West Virginia culture is a captivating blend of rich Appalachian traditions and vibrant high culture infused with the jazz of surrounding U.S. cities like Pittsburgh and Washington, D.C. The state is renowned for its deep-rooted Appalachian heritage, which is showcased through folk music, storytelling, and traditional crafts such as quilting and woodcarving. Visitors can experience this authentic culture at local festivals and heritage museums throughout the Mountain State. At the same time, West Virginia also embraces high culture, with world-class performances at the West Virginia Symphony Orchestra, acclaimed theater productions at the Greenbrier Valley Theatre, and art exhibitions at the Huntington Museum of Art. This unique mix of mountain traditions and refined artistic offerings makes West Virginia a true cultural gem in the heart of Appalachia.
GRANT TOWN, W.Va. — If you’ve had the opportunity to descend into a West Virginia coal mine, you might have come away with a new sense of the absolute darkness. The coal itself absorbs what little light might reach into the deep. Though the darkness can inspire dread, the nature of mining can lead the … Read more
GRANTSVILLE, W.Va. — Nights in rural Calhoun County are counted among the darkest in West Virginia, so it’s little wonder that the tale of one of the state’s strangest hauntings comes out of its hills. The phantom, which supposedly manifested in the valley of the Little Kanawha River in the late 1800s, is still a … Read more
MOUNDSVILLE, W.Va. — After learning about my series of articles on West Virginia prehistory in West Virginia Explorer Magazine, Olivia Jones, an adjunct anthropology instructor who recently joined the museum’s archaeological staff, suggested that we work together to address common misconceptions about “giant” Native Americans interred in West Virginia’s burial mounds. What is the “giant” myth? … Read more
LEWISBURG, W.Va. — Settlers who pushed westward across the Alleghenies in the 1700s engaged in a deadly gamble. Despite the threat of attack by the Shawnee, the daring few who took the risk to settle in that wilderness felt the promise of land was worth the danger. Such was the case with Andrew Donnally, who … Read more
CHARLESTON, W.Va. — The Great Seal of West Virginia may be as fascinating to some West Virginians as the U.S. dollar bill is for other Americans. It’s full of symbolism, the origins of which continue to be examined. Some of its symbols are mysterious, while others are likely more obvious. What is a state seal? … Read more
MOUNDSVILLE, W.Va. — The iconic LOVE-HATE tattoos that adorn many thuggish fists in the U.S. are tied to one of the most horrific events in West Virginia history and a blockbuster movie based on it. A murderous preacher, a lonely-hearts serial killer, and the infamous state penitentiary at Moundsville all figure into the twisted tale, … Read more
ANSTED, W.Va. — Historians investigating the history of a landmark tavern in southern West Virginia have uncovered evidence that explorer William Clark, of the Lewis & Clark Expedition, lodged there in the 1820s. While it is known that many famous travelers sought accommodations at the Tyree Tavern, or Halfway House, developers restoring the property as … Read more
BECKLEY, W.Va. — The historical outdoor dramas “Hatfields & McCoys” and “Honey in the Rock” will return to the Cliffside Amphitheater at Grandview this week and run through the end of the month. After a five-year pause, the drama “Honey in the Rock,” the story of the birth of West Virginia, is returning to the … Read more
FLATWOODS, W.Va. — In the annals of West Virginia lore, the Rolling meadows near Flatwoods, West Virginia, in Braxton County.[/caption] Descriptions of the event have led some to speculate that what a group of young boys encountered one night on the edge of Flatwoods was not an Highway US-19 wanders through Flatwoods near the alleged … Read more
SUMMERSVILLE, W.Va. — The tale of the “Ford Ghost” southwest of Summersville, West Virginia, appears several times in local lore. This telling by J.W. Benjamin, published in the W.Va. Heritage Encyclopedia, couches the story in a manner that captures the essence of a good ghost story with the help of Lonnie E. Legge, who might … Read more
