The annual Christmas Open House at the Beauchamp-Newman Museum will be held Saturday, December 6 in Elizabeth.
The Elizabeth Beauchamp Chapter Daughters of American Pioneers invites everyone to enjoy an evening tour of the Museum beginning at 4 p.m. The museum will be open before and after the Elizabeth Christmas Parade. Santa Claus will be visiting with the children in the Newman Room and members will be serving hot apple cider and cookies until 9 p.m. Several items have been donated this year and are now on display.
Recent contributions to the museum include a World War II uniform belonging to the late Jim Roberts, owner of Robert's Store. The uniform, a typewriter and a wooden telephone from the historical old store was donated by Pat Roberts.
A trench shovel belonging to Forest L. "Sam" and Goldia Eneix Mason, who lived at Newark, WV from 1945 to 1992 was donated by their daughter, Wyvonna Mason Kinsey of Nitro, WV. During World War ll from about 1943-1945 her mother, Goldia Eneix Mason, worked at the Ames Company, testing trench shovels made for the soldiers. At that time Wyvonna's father, "Sam" Mason, worked at Corning Glass Works in Parkersburg.
A set of dishes, smoking stand, lighters, a cane, handkerchiefs, and a personal autograph album was received in November from Waneta Thorn Lawrence, of Salem, VA. She has returned many beautiful Wirt County items to the museum in past years. Waneta is a descendant of Alfred Somerville, the grandson of Samuel and Susanna Sheppard Somerville. Her parents were Nella Elizabeth Somerville and Enoch Rector Thorn.
A collection of McGuffy Readers, a ceramic baby plate, a picture and school registers that belonged to Homer Ott were donated by pioneer daughter, Mrs. Edwina Ott. Homer Ott was an early Wirt County school teacher. Cindy Shrader has presented the museum an 1800's edition of "A Woman's Dictionary to the Bible".
A framed copy of the "Second Uniform Test for Wirt County, January, 1921" was donated by Carole Menefee. The test for students in fourth through eighth grades was prepared by the teachers at Sanoma, Palestine, North Point, Savage Point and Science Hill Schools for Leonard C. Dailey, Superintendent of Wirt County Department of Free Schools. Carole also donated an inkwell insert for a wooden school desk and a small teacher's desk bell.
A stock certificate and the company seal of the Elizabeth Flint Glass Manufacturing Company will be on display in the document room. This company was located on Depot Street in Elizabeth and made glass lamp chimneys, jars and decorative items from 1919 to 1922.
If you have never visited the museum, take this opportunity to view an impressive collection of Wirt County's history. The museum is located behind the Court House in Elizabeth, WV.
For more about the museum see Beauchamp-Newman Museum
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