Description
In November, 2001, Samuel A. J. Cockayne, a lifelong resident of Glen Dale, Marshall County, West Virginia, and a descendent of an early pioneer to the area, passed away. In his will, he bequeathed his aging 1850's farmhouse and its immense collection of 19th and early 20th Century Cockayne furnishings, artwork and other family memorabilia to the City of Glen Dale, which town bears the name of the farm. The City subsequently leased the property to the Marshall County Historical Society, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, for the Society's preservation efforts.
The Cockayne Farm was at one time an internationally recognized Merino Wool producing farm. The 19th Century Cockaynes were social, political and agricultural leaders in the community. The daughters were artists, musicians and social activists. Their farmhouse was a showplace, befitting the family's agricultural and social standing.
The house and contents are a living museum, representative of the lifestyles, values and work ethic of those Americans who helped to build this State and this Nation. Behind the house is an Indian Burial Mound long protected by the Cockaynes that was reunited to the farmhouse in 2004. The burial mound adds another dimension to the project.
The purpose of the Cockayne Historic Preservation Project is to create an educational and cultural center that will benefit all West Virginians.
