The Meadowbrook Museum is a treasure trove of Eastern Montgomery County history, housed in the Meadowbrook Center, Shawsville, Virginia. Founded in 2006, the initiative was spearheaded by Fran and Don Poole with the mission “to record, preserve, and present the history of Eastern Montgomery County for now and for future generations.”

The Pooles found their way to Shawsville from Washington, DC, where they both worked for the Veterans Administration — Don as a video production specialist and Fran as a medical librarian. The Pooles initially collected and recorded information about 74 graveyards in the county, helping residents in their genealogy efforts. This led to the idea of assembling materials for a local museum. Shawsville’s Meadowbrook Library, also located in the center, donated the space.

Although the Pooles retired in 2017, community interest and support has enabled the museum to grow and thrive under new board leadership. Today, it continues to work to preserve the history of the area’s communities, families, businesses, schools, and historic sites through a collection that presents a vivid portrayal of Eastern Montgomery County’s history and experience. All items are digitized, and many are on display in the museum’s exhibit rooms.

Download "Dedicated to the Past, Looking to the Future" by Catherine Van Noy — The Roanoke Times, The Burgs edition, December 7, 2016