HISTORICAL
TREASURES
The
Martinsburg Public Library is proud to possess many historical treasures in its
collections including an original oil painting by N.C. Wyeth entitled
“Christmas in Old Virginia.” The
artwork, painted approximately 1926-27, depicts a wintertime gathering of
persons outside of Mount Vernon, the plantation house of George and Martha
Washington, with the figures, some holding holly branches, hailing the arrival
of a large Christmas tree carried on a sled by oxen. The painting was originally used as an
advertising illustration on packaging for men’s stockings made at the
Interwoven Stocking Company of Martinsburg at Christmas in 1928, and the
painting was later enlarged by the artist.
For about 75 years, Interwoven was the largest
employer in Martinsburg, and for many years the plant held the distinction of
being the world’s largest men’s hosiery mill. Because of the painting’s
creation by a noted artist and its connection to the Interwoven Company in
Martinsburg, the library is doubly blessed to have this masterpiece of art. It
was acquired by the library through a donation in the early 1970s, and in 2001,
the painting was restored by art experts with grant money received through the
West Virginia Commission on the Arts.
--submitted by Keith Hammesla
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