“Alderson’s Longest Running News Media”
Contact:
Executive Director 304-645-3398
Margaret Hambrick, Secretary 304-646-2439
814 West Washington Street
Lewisburg, WV 24910
304-645-3398
NEWS RELEASE
Founded
in
1963,
the
Greenbrier
Historical
Society
is
dedicated
to
community
enrichment
through
education
and
preservation
of
the
history
and
culture
of
the
Greenbrier
Valley.
The
Greenbrier
Historical
Society
is
a
regional
organization
that
serves
the
West
Virginia
counties
of
Greenbrier,
Monroe,
Summers,
and Pocahontas.
Work Begins On Law Library And Rhoda’s House
Restoration
work
on
the
1834
Supreme
Court
of
Appeals
of
Virginia
Law
Library
and
adjacent
1835
Rhoda’s
House
(enslaved
quarters)
buildings
located
across
from
the
North
House
Museum
in
downtown
Lewisburg
has
begun!
These
historic
buildings
are
owned
by
the
City
of
Lewisburg
and
entrusted
to
the
Greenbrier
Historical
Society
under
a
long-term
lease.
The
Society
has
embarked
upon
a
three-year
project
to
bring
them
back
to
their
original
condition
and
configurations
so
that
they
may
join
the
other
historic
properties
that
the
Society
is
proud
to
maintain
and
present
to
the
public
(which
include
the
Blue
Sulphur Springs Pavilion, the Barracks, and the North House Museum and Archives).
Al
Emch,
President
of
the
Greenbrier
Historical
Society,
said,
“We
are
beyond
excited
to
have
this
work
begin.
We
are
one
step
closer
to
being
able
to
tell
the
story
of
these
important
buildings
and
have
them
reflect the times in which they were so significant.”
Some
initial
work
has
already
been
done
on
the
interior
of
both
buildings,
but
the
dramatic
and
transformative
exterior
renovation
has
just
started.
It
is
being
done
by
Buckeye
Construction
&
Restoration
of
Waterford,
Ohio.
This
work
involves
removing
the
notable
pink
(or
salmon
colored)
paint
from
the
Law
Library
building
to
reveal
the
underlying
original
brick.
Once
that
is
accomplished,
damaged
areas
will
be
repaired
and
the
brick
will
be
completely
repointed
with
period-correct
mortar;
finally,
the
windows
will
be
refurbished
and
new
shutters
installed
on
both
buildings.
All
of
this
work
is
expected
to
be
completed by the end of July and will bring these historic structures back to mid-19th century life.
The
Law
Library
building
was
used
from
1834
until
1864
to
house
the
library
and
personal
studies
for
the
five
judges
of
the
Supreme
Court
of
Appeals
of
Virginia
when
it
met
in
Lewisburg
for
90
days
each
year.
It
is
one
of
only
two
buildings
used
for
this
purpose
before
the
Civil
War—the
other
is
the
Capitol
Building
in
Richmond—and
has
preserved
within
it
graffiti
written
upon
the
wall
by
soldiers
when
it
was
used
as
a
hospital
after
the
Battle
of
Lewisburg
in
May
of
1862.
Rhoda’s
House,
originally
located
on
Chestnut
Street,
was
the
home
of
Rhoda
and
four
other
enslaved
persons
during
much
of
this
same
period.
The
two
buildings
thus
provide
a
broad
platform
upon
which
the
Society
can
and
will
present
the
full
spectrum
of our history during the first half of the 19th century.
The
Greenbrier
Historical
Society
gratefully
acknowledges
the
James
F.B.
Peyton
Fund
and
the
First
Energy Foundation for their generous contributions in support of this project.
PHOTO CAPTIONS:
1190:
Al
Emch,
President
of
the
Greenbrier
Historical
Society,
stands
in
the
doorway
of
the
1834
Supreme
Court
of
Appeals
of
Virginia
Law
Library
while
conferring
with
a
worker
from
Buckeye
Construction.
1200:
A
detail
showing
the
removal
of
the
exterior
paint
from
the
1834
Supreme
Court
of
Appeals
of
Virginia Law Library and Study Building.
(Click for larger view)
