Hawks Nest State Park Museum – Ansted WV

Description

“In July of 1936, West Virginia’s Civilian Conservation Corps obtained approval from the National Park Service to begin work on the log and stone building which would house the Hawks Nest Museum at one of the state’s newest parks.  While work progressed on the structure, the state was working out details of how best to preserve and exhibit a large collection of artifacts it had purchased from Judge Harland Calhoun of Moorefield...

Portions of the collection wound up at several state parks, including Cacapon and Lost River.  Much of the collection, though, came to the new Hawks Nest Museum and into the care of artist Sterling Smeltzer.  Smeltzer, associated with the CCC (Civilian Conservation Corps), was responsible for turning the huge collection of seemingly unrelated objects into a series of displays detailing the history of WV and the Midland Trail up to that point.  His water color paintings and detailed notes brought the collection to life.”   (https://www.anstedwv.com)