Museum planning hoedown for funds

A new building at the Amherst County Museum & Historical Society will be named in honor of the late board president, Charles “Chuck” Hamble, who died last month.

The museum’s board decided last week to honor Hamble, a tireless volunteer who was working on an exhaustive addendum to the society’s gravestone book.

The new metal barn building, which is behind the historic museum and headquarters at 154 South Main St., will be the site of the society’s first-ever fundraiser on Oct. 25 as local historians seek to raise money to complete the interior and continue their work.

With the aid of grants, construction was finished during the summer at a total cost of about $50,000, said Holly Mills, the society’s executive director.

Among other things, the new building will be used to store and showcase historic agriculture vehicles and implements. The society now has a restored Thornhill wagon on the front porch of its headquarters, which formerly was the Kearfott-Wood House, a Georgian Revival home built in 1907.

The new building is the next step in the society’s effort to remain the key clearinghouse of county history, and Hamble was instrumental in seeing it through.

“His big statement was, ‘I don’t see why not,’ ’’ said event chairwoman Lynn Cable. “When he was present, it just made all kinds of things possible.” Hamble was a decorated U.S. Air Force lieutenant colonel when he retired to Amherst County with his wife, Barbara.

Hamble spent hours and days volunteering at the museum and often was there when out-of-town visitors stopped by to use research resources there.

“I imagine that not a month goes by when we have someone from the West Coast come by” to do genealogical and other research, Mills said.

The board stresses that the museum serves the entire county, not just the Town of Amherst, said board member Kathyrn Pixley.

The Harvest Hoedown fundraiser will be 5 to 8 p.m. Oct. 25 in the new building, the first event there and at which it will be dedicated to Hamble.

A barbecue meal is planned along with wine from Rebec Vineyards, as well as square dancing led by the Blue Ridge Stars and bluegrass music by the James River Cut-Ups.

Tickets are $25 for adults and $10 for children and are available .

Preceding that event, the society will offer a van tour of historical county sites.

The tour will include the Lowesville area, Hughes Buggy Works and mill. Camp Little Crossroads; and the old Town of Woodson. Donations to defray costs will be accepted.

Tickets are available at the museum; Hill House Interiors, Lou’s Antique Mall and What A Blessing Bakery in Amherst; and at Mill Ridge Gifts, Lynchburg Tire Corp. and Dixie Outfitters Southern Heritage Store in Madison Heights.

For information and reservations, call (434) 946-9068 or visit http://members.aol.com/achmuseum.