WAR RIDGE W.Va. (Hinton News) – If you are from Summers County, chances are you’ve been to or at least heard of Betty Hendrick’s yearly “Barn Sale.” Betty started doing this unique sale as a fundraiser. For years, the proceeds go for one of her many passions she holds dear to her heart, the Children’s Home Society of West Virginia. The Children’s Home Society “has 13 primary locations, 8 emergency child shelters, statewide adoption, foster care, volunteer, and mentoring programs, and 15 other family support and intervention programs.”
I have told you before about having met “Miss Betty”, as she is known through my cousin Ginger Thompson Snider, probably some 17 years ago. And I have attended this yearly tradition ever since. If you are an antique dealer, junk collector/treasure hunter (as I like to consider myself, even though my family thinks of me as a hoarder), or just a yard sale enthusiast, the barn sale is the place to be.
The 27th annual barn sale was conducted this past Friday, May 30, and Saturday, May 31. If you know Betty, she always says, “This is the last year I am doing this.” But come spring of the next year and people start donating her pieces for another barn sale. The ad is from this year’s sale, and the photo is from inside the barn during the 2021 sale. Each year never ceases to impress.
This huge event could not be the success it is each year without the devoted help from other members of the Children’s Home Society, family friends, Pleasant View Farm’s farmhands and members of the Ballengee Farm Club.
Just as the thrill of attending outdoor onsite auctions, there is nothing like waiting in line behind the gates to enter the barn at 8 a.m. Talking to your friends, you may not have seen since they were there the year before. With a cup of coffee in hand, waiting for the hour hand to hit 8 a.m. At that time, the gates are unlocked and the “thrill of the hunt is on!”
Over the years, I have found many good antique items that are showcased proudly in my collection. I even occasionally find a Summers County piece of history. Such as the 1910s glass candy dish from Davis Store in Ballange, WV, which I found a good decade ago. As well as the original kerosene wall lamp from the Talcott Depot that sat in Talcott, WV.
Showing just how passionate Betty is about this cause, she always caters the very successful Make It Right For Kids Night each year at the state fairgrounds. It is the Home Society’s largest fundraiser of the year. Consisting of the aforementioned catered food (which is out of this world), and both a silent and live auction.
Again, she always says she can’t keep doing this. A year later, I always find myself walking through the door with my ticket to enjoy the night. As Betty always says, both during this time and in general, “it’s for the children!” I am already looking forward to the 2026 barn sale and 2026 Make It Right For Kids Night. FYI: This year, the barn sale is also partnering with the Ballengee Farm Club and Neighborhood Association.
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