Events 2018

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Members and volunteers of the Martinsburg Historical Society accomplished worked on many projects and participated in many events . It was the busiest season to date. Sue Adsit, our Town Historian, rolled out volume II of Martinsburg The Way We Were. Volume I sold out several times, so we went to print again. Since the last reprinting, there are very few copies left of Volume I . The price is $35 per book 

The response calling for stories  for Volume II was so great, Sue had to cut off Volume II after 200 pages. She is currently working on Volume III. If you have a Martinsburg story or a story about family in Martinsburg, please contact Sue.

Each year since 2012, we have been trying to locate and record all veterans burials in the Town of Martinsburg. We currently have recorded veterans from the Revolutionary War, the War of 1812, the Civil War, the Spanish American War, World War I, World War II and this past year, Korea. Martinsburg has sent their sons to war to protect and defend our country. It is important that we not forget those that gave of themselves for all of us. We have recorded veteran names in booklet form. These are available in the historian's office.

Each time that we complete a listing, we find that some who served were overlooked. This was the case this past year when we discovered the grave of Revolutionary War Veteran, Ephraim Owen in the Glendale Cemetery. On September 30th, Ephraim was given full military honors by the local veteran's organizations and their auxiliary. We had the Sons of the American Revolution present in uniform. It was an awesome experience. Discovery of Ephraim's grave documented the 21st Revolutionary War veteran  buried in the Town of Martinsburg.

For the last 3 years the Maple Ridge Cemetery has been undergoing a restoration. The restoration is now complete and this coming season, we will be having an event at Maple Ridge to celebrate the Irish ancestry and also designate the site of St. Patrick's Catholic Church with a historic road sign marker. This area was once a bustling community, long since abandoned, when the inhabitants left for easier living in Lewis  County and to other parts of the country. There are multiple Civil War veterans buried in the Maple Ridge Cemetery. 

A celebration event is scheduled for October 5th at 1 p.m. The Sons and Daughters of Union Veterans will attend. The altar from the church was rescued by the Lewis County Historical Society, and weather permitting, we will have the altar on site . This is going to be a wonderful event . 

After the completion of the Ramos  Road one room school restoration, the society has annually held an open house which is well attended. The Doney family has been generous in their support of this project. The school has already been a stop on one of Lewis County's Fall Driving Tours. This past year Fred Zehr and his wife generously donated a water jug that would have been exactly like the one that was used back in the day. The Zehrs have supported our projects in so many ways. 

The Martinsburg Historical Society undertook a restoration project to stabilize "the brick building" before Martinsburg Day 2018. This building was purchased by the society in 2011. Since that time, the building was named to the National Register of Historic Sites. This 170 year old building stood the test of time. On Martinsburg Day, the building was dedicated and the sign provided by the Pomeroy Foundation was unveiled. The restoration involved a new roof, new ceiling and work done to the windows. The Lewis County Board of Legislators were very generous in allocating dollars to help the society fund the repairs. Many thanks go to Greg Kulzer, our District 7 Legislator. Other donors were the Community Bank, Northern Credit Union and private citizens. The building was open to the public on Martinsburg Day. The historical society also uses it for meetings.

At the conclusion of the  brick building dedication, Nelson Schwartzentruber, our president, announced a very surprised Bea Kenealy as our citizen of the year. Bea has been a tireless volunteer for the Martinsburg Historical Society. She has been a very quiet devoted community leader. Further information is on the Citizen of the Year page. Congratulations, Bea. 

The West Martinsburg Cemetery received a Pomeroy historic road sign in July 2018. A once beautiful arched entry into the cemetery disappeared when road work was being done. Although the new sign is not like the lost sign, it does provide significant information about the cemetery. This cemetery was restored by the Town of Martinsburg over several years. It is among the oldest cemeteries in the town. Veterans buried in this cemetery are from the Revolutionary War, the War of 1812, the Civil War and the Spanish American War.

The West Martinsburg Town Hall was used for the July meeting of the historical society following the short ceremony at the cemetery. This hall has a long history. It started as a church. It was the Town Hall for West Martinsburg years ago. Each June, Marcia Waligory and her group hold an ice cream social to help raise funds for the West Martinsburg Methodist Episcopal Church. Repairs are needed for the church steeple and work on the interior and exterior of the town hall. These are historically significant buildings that are important to our history.  In the coming years we need to focus our attention on this town hall and try to help Marsha and "the Friends of the West Martinsburg Church" to preserve them.