Submitted photo Don Teter, president of the Randolph County Historical Society, shared a historic map with Judy Van Gundy during the 2025 Beverly Heritage Day.

ELKINS – Two-hundred and fifty years ago, when the Declaration of Independence for our nation was signed, colonial settlement in the Tygart Valley was only about four years old. What was the significance of this frontier for the new country? How has Randolph County grown and contributed to America since then?

Three Randolph County historical organizations are preparing programs and exhibits for 2026 that address questions like these, aiming to connect local history to the Semiquincentennial commemoration. Funded in part by the Randolph County Bicentennial Trust, with additional grants from Appalachian Forest National Heritage Area, area residents and visitors will have the opportunity to learn and experience how America at 250 applies to Randolph County.

“It is great to see excitement about America250 and features such as the history series running in the The InterMountain,” said Phyllis Baxter, secretary for Randolph County Historical Society. “These interpretive projects will connect that story of the founding of our country with our local story, and share ways that this anniversary is important to our own community.”

The Appalachian Forest Discovery Center in the Darden Mill in Elkins will feature “By the People; For the People: America’s 250th in the Appalachian Forest” exhibit, opening in June. This 2026 exhibit starts with The New Country about early settlement in our region, then shares thematic stories of Founders of the Forest, Cornerstones of Community, and A More Perfect Union.

The Appalachian Forest National Heritage Area has been interpreting America’s 250th for several years, with a blog series available at www.appalachianforestnha.org and through grant funding for projects like these across the region.

The Beverly Heritage Center is continuing a two-year America at 250 focus with “Building Beverly; Building the Nation” programming. For 2026, this includes exhibits, speakers, music, and artisan programs that share America 250 themes.

“Semiquin Saturdays” will feature tours, demonstrations, and activities most weeks through the summer, coming together on July 18 as the Declaration comes to Beverly for Beverly Heritage Day. Beverly Heritage Center is also preparing a new exhibit focusing on contributions of people from different cultures who came here in the 18th Century.

The Randolph County Museum is featuring a special exhibit on “The Harts as Founders: From Revolution to Randolph County.” The exhibit will feature the two sons of John Hart, a signer of the Declaration of Independence, who settled in Randolph County soon after the Revolution, and how their family has been impactful in the years since. A second project will refresh the Subscription School behind the museum, with new interpretation about education in Randolph County.

The Randolph County Bicentennial Committee established this Trust with Citizens Bank of West Virginia, for the purpose of supporting the observance in Randolph County of the Nation’s 250th anniversary in the year 2026. The Trustees appointed were the Clerk of the Randolph County Court, the Randolph County Superintendent of Schools, and the President of the Randolph County Historical Society. With agreement from the other trustees, the Randolph County Historical Society took the lead for a competitive grant process to fund educational projects related to the appointed purpose.

More information about these projects, programs, and exhibits can be found at their respective websites. For the Appalachian Forest National Heritage Area and the Appalachian Forest Discovery Center, see www.appalachianforestnha.org; for the Beverly Heritage Center see www.beverlyheritagecenter.org; and for the Randolph County Historical Society and Randolph County Museum see www.randolphhistoricalwv.org.