Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SATURDAY, May 12, 1990 TAG: 9005140172
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV-1 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: ROBERTA GREEN SPECIAL TO THE ROANOKE TIMES & WORLD-NEWS
DATELINE: CHRISTIANSBURG LENGTH: Medium
The result of a long-term valleywide project to promote the history and arts of the area, the museum, itself a historic structure, houses a wide variety of memorabilia along with exhibits and shows of contemporary Southwest Virginia artists and craftspeople.
"Back in the early '80s, the Christiansburg and Montgomery County Chamber of Commerce had a number of issues before the board intended to capture Christiansburg's sense of history," said John Nicolay, political science professor at Virginia Tech, then member of the board of the Chamber of Commerce. "As part of that, we developed a walking tour of Christiansburg, and that's how I came across the Pepper House, then owned by a local lawyer - and he wanted to sell."
The house was built before 1850 as the home of the Rev. Nicholas Chevalier of the Presbyterian Church of Christiansburg. The land was donated by the Craig family, who also gave the land for the county seat in 1776 and the town of Christiansburg in 1792.
The building, as detailed in museum documents, is a "combination of American and Flemish bond brick. The bricks were made on the property from local materials and fired in an earthen kiln. The rafters and support beams are of hewn oak. The roof rafters are of logs planed on one side and secured by wood dowel pins."
Nicolay brought the idea of a county museum to the board, and, although it was met with some resistance because of previous failed attempts, he took on the role of fund raiser.
"A group of us interested in Montgomery County history formed the Montgomery Foundation and set about trying to raise the down payment in the 90 days allowed us in the contract," he said.
The rest, although years in the making, is history.
Ann S. Bailey, chairman of the board of directors of the museum, is pleased with the museum's progress and cites some exceptional contributions.
"Last year on the grand opening we received a very nice chair made in the area and a `last' carpet, so called because the last pieces of clothing were woven together to make a carpet. . . .
"We have an art gallery upstairs for temporary shows, although we also have some permanent pieces."
Other museum holdings include a velocipede that is more than 150 years old, a camera belonging to local photographer W.H. Jewel, a daguerreotype of Lewis Miller, a mantel dating from the early 1900s, story books, a flax hackle and loom, and documents from before the Civil War. Also included are women's suits and dresses and photographs and toiletries from a variety of periods.
Also planned is an antique garden with 56 varieties of plants, including sorrel, violets, day lilies, foxglove, lavender and phlox.
Bailey stressed, however, that the museum is able to operate only because of donations and the series of annual fund raisers.
"Most of our functions are fund raisers, since we still have a good bit of our mortgage to pay off," said Bailey. "This year we have a barbecue chicken dinner on July 7, a country-home tour in August and a Brunswick stew and white-elephant sale at the museum in September."
The museum and art center at 300 S. Pepper St. in Christiansburg is open Saturdays and Sundays, May through October, 2-5 p.m. or by appointment. To contribute artifacts or to get involved, write Montgomery Museum, P.O. Box 31, Christiansburg, Va. 24073, or phone (703) 382-5644.
by CNB