Staff Writer Beverly Heritage Center executive director Christopher Mielke talks to a tour group inside of the Center Saturday afternoon. The center hosted the first of its two âHidden Space Tours.â The Inter-Mountain photos by Edgar Kelley
Beverly Heritage Center executive director Christopher Mielke talks to a tour group while standing on the porch of the 1841 Randolph County Jail on Saturday. The center hosted the first of its two âHidden Space Toursâ scheduled for the month of April.
The Inter-Mountain photos by Edgar Kelley
Beverly Heritage Center executive director Christopher Mielke talks to a tour group while standing on the porch of the 1841 Randolph County Jail on Saturday. The center hosted the first of its two âHidden Space Toursâ scheduled for the month of April.
Apr 2, 2021
The Beverly Heritage Center will host special tours of Beverly’s “hidden spaces” and historic preservation projects at 1 p,m, on April 10 and April 24. Visitors will have a one-of-a-kind opportunity to see the inside of Beverly’s Civil War amputation site, the 1841 Randolph County Jail and early Civil War graffiti.
“Historic preservation is a very expensive process with lots of variables that need to be prioritized” said Dr. Christopher Mielke, Executive Director of the Beverly Heritage Convention and Visitors Bureau. “Our hope with this tour is to showcase a variety of historic preservation projects focusing on several of Beverly’s historic buildings in varying states of restoration.”
Mar 4, 2021
BEVERLY The history of the Underground Railroad in West Virginia is still something of a mystery even after all these years. A series of safe points from the Deep South leading into Canada, spirituals such as “Follow the Gourd” were integral to guiding enslaved men, women, and children to a life of freedom up north. While certain routes along the Underground Railroad are well-known in the Northern and Eastern Panhandles and along the Ohio River, the heart of the Mountain State has not been examined in great detail.
On Feb. 20, Dr. Christopher Mielke, the Executive Director of the Beverly Heritage Center in Randolph County, presented a digital lecture on the topic. The focus of his talk was the role of the Staunton-Parkersburg Turnpike, an east-west route from the Shenandoah Valley to the Ohio River finished in 1845.
Sam England
During the January meeting of the Highlands Trail Foundation two new members, Sam England and Steven Leyh, were elected to serve on its Board of Directors and AmeriCorp Jessica Black was introduced.
England is well known for his extensive work with West Virginia State Parks spanning a 40-year career that started in 1977 at Twin Falls State Park and culminated with his appointment in 2014 as Chief of West Virginia State Parks & Recreation Section of the DNR.
In 2019, he retired for a short while before accepting his current position as general manager at Canaan Valley Resort.
England states, “My life-long love of fishing, hiking, and camping along with outdoor experiences I shared with my family was instrumental in my career path.”