Clarksburg History Museum (Tour) - Clio

Entries on This Tour

1. Dominion Energy

Dominion Energy has been a powerful economic and philanthropic force in the Clarksburg area for almost as long as the city itself has existed. Many generations of Clarksburg natives have worked for Dominion Energy or its subsidiaries providing power to the area. In addition to providing jobs in Harrison County, Dominion Energy has also cultivated a reputation for philanthropy, especially involving education. The Dominion Energy exhibit includes a variety of display cases and artifacts donated by Dominion Energy that showcase the company’s history in Harrison County. In this entry’s audio clip, Dominion Energy external affairs employee Christine Mitchell recounts some of her former and present impressions of Dominion Energy and its impact on the local community.

2. School Exhibit Room

The School Exhibit Room commemorates the history of education in Harrison County. Though the county once boasted over one hundred schools, that number has now shrunk to a quarter of the original institutions due to consolidation. Artifacts range from the nineteenth century through the twentieth, and include furniture, garments, and paper materials. Some highlights of the collection include a coal stove once used to heat a one-room schoolhouse. The teacher would have had to arrive well before the students in order to begin heating the room. Another significant object is a diploma from West Virginia University awarded to Charles W. Lynch in 1874. You might have some trouble reading it however, as it is written in Latin. In this entry’s audio clip, museum president Michael Spatafore discusses these objects and more in the context of Harrison County’s historical schools.

3. Veterans' Room

The Veterans Room contains a huge variety of objects from almost every American conflict in the twentieth century. Items come from both World Wars, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, and even some items from the Gulf War. Uniforms, weaponry, bags, field equipment, rations, and tools in the room are all authentic. Most of the objects in the collection were sourced from Clarksburg and outlying community veterans. Some pieces, such as the German World War II uniform, are not from the immediate area, but help place the local objects in a broader context. In the entry’s audio clip, hear from Alva Ford, a military history enthusiast who curates the collection. The specific pieces on display vary as Ford acquires new objects and rotates what is on view. Ford maintains a strong commitment to preserving the items for future generations.

4. The Civil War

During the Civil War, Clarksburg was the site of no major battles or skirmishes. However, it was a crucial supply depot for Union supplies. General George B. McClellan established his headquarters near the city during the early phases of the war. At one point, Clarksburg had seven thousand soldiers camped in the city, prepared to defend supply lines from Confederate attacks. Despite the Union presence in the city, Clarksburg was a town divided. Two of the most important Civil War figures to hail from Clarksburg, John S. Carlile and Thomas Jonathan “Stonewall” Jackson, are emblematic of this divide. John S. Carlile was a Virginia senator and staunch opponent of Virginia’s secession from the Union, going so far as to call the decision, “a crime against God.”1 After helping found the Reformed Government of Virginia via the Wheeling Conventions, Carlile was critical in arguing for West Virginia statehood. On the other side of the conflict, Stonewall Jackson served as a Confederate general. He was one of the South’s most successful commanders and played a key role in many military victories. Throughout the war, personal loyalties of Clarksburg citizens remained divided, though Union control of the area was firmly maintained. In this entry’s audio clip, West Virginia Civil War historian Rick Wolfe talks about Stonewall Jackson and John S. Carlile.

5. Railroads and Transportation

For decades, Clarksburg was the transportation hub of northern and western Virginia and later, of West Virginia. The first locomotive arrived in Clarksburg in 1856, heralding almost a century of constant expansion. By the early twentieth century, the main Clarksburg station was operating twenty-four hours a day. Prominent local figure Nathan Goff was instrumental in expanding rail operations in Clarksburg. This exhibit serves as a historical reconstruction of how Clarksburg would have looked during the heyday of rail travel. In this entry’s audio clip, railroad enthusiast and display creator Pete Secret shares some history and information about trains in Clarksburg. Be sure to also see the nearby display case with information about Clarksburg’s trolleys.

6. Mining Display

West Virginia has a long tradition of coal mining, and Harrison County is no exception. For most of the state’s existence, coal has been the primary source of economic revenue. Many miners lived in the neighborhoods surrounding Clarksburg and used trains, trolleys, and other forms of transportation to go to the mines each day. The artifacts in this case provide insight into the historical daily life of miners through the most vital pieces of equipment: lanterns, a lunchbox, and helmets. In this entry’s audio clip mining equipment collector and former tipple worker Bill Hurst discusses some of the objects in the display.

The museum’s fossil room is curated by the West Virginia Fossil Club. The room contains a large number of fossilized specimens, almost all of which come from West Virginia. Items in the collection include fossilized flora, fauna, gems, and minerals. Displays are updated and expanded through the fossil club’s ongoing expeditions and fossil-finding ventures. Some highlights of the room include lepidodendron fossils, a type of tree that existed from 359 to 2 million years ago; fossil coral examples, West Virginia’s state gem; and information about the giant ground sloth, a large animal that is also West Virginia’s state fossil. Learn more about all these items in the audio entry from Sue Hurst, president of the West Virginia Fossil Club.

8. Robinson Grand Theater

This collection of items was donated by the Robinson Grand Theater, a nearby historic entertainment venue. The theater opened in 1913 and was rebuilt and renovated several times over the years. The most recent renovation from 2014 to 2018 preserved a number of items related to movie projection and stage productions. Other objects include historic cash registers which dispensed correct change using an analog system. There is also information about Madge Stout Douds, one of the most significant figures connected to the history of the theater. In this entry’s audio clip, listen to the theater’s executive director, Ryan Tolley, as he discusses some of the items on display and how they relate to the theater’s rich history.

This Tour is a Virtual Museum or Site Tour.

Clarksburg History Museum

Created by Iain MacKay on March 10th 2021, 5:35:31 pm.

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Description

The Clarksburg History Museum contains one of Harrison County’s most significant collections of historical objects. The museum was founded in 2017 and has constantly expanded its space and holdings. It focuses primarily on the political, economic, and cultural history of the city of Clarksburg. Exhibits include a fossil room, military room, theater equipment, mining items, biographies of important Clarksburg natives, and many other topics. In addition to the historical displays, the Clarksburg History Museum also offers educational and cultural programming, as well as The Fiddlers Hands Gift Shop. The museum is located in the Harrison County Board of Education building. This entry features a virtual tour of the museum, perfect for experiencing the collection from home, or supplementing an in-person visit. At each stop on the entry, qualified and passionate individuals share their perspective on different collections within the museum.

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