About Us

Our Mission

To preserve and inspire curiosity in the history of Great Bend communities.

Our History

Founded in 1972 by the Jackson County Historical Society, the Great Bend Museum preserves and shares the stories of Jackson County, West Virginia through objects, photographs, and archives. Housed in the historic Lock 22 powerhouse in Riverside Park, the museum is joined by the Sayre Log Cabin—a reconstructed 18th-century homestead relocated from Cow Run Road in 1982. Together, they highlight the lives of early settlers and the region’s rich past. In 2020, stewardship of the museum and its collection passed to the City of Ravenswood, continuing its mission to preserve and promote local history.

What is the Great Bend?

The Great Bend is a notable geographic feature where the Ohio River bends back on itself in a narrow horseshoe shape. It's been identified and named in maps as far back as the 1700s and George Washington specifically claimed two land tracts on it, one at Ravenswood and one at Millwood. It felt appropriate to name our regional history museum after this landmark which has seen over three centuries of recorded history in the area.

Our Leadership

Craig Greening, Chairperson
Jessica Scritchfield Wooten, Secretary
Carla Long, Treasurer
Mark Crocket
Adena Barnett-Miller

Faith Walker, Museum Director
Katrena Ramsey, BOPARC Superintendent
Addi Smith, AmeriCorps Member