By Seth Young, CEO, Augusta Heritage Center
In 2026, Augusta Heritage Center will begin a bold new chapter. One that’s rooted in our past, aligned with our present, and reaching with purpose toward the future. Our Summer Heritage Workshops will move to Downtown Elkins, West Virginia, and with that move comes more than a change in geography. It’s a reaffirmation of what Augusta has always been: a living, breathing, evolving community of learners, artists, and tradition bearers.
For over four decades, Augusta’s home on the campus of Davis & Elkins College has provided a beautiful and deeply meaningful backdrop for our programs. And we are proud to say that our relationship with the College remains strong and ongoing aswe are developing new academic collaborations, internships, and community engagement projects that support students and extend Augusta’s impact throughout the year.
But as we plan for our future, we are also responding to the present and to you. Our participants have asked for more walkability, easier access to lodging and food, deeper community integration, and more flexible, spontaneous gathering spaces. The move downtown directly answers that call.
Our new home in downtown Elkins places the Augusta Heritage Center building at the heart of the action. We’ll have purpose-built spaces for classes, jams, meetings, and dances. You’ll be just steps from local cafés, music venues, theaters, hotels, and the kind of Appalachian charm that pulses through every street in this town. From late-night Cajun jams at Big Timber Brewing to a square dance at the new Augusta Dance Hall, you’ll feel that you’re not just attending a program but part of something larger.
This move also supports the economic revitalization of rural Appalachia. By bringing hundreds of artists, students, and culture lovers into the downtown core each summer, Augusta becomes a direct engine of economic activity for the region. We are investing in Elkins’ future, and as more businesses open, buildings are restored, and cultural offerings expand, we are honored to be at the center of that story.
At the same time, this transition helps us serve our mission more fully by making our programs more accessible. From walkable lodging to easy access to downtown amenities and gathering spaces, from year-round local programming to national reach through digital media, our downtown campus will allow more people from more places to engage with Augusta than ever before.
And don’t worry, 2025 is going to be a great year. We’ll spend one more unforgettable summer on the Davis & Elkins campus, learning and laughing on the porches, sharing meals in Benedum, and dancing under the pavilion lights. It’s a perfect time to come back or join us for the first time.
This move is about more than location. It’s about meeting the needs of our learners, building a platform for the next generation of tradition bearers, and staying true to the spirit of Augusta, collaborative, joyful, and deeply rooted in the people and cultures of Appalachia.
In 2026, don’t just take a class, be a part of something bigger.
We’ll be sharing more soon. Until then, thank you for being a part of the story.