THE FIRST FRONTIER Once at the edge of American civilization, Virginia’s past is preserved in the Shenandoah Valley ARTICLE AND PHOTOS BY ADAM CULLER
The museum’s 1820s American farm exhibit gives visitors an idea of what life was like in the 19th century.
T
ucked away on 200 acres of land near the intersection of Interstates 64 and 81 in Staunton, the Frontier Culture Museum is a window into Virginia’s past. Eleven exhibits capture specific moments in history, interpreting the cultural heritage of America’s indigenous inhabitants and early immigrants. The displays include depictions of Old World settlements in England, Germany, Ireland and West Africa, and snapshots of how the cultures blended together in the New World with the inclusion of Native Americans. “Each of the exhibits interprets living history,” said Joe Herget, director of marketing for the museum. “When you put all of them together, it forms a fantastic picture of the evolution of American culture and how it came into being. The museum provides the opportunity to get an in-depth understanding of this history, and telling the stories of those cultures is vital.” 10
CULTIVATE
The museum opened in 1988 with the mission to teach the elements of a culture that developed from westward expansion into the Shenandoah Valley— once America’s final frontier. Today, visitors can wander the grounds and witness the traditions of the prominent cultures that settled in Colonial Virginia. Museum interpreters paint a portrait of life in the Old and New Worlds and describe the motivation that led populations to immigrate—willingly or unwillingly—to America. Homesteading for a living upon their arrival, colonists worked tirelessly and adopted cultural practices from neighboring immigrant communities to survive early struggles on the frontier. Museumgoers can relate to the early settlers who farmed to provide for their families and worked to pay off debt to landowners. “I think it’s interesting for folks to see that things weren’t so different then than how they are today,” said Sally
Landes, one of the museum’s historical interpreters. “It’s neat for them to discover our roots, because without them, we wouldn’t be who we are or where we are today.” Landes, who has worked at the museum for 19 years, tends the 1600s English farm exhibit. She cultivates one-eighth of an acre, mainly growing root vegetables that would have sustained a family in the 17th century, as well as the herbs that were used for medicine. With seven functioning farms on display, agriculture is at the forefront of the Frontier Culture Museum. “It’s critical to connect people to the past, and that’s what we’re here for,” Landes said. “Farming is important, because if we don’t support farmers and have everything in place, we’re going to be in trouble. And I think the museum shows the continuum of farming through the years, and you can see that they’ve always found a way to feed their families, neighbors and countries.”
