Historical Society Welcomes New Executive Director

Historical Society Welcomes
New Executive Director

In December the Giles County Historical Society welcomed a new Executive Director, Patricia Jacobs. Jacobs brings impressive academic credentials to the job, including a BS in Education from the University of Virginia and a BS in Anthropology from Radford University. She earned an M.Ed in Communications Disorders from UVa and is currently working on a Masters in Public Health at Virginia Tech. Jacobs also attended a summer Field School in Archaeology sponsored by Radford University, was awarded a Certificate in Leadership and Nonprofit Management
from Radford.

Jacobs has lived in Giles County since 1988, and her mother’s family, the Thompsons, settled in the county in the early 1800’s. She has always been deeply interested in local history and Appalachian cultural in general. During her academic career she studied Appalachian folk medicine, public health in the region during the Great Depression, and migration in Floyd County, among other subjects.

Jacobs is not a newcomer to the Historical Society. From 2003 to 2006 she worked as a grant
writer, and she returned this past summer to organize an archaeology dig for 5th graders at Eastern Elementary School. When asked what she hopes to achieve in her new position she replied, “We have a real gem here with the 1829 Andrew Johnston House and the Historical Museum, as well as our research office. The society board members and previous Directors have worked hard for the past 25 years to create perhaps the best center for history, education and research among Historical Societies in the region.

“My hope is to raise our profile in Giles County. There are too many people who say they have
never visited the museum complex. For a number of years we’ve offered tours for the county’s elementary students. One of my goals is to ensure that every schoolchild in Giles County visits the museum -- and that they come back with their parents!

“We’ve also started a lecture series that will offer something for everyone: genealogy, local Civil War history, Appalachian storytelling, memoir writing and self publishing, local architectural history – there’s an unlimited number of subjects and many people in the area who can speak about them.”

Jacobs also wants to expand the exhibits in the museum. A new exhibit on the Civil War in Giles
County has just opened, and a recent donation of rare Paleolithic fossils found in the county will soon become another exhibit.

“All of these ideas require help from our community to become reality. We need volunteers in
many areas, including museum tours, exhibit creation, programming, education and outreach. We especially seek former teachers and other who’ve worked in educating the public. I’ll be spending a lot of time on the phone in the coming weeks to round up a great team!”

The Giles County Historical Society works to preserve, interpret and exhibit Giles County’s rich historical and cultural heritage. It provides a repository for Giles County family histories, documents and artifacts, assists genealogical researchers, and supports the preservation
of endangered Giles County artifacts, sites and records. The Giles County Historical Society and
Museum (540-921-1050) is closed during January and February. Regular opening hours will resume on March 1:Wed-Fri from 12-5 PM and Sat-Sun from 2-5 PM. Admission is free. The Research Office is open on Thursday from 12–5 PM. For more information, visit www.gilescountyhistorical.org