Lynsey Allie, 36 / Executive Director, Botetourt County Historical Society
Lynsey Allie has become an integral source of information for the preservation of history in Roanoke since launching her nonprofit service career in 2016. She co-managed the move of Historical Society of Western Virginia Museum to the historic Norfolk & Western Passenger Station that houses the O.Winston Link Museum in 2016, which included merging the two museums, and managed the move for the Botetourt County Historical Society’s current location on East Main Street in Fincastle. A formally accredited certified archivist by the Academy of Certified Archivists since 2016, she launched Allie Archival Consulting in 2017, which spans nationwide and has assisted local groups, including Pulaski’s Radcliffe Museum of Transportation and the Rural Retreat Depot Foundation. Allie is co-chair of the fundraising and events committee for the Roanoke Valley Preservation Foundation Board of Directors and volunteers as the archivist for St. John’s Episcopal Church. “I think it’s important to always know your history,” she says. “…I have felt very strongly about how history has been recorded and how historically, marginalized groups like women, people of color, indigenous people, the poor, members of the LGBTQ+ community, have been largely left out for one reason or another; so if I can be of any help to better represent the story of those groups, I will do what I can.”
- Earned a Bachelor of Arts in History, Roanoke College, 2008
- Earned a Master of Archival Studies, Clayton State University, 2015
- Co-Managed the move from CITS to the historic Norfolk & Western Passenger Station that houses the O. Winston Link Museum in 2016 (includes merging two museums)
- Managed a complete museum move from a building located behind the Fincastle courthouse to its current location on East Main St.
- Curated the latest O. Winston Link exhibit as her final project for the HSOWV, where her role as manager necessitated frequent collaboration with Visit Virginia’s Blue Ridge, the Virginia Museum of Transportation, Roanoke Symphony Orchestra & Virginia SO, Salem Museum, Blue Ridge PBS, The Roanoke Times, Hotel Roanoke, Taubman Museum, and Center in the Square
- Serves on the board for Kimoyo, LTD, a nonprofit that does educational outreach in Roanoke and surrounding areas, as well as other outreach for young women and medical assistance for anyone in Ghana.
- Former volunteer at the Virginia Room, working on backlog collections till COVID hit in 2020
- Volunteers with the LGBTQ Religious Archives Network, based out of Chicago, but supports LGBTQ clergy at an international level
From the Nomination: “Lynsey Allie’s nonprofit service began in 2015 at the history museum located, at the time, in Center in the Square and is a part of the Historical Society of Western VA. In 2016, she managed the move from CITS to the O. Winston Link building, a museum that is also part of the HSOWV. Upon that move, the two museums were merged and she was promoted to manage them both. She remained manager until a recent career move placed her as the Executive Director of the Botetourt Historical Society, located in Fincastle. Once again, she managed a complete museum move from a building located behind the Fincastle courthouse to its current location on East Main St. Allie curated the latest O. Winston Link exhibit as her final project for the HSOWV, where her role as manager necessitated frequent collaboration with Visit Virginia’s Blue Ridge, the Virginia Museum of Transportation, Roanoke Symphony Orchestra & Virginia SO, Salem Museum, Blue Ridge PBS, The Roanoke Times, Hotel Roanoke, Taubman Museum, and Center in the Square. Through these collaborations, Allie has become an integral source of information for the preservation of history in Roanoke. … Allie has a warm heart for marginalized peoples or otherwise overlooked communities, especially women and LGBTQ groups. Ever since she could remember she has had an affinity for history, which she has shaped into a career that allows her to focus that passion toward the preservation of history for the benefit of future generations. She commonly puts other people before herself, and others’ causes before her own, and does this with glee, and in the most reliable of ways. People that have worked with her throughout her career will attest to how hard she works and how much effort she puts into everything she does. She can always be counted on to find a way to make things work, and see a project through to the end.”
What do you love about Roanoke?
Allie: “I love that Roanoke continues to grow. As someone who has grown up here, it’s nice to see the evolution of Roanoke and how it continues to change. I think it’s a good mix of the mountains and also city life. The arts and culture scene has really taken off and it’s great to see that; there seems to always be something going on or new to see!”
How does your passion impact our community?
Allie: “There is so much growth happening in Roanoke, but I think it’s important to always know your history. Similarly, ever since graduate school, I have felt very strongly about how history has been recorded and how historically, marginalized groups like women, people of color, indigenous people, the poor, members of the LGBTQ+ community, have been largely left out for one reason or another; so if I can be of any help to better represent the story of those groups, I will do what I can.”
