8/13/01
Join us as we explore our fine feathered friends when the West Virginia Department of Arts, Culture and History’s historic Jenkins Plantation Museum hosts a Free Family Fun Day program entitled “A Bird’s Life” on Saturday, Aug. 18, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Hands-on activities are geared for children; however, visitors of all ages are invited to discover something new by participating in the free event.
Located in the Greenbottom Wildlife Management Area of Cabell County, visitors will gather on the grounds of the Museum and learn about the birds that live in the area. Kids can explore the habitat, find out what birds eat, and hear about their migration and nesting habits. They can discover how birds fly, how they differ from other creatures and learn about the early ancestors of modern birds.
Rounding out the day’s activities, participants will delve into the principles of flight and create a kite out of wood struts and plastic and decorate it with markers. They can take the kite home, add string and fly it in their backyards. In addition, they can build a birdhouse, and assemble a foam parrot and decorate it to look like it just flew in for a visit from the tropics.
Children must be accompanied by an adult. Due to the nature of the activities, children should wear play clothes.
The Jenkins Plantation Museum is located on West Virginia Route 2, between Huntington and Point Pleasant. For more information about the Free Family Fun program, “A Bird’s Life,” call Bil Lepp, education coordinator for the Division at (304) 558-0220, ext. 131, or contact the Museum at (304) 762-1059.
Operated by the West Virginia Department of Arts, Culture and History, the Jenkins Plantation Museum gives people an opportunity to explore the lives of those who lived in the Ohio Valley plantation households and their impact on the region in the 1800s. The Jenkins House served as the home of Virginia merchant William Jenkins, who used the fortune he made trading grain in South America to create an impressive plantation. Upon his death, his youngest son, Albert Gallatin, inherited the home and grounds. Albert served as an attorney and U.S. Congressman but resigned to take a commission in the Confederate Army, leading the 8th Virginia Cavalry. Born in 1831, General Jenkins died in 1864 from wounds suffered in the Battle of Cloyd’s Mountain near Dublin, Va.
The 1835 house, built in the tradition of Tidewater, Va., features period furniture and exhibitions. It is on the National Register of Historic Places. The museum is open to the public for tours on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays for 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and can be reached on those days at (304) 762-1059.
The West Virginia Department of Arts, Culture and History, an agency of the West Virginia Department of Arts, Culture and History, brings together the state’s past, present and future through programs and services in the areas of archives and history, the arts, historic preservation and museums. The Cultural Center is West Virginia’s official showcase for the arts. Visit the Division’s website at www.wvculture.org for more information about programs of the Division. The Department of Arts, Culture and History is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer.
- 30 -