Belgian Heritage Honored in South Charleston
On Saturday, June 14th, at the South Charleston Museum - La Belle Theater, at 7 PM, more than 70people attended a program honoring the Belgian glass workers of South Charleston and their descendants. The board members of the South Charleston Museum Foundation presented their finest program to date, focusing on the amazing story of their own immigrant fathers and mothers from Belgium.
Dr. Fred Barkey giving his slide show on South Charleston glass workers from Belgium
The credit for the successful program goes largely to four SCMF board members - Dr. Fred Barkey, who presented his now-classic slide show on the Belgian workers, Judy Romano, who contacted the descendants, Peggy Collard Thompson, who unretired from the SCM board to work with Judy to get the people out and who also prepared all of the Belgium food that was provided for the reception and who gave a heartfelt speech about growing up as a Belgian-American in South Charleston, and Phyllis Shawver who provided the centerpiece for the refreshment table. Belgium dolls were from the SCM, donated by the Montrose Garden Club. Rhuel Craddock, chairman of the SCM board, was the excellent master of ceremonies, keeping the program going.
Peggy Thompson speaking about her grandparents traveling from Belgium to South Charleston. Belgian flag to her right.
Peggy Thompson and Judy Romano printed certificates that were given out to the descendants who attended the event - something for them to keep in their family records. A photo was taken of all of the descendants who came is posted at the bottom of this article. If you would like a high rez version, e-mail me at - mystery12@suddenlink.net.
Peggy Collard Thompson talking with her fellow Belgian West Virginians in the lobby of The SCM-La Belle Theater
Ms. Thompson also created a brochure that includes a list of Belgian settlers of South Charleston and selected Belgian recipes for Belgian tarts (pies), gauliettes, waffle cookies, bernadine cookies, little chocolate nut cakes and Belgian coffee cake. The program finally ended after a current travelogue about Brussels was shown. The audience was invited to enjoy the free Belgian chocolates and pastries in the lobby provided by Ms. Thompson and others.
Lura Watkins, vice chair, SCMF with fellow board member Judy Romano, in back of Belgian food provided by Peggy Thompson
SCM did an excellent job last November, getting the local Greek community down to The La Belle to honor one of their own, Christopher Janus. I believe the experience energized the SCMF board to realize that they should honor their own heritage as the Greek-West Virginians did.
Over the years SCMF has sponsored several Belgium festivals. About six years ago there was a local Belgian Club that worked with SCMF to present a program similar to this one. A local person showed slides of their recent visit to the homeland, and club members provided Belgian food. Several great films from Belgium were also shown including “The Promise” by the Dardenne Brothers of Belgium, reigning kings of the Cannes Film Festival, and “Misery in the Borinage,” one of the first films about coal mining, filmed in Belgium.
“The Beer Hunter - Holland and the Burgundies of Belgium” was also shown that year. ( The VHS tape is available FREE at the WV Library Commission in the Cultural Center.) The one–hour, two part documentary hosted by one of the world’s greatest experts on beer, Michael Jackson, shown a Trappist monestary in Holland that makes Belgium-style beer whereas the episode on the “Burgundies of Belgium” focuses on some of the many other kinds of beer made in Belgium, ending with a feast using beer both in cooking and drinking.
Two years ago there was a smaller Belgium festival that included food and showing some current DVD travelogues of Belgium. Unfortunately, only one person showed up for the film shown that year - “The Man Who Wanted to Classify the World.”
According to the 1970 U.S. Census, the descendants of Belgian immigrants were the third largest per capita in WV - only after the descendants of German and Italian immigrants according to keynote speaker Dr. Fred Barkey.
Descendents of the original Belgian glass workers
July 2nd, 2008 at
I wish there was a way of knowing of these festivities in the future. My grandfather was a glassblower from Jumet/Charleroi and came to Salem WV first and then worked in othe towns like Pennsboro, West Union and Clarksburg. He was a very proud Belgian