NBC12 News, Weather Sports, Traffic, and Programming Guide for Richmond, VA | Beaverdam museum building nearly complete

Beaverdam museum building nearly complete

By Sunni Blevins - bio | email
Posted by Terry Alexander - email

HANOVER, VA (WWBT) – The community of Beaverdam in Hanover County is putting the finishing touches on a brand new museum and learning center to celebrate the area's rich history. At the same time, they hope to bring more people into the town. 

"Hopefully this will bring more people back," said Bucky Stanley with the Hanover County Board of Supervisors. 

It's an empty building right now in the town of Beaverdam, but it's set to become Pop's Country Store Museum and Thompson Learning Center. Soon, artifacts will fill the space. The collection was donated by a local family to help celebrate the area's rich history. Through nostalgic items like an old washing machine and the set up of a 1950s style barber shop and post office, organizers hope to endorse interactive education. 

"We want to use this center to become a different way to educate teachers, administrators and students about inquiry based learning which is -- you involve and I understand. If you tell me, I'll forget. If you show me I'll remember, but if you tell me I'll understand. So that's kind of going to be the approach that we take with this," said Beaverdam Heritage Foundation President Joe Exline. 

The idea for this center was born 14 years ago out of Heritage Days -- an event designed to celebrate the community and history. Now, the Beaverdam Heritage Days Foundation wants to share that with not only the rest of Hanover, but also surrounding cities and counties. 

"We've been on a trail of trying to get this done, and fortunately it's come through with the help of the state, some grants, some history grants, the County of Hanover and some individuals," Stanley said.    

The center is near completion, but organizers could use some extra hands and funding to put together all the finishing touches. This museum will be open a few days a week for people to tour and a downstairs learning center will be the venue for educational workshops. In turn the community hopes Beaverdam will become more of a household name. 

"This is great for Beaverdam, a lot of people are already talking about it," said Stanley. 

Organizers of this museum and learning center hope to start giving tours this fall. You can check out the museum for yourself at the Heritage Days Celebration later this year on October 9. There will be music, crafts and more at the Beaverdam Museum that day from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. To find out more click here. 

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