Wytheville, Va. – On East Main Street, where Skeeter’s hot‑dog stand has served locals since 1925, a quiet brick building holds a piece of national history. The upstairs rooms were the birthplace of Edith Bolling Wilson, the seventh of eleven children born on Oct. 15, 1872, and later the nation’s first lady who stepped into a leadership role after President Woodrow Wilson’s 1919 stroke.
From Hot Dogs to History
Farron Smith and her husband Bill bought the building in 1989, acquiring both the hot‑dog shop and the second‑floor apartment where Edith was born. Recognizing the site’s significance, the Smiths formed a foundation in 2006 and opened the Edith Bolling Wilson Birthplace Museum on her birthday, Oct. 15, 2008. Two years later they restored the nearby George Wythe Hotel – where Edith once stayed – and reopened it as the Bolling Wilson Hotel.
A Rare Preservation
According to the Smiths, no other first‑lady birthplace in Virginia has been turned into a museum, and only eight such sites exist nationwide. The museum showcases the modest upbringing of a woman who, despite limited formal education, learned to read, write, and speak a little French from her grandmother, a strong‑willed matriarch who taught Edith that “anyone can do anything they try to.”
Family, Faith, and Frontier Roots
Edith’s family were pillars of St. John’s Episcopal Church, a short walk from the house, where she was baptized, confirmed, and later married jeweler Norman Galt. Genealogists trace her lineage to Pocahontas through Thomas Rolfe and Jane Rolfe, making her a “Red Bolling.” Local lore also mentions “Blue Bollings,” a term for families who claim descent without documented proof.
Her Role in the White House
When President Wilson suffered a massive stroke in 1919, the Constitution offered no clear process for presidential incapacity. For the next 17 months, Edith managed access to the president and determined which papers reached his bedside, a period she called her “stewardship.” Critics have labeled her actions as overreach, but Smith reminds readers that there was no legislation then to define a president’s inability; the 25th Amendment would not be ratified until 1967.
Community Impact
The museum not only preserves a slice of Appalachian heritage but also draws visitors to downtown Wytheville, supporting local businesses and reinforcing the town’s historic identity. Smith says the project was “our way of giving back to a community that we love,” emphasizing the importance of family, faith, and self‑reliance – values that continue to shape the region.
Visiting the Site
Open to the public, the museum offers tours of the original rooms, displays of period artifacts, and educational programs for school groups. The adjacent Bolling Wilson Hotel provides lodging for heritage tourists, further integrating the historic site into Wytheville’s economic and cultural life.
By preserving Edith Bolling Wilson’s birthplace, Wytheville honors a woman who, despite limited schooling, rose from humble Appalachian roots to influence the nation’s highest office – a story that resonates with the town’s enduring spirit of perseverance and family devotion.
Original reporting: Herald-Standard – latest news for Uniontown, Pennsylvania — read the source article.
