St. Albans Historical Society
404 Fourth Ave., St. Albans, West Virginia

Welcome !!
   

EVENTS CALENDAR AND NEWS


HISTORY HERO 2014 – Jack (Bo) McClure was presented the WV History Hero Award by Senator Manachin at the Culture Center on Feb. 19.

Bo has been a member of the St. Albans Historical Society for several years. He has donated photographs and artifacts to the two museums they operate and has and served on many society committees. Some of his activities include helping with the annual Founders Day event on St. Albans Historic Main Street and the annual Morgan’s Kitchen Fall Festival, where he helps make apple butter and to make numerous preparations for these events. Jack is always ready to volunteer for any Open Houses the society is having.  He works behind the scenes to get things done when it comes to sharing history in St. Albans. 

History Day

  (Neil Richardson (L) (president) and Histoy Hero Bo McClure)

FEBRUARY 8  WINTER MEETING - John Bullock and Megan Parker of the Malden /J. Q. Dickinson Salt Works gave a history of the salt industry and talk about the resent project of still producing salt for table use.  

School History Project:

The St. Albans Historical Society is presently teaching local history to the 4th grade class at St. Francis Elementary this Fall. Thanks to Margaret Bassitt, Neil Richardson and Ellen Pauley for volunteering. They met there every Friday at 1:30 pm for 30 minutes of insturction.

Rosedale Torn Down:

   The oldest house in St. Albans was leveled on January 29, 2015, after being severely burnt in a December 2013 fire. Built around 1818, it was located on the old James River & Kanawha Turnpike, now Kanawha Terrace. Early settler to Coalsmouth, Morris Hudson, purchased this land from George Washington’s niece, Elizabeth Spotswood, who had acquired it from her great uncle George Washington. Hudson’s son Samuel Hudson built this house around 1818. It was originally where the St. Albans High School now stands and it was moved across the street in 1954 when the school was built.

   The house had been an apartment for many years and only a few years ago was made into a single family dwelling. It was for sale and vacant when it burnt, causing much damage to the roof. The Historical Society did retrieve a ceiling joist that had hand cut mortise and tenon joints and wooden pins, as well as several hand cut nails used in the clapboard siding. The joist was cut with a whipsaw, which is obvious from it’s up and down saw marks. These saws were hand operated sawmills that existed in this area at this time and were used before circular saws, which came to this area around the mid 1800’s. Richardson stated that the next oldest house in town is the Turner House on B Street which was built in 1832, and Ravenswood, built in 1833

Rosedale

   (Above) Rosedale house being moved around 1951...

when construction started on the High School

Rosedale demolished

 


New Book - We have re-printed a 1932 book about the Civil War "Battle of Scary" Creek and it is available at the The Village Sampler. THIS NOW MAKES A TOTAL OF 13 BOOKS the St, Albans Historical society has for sale...and one DVD !!  See: Books for Sale

Recent Donations:
   
   -   Papers and letter from John Cummingham (Delmar Lacy)
   -   Lectern with a speaker system (Zion Hill Church)
   -   Model of Chuck Yeagar's jet and various items about the Yeager Monument.
   -   Various maps from 1940-1950 of St. Albans. (Anne McElhinny
    -    Homemade dolls from the 1950’s (Marion Moir)
    -    Music Appreciation Club Minutes & Notebooks (1970-1990) - club
    -    Vintage animal traps and canning lids for Morgan’s Kitchen (Bo McClure)
    -    Coal River and Western R,R. spike & piece of tie (Steve Sidebottom)
    -    Panorama view of Ferrell Gas Co. (James Holton)
    -    Large wall photo of downtown from Coal River Insurance (City of St. Albans)
    -    1940 St. Albans Band Photo (Kristi Sutphin)
 

St. Albans Historical Society - 2015 Meeting Dates

All meetings are at the Wm. P. Burdette Memorial Building at 404, 4th Ave.  2:00 p.m.

(Regular meetings are on 2nd Sundays unless otherwise stated)

February 9, 2015 - Regular  Meeting. Lewis Payne - Dickinson Salt Works

February  19, 2015 - History Day at Capitol (Thursday), 9-2 pm (need volunteers)

April 12, 2015  -  Regular  Meeting

May90, 2015  - Founder’s Day

June 6, 2015 - Historical Bldg. Open House, Saturday, 11-2 pm

June 7, 2015 - Sunday Picnic, 2 p.m. at Morgan’s Kitchen

June – August - Morgan’s Kitchen Open House, Sunday,  2-4 pm

July 11, 2015 - Historical Bldg. Open House, Saturday, 11-2 pm

August 1, 2015 - Historical Bldg. Open House, Saturday, 11-2 pm

September 13, 2015 - Regular Meeting

October 10, 2015 - Morgan’s Kitchen Fall Festival                             

October 17,18 & 24,25, 2015 - Fall Train Open House at Bldg.(8-9:30am)

November 8, 2015 - Regular Meeting

December 5, 2015 - Christmas Historic Homes Tour, Saturday, 6 - 9 p.m.


St. Albans Historical Society Re-prints 11 History Books

  The St. Albans Historical Society has re-printed 11 history books and their Walking Tour Brochure this past year. The 300 page "St. Albans History" was part of these printings ($60). Thanks to the WVDOH and the City of St. Albans for this funding, as part of the mitigation for the replacement of the St.Albans Bridge next year. Our biggest book was "St. Albans History", with over 200 pages of history and photos.All are available at The Village Sampler (722-0095) on Main St. in St. Albans. See: Books for Sale  (click)