By Maddy Fleming
Serving with the Randolph County Museum
The endless experience of learning has always enchanted me. It’s what engaged me in the subject of history, and what encouraged me to pursue history as a field of study and work. The opportunity to work with history and heritage, and also continue my exploration of the field, is what made serving with AFNHA AmeriCorps so exciting for me.
This year as an AmeriCorps member has been one full of learning. I have experienced much of what I expected and an equal amount of things I did not expect, but am endlessly grateful for. One experience I anticipated with enthusiasm was the opportunity to work hands-on with an exhibit at the Randolph County Museum. As with any new job, however, crafting a museum exhibit, especially for the first time, can be an intimidating task.
First stage of placing artifacts in the display case
I was fortunate that coming up with a concept was not too hard, as my supervisor already had in mind the theme for this exhibit: Randolph County Schools. I was also fortunate that the Randolph County Museum’s archives have a wealth of education-related artifacts. I didn’t have to look far for items to include, or information to help me in researching what to include. And I loved having yet another opportunity to learn, specifically about how learning looked in the past compared to the present education systems I’m more familiar with. I dedicated days from December to March to general research and planning.
By April, I had a collection of artifacts ready to be placed in the exhibit. I was met with a few challenges, particularly concerning space. I made do with the space I was allotted in our small museum, making sure each artifact fit. After organizing and then even more re-organizing, alongside some trial and error, I figured out the right arrangement. I also handmade each caption card for labeling the inside of the exhibit, printing out the information to glue onto foam board before painstakingly cutting each card out with an X-Acto knife.
RCM volunteer at the subscription schoolhouse in Beverly
The new Randolph County Schools exhibit showcases a brief history of education in the county, from subscription and one-room era schooling to more currently recognized institutions like Beverly, Coalton, Elkins, Harman, Pickens, and Tygarts Valley schools. Featured artifacts include textbooks, photographs, as well as items from several noteworthy collections, representing their contributions to Randolph County education.
The Randolph County Museum is located in the Blackman-Bosworth building in Beverly
If you’re interested in visiting the Randolph County Schools exhibit, the Randolph County Museum is open to public visitation on Fridays and Saturdays, from 10am to 4pm. Admission is free and donations are appreciated.
I’m delighted to have earned this valuable experience, not only for any future endeavors that await but for the accomplishment of having completed something significant for my site. And there’s still so much more history and opportunity for me to discover beyond this project, beyond AFNHA AmeriCorps. For now, I continue to embrace all I can learn from my service terms.
