot activities and Historical Society activities...in addition to being used as a picnic shlter and a possible Farmer's market.
Weimer Elem. Field Trip - The St. Historical Society took the 4th grade Weimer students (30) on a field trip April 27 to Teays Hill Cemetery, Historical Society Building and Morgan's Kitchen..... where they did a scavenger hunt to find several items. They also had a scavenger hunt sheet on the school bus to locate historical markers along the way . They had a great time. This wraps up our local history teaching we started in September for two separate 4th grade and finished this week. Thanks to Ellen Pauley, Denise Ash and Brenda Thacker for their assistance !
