The Dillon Farm Museum: A living tribute of a proud way of life and the people who settled the Eastern Panhandle.
In 1974, L. Norman Dillon retired from being a life-long farmer on the Apple Pie Ridge of Berkeley County. Moved by the substantial erosion of the agrarian way of life in eastern West Virginia's panhandle, planted a tender but generous seed to ensure that generations to come could share in the hard work and joy known by those who settled the ridge and turned it into a diversely productive area. Mr. Dillon’s set aside funds a volunteer advisory committee to assist with planning and operating an agricultural heritage museum.
Ten years later, the L. Norman Dillon Farm Museum was formally dedicated in 1987. It is situated on 8.3 leased acres of land once part of the original Dillon farm, now owned by the Berkeley County Board of Education. The museum's mission is to pay tribute to this country's founding agriculturists, offer a portal for young and old to make that powerful connection with the land, and showcase how food was raised and processed in West Virginia's panhandle. All of the funds and all of the income they earn from the original investment must be used strictly for the museum.
The diverse collection of farm tools housed in the museum's 40-by-100-foot main exhibit building reflect a time when West Virginia's eastern panhandle was rich in growing tree fruit, small grains, row crops, dairy, beef, sheep and timber. These practices can now only be found in remnants where housing developments have not replaced them completely. Visitors can see beautifully restored horse-drawn buggies and freight wagons, tractors and saws. An extensive collection of smaller implements include an International Harvester ground-driven mower, sickle bar grinders, hand rakes and leather-working tools. But this building contains only part of the museum's bounty. Outside sawmills, tractors, husker shredders and tillage machinery, and the museum's newest facility, the blacksmith shop, can be found. These are all part of live demonstrations held during the museum’s annual shows in the Spring & Fall.
The Dillon Farm Museum is open to the public on Sundays from April to October. It is also available for visits from area school groups and out-of-town visitors to glimpse the proud and prosperous heritage of West Virginia’s Eastern Panhandle. Admission is, and always will be, free, as Mr. Dillon wanted it.
In 1974, L. Norman Dillon retired from being a life-long farmer on the Apple Pie Ridge of Berkeley County. Moved by the substantial erosion of the agrarian way of life in eastern West Virginia's panhandle, planted a tender but generous seed to ensure that generations to come could share in the hard work and joy known by those who settled the ridge and turned it into a diversely productive area. Mr. Dillon’s set aside funds a volunteer advisory committee to assist with planning and operating an agricultural heritage museum.
Ten years later, the L. Norman Dillon Farm Museum was formally dedicated in 1987. It is situated on 8.3 leased acres of land once part of the original Dillon farm, now owned by the Berkeley County Board of Education. The museum's mission is to pay tribute to this country's founding agriculturists, offer a portal for young and old to make that powerful connection with the land, and showcase how food was raised and processed in West Virginia's panhandle. All of the funds and all of the income they earn from the original investment must be used strictly for the museum.
The diverse collection of farm tools housed in the museum's 40-by-100-foot main exhibit building reflect a time when West Virginia's eastern panhandle was rich in growing tree fruit, small grains, row crops, dairy, beef, sheep and timber. These practices can now only be found in remnants where housing developments have not replaced them completely. Visitors can see beautifully restored horse-drawn buggies and freight wagons, tractors and saws. An extensive collection of smaller implements include an International Harvester ground-driven mower, sickle bar grinders, hand rakes and leather-working tools. But this building contains only part of the museum's bounty. Outside sawmills, tractors, husker shredders and tillage machinery, and the museum's newest facility, the blacksmith shop, can be found. These are all part of live demonstrations held during the museum’s annual shows in the Spring & Fall.
The Dillon Farm Museum is open to the public on Sundays from April to October. It is also available for visits from area school groups and out-of-town visitors to glimpse the proud and prosperous heritage of West Virginia’s Eastern Panhandle. Admission is, and always will be, free, as Mr. Dillon wanted it.