Berkeley County Historical Society halfway to its goal
By BOB PARTLOW / Staff Writer, Martinsburg
MARTINSBURG, W.Va. - The Berkeley County Historical Society has raised about half the money it needs to build a genealogy center for the Eastern Panhandle.
Two recent contributions of $10,000 each have pushed the total raised since last year to about $38,000, said Don Wood, president of the society, which is quartered in the Belle Boyd House on Race Street.
Wood said estimates range from $70,000 to $100,000 to completely restore the house.
The society acquired the house adjacent to its headquarters a year ago and has been refurbishing it as money comes in to store the volumes of historical records such as land deeds that genealogists use to trace family histories.
Money raised last year was used to do brick and masonry work on the structure, both to make it look better and for structural safety, Wood said.