Every year or so we feature a new exhibit at the Beverly Heritage Center around a particular theme.
Starting in 2021, we have added a window display meant to honor different women from Randolph County. So far, we have had exhibits about Country Music Star Wilma Lee Cooper (from Valley Head), and a Suffragist and Prohibition advocate from Pickens named Anna Laurie McClintic.
Our Rotating Exhibit Hall currently features an Exhibit about the African-American community in Randolph County, past and present.
Previously, we had an exhibit there exploring select stories from the 450 pieces of historic graffiti documented in Beverly. 9 different buildings were surveyed in total, and most of the graffiti dates from the Civil War. You can see some of this graffiti for yourself at Historic Beverly Antiques and the Beverly Heritage Library.
To celebrate the centennial of WWI, in 2018 we inaugurated an exhibit featuring the story of Corporal Vincent Parmesano Jr., an Elkins resident who fought on the front lines in France. Parmesano was the son of Italian immigrants who attended Davis and Elkins College and who was part of the “Blue Ridge Division”.
In 2016, we had an exhibit about the Architecture of Beverly. This town is full of all sorts of different styles, such as Federal, Queen Anne, Second Empire, and Gothic Revival to name a few. This exhibit was featured in a photograph wherein Historic Beverly Preservation and the Historic Beverly Landmarks Commission was one of 50 communities given an award by West Virginia’s State Historic Preservation Office.
One of the earliest temporary exhibits featured the life and story of Laura Jackson Arnold (1826-1911). Laura was the sister of Confederate General Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson and she lived in Beverly during the Civil War.
Our Gallery space often features small displays of artifacts from our collection organized by a particular theme. These are updated several times a year so come back to see what’s new. Past displays have included a 100 year old letter to Santa Claus, needlebooks, medical instruments, materials from Beverly area schools, and much more.