Clarksburg Chronicles

The Clarksburg History Museum unveiled its “Wall of Fame,” an exciting new exhibit honoring two dozen notable figures with ties to Clarksburg and Harrison County.

The exhibit, which was formally introduced during a ceremony on Saturday, Nov. 29, highlighted 24 individuals who were born, lived or made significant contributions in the region before achieving success on a national or international scale.

Museum President Mike Spatafore said the idea grew from a yearslong effort to expand how the museum showcases local history.

“Since we opened in 2018, we’ve kept a running list of famous people from Clarksburg and Harrison County,” Spatafore said. “We already have over 30 exhibits, and many feature well-known local figures, but we wanted a way to include even more people and tell more of their stories. One of our main goals it to teach people about the history of people from this area.”

The inaugural Wall of Fame class included a mix of educators, politicians, entertainers, business leaders and other influential figures. Museum staff sifted through a long list of potential honorees before selecting the first 24.

“We tried to create a nice mix,” Spatafore said. “In the future, we hope to add at least a couple of new names each year. Space is limited, but we want this to continue growing hopefully.”

Some honorees may eventually receive full exhibits of their own as the museum expands, Spatafore said.

The Nov. 29 unveiling gave the public its first look at the expanded exhibit. The museum invited relatives, friends and community members to speak on behalf of each inductee. In cases where no surviving family could be located, museum representatives shared remarks on the inductee.

“We’re hoping to have someone here for each person on the Wall of Fame,” Spatafore said. “If we can’t locate relatives, we’re trying to find community members who knew them or knew of their work.”

Beyond the Wall of Fame, museum officials hoped the event would draw new visitors and remind residents of the exhibits already in place.

“People are often surprised to learn that we have more than 30 exhibits,” Spatafore said. “We bring in school groups, we bring in tour groups, and I think the museum is one of Clarksburg’s best-kept secrets.”