Arthurdale Heritage and New Deal Homestead Museum [WV]

Description

Visitors to Arthurdale, WV can revisit the 1930s. Established in 1933, by the United States government, Arthurdale is the nation's first New Deal Homestead Community. Created through President Franklin D. Roosevelt's New Deal legislation, the community provided a new chance at life for residents of West Virginia who were suffering from the Great Depression. First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt served as the empathetic force behind the community, which became known as "Eleanor’s Little Village" because of her interest. Today, Arthurdale is a National Historic District that features 160 of the 165 original homesteads. The New Deal Homestead Museum is a multi-building museum comprised of a forge filled with original tools, a service station reminiscent of a bygone era, the historic Center Hall, the original federal government administration building, and a fully restored Arthurdale homestead.

The museum offers exhibits, tours, and occasional recreational and educational events.

Historic Richmond Town [NY]

Description

Historic Richmond Town is New York City's living history village and museum complex. Visitors can explore the diversity of the American experience, especially that of Staten Island and its neighboring communities, from the colonial period to the present. The village area occupies 25 acres of a 100-acre site with about 15 restored buildings, including homes and commercial and civic buildings, as well as a museum.

The site offers exhibits, tours, demonstrations, educational programs, workshops, and recreational and educational events (including living history events).

Colonel Allensworth State Historic Park [CA]

Description

In August 1908, Colonel Allen Allensworth and four other settlers established a town founded, financed, and governed by African Americans. Their dream of developing an abundant and thriving community stemmed directly from a strong belief in programs that allowed blacks to help themselves create better lives. By 1910, Allensworth’s success was the focus of many national newspaper articles praising the town and its inhabitants. Today a collection of restored and reconstructed early 20th-century buildings—including the Colonel's house, historic schoolhouse, Baptist church, and library—once again dots this flat farm country.

The park offers a short film, exhibits, tours, and occasional recreational and educational events.

Greenwood Furnace State Park [PA]

Description

A walk through historic Greenwood Furnace evokes images of the community that flourished here from 1834 to 1904. Greenwood Furnace was a busy industrial complex, with all the noise and dirt of a 19th-century ironmaking community. Today, the park covers 423 acres, including a six-acre lake, and is surrounded by an 80,000-acre block of Rothrock State Forest. Interpretive programming at the park is centered on the former Greenwood Furnace and the company town that grew up around it.

The park offers exhibits, tours, and educational and recreational events.

Old Salem [NC]

Description

Old Salem includes four museums—the Historic Town of Salem, the Museum of Early Southern Decorative Arts (MESDA), the Old Salem Children's Museum, and the Old Salem Toy Museum— which engage visitors in an educational historical experience about those who lived and worked in the early South.

The museums offer exhibits, tours, demonstrations, and other recreational and educational events (including living history events).

A Splendid Coincidence

Description

Inspiration intersects with means in a partnership that resurrects a city. Character interpreter Ed Way discusses W.A.R. Goodwin, founder of Colonial Williamsburg.

To listen to this feature, select "All 2008 podcasts," and scroll to the November 3rd program. Audio and video options are available.

This is a repeat of node identification number 20482.

Elkhorn State Park [MT]

Description

During its heyday in the 1880s, the mining town of Elkhorn swelled to a population of 2,500. The boom ended in 1890 with the drop in silver prices and residents moved to other areas. They left behind two impressive structures, Fraternity Hall and Gillian Hall, which have been preserved as outstanding examples of frontier architecture.

The site is open to the public.

Website does not specify any interpretive services at the site.

Walhalla State Historic Site [ND]

Description

This site marks the birthplace of Walhalla. The town was first called St. Joseph after a mission established near Pembina in 1848 by Father George Belcourt. An original trading post built by trader Norman Kittson in 1851 was later moved to the site. There is a marker on the site.

The site is open to the public.

Website does not specify any interpretive services available at the site.