Arthurdale residents Thelma Kees and her daughter Sharon, have generously donated an original Hodgson home and over three acres of land to Arthurdale Heritage, Inc. The house, homestead E-2, was the first house completed in Arthurdale.
Current Photo of the Kees House, Homestead E-2
Kees House, Homestead E-2 Taken in 1959
“We are thrilled with the generosity of the Kees family and this donation. It ensures that this historic house will be restored and maintained as part of Arthurdale Heritage’s mission of preservation and education,” said Jeanne Goodman, Arthurdale Heritage Executive Director.
The house was originally built for members of the National Youth Administration in 1934. Thelma Keys’ family purchased the house in 1942 and it has been in her family since. AHI is beginning a capital campaign to raise funds to restore the house to its original 1934 condition to use as a classroom and museum building.
AHI will be honoring the Kees family for their donation at the New Deal Festival on Saturday, July 9th. The ceremony is scheduled for 11:30 a.m. on the Center Hall Main Stage.
About the New Deal Festival
The New Deal Festival is held annually on the second Saturday in July to celebrate the unique history of the first New Deal Homestead Community of Arthurdale. This quaint 1930s style festival features artisan demonstrations, craft market, children’s activities, new exhibits in the New Deal Homstead Museum, tours of the Arthurdale Historic District, a visit from Eleanor Roosevelt and other living history reenactors, and much more. The festival is sponsored by Arthurdale Heritage, Inc. Find more information online at:
http://www.newdealfestival.org
About Arthurdale
Arthurdale was founded in 1933 as the nation’s first New Deal Subsistence Homestead Community by President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s administration. The community provided jobs, education, and modern housing for impoverished, unemployed miners living in destitute coal camps in West Virginia. It also served as a laboratory for new educational, industrial, and farming techniques. Arthurdale Heritage, Inc. was formed in 1985 as a non-profit organization dedicated to restoring and preserving historic Arthurdale. Find more information online at:
http://www.arthurdaleheritage.org