MACES SPRING, Va. – After months in the making, the newly-refurbished Carter Family Museum reopens on Sept. 27.
“You won’t believe the exhibits and the change in it,” said the Carter Fold’s executive director, Rita Forrester.
Originally assembled by Forrester’s mother, the late Janette Carter, the museum pays tribute to the original Carter Family. It’s housed inside a 1940s-era general store built by A.P. Carter, Janette’s father and the leader of The Carter Family, a 1920s-era music group known for songs like “Wildwood Flower” and “Keep On the Sunny Side.”
Thanks to a round of grants, plus volunteer labor, the museum has been refurbished with state-of-the-art exhibits on rotating platforms, Forrester said. “You cannot believe how beautiful it is and how much work has gone in it.”
Additionally, the floor has been rebuilt in the old store, and so have the walls.
“We have retained the feel of the old country store,” Forrester said, “but everything inside, in terms of the exhibits, is vastly different.”
Exhibits now include a video of the first Carter Family Memorial Festival, held more than 30 years ago.
Design Minds – the same firm that designed the Ralph Stanley Museum of Clintwood, Va. – helped remake the exhibits, Forrester said.
“You won’t believe you’re in the same building,” Forrester said.
Still, being a landmark listed on state and national historic registers, the old store building is limited in terms how it can be used, Forrester said.
In addition to a dedication ceremony and grand reopening on Sept. 27, 1:30 p.m., the Carter Fold is also hosting a concert starring Marty Stuart at 3 p.m.
A prolific singer-songwriter and former member of Johnny Cash’s band, Stuart is a longtime friend of the Carter Fold.
Tickets for Stuart’s show are $20 for regular seats and $25 for floor seats. For more information on the concert, call (276) 645-0035 or (276) 386-6054.
jtennis@bristolnews.com | (276) 791-0704
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