Heritage Farm Museum & Village (Tour) - Clio

Entries on This Tour

1. Artisan Center

The Artisan Center is home to the Heritage Farm Artisan Guild. Its mission is to preserve traditional Appalachian skills and crafts such as clothes-making, woodworking, and broom-making. Most of the first floor houses stations for the Guild’s various different artisans, where visitors may observe them at work or purchase some of their crafts. The south end of the building contains the Education Room, which is used for temporary exhibits, presentations, craft classes, and field trips. On the second floor is Heritage Hall, a private event space available for rent that can seat up to 200 people.

2. Applebutter Inn

The Applebutter Inn is Heritage Farm’s flagship log cabin. It is one of several lodging spaces scattered throughout the property. Located in the heart of the village, the Applebutter is the most visible and most popular inn at Heritage Farm. The Applebutter and all the other log cabins were constructed using logs recycled from old cabins across the Tri-State area. While heavily modified to provide modern comforts to guests, the Applebutter pays homage to the traditional hand-hewn log cabins once that were once prevalent throughout Appalachia.

The log church is the central landmark at Heritage Farm. It represents the important historical role that churches have had in Appalachian communities. A church was often the first public building constructed in a early settlement and it would be the site of meetings and school lessons in addition to religious services. The church here originated in Lincoln County in the mid-1800s. It was reconstructed at Heritage Farm using much of its original building materials. Today the church hosts many shows, performances, and other live events throughout the year.

4. Blacksmith Forge

The Blacksmith forge at Heritage Farm is a functional replica of a forge from the mid-1800s. An artisan Blacksmith works here several days a week creating knives and other pieces for demonstration. Blacksmithing was one of the most important jobs in early Appalachia. People depended on the Blacksmith to make or repair farming tools, horseshoes, wagon rims, nails, and other products that could not be made at home. Blacksmithing requires using extremely hot fires to make pieces of metal soft and bendable; this metal can then be shaped to make different items.

5. Country Store Museum

The Country Store Museum covers the history of general stores in Appalachia. General stores functioned much like today’s convenience stores. They were oftentimes the only business in town, and because of that they had to be able to provide locals with all the products they needed. They sold food, tools, clothing, tobacco, ammunition, and any other important items. General stores were common from the 1700s to as late as the mid-1900s. The Country Store Museum is a recreation of an early 1900s store, with some artifacts and exhibits representing businesses from other time periods as well.

6. Critter Corner & Nature Center

The Wild Heritage program at Heritage Farm highlights the interactions between people and the environment around us. The Critter Corner includes a number of heritage breed livestock such as goats, chickens, turkeys, ducks, pigs, rabbits, sheep, and a donkey. There are also some non-traditional animals including peafowl, llamas, and an African spur tortoise. The nearby Nature Center contains many reptiles, amphibians, and insects native to Appalachia. Both the Critter Corner and the Nature Center are open most days during the Spring, Summer, and Fall seasons.

7. Progress Museum

The Progress Museum explores how life and technology changed in Appalachia from pioneer days to the 1900s. Throughout history people have created new or better inventions to make life easier and more productive. It is through their hard work and creativity that we have all of the comforts and amenities we enjoy today. The Progress Museum is much like a walk-through timeline. You begin during the days of the Native American fur trade and travel onward through exhibits showcasing everyday life in the 1800s and 1900s.

8. C&O Caboose #90324

This original Chesapeake & Ohio Railroad caboose represents the importance of the railroad industry to West Virginia. Cabooses were a part of most trains for over 100 years, from the 1840s to as late as the 1980s in some places. These small cars served as the work space, office, bedroom, kitchen, and bathroom for crew members. They were also used by crewmen as an observation post, to see the outside of the train and make sure that there were no problems.

9. Transportation Museum

The Transportation Museum is devoted to the history of all things that move. It contains a diverse assortment of artifacts and vehicles such as wagons, cars, trucks, and a small airplane. The collection also includes a rare 1908 electric commercial truck, and a 1910 motor buggy from Sears and Roebuck. This museum explores the history of transportation and how its development has influenced business, communication, and lifestyles in the United States. The exhibits primarily focus on horse-drawn wagons, automobiles, railroads, and riverboats.

This Tour is a Virtual Museum or Site Tour.

Heritage Farm Museum & Village

Created by Steven Cody Straley on February 18th 2014, 11:37:40 pm.

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Description

Located on a historic Appalachian farm, this living history complex features sixteen buildings and events throughout the year. Heritage Farm was made possible by the vision and hard work of Mike and Henriella Perry, a couple who dedicated much of their lives to developing the museum and supporting endeavors that preserve and recreate Appalachian history and culture. The Progress Museum, the Transportation Museum, and the Country Store Museum are the highlights of the complex and showcase the progression of technology through exhibits containing thousands of artifacts. Heritage Farm is open year-round with guided or self-guided tours, depending on the season. Additional features of the museum include overnight lodging, an Artisan Center, the MakerSpace craft center, reception halls, tractor rides, a petting zoo, cafe, and gift shop. Heritage Farm is the recipient of many state and national awards, and in 2015 became the first Smithsonian Affiliate in West Virginia.

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