On August 2, the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) announced that the West Virginia Mine Wars Museum is the recipient of a $30,000 challenge grant for The Blair Centennial Project, our long-term plan to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Battle of Blair Mountain in 2021!

The five-day Battle of Blair Mountain unfolded on the border of Boone and Logan counties and pitted unionist coal miners against local law enforcement and citizen militias. The Blair Centennial Celebration will consist of five days of fun, interpretive activities spread out across the coalfield counties where the conflict took place.

The NEH grant committee called the Blair Centennial Project “A bold and collaborative effort to use the humanities to foster cultural tourism and give a challenged community hope for the future through respect for the past.”

Thank you to our partners the West Virginia Humanities Council, the West Virginia Labor History Association, the UMWA Local 1440, the National Coal Heritage Area, the West Virginia Preservation Alliance, the West Virginia Community Development Hub, and Eliza Newland at the Watts Museum for your support!