News – Historic Shepherdstown

Speaker Series – Melanie Garvey, The Legacy of Robert C. Byrd Through Ten Objects from his Congressional Archives, September 2, 2026

Melanie Garvey, Archivist of the Robert C. Byrd Center for Congressional History and Education, spoke at the Historic Shepherdstown Speaker Series September 2, 2026. The recording is available at Robert C. Byrd . A brief annual membership meeting of Historic Shepherdstown preceded the talk.

The archives of the Byrd Center, established in 2002, houses several collections that document the history of West Virginia’s representation in the US Congress from 1949 to 2010, most notably the papers of Senator Robert C. Byrd, longest serving senator in US history. Colleagues and friends of Senator Byrd established a foundation in the mid-1990s to develop an institution to study the history of the US Congress, with the goal of using Senator Byrd’s extensive papers and those of other West Virginia congressional representatives for research and public education.

“The Byrd Center is an enormous asset of national and international importance for Shepherd University and Shepherdstown. Melanie Garvey’s participation in Historic Shepherdstown’s Speaker Series is an opportunity to better understand the significance of the Center and to consider the important role that Senator Byrd played in national and Congressional history,” noted speaker series chair Dr. Keith Alexander, Historic Shepherdstown Board member and Shepherd University Associate Professor of History.

“My plan for the talk is to highlight ten objects from the Robert Byrd Congressional Papers Collection to illustrate Senator Byrd’s contributions to the country and world during his long service in the US Senate and House of Representatives. The objects will be available for attendees to view after the talk, and for all interested, we will lead tours through the collections to explain the archival process,” said Archivist Melanie Garvey.

Historic Shepherdstown – West Virginia Association of Museums’ Institution of the Year

Bee Line March Commemoration events

Historic Shepherdstown was recognized recently by the West Virginia Association of Museums for its participation in activities related to the Bee Line March 250^th Anniversary celebrations last spring and summer. The award for Institution of the Year 2026 was announced at the association’s Annual Conference held in Wheeling in April. It was a unanimous decision on the part of the judges, according to Katie Thompson, president of the Association.

Historic Shepherdstown co-chaired a countywide committee that brought together local civic and historical organizations, museums, fraternal groups, businesses, and schools to plan events, ceremonies, and presentations. In partnership with the Kentucky Rifle Foundation, the museum mounted an exhibit of locally made 18^th-century rifles. Brochures, posters, and other displays highlighted the story of the Shepherdstown men who marched to Massachusetts to support Gen. George Washington. The museum also worked with the county GIS (Geographic Information Systems) staff to create an interactive Bee Line March map featured in the July 2025 issue of Smithsonian Magazine.

In addition, Historic Shepherdstown’s Donna Bertazzoni and the late Peter Smith of the Shepherdstown Rotary Club were also recognized by the Archives and History Division of the West Virginia Department of Tourism for their leadership roles in carrying out the Bee Line March Anniversary activities. They were both recognized as West Virginia History Heroes in an award ceremony held June 3^rd in Charleston.

Donna Bertazzoni was nominated by Historic Shepherdstown for the award. She organized three seminars about the Bee Line March and organized other events, ceremonies, reenactments and the GIS interactive map. She is a past President of Historic Shepherdstown and has been active as a docent since 2017. The late Peter Smith, who was nominated by the Rotary Club of Shepherdstown, organized and chaired Shepherdstown’s commemoration of the 250^th anniversary of the Bee Line March, which included coordinating with numerous federal, state, county and local entities. He was similarly active as a leader in the year-long 250^th anniversary of Shepherdstown celebration in 2012. Smith worked diligently over the past three decades to celebrate the history of Shepherdstown.

“Each of us working in support of Historic Shepherdstown is proud of what we accomplished in 2025 to celebrate the 250^th anniversary of the Bee Line March. To receive the Institution of the Year Award means that museum and history leaders throughout West Virginia recognized the importance of this celebration and what we were able to accomplish in partnership with others in Shepherdstown. And we are so proud to know that the Tourism Department recognized Donna Bertazzoni and the late Peter Smith as History Heroes. We’ve known for some time that they are heroes in preserving and celebrating the town’s history,” remarked Stephanie Unger, President of Historic Shepherdstown.

Speaker Series – Main Street: A Proven Strategy For Historic Small Towns – Erin Barnes, May 13, now online

Erin Barnes, President and CEO of Main Street America, spoke on “Main Street: A Proven Strategy for Historic Small Towns” on May 13. This talk, part of the Historic Shepherdstown Speaker Series, was held at 7 pm at the Robert Byrd Center for Congressional History and Education at Shepherd University, and was cosponsored by the Potomac Valley Audubon Society. Historic Shepherdstown YouTube Channel

Erin addressed the success of the Main Street movement over the past 45 years in demonstrating the effectiveness of a combination of historic preservation, economic development, marketing and business restructuring strategies in strengthening the competitiveness of the downtowns of historic small towns and historic urban neighborhoods. Main Street America, with a network that includes 1,200 towns in 44 states, including West Virginia, continues to adapt to changing economic, demographic and retail trends and pressures facing America’s small historic towns – which Ms. Barnes will address in her talk. Main Street America is a subsidiary of the National Trust for Historic Preservation, which created the initiative in the early 1980s in response to historic small town downtowns throughout the country where historic buildings were decaying and business competitiveness was not being adequately addressed. In 2024, the network had $7.65B of local reinvestment and 10,126 building rehabs.

“As a member of the Historic Shepherdstown Board and as a former staff member of the National Trust for Historic Preservation when the Main Street initiative was launched almost 50 years ago, it is remarkable to consider what has been accomplished in the preservation and revitalization of small historic town downtowns in all parts of the country. The Historic Shepherdstown Speaker Series is fortunate to host someone of Erin Barnes background in small historic town revitalization and environmental issues,” remarked Historic Shepherdstown Board member Greg Coble.

For 15 years, Erin was CEO of ioby, an organization she cofounded, designed to mobilize neighbors who have good ideas to become powerful civic leaders who plan, fund, and make positive change in their own neighborhoods. The Rockefeller Foundation awarded Erin and her co-founders at ioby the Jane Jacobs Medal for New Technology and Innovation. She has also been a freelance writer on climate change and other environmental issues. Earlier in her career, she was a community organizer and public information officer at the Save Our Wild Salmon Coalition in Portland, Oregon. Erin holds a B.A. in English and American Studies from the University of Virginia and a Master of Environmental Management from Yale University.

Historic Shepherdstown’s Museum opens April 18, with historic 35 star US flag

35 Star Flag on display in Historic Shepherdstown

Historic Shepherdstown’s museum will open Saturday, April 18 with the debut of a rare 35 star US flag and the first public appearance of artifacts from the Battle of Shepherdstown.

The museum will be open from 11 am to 5 pm on Saturdays and Sundays 1 to 4 pm through October. Light refreshments will be available during the first hours of the reopening on April 18 at the museum at 129 East German Street in Shepherdstown, WV.

A grant from the Benedum Foundation enabled the conservation and encasing of a rare 35-star US flag in the museum. The flag’s significance is that it marked when West Virginia was admitted as the 35th state, serving as the official US flag from July 4, 1863 until July 4, 1865 when the 36-star flag became the official flag with Nevada becoming a state. Because it was in service for only two years, there were few 35-star flags produced. The flag to be flown in the museum was purchased at a private estate sale in 2024 and later conserved by Caring for Textiles of Washington, DC, an internationally known group that conserves antique and contemporary textiles for leading museums and collectors.

“While the flag was in service for only two years, it would have been flown by Union forces for nearly half of the Civil War. The Union forces in Sherman’s March to the Sea in November and December 1864 would have flown the 35-star flag, as well as in conflicts like the Battle of Spotsylvania in May 1864. Historic Shepherdstown’s museum is proud to now display a flag of such significant historic importance to the nation and to the state that will enhance the visitor experience,” remarked Historic Shepherdstown Board member and Museum Committee chair John Kavaliunas.

“The Benedum Foundation has been pleased to partner with Historic Shepherdstown on this notable project. Preserving the history of West Virginia through museums and artifacts such as the 35-star United States flag, allows for the sharing of cultural stories that are critical to the preservation of our heritage” said Kim Tieman, Benedum Foundation Vice President and Program Officer.

Oliver Petersen (left) and Julia Brennan of Caring for Textiles conserve the 35 star flag.

The museum will also unveil an exhibit of artifacts that have not been made available for public viewing until now from the Battle of Shepherdstown that was fought September 19-20, 1862, just two days after the Battle of Antietam across the Potomac River near Sharpsburg, MD. The Battle of Shepherdstown was a decisive Confederate victory that marked the end of Robert E. Lee’s Maryland Campaign. The artifacts to be on display in the museum include cannonball fragments, musket balls, fuse plugs and personal items such as a pocket knife, belt buckle and saddle tree. The Shepherdstown Battlefield Preservation Association (SBPA) has managed, documented and cared for the artifacts through the collection efforts of its members, volunteers, private collectors and related organizations. The SBPA has amassed a collection of artifacts, 12 of which will be on display in the museum.

Mike Nickerson, Shepherdstown Battlefield Preservation Association President and Historic Shepherdstown Board member, shared “The artifact collection allows us to learn new details about the Battle of Shepherdstown. Sharing it with the public at the Historic Shepherdstown Museum is a great opportunity to share those details. Many local landowners are enthusiastic supporters and have donated artifacts discovered on their land and allowed detecting – and they retain possession of artifacts found on their property.”

The Historical Memory of Frontier War in Twentieth-Century Shenandoah Family Histories, speaker series: April 15, 2026 – Ben Bankhurst, recording available.

Dr. Ben Bankhurst of Shepherd University presented “The Historical Memory of Frontier War in Twentieth-Century Shenandoah Family Histories” on Wednesday, April 15, 2026. A recording is now available at Speaker series April 2026 – Ben Bankhurst, The Historical Memory of Frontier War in Twentieth-Century Shenandoah Family Histories

The talk addressed the privileged place that the era of white settlement on the eighteenth-century frontier holds in the family lore of the Shenandoah Valley and central Appalachia. For the descendants of white colonizers, the arrival of their pioneer ancestors and the conquest and settlement of the region serve as a heroic origin story, rooting them to the land while simultaneously connecting them to the grand narrative of the nation’s founding. Throughout the twentieth century, family historians with a connection to the region, whether resident or not, published hundreds of family histories celebrating their families’ colonial lineage. Dr. Bankhurst, Associate Professor of History at Shepherd University, examined how white families, in the Valley and Central West Virginia, utilized genealogies anchored in the colonial or revolutionary periods to tie them to the land and, through the positive depiction of pioneer ancestors, counter demeaning narratives of the region and its people. Central to this process was the construction of often demeaning Native American stereotypes.

Join or renew your membership of Historic Shepherdstown

Have you renewed your membership or joined Historic Shepherdstown? Support the protection, preservation, communication and celebration of the unique history, stories, places and culture of Shepherdstown. Historic Shepherdstown membership

Loss of an important community member.

Peter Smith

Historic Shepherdstown joins other community organizations in mourning the loss of Peter F. Smith. Over the past two years, we had the opportunity to work closely with Peter on the 250th anniversary commemoration of the Bee Line March. We got a first-hand look at his prodigious talents for organization and fundraising. But most importantly, we saw and experienced his deep-seeded love of community and his understanding of the importance of history to Shepherdstown and Jefferson County. We extend our condolences to his wife Vicki, a long-time board member, past president and docent coordinator for Historic Shepherdstown. Peter’s passing leaves a hole in the Shepherdstown Community. He will be greatly missed.

Peter Smith obituary

2025 – Historic Shepherdstown Holiday Ornament

Since 2015 Historic Shepherdstown in Shepherdstown, WV has been selling a holiday ornament each year. Each depicts historic buildings in Shepherdstown, from McMullan Hall to the Fireman’s Hall. You can get a copy at the Shepherdstown Holiday Market at the Entler Hotel, at the Museum which is open Saturdays 11-5 and Sunday 1-4, and at the office in the Entler, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday 10 to 5, 304-876-0910. Or Historic Shepherdstown Holiday ornament.

This year’s ornament is the Fireman’s Hall. on the corner of New and King Street. Built in 1912, this red brick building of Gothic design with a square steepled tower at one corner housed the fire department. It also served as a community building, town hall, jailhouse, basketball court, sometime movie theater, and a gathering place for church suppers, bazaars, and entertainments by various religious and civic groups. After the fire company moved to a new fire house on Route 45 in 1987, the building remained empty for a time and now is privately owned.

Fireman’s Hall, Shepherdstown

Speaker Series – In Their Own Words: The French and Indian War at Fort Frederick, MD, October 15, Robert Ambrose, Park Ranger – recording.

Historic Shepherdstown’s Speaker Series on Wednesday, October 15 at the Shepherd University Robert C. Byrd Center for Congressional History and Education in Shepherdstown, WV, presented “In Their Own Words.” Drawing from primary documents, Maryland State Park Ranger-Historian Robert Ambrose explored the French and Indian War story of Fort Frederick (Washington County, MD) by answering the simple and sometimes complicated questions of who, what, when, why and how.

Fort Frederick (Washington County, MD) is the only stone fort built (1756) by an English colony during the French and Indian War, and is one of the largest fortifications built by English colonists in North America. The 585 acre Fort Frederick State Park borders the Potomac River and the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park. The state park is around a 19 mile walk or bike ride on the Canal Towpath from Shepherdstown.

Robert Ambrose has been employed with the Maryland Park Service since 2009, and at Fort Frederick since 2014 overseeing the largest living history program in the state park system. He resides in Berkeley Springs, WV, and in his spare time serves as the Defensive Coordinator of the Berkeley Springs High School Football team. Since 1996, Ambrose has been involved in living history of various time periods from the 1750s to the 1950s.

Listen to Ambrose’s talk – In Their Own Words, the French and Indian War at Fort Frederick, MD.

Paranormal events at the Shepherdstown museum

Halloween is coming and that means it’s time for Shepherdstown’s BooFest and the Historic Shepherdstown Museum’s Ghost Tours.

Here, at the most haunted building in the most haunted town in America, you will hear about some of our most prominent spirits — the lady in white, the amorous Frenchman, Civil War soldiers, and the unlucky duelist. Don’t miss the Traveler’s Room that, according to some, is the most haunted room in the building.

Join us for a free tour of the Museum and learn about some of the two dozen spirits that visitors have claimed to have seen, sensed and even felt. Tours will be offered on Saturday October 25, and Sunday, October 26, every half hour from 1:00 to 3:30 PM. (Donations are always welcomed.)

On Friday October 24th and Saturday October 25 evenings, follow local paranormal investigators Patricia Marin and Meredith Moore, along with psychic medium Angel Wells and dowser Les Johnson, as they explore the three floors of the museum. Tickets for these evening events are available are $15 per person. Preregistration is required and participation is limited.

Feel free to bring your digital recorders to capture EVPs (spirit voices) and EMF meters (which may help locate the spirits), along with any other equipment you may have.

Don’t be scared. Our ghosts are known to be friendly, but curious. At least up to now.

Tickets for the Paranormal Events are available here:

Paranormal Event at the Shepherdstown Museum – Friday October 24th

Paranormal Event at the Sh epherdstown Museum – Saturday October 25

Undecided? Watch Halloween in Shepherdstown

Aren’t you curious now?