WHEELING, W.Va. – A variety of fun activities related to the American Civil War will be presented at West Virginia Independence Hall in Wheeling on Saturday, April 22, between 10 a.m. and noon. The event is free and open to the public.
The activities, appropriate for elementary school age children, will include singing period songs, a craft, characters in period costumes, a presentation on a typical soldier’s life and information about Wheeling’s own General Jesse Reno, who was killed at the battle of South Mountain. The cities of Reno, Nev.; Reno, Ohio; Reno, Okla.; and Reno, Pa., are named after our local hero.
Children can also enjoy cookies, drinks, and a small gift bag. All children must be accompanied by an adult. The program is sponsored by the West Virginia Independence Hall Foundation.
“Our goal is to bring families into this beautiful building that is also the birthplace of West Virginia,” said committee chair Maria McKelvey. “Besides the program’s special activities, families will be able to view exhibits on Civil War battle flags and statehood and see the magnificently restored courtroom,” she added.
For more information, call (304) 238-1300.
West Virginia Independence Hall has been on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) since 1970. It was originally built as a federal custom house in 1859, served as the home of the pro-Union state conventions of Virginia during the spring and summer of 1861 and as the capitol of loyal Virginia from June 1861 to June 1863. It also was the site of the first constitutional convention for West Virginia.
Designated a National Historic Landmark in 1988, the museum is maintained and operated by the West Virginia Department of Arts, Culture and History, with the cooperation and assistance of the West Virginia Independence Hall Foundation. The museum is open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday, except major holidays. The museum is located on the corner of 16th and Market Streets in Wheeling.