7/17/2014 5:22 PM
by Karen Franklin
BECKLEY - A historical home that once belonged to the father of the founder of Beckley is getting a makeover with the help of a traveling group.
Seven members of AmeriCorps were busy scraping paint from the Wildwood Museum Thursday to prep it for a fresh coat of white paint.
The museum is the former home of Alfred Beckley, whose father John proposed the formation of Raleigh County.
The renovation is a team effort between AmeriCorps and the Beckley-Raleigh County Chamber of Commerce. Both groups say historical places often get neglected.
"The history is still there, but not as many people get informed about it, so by preserving the location, then people can still come through and they can learn about the history, children can take tours," Sabree Koonce said. "All of it's still preserved because it's a major part of Beckley."
The home was built in 1835. It is one of several projects assigned through the community.