MOUNDSVILLE, W.Va. — Grave Creek Mound Archaeological Complex in Moundsville celebrates locally made Fostoria glass and West Virginia Day in June and offers an opportunity to cool down while crafting a hand-held fan at the museum’s Discovery Table. All programs are free and open to the public.
On Saturday, June 10, the film, Fostoria Glass Society of America Presents Crystal Clear During 1948’s Age of Elegance, will be shown to coincide with the annual Glass Show and Sale event presented by the Fostoria Glass Society of America on June 9, 10, and 11 at the former West Virginia Penitentiary located across the street from Grave Creek Mound. The 26-minute film will play every 1/2 hour from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and features the process of making Fostoria glassware in 1948. The film is generously provided by the Fostoria Glass Museum located at 511 Tomlinson Avenue in Moundsville. The Fostoria Glass Company operated in Moundsville from 1891 to 1986, and examples of its glassware are on display at the Grave Creek Mound Archaeological Complex.
Saturday, June 20, is West Virginia Day, marking the state’s 160th birthday. Join the Grave Creek Mound Archaeological Complex, the Moundsville-Marshall County Library, and other organizations in celebrating West Virginia Day with an outdoor walking tour/scavenger hunt and other activities. Scavenger hunt forms can be picked up at the complex and the library, while prizes will be awarded at the library. Crafts related to West Virginia Day will be available at the complex from 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., and the documentary series West Virginia: A Film History, produced by the West Virginia History Film Project and the West Virginia Humanities Council, will be shown throughout the day. Scavenger hunt prizes will be awarded at the library until 6:30 p.m.
Throughout the month, the museum’s Discovery Table craft will be making hand-held fans, featuring an “I am a West Virginia Fan” or rainbow design. The craft is available to the public during regular museum hours.
Operated by the West Virginia Department of Arts, Culture and History, Grave Creek Mound Archaeological Complex features one of the largest conical burial mounds built by the Adena people between 250 – 150 B.C. and ranks as one of the largest earthen mortuary mounds anywhere in the world. Exhibits and displays in the Delf Norona Museum interpret what is known about the lives of these prehistoric people and the construction of the mound. The complex also houses the West Virginia Archaeological Research and Collections Management Facility.
Admission to Grave Creek Mound Archaeological Complex is free. The Delf Norona Museum, located at 801 Jefferson Avenue, is open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday and closed Sunday and Monday. Access to the Mound and other outdoor areas closes at 4:30 pm.
For more information about activities and programs at Grave Creek Mound, contact Andrea Keller, cultural program coordinator, at (304) 843-4128 or andrea.k.keller@wv.gov or visit www.facebook.com/gravecreekmound, www.twitter.com/gravecreekmound, and www.instagram.com/gravecreekmound.