Fort New Salem is a frontier settlement of nineteenth century log structures located in Salem, Harrison County, West Virginia, United States, adjacent to Salem International University. Fort New Salem is a living history outdoor museum interpreting the history, crafts and lifestyles of the area. Historically, among the numerous seasonal activities held at the fort is "The Spirit of Christmas in the Mountains". This nationally recognized event is a joyous celebration of the traditional folk-ways found in observance of Christmas in West Virginia. [1] Work on this village of over 18 relocated log structures began in 1971. The Fort opened to the public in 1974, as a part of Salem College (now known as Salem International University). The site is approximately eight acres, now owned by the Fort New Salem Foundation, Inc. [2] [3]
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No matter your interests, Fort New Salem's events offer a unique and immersive journey back in time for all ages. Choose your adventure and create unforgettable memories!
Salem International University spearheaded the creation of Fort New Salem in 1971. They embarked on a mission to preserve and showcase the 19th-century Appalachian way of life. To achieve this, the university meticulously acquired and relocated 18 historic log structures, each representing a vital element of the past. Through dedication and resourcefulness, Salem transformed a vision into a vibrant living history museum, offering a unique window into the region's fascinating past. First opened to the public in 1974.
For decades, Fort New Salem thrived under the care of Salem International University, who painstakingly assembled the living history museum from 1971 onwards. However, by the 2000s, the university encountered financial challenges and sought the long-term preservation of their beloved creation. Recognizing the site's historical significance and educational potential, the Fort New Salem Foundation, Inc. stepped forward in 2005. Through their dedication and resourcefulness, they secured funding and acquired ownership, ensuring the museum's future and guaranteeing continued public access to this captivating glimpse into Appalachia's past. Now, under the foundation's stewardship, Fort New Salem continues to evolve, with ongoing restorations and expansions promising an even richer experience for generations to come.
To create Fort New Salem, Salem College embarked on a journey to collect authentic 19th-century log structures from across the region. They sought abandoned buildings, negotiated with families, and prioritized structures representing diverse aspects of frontier life. Each building was meticulously disassembled, transported, and reassembled at the site using historical techniques. Today, some structures even bear the names of generous donors who helped preserve them. While the origins of every building aren't fully documented, the Fort New Salem Foundation continues to research and welcomes any information from the public. This dedication to preserving and presenting the past has resulted in a living history museum that stands as a testament to the ingenuity and resourcefulness of those who brought it to life.
The cuisine of the Southern United States encompasses diverse food traditions of several subregions, including cuisine of Southeastern Native American tribes, Tidewater, Appalachian, Ozarks, Lowcountry, Cajun, Creole, African American cuisine and Floribbean, Spanish, French, British, and German cuisine. In recent history, elements of Southern cuisine have spread to other parts of the United States, influencing other types of American cuisine.
Historical reenactments is an educational or entertainment activity in which mainly amateur hobbyists and history enthusiasts dress in historical uniforms and follow a plan to recreate aspects of a historical event or period. This may be as narrow as a specific moment from a battle, such as a reenactment of Pickett's Charge presented during the 1913 Gettysburg reunion, or as broad as an entire period, such as Regency reenactment.
Living history is an activity that incorporates historical tools, activities and dress into an interactive presentation that seeks to give observers and participants a sense of stepping back in time. Although it does not necessarily seek to reenact a specific event in history, living history is similar to, and sometimes incorporates, historical reenactment. Living history is an educational medium used by living history museums, historic sites, heritage interpreters, schools and historical reenactment groups to educate the public or their own members in particular areas of history, such as clothing styles, pastimes and handicrafts, or to simply convey a sense of the everyday life of a certain period in history.
Colonial Williamsburg is a living-history museum and private foundation presenting a part of the historic district in the city of Williamsburg, Virginia. Its 301-acre (122 ha) historic area includes several hundred restored or recreated buildings from the 18th century, when the city was the capital of the Colony of Virginia; 17th-century, 19th-century, and Colonial Revival structures; and more recent reconstructions. The historic area includes three main thoroughfares and their connecting side streets that attempt to suggest the atmosphere and the circumstances of 18th-century Americans. Costumed employees work and dress as people did in the era, sometimes using colonial grammar and diction.
An open-air museum is a museum that exhibits collections of buildings and artifacts outdoors. It is also frequently known as a museum of buildings or a folk museum.
Apple butter is a highly concentrated form of apple sauce produced by long, slow cooking of apples with apple juice or water to a point where the sugar in the apples caramelizes, turning the apple butter a deep brown. The concentration of sugar gives apple butter a much longer shelf life as a preserve than apple sauce.
Christmas cake is a type of cake, often fruitcake, served at Christmas time in many countries.
The Museum of Appalachia, located in Norris, Tennessee, 20 miles (32 km) north of Knoxville, is a living history museum that interprets the pioneer and early 20th-century period of the Southern Appalachian region of the United States. Recently named an Affiliate of the Smithsonian Institution, the museum is a collection of more than 30 historic buildings rescued from neglect and decay and gathered onto 63 acres (25 ha) of picturesque pastures and fields. The museum also preserves and displays thousands of authentic relics, maintains one of the nation's largest folk art collections, and hosts performances of traditional Appalachian music and annual demonstrations by hundreds of regional craftsmen.
The dogtrot, also known as a breezeway house, dog-run, or possum-trot, is a style of house that was common throughout the Southeastern United States during the 19th and early 20th centuries. Some theories place its origins in the southern Appalachian Mountains. Some scholars believe the style developed in the post-Revolution frontiers of Kentucky and Tennessee. Others note its presence in the South Carolina Lowcountry from an early period. The main style point was a large breezeway through the center of the house to cool occupants in the hot southern climate.
The Culture of Virginia refers to the distinct human activities and values that take place in or originate from the Commonwealth of Virginia. Virginia's historic culture was popularized and spread across America by Washington, Jefferson, and Madison, and their homes represent Virginia as the birthplace of America. Modern Virginia culture has many heritages and is largely part of the culture of the Southern United States, however, Northern Virginia has become increasingly similar in culture to the Northeastern United States within the past few decades.
The Pearl S. Buck Birthplace is a historic home in Hillsboro, West Virginia where American writer Pearl S. Buck was born. The home now serves as a museum offering guided tours. The site also includes a carpentry shop and barn with over 100 historic farm and woodworking tools, and the log home of Buck's father's family, the Sydenstrickers, which was moved from Greenbrier County.
The National Museum of the United States Army is the official museum for the history of the United States Army. It opened on November 11, 2020. Its stated objectives are to honor America's soldiers, preserve Army history, and educate the public about the Army's role in American history.
Foxfire magazine began in 1966, written and published as a quarterly American magazine by students at Rabun Gap-Nacoochee School, a private secondary education school located in the U.S. state of Georgia. At the time Foxfire began, Rabun Gap Nacoochee School was also operating as a public secondary education school for students who were residents of northern Rabun County, Georgia. An example of experiential education, the magazine had articles based on the students' interviews with local people about aspects and practices in Appalachian culture. They captured oral history, craft traditions, and other material about the culture. When the articles were collected and published in book form in 1972, it became a bestseller nationally and gained attention for the Foxfire project.
The New Sweden Farmstead Museum was an open-air museum in Bridgeton, New Jersey, United States. A recreation of a 17th-century Swedish farmstead, it was located in City Park, and served as a historical remembrance of the history of the Swedish and Finnish people who arrived as part of the colony of New Sweden in early America. Originally opened in 1988, it operated as a living museum for many years. As funding and attendance declined, the log buildings at the complex fell into disrepair, requiring it to close.
The commemoration of the American Civil War is based on the memories of the Civil War that Americans have shaped according to their political, social and cultural circumstances and needs, starting with the Gettysburg Address and the dedication of the Gettysburg cemetery in 1863. Confederates, both veterans and women, were especially active in forging the myth of the Lost Cause of the Confederacy.
Heritage Farm Museum and Village is an open-air living history museum in Huntington, West Virginia that focuses on Appalachian history and culture. Originally conceived as a location to house and display the private collection of A. Michael "Mike" and Henriella Perry, Heritage Farm has expanded into an entire Appalachian Frontier Village that was recently named West Virginia's first Smithsonian-affiliated museum.
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