Belmont County Heritage Museum

04/29/2026

The National Imperial Glass Museum is hosting its 50th annual convention this Thursday, April 30, through May 3! 💎

The fun begins tomorrow at the National Imperial Glass Museum in Bellaire with an ice cream social and will continue through the weekend with glass sales, speakers, auctions, and more!

For more info, visit: https://imperialglass.org/event/

04/16/2026

🗺️ Exploring the National Road in Belmont County 🗺️

As we continue with the transportation theme of America 250 Ohio, let's take a closer look at the significance of the historic National Road. 🚗

Almost 221 years ago, on July 4, 1825, ground was broken in Ohio for the National Road near the Belmont County Courthouse in St. Clairsville, making it America’s first federally funded highway.

➡️ Today, you can still follow the old route, now known as U.S. Route 40, and uncover the stories embedded in every mile marker, bridge, and roadside diner.

📍You can walk across Ohio’s oldest standing bridge in Blaine, tour the Belmont County Heritage Museum in St. Clairsville, or visit Morristown, a Pike Town that still echoes with the rhythm of 19th-century commerce. Along the way, you’ll see red bricks peeking through the pavement, laid over a hundred years ago to support World War I transport. These aren’t just artifacts but reminders of the innovation, determination, and community that built this region.

The National Road is now recognized as an Ohio Scenic Byway, one of three in Belmont County.

04/05/2026

Have a blessed Easter from the Belmont County Heritage Museum! ✝️🐇

04/01/2026

April's America 250-Ohio 250 Ohio theme is transportation. From the National Road to the railroads to the Ohio River, Belmont County has served a critical role in the transportation industry for both Ohio and the US. 🚘🛣️

🚗 The National Road: Construction on the Ohio section began on July 4, 1825, in St. Clairsville. A few years later, the Blaine Hill "S" Bridge, built in 1828, became the oldest sandstone bridge in Ohio. Its unique "S" shape was designed to provide structural strength against the currents of Wheeling Creek

🚂 Railroads: The introduction of rail transformed Belmont County into an industrial hub, particularly for coal shipping. The Baltimore & Ohio Railroad gained control of major local lines, such as the Central Ohio Railroad, in 1866. The Great Stone Viaduct in Bellaire was constructed in 1870, featuring 43 arches, 37 of which represented the number of states in the Union at the time.

🏞️ The Ohio River: Before the construction of roads and railroads, the river served as the primary form of transportation, providing an essential connection between the eastern United States and the developing Western frontier.

03/18/2026

Help this local author write the stories of Italian-Americans! 🇺🇸🇮🇪

03/16/2026

📍On this day, March 16th, in 1940, the Willow Grove Number 10 Mine suffered a tragedy that took the lives of many miners.

What began as a typical day ended in disaster when a runaway coal train shot out of the mine, resulting in a devastating explosion that resulted in the death of 72 men (including three rescuers). The United Mine Workers of America sponsored a memorial service on April 28, 1940, at the Neffs baseball park with 5,000 people in attendance. Today, they host a yearly ceremony at the Willow Grove Mine Memorial, where the mine used to be, and many community members attend to pay their respects to the lives lost. 🙏🏼⛏️

Willow Grove Mine Memorial
Read more about the tragedy: https://www.visitbelmontcounty.com/remembering-the-willow-grove-mine-disaster/

03/12/2026

As we celebrate Ohio's connection to the film industry this month, following America 250 Ohio's theme, let's take a look at a prominent film star from Belmont County. 🎞️⭐️🇺🇸

✨ Mary Maurice was born in Morristown in 1844 and spent a good portion of her adulthood as a schoolteacher. She then realized her penchant for acting in 1868 at the age of 24 and joined the Pittsburgh Stock Company. She spent many years on the stage building up her acting career before signing with Vitagraph and making her film debut when she was in her 60s.

✨ She primarily played mothers or grandmothers in the 150 silent films she starred in, earning her the nickname the "Grand Old Lady of the Films." She continued acting until shortly before her death in 1918. 👵🏼

03/05/2026

🎥✨ Lights, Camera, Action! America 250 Ohio's March theme is all about music and movies! Follow along with us all month as we highlight the actors, musicians, and projects with local ties to Belmont County.

Ohio has a profound connection to the film industry, with several actors, directors, and writers having been born in the Buckeye State. Belmont County has many notable actors who were born here and appeared in big projects. 🎬

🕴William Boyd, known by his on-screen cowboy persona Hopalong Cassidy, was born in Hendrysburg in 1895. Most known for his work portraying the cowboy hero, Boyd appeared in dozens of Western films during the 1930s and 40s.

🕴Ted Lavine is an accomplished actor born in Bellaire in 1957 who is most known for
his role as serial killer Jame "Buffalo Bill" Gumb in The Silence of the Lambs. He has also appeared in several other famous projects, such as playing a police captain on the tv series Monk, and his role as a warden in Shutter Island.

🕴Kenneth Donovan Clark was an actor born in Neffs in 1927 and has acted in several B-list films in the US and Europe in the 50's and 60's. He is highly recognized for his role as Stewpot in the film adaptation of the 1958 South Pacific.

🕴Mary Maurice was a prominent silent film actress born in Morristown in 1844. She started her film career in her 60's after working as a schoolteacher and acting in the theater, and went on to star in 139 films between 1909 and 1918.

🕴Nora Dunfee, Broadway and film actress, was born in 1915 in Belmont. Although most of her career was spent on the stage or working as a dialogue coach, she also appeared in Forrest Gump as Elderly Southern Lady on the Bench.

Stay tuned as we take a deeper look into films that have ties to Belmont County!

02/25/2026

Robert Edward "Bobby" Douglas (born March 27, 1942, in Bridgeport) is a retired American freestyle wrestler and coach. He competed as a featherweight at the 1964 and 1968 Olympics, placing fourth in 1964. He won a silver and a bronze at the 1966 and 1970 world championships and retired in 1970. Douglas coached several U.S. Olympic teams, is one of four collegiate coaches to win over 400 dual meets, and won an NCAA team title at Arizona State. His coaching includes 13 NCAA champions, 110 All-America picks, and 68 conference titles. Douglas helped coach Cael Sanderson to gold in the 2004 Athens Olympics and was named the 2004 USA Wrestling Freestyle Coach of the Year. In 2005, he received the Edward Clark Gallagher Award and the Iowa State Alumni Impact Award. He has been inducted into multiple halls of fame and coached many Olympians. Douglas authored several wrestling books, including "Takedown I," "Takedown II," "Pinning and Olympic Technique," "Take It To The Mat," "Wrestling Skills and Drills," and "The Last Takedown," and is one of few gold-certified U.S. coaches.

Iowa State wrestling is saddened by the news of Bobby Douglas' passing.

He will be remembered as one of the greatest coaches in the history of the sport and an all-time great Cyclone.

📰 https://cyclones.com/news/2026/2/24/wrestling-in-memory-of-bobby-douglas

02/24/2026

Join the library this Thursday for an evening with George Washington! 📚 Make sure to call beforehand to reserve your spot.

Reserve your spot today!