May brings the fifth letter in the acrostic poem for library - A. For me, the A stands for the unexpected - art, artifacts, and archives. The Martinsburg-Berkeley County Public Libraries are fortunate to house many unique items donated by the local community.
Art
Several pieces of art are housed at the Martinsburg Public Library. "Christmas in Old Virginia," a painting by N. C. Wyeth, hangs in the main library. This painting was found in the basement of the old Interwoven Factory. A grant helped restore a work of art which portrays George Washington at Mount Vernon during the Yuletide season.
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| "Christmas in Old Virginia" by N. C. Wyeth |
Solomon, Goldie, and Frada Fine donated the smaller portrait of George Washington which is unsigned but attributed to Gilbert Stuart. Two pastel portraits of General Elisha Boyd and his wife Ann were loaned to the library by Ann Pahl and Mary Faulkner Kearse. They are displayed above the mantel on the third floor of the library.
Mobiles by Howard Connor were presented to the library in memory of his mother-in-law, Mrs. Rose Hollis. The fish and butterfly mobiles can be found in the children's department while one made of round discs hangs in the adult department. The plaster of Paris statue of a reclining boy reading which rests on top of the mystery section was made and donated by Michael Rodgers in the 1990s.
Artifacts
Artifacts representing local history are also on display through the main library. The Mantz tobacco box Indian was a gift from Dr. Marvin H. Porterfield. This item stood in front of the Mantz Tobacco Box store for many years.
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| Lockheed Vega Airplane |
Hanging in the library is a replica of the Winnie Mae, a Lockheed Vega plane, owned by F. C. Hall, a wealthy Oklahoma oilman. The Lockheed Vega, with its streamlined, high-winged, single engine design and reputation for reliability and airworthiness, was the favorite of many pilots in the 1920s and 1930s, setting flying records in both America and internationally. This model was built by Ward Hedges between 1949 and 1950. It has never flown, but it has a 3/4 horse power gas engine.
Another piece of Martinsburg history, the popcorn cart, acts as a display case. George Ashton used this and other carts to sell popcorn in downtown Martinsburg from the early 1900s until 1950. This cart was repaired and donated to the library by his grandson, Max Moss.
A unique piece of furniture on the third floor of the library is the revolving oak carousel bookcase. This bookcase stood in the library when it was founded by Newton D. Baker in 1897 and was housed on the second floor of the Flick Building. While the library moved from place to place, this bookcase was stored in the attic of the John Street School for over 50 years until the current library opened on the public square in 1968.
Archives
Archives are a mainstay of most libraries as they are a collection of documents such as letters, official papers, photographs, or recorded material, kept for historical interest.
The main library houses a local history and genealogy room with over 5,000 volumes related to genealogical research, genealogical records, and local histories of West Virginia, Virginia, Maryland, and Pennsylvania, although the main focus is on the Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia. In addition, the library houses the Clarence Martin collection which contains many classic historic nonfiction titles. These resources are administered by Keith Hammersla, the Director of Information Resources. He is also a noted genealogist and curator for the Adam Stephen House and the Triple Brick Museum.
Our microfilm collection includes newspapers of Berkeley, Jefferson, and Morgan Counties in West Virginia from 1791 to the present. Heritage Quest Online and Ancestry.com, both genealogical research databases, can be found at the library. The latter must be used in a library and all four branches have access to this on one of their public computers.
Several local organizations maintain file cabinets of historical information pertaining to their group at the library. While these minutes and papers are only available to organization members, the history is being preserved here at the library.
As our branch libraries continue to grow, they will acquire more art, artifacts, and archives, and we will make sure everyone knows about the generosity and thoughtfulness of those who donate.
So get your A game on when you visit the downtown library. Look for art and artifacts and explore the archives to discover the history of both you and your community.
Pam Coyle
Director
Martinsburg-Berkeley County Public Libraries
