The West Virginia State Museum, formerly the West Virginia Science and Culture Center, is a history, culture, art, paleontology, archaeology and geology museum at the West Virginia Capitol Complex in Charleston, West Virginia. It was founded in 1890 and is considered a major museum in the state by ''

The Statesman's Yearbook ''The Statesman's Yearbook'' is a one-volume reference book published annually since 1864 providing information on the countries of the world. It is published by Palgrave Macmillan. History In the middle of the nineteenth century, the British Pr ...

''.

About

The museum is managed by the West Virginia Department of Arts, Culture and History and is located within the West Virginia Capitol Complex. Exhibits cover the state's natural history, cultural history, art, geology and coal, paleontology, and historical settlements. The museum collections are diverse and include a flag collection from the

Confederate States Army The Confederate States Army, also called the Confederate Army or the Southern Army, was the military land force of the Confederate States of America (commonly referred to as the Confederacy) during the American Civil War (1861–1865), fighting ...

; a set of early medical tools from West Virginia's pioneering physician Joseph Robins; and examples of Homer Laughlin China Company (now known as the

Fiesta Tableware Company The Fiesta Tableware Company (formerly The Homer Laughlin China Company) is a ceramics manufacturer located in Newell, West Virginia, United States. Established in 1871, it is widely known for its Art Deco glazed dinnerware line, Fiesta. In 2002 ...

) Fiesta Tableware, a Newell-based ceramics manufacturer. It also houses the Wilson Stone (also known as Braxton County Rune Stone and Braxton County Tablet), a piece of sandstone with carved inscriptions found in 1931 and with unknown origins. In 1940, the state purchased the Wilson Stone and sent it to the

University of Michigan , mottoeng = "Arts, Knowledge, Truth" , former_names = Catholepistemiad, or University of Michigania (1817–1821) , budget = $10.3 billion (2021) , endowment = $17 billion (2021)As o ...

archeologist Emerson F. Greenman, who concluded that it was, in all likelihood, a fraud.

History

The earliest history of the museum started with the West Virginia Historical and Antiquarian Society in 1890, as an established exhibit in the state capitol. West Virginia governor William McCorkle opened the museum in 1894 and it moved to a capitol annex, followed by a move to the capitol basement. In 1976, the collection was re-housed in the new West Virginia Science and Culture Center and featured state of the art exhibitions of history and culture in a chronological ordered display. The West Virginia State Museum was awarded a grant (via

Save America's Treasures Save America's Treasures is a United States federal government initiative to preserve and protect historic buildings, arts, and published works. It is a public–private partnership between the U.S. National Park Service and the National Trust fo ...

) in 2001 for the creation of the "Civil War Regimental Flag Collection," in which many flags date as far back as 1890. In summer 2009, a newly renovated museum building debuted, after being closed for five years for a US $17.9 million dollar remodel. In 2011, the

United Mine Workers of America The United Mine Workers of America (UMW or UMWA) is a North American Labor history of the United States, labor union best known for representing coal miners. Today, the Union also represents health care workers, truck drivers, manufacturing worke ...

(UMWA) labor union's president

Cecil Roberts Edric Cecil Mornington Roberts (18 May 1892 – 20 December 1976) was an English journalist, poet, dramatist and novelist. He was born and grew up in Nottingham. Working career Roberts published his first volume of poems, with a preface by Joh ...

wrote a detailed letter of complaint about issues of inaccurate depictions of their organization in the museum, as well as issues of inaccurate history, particularly around the

Battle of Blair Mountain The Battle of Blair Mountain was the largest labor uprising in United States history and the largest armed uprising since the American Civil War. The conflict occurred in Logan County, West Virginia, Logan County, West Virginia, as part of the Co ...

a violent labor dispute.

Publications

References

{{Authority control 1890 establishments in West Virginia Museums in Charleston, West Virginia History museums in West Virginia Art museums and galleries in West Virginia Tourist attractions in Kanawha County, West Virginia

About

History

Publications

See also

References