The Cooper Cabin Museum opens for the summer this Sunday

PARKERSBURG, W.Va. (WTAP) - Henry Cooper Day, the day the Cooper Cabin Museum opens its doors, is coming up this Sunday.

According to the Daughters of the American Pioneers’ Regent Charlotte Modesitt, this is the building’s 112th year as a museum.

WTAP took a peak inside the museum to see what it’s all about.

“The cabin itself was built in 1804 and, being two stories, it really wasn’t called a cabin, it was called a house…,” Modesitt said.

The Cooper Cabin Museum is a snapshot of everyday living spanning generations.

“There’s artifacts from the late 1700s up through World War Two,” Modesitt said.

You can find civil war artifacts, dolls, old newspapers, quilts, and more.

“I think it’s important for all of us to see sometimes how difficult life was and how they had to make their own butter instead of going to the store and buy it or different things like that,” Modesitt said.

The museum is intricately intertwined with local families.

“What makes this museum really special I think to Parkersburg and our community is every artifact in it was donated by local families,” Modesitt said.

In fact, some families might find their last name in the museum’s book of genealogy.

“There’s thousand families last names that are related to the Coopers so they can look and see if their family name’s in the genealogy,” Modesitt said.

The museum will be open every Sunday through the summer from 1pm to 4pm. Typically admission is $2 for adults and $1 for kids but Henry Cooper Day is free.

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