Traveling West Virginia: The Mountaineer Military Museum

I saw a sign one day, pointing the way to the military museum in Weston, WV. That day I was traveling with my sisters, exploring the Museum of American Glass in Weston, but I made a mental note to seek out the museum sometime when Larry was with me. Last month I was telling stories at the library in Weston and we decided this was the day to find the museum.

Originally built as the Weston Colored School, a school for black children built in 1882 during segregation and in use until 1954 in ,the Lewis County School Board donated use of the building for the Mountaineer Military Museum.

The building looks deceptively small from the outside but it houses a fascinating and sobering collection.

The museum is a work of remembrance for founder Ron McVaney and his wife Barbara. McVaney and several of his friends went into the military together during the Vietnam war. McVaney was sent to Germany, while his friends were sent to Vietnam. McVaney was the only one to come home alive, and he made a vow then that his friends would never be forgotten. The museum, begun after his retirement, is his way of keeping that promise.

The museum was not actually open the day we visited but Mrs. McVaney was there doing some work and graciously allowed us to enter. Inside the door, a visitor is immediately met but a corridor lined with portraits.

Mrs. McVaney explained that this is their Hall of Fame, and that any family in West Virginia can send in pictures of military family members to be displayed in the museum. The number of portraits quickly filled the hall and the display has spread to other places in the building as more arrive almost daily.

We were amazed at how professionally and creatively the museum was arranged. Many of the items were the Mcvaneys personal collection, but as word got out donations poured in from West Virginians around the state, and even from out of state.

She must have been a very special teacher; many soldiers wrote to Miss Darnall
during their time of service in WWII

The school board built on a new room as the collection grew, and the new space allowed the McVaneys to bring in an old Army Jeep,

and to build a little hut (they call it the "hooch") where veterans and others can spend quiet time in meditation.

A beaded curtain covers the entrance to the hooch. The beads were recommended by vets
who remembered the hooches in Vietnam--a place to relax and maybe party.

A video runs in the room, a moving tribute to veterans of all wars.

The displays are organized by time periods and wars/conflicts, from the Civil War to the present. The Civil War display is no larger than any of the others; in fact it might be smaller but that seemed all right to me, since that war is well covered by other museums, while later conflicts like Korea get little attention.

I was pleased to see that women vets were not overlooked. Almost every war display included something about the females who were part of the armed forces.

Uniformed mannequins stood with each display.

I was surprised to see that even Desert Storm and the Iraq War were included, and are continuing to be developed.

The museum continues to grow as donations continue to be made for the various displays. I know we're already looking around our house and thinking about what we have that might be better used by the museum.

I highly recommend the Mountaineer Military Museum as a place to visit: it reminds us of the toll of war, the sacrifice made by many, and of the responsibility we all have to remember those who defend our country. It's a humbling experience, and I left thankful that there are people like the McVaneys who give so much that we might all benefit.

The museum has limited hours as it is staff by volunteers. Call ahead if you would like to visit when the museum is closed and a tour might be possible. Located at 345 Center Avenue, Weston WV 26452, the museums hours are Friday and Saturday from 10am-4pm in the summer, and in winter on Saturdays only from 10am-4pm.

Copyright Susanna Holstein. All rights reserved. No Republication or Redistribution Allowed without attribution to Susanna Holstein.

Boscastle, Cornwall, the Museum of Witchcraft and Magic, and a Hagstone

We left Ilfracombe and headed to one of the places I was most curious to visit: Boscastle and the Museum of Witchcraft and Magic.

Our way took us along the coast. What an incredible trip, with beauty around every curve.

And then we were in Boscastle. The online pictures I had seen were so beautiful, but would the place measure up?

Absolutely.

There is a coastal trail that goes from Boscastle to Tintagel, We are not up to that level of walking (yet-maybe one day) but it looks breathtaking. I found this video of the hike after we got home, and now I want to go back again!

I am not a believer in witchcraft--I am a folklorist and storyteller, and folk beliefs of all kinds interest me. I will admit, however to being just that little bit superstitious! I toss salt over my shoulder when I spill it, don't walk under ladders and the like. It is the history of the thing that attracts me, and leaves me wondering why people came to such beliefs. So, in we went.

The museum is much larger than it looks from the exterior. We wound through halls and passages, up steps and into room after room, all filled with fascinating items and documentation explaining the origins and customs surrounding each. The museum is largely built on the collection of one man,
Cecil Williamson, who moved the museum to Cornwall in the 1960's after having established it in several over location previously. the museum changed hands a couple of times, and is now run by Simon Costin, Director of the Museum of British Folklore.

Here is just a taste of the museum's contents. To truly explore its offerings would take days, if not weeks.

This display traces some of the persecution and trials of witches in Britain--an extensive and sobering reminder of how superstition and fear can lead to sometimes disastrous results.

Snap Apple, a popular game at Hallowe'en, is expained in detail in the display. We used to play this at Halloween when I was a child, but usually there was just one apple on a string, which we had to try to bite with our hands behind our backs. We also bobbed for apples in a tub of water, another old custom harking back to British roots.

 An apple garland, or the Garland of Knowledge, was believed to contain powers to help in divination and meditation. I have also read that it an apple wreath brings good fortune and fertility to a household.

Room after room contained displays like the ones below. Herbs, potions, charms, chants, symbols, talismans...you name it, this museum has it covered.

When we stopped at Abraeron a few days before, Larry picked up this stone. We thought it was interesting and unique, but little did we know its value.

In the museum we learned that a stone with a natural hole through it, like this one, is called a hagstone. People hung them outside their doors or stables to ward off evil. So maybe Larry's stone will be hung up outside our door, just in case. Oh, it has to be a natural stone, and found be accident. Not nearly so lucky it you drill the hole, or go looking for a hagstone on purpose.

The museum was damaged by a bad flash flood that struck Boscastle in 2004, but fortunately enough forewarning allowed many of the artifacts to be saved. Volunteers came to help in the cleanup effort, and there was a great alarm when a dead body was found in the flood debris--a body that turned out to be a wax model from the museum! You can read much more about the museum on their website.

Boscastle is still a working fishing village despite the influx of tourists today, as lobster traps stacked along the harbor show.

Umm, these smell...bad! Very fishy! I had to find out, to my dismay.

We ended our time in Boscastle at a pub for a quick cup of tea for me and a Guinness for Larry.

Lovely stonework, old beams, hanging mugs and pitchers, warm wood floors made this a comfortable, homey place to stop and rest. Because as we were to find out soon enough, "everywhere you want to go in Cornwall is up."

If you haven't noticed, Larry was loving the pubs and having his Guinness here and there! It was a treat for him, something that he cannot get at home except in bottles. And I loved being about to get a good HOT pot of tea anywhere we went. That is something we truly lack here in the states, except at fancy places that charge a fortune for the privilege.


We had our bread and cheese in the car, so we picnicked on that and some fruit before leaving this lovely place to continue to our next b&b, far up on Bodmin Moor.


Copyright Susanna Holstein. All rights reserved. No Republication or Redistribution Allowed without attribution to Susanna Holstein.

The Museum of American Glass

I met my sister Judy in Weston, WV this past week, to finally exchange Christmas gifts (a little late!) and just visit.

Where did we do our visiting? At the West Virginia Museum of American Glass! This beautiful and fairly new museum is located in the heart of Weston and is thriving. They have paid off their building and have started a campaign to expand. New donations come in regularly; donors of collections also donate the cases to house the collection. Recently a woman from Washington state donated her entire, large collection of sherbet dishes. She drove the collection across the country, paid for the case and stayed to help with the arrangement of the collection! Hers is one of many stories the museum represents. While we were there a gentleman came in to donate scale models of a plate glass making operation.

There is a lot to see in the museum from the large mural donated by another museum to the marble collection, glass making equipment, and aisles and aisles of beautiful glass. If you have a piece and wondered when it was made and by what company, this is the place to find that information. If the piece isn't on display, the friendly, knowledgeable staff might be able to identify it. And if they can't there is a reference library lined with books.



We browsed slowly along the aisles. I was thrilled to finally identify a butter dish I had as being made by the Cooperative Flint Company in the 1880's. My dish had no lid but I loved it for its design. Judy saw a plate like one she had at home and was astonished to find it was also made in the 1880's.

We spent a lot of time in the museum's store. Not only do they have many books for sale, they also sell glass! Dean Six, a museum staff member and author of several books on antique and vintage glass, told us that the museum sells duplicate pieces or pieces that were not made in America as a way to raise funds. We were lucky enough to be there on a sale day, and bought several pieces for only $1 each.

In the sales area is also a collection of mis-matched lids. The collection included older and newer, some vaseline glass and colored glass, tops to sugar bowls, casseroles, butter dishes, etc. And would you believe, my sister found a lid that matched my dish! What are the odds on that happening? Very slim, I would say.

This pattern is called Budded Ivy, or Ivy in Snow, I suppose because of the stippled effect on the glass. I am learning a lot about Early American Pattern Glass and learning to recognize it when I see it. The glass looks different--I'm not sure how to describe the difference, but it stands out to me now. It's surprising that there is so much out there still in thrift shops; I suppose unless you happen to know its age, glass just looks like glass?

The Museum identified the lid as a "honey dish lid" and it could be that what I have is not a butter dish but a honey dish. I don't know the difference in the two, so I still have more to learn about this piece. And a whole, whole lot to learn about glass in general. It's a fascinating study. When I got home, I went online and ordered several more glass books, adding to my very slim library. I expect I'll be back at the museum soon, with pictures of all the pieces I can't identify.

The Mountaineer Military Museum

The Mountaineer Military Museum is another favorite museum of mine, and it is also in Weston, West Virginia. There are three great places to visit in Weston: The Museum of American Glass, the Transallegheny Lunatic Asylum, and this one.

 This Vietnam War memorial is especially touching.

The creator of the museum, Ron McVaney, is a Vietnam vet, and started the museum to honor the memories of friends who died in Vietnam. He and his wife Barbara have created an incredible resource for vets of all wars. I am sure many changes have been made since we last visited--it was pretty amazing even then. You can see my photos from that visit here.

Unfortunately the museum were closed when Larry went over the same day as I was visiting the glass museum, but he took photos from the outside.

The museum is housed in what was once the "colored school" back in the days of segregation.

We will have to try again. Currently the museum is open only on Saturdays, but they will try to accommodate visitors who call ahead to schedule a visit.

This is a work of love, and it really shows. Well worth taking the time to visit.

Copyright Susanna Holstein. All rights reserved. No Republication or Redistribution Allowed without attribution to Susanna Holstein.

Tomorrow: Museum Day Storytelling in Marietta, OH

A beautiful autumn day. Soft waters of the Ohio River flowing by. Two museums on the riverbank. Four storytellers. Can it get any better than that?

Jeff and I, on the river in Pomeroy, OH

Tomorrow is Museum Day, a day to get out an enjoy what the museums in your neck of the woods have to offer. Two of Marietta's museums teamed up to celebrate with a day of stories and music. Campus Martius and the Ohio River Museum will be hosting events all day and I am happy to be part of the celebration. I'll be joined by storytellers Judi Tarowsky and Stephen Hollen and my sometimes-partner-in-crime, musician Jeff Seager.

Stephen Hollen as Mark Twain, 2011

If you're in the area, come in and say hello and have a listen to some memorable, funny, touching and spellbinding tales and songs. And if you can't make it to Marietta, be sure to stop by a museum wherever you are, and thank the people who work so hard to create a place of learning and beauty in your neighborhood.

Campus Martius Museum is located at 601 2nd Street, Marietta, Ohio, on State Route 7, minutes from I-77. The museum is just one block away from the Ohio River Museum. 

The Ohio River Museum is located at 601 Front Street, Marietta, Ohio, one block from Ohio State Route 7, and minutes from I-77. Free parking is available in the museum parking lot. Ohio River Museum is also wheelchair accessible, except for W.P. Snyder. 

If you need more details or directions, call the museums at 1-740-373-3750.   

Copyright Susanna Holstein. All rights reserved. No Republication or Redistribution Allowed without attribution to Susanna Holstein.