A Taste of some of the events for 2012

The Andrew Johnston House and Giles County Historical Museum are closed during the months of January and February. What are we doing during that time?

This quiet period gives us the opportunity to thoroughly clean and inspect our historic properties, check for mold, insect and weather damage, inventory and re-stock our gift shop, and train ourselves in new equipment and software. Most important – we’re busily planning events for the coming year. Here is a taste of what we’ll offer our members and visitors in 2012:

Civil War Weekend & the Battle of Giles Court House (June 9-10} will include a memorial
service, military parade, living history encampment, BBQ dinner, period music and dance, a Civil War hospital, topped off by a thrilling reenactment of the Battle of Giles Court House.

1st Thursdays Lecture Series – a new program that will feature a variety of topics, including
writing and publishing your story, the Battle of Giles Court House, The art of Appalachian storytelling, “Mystery at Mountain Lake”, eugenics in Appalachia, Negro spirituals, how to use historic records in the courthouse, and brick architecture in southwest Virginia.

Happy Birthday Andrew Johnston! – July 15 marks the birthday of our “founding father”, and we’ll celebrate with something special for the kids.

Heritage Arts Workshops –you can learn clogging, the art of the silhouette, making a
Civil War-era dress, glassblowing, traditional country dancing, and basket making, among other skills to add to your resume.

Summer History Camp for Kids - another exciting new program for kids age 8-11 will feature a week of archaeology, traditional music and storytelling, genealogy research, preparing Native American and Colonial food, old-time games and crafts, and a day in the life of a Civil War soldier.

Victorian High Tea –Participants will be able to sample scones and pastries, jams and Devonshire cream, cucumber and salmon sandwiches, and a delicious assortment of select
teas, served by Edwardian waitresses in the elegant rooms of the Andrew Johnston House.

Holiday Open House – “A German Christmas at the Andrew Johnston House,” Celebrate Giles County’s German heritage with advent wreaths, an Old World Christmas tree, traditional carols, an oom-pah band, nutcrackers galore, fruit bread and marzipan cookies, and a gingerbread
house contest.

We will also continue popular programs such as the Antiques Appraisal Fair and weekly Needle Arts Classes. Stay tuned to our website for further details: www.gilescountyhistorical.org. Or call us at 540-921-3999. As always, we welcome your ideas and suggestions too enhance these and other programs!

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

You never know who will show up at the Museum

On December 21st, nineteenth-century gunfighter Luke Short and his wife Hettie arrived for a tour of the Andrew Johnston House and museum. They told stories of the Old West and about the Pinkerton Detectives in Princeton, who may have passed through Giles County. The Shorts were visiting Princeton, and our friends at the Mercer County Historical Society sent them to us. After a very interesting chat we in turn sent them along to a well-known local eating establishment where they were hospitably entertained.

The Historical Society will be closed January and February. During that time we will planning our events for 2012, including exhibits, lectures, classes and a Civil War weekend. We welcome any ideas and suggestions. Check our website at http://www.gilescountyhistorical.org/ for further information.