Note that for many of these, there is a link to the website in the header/name.
Prickett’s Fort State Park
Prickett’s Fort State Park, located five miles north of Fairmont in Marion County, features a reconstruction of the original Prickett’s Fort, which served as a place of refuge during colonial times. This historical park commemorates late 18th-century life on the Virginia frontier. This day-use park is open mid-April through the end of October. Visitors may enter the park free of charge, but some attractions, such as the fort, charge admission.
The Frontier Culture Museum
The Frontier Culture Museum is the biggest open-air living history museum in the Shenandoah Valley, as well as one of the highest rated family-friendly attractions and one of the top tourist destinations in Virginia. Costumed historical interpreters show the life and customs of the indigenous Native American tribes in Virginia, the arrival of the German, English and Irish settlers along the Great Wagon Road, and the painful journey of the enslaved Africans to the first permanent British colony in North America. Visitors may also interact with a blacksmith at an Irish Forge, woodworkers, tailors, and yarn spinners, and learn how the early settlers of America cooked and worked the land.
For the 1632 universe, the English home is particularly helpful because it was actually in existence in 1631. The Irish and German homes are both newer and so not quite as clearly useful, but there is still a good bit of useful information when you look around. Even with the newer buildings, you can get some good story ideas.
West Augusta Historical Society
The Wilson School is a significant historical site located in Mannington, Marion County, West Virginia. This former school building, now a museum, offers visitors a glimpse into the past and the opportunity to learn about the region’s history.
Hamilton Round Barn
Built in 1911, the barn originally served as a dairy barn and was technologically significant for its impact on farming by incorporating the first electric milking machine in Marion County.
The West Augusta Historical Society maintains ownership of the barn, operating it as a museum. The museum holds a collection of antique farm equipment, a carriage, a sleigh, early mining tools, and other West Virginia artifacts.