posted 2/15/2007
Sixty-one local groups with an interest in history or genealogy will gather for the 11th West Virginia History Day on Thursday, Feb. 22, 2007, from 9 a.m. - 3 p.m., at the State Capitol Complex in Charleston during the regular session of the West Virginia Legislature. All activities are free and open to the public.
The historical groups will provide displays and reenactments in the Rotunda of the State Capitol. Historians, genealogists, educators, preservations, veterans, fraternal organizations, librarians, ethnic groups and families with an interest in West Virginia’s history will provide exhibits featuring historical documents, photographs, artifacts and publications. Other attractions include reenactments of events in the state’s history, music, storytelling, and a ceremony honoring citizens from across the state who have made contributions to the history of West Virginia.
At 10 a.m. there will be an awards ceremony in the Norman L. Fagan West Virginia State Theater of the Cultural Center. “History Hero” awards will be presented to people who have made significant grass-roots contributions to the preservation of local or regional history. Local historical, genealogical, preservation, museum, patriotic and other similar groups made nominations for those receiving awards.
Authorized by the legislature, West Virginia History Day commemorates local groups’ efforts to preserve, protect and promote the study of the Mountain State’s past. The West Virginia Department of Arts, Culture and History joins the Archives and History Commission, West Virginia Historical Society, West Virginia Historical Association, Preservation Alliance Inc., West Virginia Association of Museums, Friends of West Virginia Culture and History, Mining Your History Foundation and West Virginia Humanities Council as organizers of the event.
For more information about West Virginia History Day, contact Fredrick Armstrong, director of archives and history for the Division, at (304) 558-0230.
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. Its administrative offices are located at the Cultural Center in the state capitol complex in Charleston, which also houses the state archives and state museum. The Cultural Center is West Virginia’s official showcase for the arts. The agency also operates a network of museums and historic sites across the state. For more information about the Division’s programs, visit www.wvculture.org. The Department of Arts, Culture and History is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer.
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