Clarksburg History Museum

09/05/2026

While you’re in downtown Clarksburg for the West Virginia Italian Heritage Festival stop in to Historic Waldomore for a special exhibit.

Come in out of the rain! We are open till 8:00 tonight for the West Virginia Italian Heritage Festival. Check out our exhibit on the history of the festival and our unique display of programs and beautiful posters dating back to 1979!

Take some time to enjoy some Italian Heritage trivia and boardgames with family and friends!

09/03/2026

Look for our signs during the 47th Annual West Virginia Italian Heritage Festival!

See you at the museum 🇮🇹

Where: Old Hope Gas Building across from Byard Mercer Pharmacy (look for our tent next to the Alpacas)

Time: Festival Friday, 10 am to 8 pm

Festival Saturday, 12:00 noon til 8pm

09/03/2026

From the archives of the one and only West Virginia Italian Heritage Festival - we hope you enjoy this special look back to one of the early festivals of the 1980s.

Special thanks to the festival office for providing us footage and for their volunteers who worked to preserve the original VHS tapes.

09/03/2026

𝙎𝒑𝙚𝒄𝙞𝒂𝙡 𝙋𝒓𝙚𝒔𝙚𝒏𝙩𝒂𝙩𝒊𝙤𝒏 𝒕𝙝𝒊𝙨 𝙎𝒂𝙩𝒖𝙧𝒅𝙖𝒚 during the Italian Festival 🍝
+ A New Award - Saturday, September 5
✨
Please welcome to Clarksburg, Len DeFrancisci, Chief Historian for the National Pasta Association and great-grandson of Joseph DeFrancisci, founder of DeFrancisi & Son and manufacturer of machines that have been making pasta for the last century.
Join us at James & Law Company in downtown Clarksburg on Saturday, September 5, at 2pm for:
𝑯𝒊𝒔𝒕𝒐𝒓𝒚 𝒐𝒇 𝑷𝒂𝒔𝒕𝒂 𝒊𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝑼𝒏𝒊𝒕𝒆𝒅 𝑺𝒕𝒂𝒕𝒆𝒔.

Clarksburg History Museum will also present Len with an award honoring his grandfather as the Italian-American Historical Figure for his work in modernizing pasta and providing work and an extension of culture for the growing Italian population in the early 20th century.

DeFrancisci’s connection to Clarksburg’s pasta-making history began in 2024, when his research helped illuminate the story of the West Virginia Macaroni Company that once operated in the city. His upcoming presentation builds upon that earlier work, placing Clarksburg’s macaroni industry within the larger history of pasta production in the United States. Len published a history of Clarksburg’s pasta making business and West Virginia’s history of coal and the pepperoni roll in the Pasta International magazine which is published in Italy.

About Len DeFrancisci
Leonard works at DEMACO, a designer and builder of industrial, high-capacity machines for making dry, fresh and canned pasta, as well as pasta used in frozen dinners. DEMACO started in Brooklyn in 1914 as I. DeFrancisci & Son, and the company now builds machines for Nestle, Stuffer's, Chef Boyardee, Campbell's, General Mills, ConAgra Brands, PepsiCo, Frito-Lay, Kraft Heinz, Amy's, Seviroli, Reser's, and Ronzoni.
Len was also an infantry officer in the Marines Corps Reserve, and retired as a colonel after serving for 32 years. Leonard also volunteers as the President for the Space Coast Machinist Apprenticeship Program and is the Chief Historian for the National Pasta Association. He lives in Melbourne Beach, Florida.

09/03/2026

📚Visit the festival, SHOP FOR BOOKS 📚

USED BOOK SALE this weekend during the West Virginia Italian Heritage Festival only at the Clarksburg History Museum.

Over the years, we have accumulated many wonderful books, including duplicate 𝘆𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗯𝗼𝗼𝗸𝘀 from Clarksburg high schools, local history books, WV books, Civil War books, magazines, and various vintage ephemera - come find a treasure!!!

Festival Friday Sept 4, 10am - 8pm
Festival Saturday Sept 5, 12 noon - 8pm

Where: Clarksburg History Museum - Old Hope Gas blg.
(Look for the Red Museum Signs)

Email us with any questions:
info@clarksburghistorymuseum

Or call: 304-641-4549

All proceeds benefit
Clarksburg History Museum and Harrison County West Virginia Historical Society

09/01/2026

BIG NEWS FROM THE CLARKSBURG HISTORY MUSEUM

New Tour Now Booking!

Our new Four-County Civil War Tour is a three-day guided journey through Harrison, Barbour, Randolph, and Lewis counties. This tour has been in the works for many years and we are so excited to finally see it come to life.

The tour begins in Clarksburg, West Virginia, the birthplace of Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson, and explores the larger story of the Jackson family, including the preserved Beverly home of his sister, Laura Jackson Arnold. Participants will also visit museums, battlefields, historic homes, Civil War landmarks, and other important heritage sites throughout the four counties.

Expert guides, local historians, and participating museums will help tell the stories of the people, families, and communities shaped by the Civil War and the creation of West Virginia.

2026 Tour Dates:

Tour 1: September 22–24

Tour 2: October 21–23

Tour 3: November 4–6

Each tour is limited to only 13 participants and includes transportation and admission to all participating historic sites.

(Meals and drinks are not included)

All registration and ticket info can be found here:
https://shorturl.at/cQTn2

This project is made possible in part by a grant from the Virginia Humanities Council.

𝘛𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘫𝘦𝘤𝘵 𝘪𝘴 𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘪𝘢𝘭 𝘢𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘞𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘝𝘪𝘳𝘨𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘢 𝘏𝘶𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘦𝘴 𝘊𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘤𝘪𝘭, 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘰𝘧𝘧𝘪𝘤𝘪𝘢𝘭 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘢𝘧𝘧𝘪𝘭𝘪𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘕𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘭 𝘌𝘯𝘥𝘰𝘸𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘏𝘶𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘦𝘴. 𝘈𝘯𝘺 𝘷𝘪𝘦𝘸𝘴, 𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴, 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘤𝘭𝘶𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘰𝘳 𝘳𝘦𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘥𝘰 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘯𝘦𝘤𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘢𝘳𝘪𝘭𝘺 𝘳𝘦𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘴𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘞𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘝𝘪𝘳𝘨𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘢 𝘏𝘶𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘦𝘴 𝘊𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘤𝘪𝘭 𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘕𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘭 𝘌𝘯𝘥𝘰𝘸𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘏𝘶𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘦𝘴.

08/31/2026

We've been working on something big, new, & exciting!

stay tuned 9/1/26 - 10 AM

08/31/2026

We are proud to share some of our favorite historical items from our archives to show off some Clarksburg history! If you've been around the museum, you'll have met two of our many dedicated volunteers Pete and John F - this display is their handiwork!

08/31/2026

The Clarksburg History Museum is now the proud local steward of the Civil War Trails, Inc. markers in Clarksburg, West Virginia.

Thanks to the City of Clarksburg, WV City Council support for making this opportunity possible.

Clarksburg has so much history to share!

The Clarksburg History Museum has officially taken over management and preservation of the city's Civil War Trails markers.

Details on new locations and updates are linked in the comments.

08/28/2026

Visit the Clarksburg History Museum next weekend!

We have special hours during the West Virginia Italian Heritage Festival :

Friday, September 4 - 10:00 am - 8:00 pm
Saturday, September 5 - 12:00 noon - 8:00 pm

We will have a tent outside the museum so stop in for a visit and come and take a tour inside too!

Buona Festa! 🇮🇹🍕🍝

🇮🇹 Here we go!!! 🇮🇹

The 47th Annual WVIHF presented by Dan Cava Toyota is only ONE WEEK AWAY!

This year, our streets will be packed more than ever with amazing food, handmade crafts, live entertainment, Italian merchandise, and so much more. Come hungry and leave completely decked out in Italian gear! 🍝🛍️🎶

What are you most looking forward to this year?