Heritage/Community Development Positions

Arthurdale Heritage - Arthurdale, Preston County, WV
AmeriCorps Heritage Coordinator: 1 Full-Time, Full-Year Position (2026-27)
Elizabeth Satterfield, Supervisor

Do you love history and sharing it with others? Arthurdale Heritage may be the place for you! Arthurdale was the nation’s first New Deal community, established in 1934 through President Roosevelt’s groundbreaking depression-era plan. A passion project of Eleanor Roosevelt, the community is still strong 90 years later. Today, Arthurdale Heritage is a historic site and museum whose mission is to build a resilient community inspired by the history, legacy, and folk arts of the first New Deal Community and its people. Located just 30 minutes from Morgantown, we have thousands of year-round visitors who tour the museum, attend programs and classes, or participate in our large community events.

Our AmeriCorps Heritage Coordinator will interact with the public daily, giving guided tours of the site, organizing educational programming, and planning community events. Behind the scenes activities will be expected as well, including social media promotion, archival and exhibition planning, volunteer management, and more. We are looking for someone who is passionate about history, culture, and folk arts, has strong communication and collaborative skills, and wants to help build a resilient community in rural West Virginia.

Skills Sought:

• Bachelor’s degree in English, History, Appalachian Studies, or other relevant fields

• Strong writing and speaking skills, including serving as an articulate spokesperson

• Strong interpersonal skills and the ability to build positive relationships with colleagues, community members, donors and visitors

• Ability to work effectively as a part of a team and have a positive attitude and strong work ethic

• Working knowledge of programs such as WordPress, Microsoft Suite, Google Suite, and social media applications

• Excellent organizational skills and attention to detail. Demonstrated critical thinking skills including analysis, problem solving, decision-making, and conceptualizing

Beverly Heritage Center - Beverly, WV
Historic Preservation Coordinator: 1 Full-Time, Full-Year Position (2026-27)
Eleanor Reanshaw, Supervisor

Join the team at the Beverly Heritage Center, a full service heritage museum and visitor center in the original county seat of Randolph County, WV, and home to a nationally significant Civil War Battlefield. Help with preserving our historic town and nearby Rich Mountain Battlefield, tell our important stories, and encourage heritage tourism to benefit community development. BHC members will work together on the BHC team to help with visitor services, field trips, events, and volunteer management.

The Historic Preservation Coordinator member will focus on preservation of the nine historic structures in Beverly managed by the Beverly Heritage Center and the Rich Mountain Battlefield five miles away. This member will assist in hands-on building preservation projects like reglazing and painting windows, repainting historic structures, and preparing for grant-supported restoration projects. Battlefield preservation projects will include organizing litter clean-ups, maintaining battlefield trails and interpretive signage, and supporting further interpretive projects. Learn to understand and monitor preservation and needs of historic landscapes and structures and help ensure that they are preserved, maintained, and welcoming to visitors. This position will also assist with interpreting and telling stories related to the colonial frontier, the Civil War, and other points of local history.

Skills Sought:

• Needed: vehicle for travel to battlefield, historic research skills, ability to work self-directed (after training and within safety guidelines), willingness to work as a team, willingness to occasionally work with youth.

• Helpful: Training or experience in historic preservation, hand tools, GIS, design skills, the National Register process, and/or interpretation.

Beverly Heritage Center - Beverly, WV
Collections and Interpretation Coordinator: 1 Full-Time, Full-Year Position (2026-27)
Eleanor Renshaw, Supervisor

Join the team at the Beverly Heritage Center, a full service heritage museum and visitor center in the original county seat of Randolph County, WV, and home to a nationally significant Civil War Battlefield. Help with preserving our historic town and nearby Rich Mountain Battlefield, tell our important stories, and encourage heritage tourism to benefit community development. BHC members will work together on the BHC team to help with visitor services, field trips, events, and volunteer management. You will have varied opportunities and gain valuable experience in the wide range of tasks involved in managing a dynamic small museum.

The Collections and Interpretation Coordinator member will focus on preservation of our historic collections, and stories. This position will assist with collection care and management of our growing collection of artifacts and documents. You will learn to handle various material types, including paper, metal, stone, and more. You will complete at least one storytelling or interpretive project for the Beverly Heritage Center, and support efforts to maintain and improve interpretation across all historic buildings and exhibits. You will also support the enhancement of our research library containing valuable historic and local sources.

Skills Sought:

• Needed: Comfort with computers and data management, historic research skills, ability to work self-directed (after training and within safety guidelines), willingness to work as a team, willingness to occasionally work with youth.

• Helpful: Training or experience in historic preservation, collections management with PastPerfect Museum Software, exhibit design and/or interpretation

Elkins Depot Welcome Center - Elkins, WV
Hospitality and Tourism Liaison: 1 Full-Time, Full-Year Position (2026-27)
Anne Beardslee, Supervisor

The Elkins Depot Welcome Center CVB promotes heritage tourism by educating visitors and community members in regard to cultural heritage and community events through use of heritage tourism, offering hospitality and promoting local businesses and attractions. Opened in 2006 and located in the restored historic Western Maryland Railway Depot, the Welcome Center has served over 603,000 visitors to the Elkins area since opening, by providing local and regional information. Position will improve heritage interpretation and tourism, build a stronger organization through recruitment and coordination of volunteers and enhance community development through tourism activities. Through social media, events and web presence the goal is to increase the number of people that learn about and visit the Welcome Center and Randolph County throughout the year and enhance the service visitors receive. Member will become an integral part of the Center, will make suggestions for changes and participate in all major Center activities and day-to-day operation of the facility.

Skills Sought:

• Strong written and oral communication skills

• Extensive social media knowledge and enjoy working with the public

• Self-motivation and the ability to work independently on projects and/ or in conjunction with other staff members

• Easily transition from one task to another as the day progresses and needs for the site change

• Eager and willing to learn new skills and to supervise volunteers

• Willingness to work a variety of days and hours, including weekends

Randolph County Museum - Beverly, WV
Randolph County Museum Associate: 1 Full-Time, Full-Year Position (2026-27)
Phyllis Baxter, Supervisor

Do you love museums? Sharing people’s stories? Digging deep into local history? The Museum Associate position with Randolph County Museum provides an outstanding opportunity to learn and experience all aspects of a small museum. Service in this position will include managing collections, caring for an historic building, upgrading and creating new exhibits, sharing programs, welcoming visitors, and supporting a dedicated all-volunteer organization. During this final year commemorating the Randolph County Historical Society Centennial, and the celebration of 250 years of America, help plan and carry out special projects and programs to preserve and share our history.

A successful member for this position will have background in history, public history, or museum studies, with collection management (Past Perfect) and interpretation skills a plus. Member will need to be self-directed and take responsibility within supervision guidelines. This position will mean working alone in the museum much of the off-season, with occasional support from board volunteers, while also being outgoing to engage with visitors and partners. Join us to share the richness of Randolph County, and help our small museum grow!

Skills Sought:

• Background in history, public history, or museum studies, or similar (degree with at least some intern experience preferred)

• Collection management (Past Perfect), interpretation, design, social media skills a plus.

• Member will need to be self-directed and take responsibility within supervision guidelines. Will be working alone in museum much of the time.

• Will need to exercise initiative to carry out assigned projects, and to reach out to supervisor when help is needed.

• Member needs to be outgoing enough to engage with visitors, and to work together with community partners.

Randolph County Camp Pioneer 4H - Beverly, WV & Yew Pine Cultural Traditions - Beverly, WV
This is a combined position serving full-time with two separate organizations over the course of the program year

4-H History Associate: Half-Time, Full-Year Position (2026-27)
Dawn Swecker (tentative), Supervisor

With a mixture of community and heritage development activities, spend your days at scenic 4-H Camp Pioneer in Beverly WV, where we strive to "Make the Best Better." This position will work to create a museum exhibit area on the grounds of 4-H Camp Pioneer. 4-H camping has a rich history in Randolph County, as the first recognized 4-H camp in the world was held in Randolph County in 1915. The AmeriCorps member will preserve historical documents related to 4-H camping, 4-H club work and other programs related to the 4-H program. This will include collecting and archiving memorabilia, videoing oral histories, as well as planning heritage exhibits for display. The AmeriCorps member will also oversee the park area, walking trial and recreation area located at camp. The member will coordinate with community organizations that support improvements, grants and volunteer work for the park area and 4-H Camp Pioneer.

Appalachian Traditions Associate: Half-Time, Full-Year Position (2026-27)
Jamie Lovejoy, Supervisor

Join Yew Pine Cultural Traditions (YPCT) in preserving and sharing the rich traditions of Appalachian old-time music, storytelling, oral history, and mountain culture in West Virginia. Founded by folklorist and musician Dwight Diller, YPCT works to carry forward the legacy of the Hammons family of Pocahontas County and other tradition bearers whose music, stories, and ways of life were shaped by generations of Appalachian community life and a deep connection to the mountain forests and the livelihoods they sustained.

The AmeriCorps member will help preserve and document a remarkable body of Appalachian musical and cultural heritage through archival stewardship, oral history, and digital preservation. A strong knack for organization will be especially valuable, as the member will spend much of the first part of their service centralizing and organizing recordings, photographs, transcripts, interviews, educational materials, and other cultural resources. The member will also assist with YPCT’s Transmission Project, collecting interviews, stories, and recordings from musicians, students, and community members connected through Dwight Diller to the living traditions of the Hammons family. Through this work, the member will help make the music, stories, and cultural knowledge of the Hammons family, Dwight Diller, and other traditional West Virginia musicians more accessible to audiences far beyond the Mountain State while gaining hands-on experience in folklore, traditional music, oral history, archives, and cultural preservation.

Skills Sought:

• Self motivated

• Time management skills

• Good communication skills

• Experience with children

• Computer skills

• Video editing

• Adaptability

• Willingness to learn

• Organizational skills

Tucker Community Foundation - Parsons, Tucker County, WV
Foundation Associate: 1 Full-Time, 3 to 6-month position (2025-26)
David Cooper, Supervisor

The Tucker Community Foundation was established in 1989 to provide scholarships and grants to local students and charitable organizations respectively. Throughout the last 35 years, the Foundation has grown to service 10 counties and expanded its philanthropic reach to various fundraising and philanthropic initiatives. We pride ourselves in being a vital resource for the movers and shakers in the Potomac Highlands region. Join our team and help us continue to embody rural philanthropy every day!

The Tucker Community Foundation is seeking an AmeriCorps member to help expand our network across the counties we currently serve by organizing outreach and networking events in all 10 counties. Other duties will include coordinating long-time events alongside the development director and other key staff and board members. Expand social and digital marketing outreach and distribution of the Tucker Community Foundation and Run For It. We would like for this member to help with capacity building for the Foundation-- helping to create a wider network of impacting our communities. This member will be an essential part of the team on all levels.

Skills Sought:

• Effective written and verbal communication

• Self-starter and enthusiastic about spreading the Foundation's mission

• Microsoft, Canva, Adobe proficiency

• Social media and photography skills are a plus

Upshur County Historical Society - Buckhannon, WV
Collections Manager: 1 Full-Time, Full-Year Position (2026-27)
Noel W. Tenney, Supervisor

The Upshur County Historical Society, located in Buckhannon, WV will seek an AmeriCorps member for service with the UCHS that has a great interest in history, museum workings, the arts, and general historical and social understandings. The applicant must have excellent writing skills, research abilities, historical understandings, as well as a strong work ethics, extended computer skills, and especially a great interest and dedication to all things historical and applicable to a museum and historical research and publishing especially operating on a local level.

Skills Sought:

• Applicants should be prepared to submit writing examples, evidence of research and documented writing, a basic understanding of the components of museum and conservation efforts along with the ability to concentrate on specific tasks, and concluding whatever task might be at hand.

• A background in history, research, writing, and the concept of museums would be expected.