The Abruzzino Mansion was added to the West Virginia Endangered Properties List in 2013 due to a devastating fire that damaged a significant portion of the house. Located in downtown Shinnston, WV, this building has benefited from recent preservation work and updating. The current owners would like to see this building turned into a children’s museum. Learn more about the building from the WBOY Channel 12 video. If you are interested in helping with this project, please contact info@pawv.org for more information. Historic preservation is happening in rural West Virginia. Learn about the adaptive re-use of the Elkins Coal and Coke building in Masontown, Preston County, WV. The goal is to turn this building into a bathroom facility for the Mon River Rail Trail. You can contact the Mon River Trails Conservancy to learn how you can help. Thanks to WBOY Channel 12 for another great feature!
To describe how it felt to witness this destruction in person is impossible. It was AWFUL. I cried. Ninety-one pictures later and I was ready to show the city of Charleston the wretched state of this “beloved”and “iconic”structure.
Constructed in 1968 by local architect and engineer Henry Elden, Top-O-Rock is a magnificent 10,000 square foot structure of steel and glass that functioned as both working and living environment under the same roof. An unconventional combination of industrial and organic principles, it was designed to incorporate the natural beauty of the surrounding landscape. Elden referred to it as “A glass jeweled box set in a hillside without disturbing the beauty of the natural terrain”. This terrain being a steep twenty-seven foot sandstone cliff with panoramic vies of the city. It consisted of 8500 square feet of solar plated tinted glass that was held together by an intricate framework of 90 tons of steel and 880,000 pounds of concrete that engaged the heavily wooded landscape that surrounded it. The structure itself was adapted into its’natural surroundings. Charleston residents had never seen anything like Top-O-Rock. It was considered Elden’s architectural masterpiece. And he joyfully shared this with the community, opening the doors to anyone that wanted to see its grandeur in person. He hosted a variety of galas, parties and other functions. It became known as one of Charleston’s most iconic houses and remained that way until Mr. Elden’s death in 2009. It remained vacant until it was purchased in 2011. An advocate is defined as a person who publicly supports or recommends a particular cause or policy and offers support to the interest of another. In a nutshell, an advocate becomes the voice for an entity that is unable to speak for itself. To say that I was upset was an understatement. I was sad. And I was VERY angry. The house had been abandoned and neglected and left alone to defend itself against the elements of nature as well as vandals and thieves. How could this have happened? How did the condition get the this point? Who was responsible? And what could be done? I wanted answers. AND I wanted everyone in Charleston to see what collective ignorance had done to a once magnificent place. Naturally, sharing the pictures on Facebook was the quickest way to reach a large audience. Combined with numerous emails to the local media, word spread quickly that Top-O-Rock was in dire need of help. I posted on Sunday evening. The response was overwhelming. By Monday morning, requests to the City of Charleston were made and the necessary steps to determine what was needed to secure the structure began. A violation order was issued to the owners with 21 days to meet the requirements. A collective sigh of relief was felt in the community. Until a local contracting firm said it had been approached to possibly demolish the house. That single word: DEMOLISH was completely unacceptable to me. I knew at that moment, I was going to do anything and everything to save Top-O-Rock. On Tuesday morning, I started a Facebook group and page called “Save Top-O-Rock”and shared it with my friends. Within 30 minutes I had 150 members. By the end of the day, I had 500 members. It was amazing. Membership requests along with offers of assistance, advice, financial donations, resources to utilize and volunteers was OVERWHELMING. I was relieved that there were so many other people out there willing to lend a voice and become an advocate. Today, we are 1400 members strong. TOGETHER we continue to fight for our beloved Top-O-Rock. It has been an emotional and tough few weeks but to date, the owners have secured the house and are working with the community to save it. For now, demolition is off the table. And we ARE continuing to make, albeit slow, progress. So the next time you find yourself driving down MacCorkle Avenue, remember to take a look up at the glass jeweled box on the hillside peeking out the trees, where it sits patiently waiting for another chance to speak for ITSELF.
Top O Rock is a distinctive house sitting atop a rocky outcrop which provides 360° view of Charleston and the Kanawha River. The building was designed by Henry Elden, an industrious and award winning architect whose works are known throughout the area. Due to recent vandalism and deferred maintenance, the Charleston Building Commission last week sent the current owners a notice to submit a development or demolition plan within three weeks or face possible fines.
The current owner purchased the house in 2011. Since the transaction, the house has remained vacant. Due to the ongoing vandalism, the property owners have hired a security guard. On May 7th, the WV MetroNews reported Rodney Loftis and Sons Contractor, “has a contract to tear down the house and is going through the normal process of asbestos assessment and other pre-demolition requirements. He said the demolition could start in three to four weeks.” It is not clear if the contract has been signed and the contractor is not speaking publicly on the subject. If you are interested in keeping up with any developments or voicing your concern, click on the Save Top O Rock Facebook group page and ask to join. https://www.facebook.com/groups/834673546561386/ WBOY Channel 12 traveled to Belington, WV to visit the Golden Rule and learn about the historic significance of the site and adaptive re-use efforts. Learn more at the video. In honor of Preservation Month, volunteers gathered at the Golden Rule in Belington, WV for a clean-up day.
The historic store building was added to the WV Endangered Properties List in 2014, and has since benefited from a cosmetic cleaning. There’s clearly still a lot of work that needs to be done, but it’s amazing what a little bit of weed-eating and landscaping can do for any site. The Belington Revitalization Committee and Belington OnTRAC are on their way to making this site a downtown staple again. Look through the gallery for before and after shots. Email us an info@pawv.org if you are interested in volunteering for clean-up days or looking for information on how to help. Preservation Alliance has teamed up with WBOY Channel 12 on a 12 week news series about WV Endangered Properties in north-central West Virginia. The first news story is about Woodlawn Cemetery & Caretaker’s Home in Fairmont, Marion County, WV. Our very own field services representative, Lynn Stasick, was interviewed about this property. Lynn has been helping with the rehabilitation of the historic windows in the residence. Enjoy this short video and look for more over the next 11 weeks! There will be a public meeting to discuss next steps for the historic Golden Rule building in Philippi on 5/15.
All are encouraged to attend to help plan for the re-use of this downtown staple. Show your love for this building during historic preservation month by supporting this 2014 WV Endangered Property.
Fayetteville is no stranger to serving as a hub of activity. During the Civil War, Fayetteville was occupied by both the Union and Confederacy due to its strategic location. During the early 1900’s, Fayetteville grew as a center of law and business in the area and remains the seat of Fayette County today. The school building was witness to the early prosperity of Fayetteville and experienced evolving uses while under the ownership by the Board of Education. The school was built in 1923 by skilled Italian stone masons. The builder, C.G. Juanutolo, constructed many of the other stone buildings in the area. Originally, the structure was home to the town’s high school then later the middle school. Most recently, the building stored equipment and supplies for the school board.
The need for a central community space has become more evident as Fayetteville has continued serving as a central location for cultural activity in Fayette County and the surrounding area. Additionally, a study by students in West Virginia University’s Community Design Team verified the benefits of such a community space. The study, conducted during 2007, recognized the historic significance and opportunities such a space would provide to the community. It became clear that this option should gain serious evaluation. Town Superintendent, Bill Lanham, began contacting possible community groups and the Board of Education who possessed the building at that time. After four years of efforts to secure the deed, the town acquired the building from the Board of Education at the end of 2011. Even before the news was official, the town was beginning to receive interest from community groups who were looking for new activity space. Interest has been expressed by a wide variety of groups including, but not limited to, the Fayetteville Women’s Club, Rotary Club, and Arts Coalition. Individual citizens and council members have also come to the support of the Town’s efforts. Fayetteville is clear in its goal to keep the building – it is a piece of the town’s historic heritage and capable of endless possibilities for the space would provide. The sky is the limit when it comes to the potential of the building. How cool would it be to see local artists’ pieces on display, possibly catch a music recital, and visit local history exhibits all in one spot? The completed roof repair will hopefully act as catalyst to continue reuse projects and brighten the future for the town while remaining true to its storied past. |
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