Save the date for Hands & Heritage: Traditional Arts of Revolutionary America July 4th and 5th 2026
The Woodbury School Receives $10,000 Grant for “Hands & Heritage” Project
The Hershel House and Woodbury School is honored to announce that the Foundation has received a $10,000 grant from the Kentucky Historical Society and the Kentucky Arts Council in support of our upcoming program, Hands & Heritage: Traditional Arts of Revolutionary America.
This generous funding will support a special July 4–5, 2026, living-history event on Hershel House’s historic homeplace in Woodbury, Kentucky. The celebration - timed not only with America’s 250th anniversary but also with Hershel House’s own July 4th birthday - will feature hands-on demonstrations, artisan workshops, colonial-era crafts, and guided tours of Hershel’s original cabins and blacksmith shop.
The project will be led by Daniel Casey, master gunmaker from Arkansas, and Anna Greinetz from Butler County, who will coordinate programming, artisan engagement, and educational experiences for participants.
Through Hands & Heritage, the Woodbury School aims to showcase the beauty, skill, and cultural significance of early American craftsmanship - including blacksmithing, gunmaking, woodworking, weaving, and more - while honoring Hershel House’s lifelong dedication to teaching and preserving traditional arts.
“We’re deeply grateful to the Kentucky Historical Society and the Kentucky Arts Council for recognizing the importance of this work and supporting our mission to keep Kentucky’s creative heritage alive,” said project coordinator Daniel Casey.
More details on the event schedule, demonstrations, and volunteer opportunities will be shared in the coming months. For updates, visit www.woodbury.school.com.
This project is supported in part by the Kentucky Historical Society and the Kentucky Arts Council, the state arts agency, with state tax dollars from the Kentucky General Assembly and federal funding from the National Endowment for the Arts. For more information, visit history.ky.gov.
Media Contact:
Anna Greinetz
anna@woodbury-school.com