Kump Education Center to Host Holiday Family Celebration

ELKINS-The Kump Education Center is sponsoring a Holiday Family Celebration, Friday, December 17 through Sunday, December 19 from 2-5 p.m. each day at the historic Kump House. The three-day open house event will feature nativities and traditions from around the world, tours of the home and crafts for children.

“We are excited to continue the tradition of opening the Kump House during the holiday season and celebrate international Christmas customs,” said Heather Biola, director of the Kump Education Center (KEC). “We are also focusing on the importance of family, especially during this time of covid. Family means more than our own family; it is the human family all over the world.”

The Emma Scott Garden Club will once again decorate the Kump House with creches, nativities, and other decorations from around the world. “The Garden Club did such a wonderful job in 2019 with our 1930s celebration, we were thrilled that they volunteered their talents and time for this year’s event,” Biola said.

The Kump House, located on Randolph Ave., is a 26-room brick Neo-Federal Revival style home designed in 1924 for Herman Guy Kump, the 19^th governor of West Virginia. Gov. Kump served during the Great Depression from 1933-1937 and is known for his support of rural public education. Today the KEC is continuing that legacy by dedicating itself to the promotion and creation of innovative educational initiatives. The City of Elkins owns the property which was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1983.

The open house is scheduled over a three-day period to allow for proper CDC social distancing protocol. The use of masks is highly recommended. The children’s craft area will be in the recently upgraded Altice Learning Lab that includes improved air filtration systems. Visitors are also asked to use the back entrance of the Kump House located off Seneca Trail Road, located north of the main entrance to the facility.

Admission to the holiday celebration is free but donations are requested which will support KEC education and restoration efforts.

“We have made significant progress on restoring the home and have exciting plans for the future,” said Biola. “We want to share this with the community as well as celebrate this beautiful season of peace.”

For more information about the Holiday Family Celebration or the Kump Education Center, visit the Kump Education Center Facebook page.

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Contact: Nanci Bross-Fregonara, Communications Director, Kump Education Center, fregonarafamily@cebridge.net