Our biggest thanks to everyone who came to the opening event for our newest window exhibit “Words of Love” on Saturday, February 15th! Even with the cold rain, we had a fantastic turnout! 

During the event, AmeriCorps Member Josie Shaver, lead exhibit developer, delivered a fascinating presentation on the history behind the letters on display and the people who wrote them. “All of these little lines are so powerful, and I wanted to do something to honor that. The way they speak to each other is beautiful,” Shaver said.

The universals of love drive this project; even though our ways of communicating may change, the emotions we feel and the challenges we face are fundamentally the same. 

In addition to the letters shared between four couples, this exhibit also features photographs from a Valentine’s Dance at the Featherstone (ca. 1960), postcards, and Valentine’s cards shared by classmates of Sophronia Strader, who is mentioned in the letters between Hutton Strader and Vannie Patterson. 

The Valentine’s Dance in the photographs took place at the Featherstone Post No. 76 of the American Legion, which was a gathering place and community center for the African American community of Elkins. The building stood approximately where the Senior center parking lot is today. These photos are included courtesy of the Riverside School Association Archives.

As the weather clears, we hope you all will get a chance to visit Words of Love! It is a window exhibit, so there is no need to wait for open hours—visit anytime you swing past the BHC on Court Street!

This exhibit has been made possible through financial support of the Appalachian Forest National Heritage Area.