Weirton Area Museum and Cultural Center (WAMCC)
The Weirton Area Museum and Cultural Center had its humble beginning in the year 1984, when June Eiselstein, former Director of the Mary H. Weir
Public Library, applied for a grant and held a series of community meetings.
The purpose of the meetings was to establish a museum in Weirton to preserve the story of Weirton Steel Company and the rich history of our local area.
Those who remained dedicated to this cause helped the museum begin to take shape in the year 2002, when our first Treasurer, Richard Reinard, Sr., applied for our 501C3 Non-Profit status. Also, under the museum's first President, Victor Greco, WAMCC acquired many historical items from Weirton Steel Corporation, including Employee Bulletins, photography, paintings, and 16 mm movies. Since there was no museum building available, it was necessary to store and display these items at various locations throught the city.
Our First Museum Building
After many years of a "Museum Without Walls" the members of the Weirton Area Museum and Cultural Center met on May 22, 2006, and decided to find
a small building location, which could provide enough room to display (on a rotational basis) items that depicted Weirton's rich History and Culture.
On July 1, 2006, after the Independence Day Parade, the Weirton Area Museum and Cultural Center opened its doors for the first time at 3393 Main
Street in Weirton. The site was previously used as Nathan and Johnny's Hot Dog Shop and earlier used by Carr Photo. With the new building, our
membership was faced with the hard reality of paying the bills. Thanks to Senator Bowman, state digest money was available to pay for supplies, but the rent and utilities were not covered by these funds. The following members volunteered to take turns paying $450 rent for the first several months: Victor Greco, Ron Kinney, Dr. J. K. Luthra, and Dennis Jones.
The Museum Board of Directors later voted to grant these individuals lifetime memberships in WAMCC.
Recent Years
In December of 2006 and through early 2008, WAMCC's treasury was boostedby over sixty $200 sponsorships in the Weirton Area History Game, which was under development. Additional contributions were made to WAMCC from individuals, businesses, and organizations. In July of 2008, WAMCC began receiving money from the Hancock County Commissioners to cover the cost of utilities and expenses for the Museum. The Top of West Virginia,Convention and Visitors Bureau had also moved in to share the building at 3393 Main Street with WAMCC. The two organizations compliment each other very well in their public provision roles.
Since its opening in 2006, thousands of families, individuals, and tourists from around the world have visited our Museum. A few of the original Museum founders (Victor Greco, Richard Reinard, Sr., and Pamela Makricosta) remain as active WAMCC members today. As the interest in Weirton's unique history continues to grow and we search for a larger facility, we salute the men and women, who have worked so hard "Preserving Our History and Culture for Future Generations."
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