Local groups with an interest in history or genealogy are invited to participate in the 13th West Virginia History Day on Thursday, March 5, 2009, at the State Capitol Complex in Charleston during the regular session of the West Virginia Legislature. Local historical groups are expected to provide displays and reenactments in the Rotunda of the State Capitol.
Historians, genealogists, educators, preservationists, veterans, fraternal organizations, librarians, ethnic groups and families with an interest in West Virginia’s history are invited to provide exhibits featuring historical documents, photographs, artifacts and publications. Other attractions will include reenactments of events in the state’s history, storytelling, and a ceremony honoring citizens from across the state who have made contributions to the history of West Virginia.
At an awards ceremony in the Norman L. Fagan West Virginia State Theater at 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 are encouraged to provide nominations for the 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 Division of Culture and History joins the Archives and History Commission, West Virginia Historical Society, Preservation Alliance of West Virginia, West Virginia Humanities Council, West Virginia Association of Museums, Friends of West Virginia Culture and History and Mining Your History Foundation as organizers of this year’s events. All West Virginia History Day events are free and open to the public.
History Hero nominations must be postmarked by Dec. 31. Nominations also may be hand-delivered to the Archives and History Library at the Cultural Center in the State Capitol Complex by that deadline.
Applications from groups interested in setting up displays on history-related projects are due by Feb. 13, 2009. For more information about History Day, or to request nomination or display space reservation forms, contact Archives and History at (304) 558-0230.
The West Virginia Division of Culture and History, an agency of the West Virginia Department of Education and the Arts, 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 Division of Culture and History is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer.
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