The Pendleton County Historical Museum
Known locally as the the Boggs House, our museum is built upon the oldest house in Pendleton County. Built from logs in 1758, it was originally located three miles north of Franklin and used as a frontier fort. In the early 1800s, after the need for defense gradually faded, logs from the fort were moved to its present location and turned into a dwelling. In the 1870s, the log walls were covered with weatherboarding, and a separate kitchen and porch were added.
Several families occupied the house through the years and in 1904 it became the home of Gordon and Elsie Byrd Boggs. Miss Elsie, as she was known, authored several books and articles on county and local history. In 1926, she was a leader in the formation of the Pendleton County Historical Society. In 2008, her daughter, Mrs. Grace Dyer, bequeathed the house and its contents to the Pendleton County Historical Society for use as a museum to display items of county history and to further research and preservation of the history of Pendleton County. The museum was formally opened in 2009.
Exhibits include part of the original log walls of the fort, primitive tools, furniture from the 19th and early 20th centuries, Civil War artifacts related to Pendleton County, World War II artifacts and uniforms worn by local servicemen, county folk arts, and a collection of county quilts and woven coverlets made the 19th and early 20th centuries.
Visit
The museum is open every Saturday from 10 AM to 2 PM during the months of May through September. However, you can request to schedule a tour for any time of the year by calling Richard Ruddle at (304) 358-2869 or (304) 358-7304.