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Murphy Farm, Harpers Ferry,
Jefferson County
The historic Murphy Farm (approx. 99 acres) was the scene of a raid on September 12-15, 1862 that precipitated the surrender of 12,500 Union troops to Confederate General Stonewall Jackson--the largest surrender of American troops until World War II. Following the 1893 Chicago World's Fair, the Murphy Farm was also home for several years to John Brown's "fort," the engine house occupied during his 1859 raid on Harpers Ferry. The farm subsequently became a Mecca for African-Americans. In 1906, civil rights leader W.E.B. Dubois led a pilgrimage to the farm as part of the second conference of the Niagara Movement, forerunner of the NAACP. Plans for a 188 home development with a 130 foot-high water tower currently threaten the site.
Putnam County Archaeological Sites
Located northwest of Charleston, Putnam County is one of the fastest growing areas in West Virginia. Most of Teays Valley has already been engulfed by residential growth, and much of the archaeological record for this area has been lost to private development exempted from Federal preservation laws. The Kanawha Valley is next. The Putnam County Commission is studying potential zoning for the area, and much of it expected to be residential. Sprawl development threatens most of the remaining areas likely to contain significant archaeological resources in Putnam County.
Weston State Hospital,
Lewis County
Built in 1858 as the Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum, Weston State Hospital is the only public institutional building erected by the Commonwealth of Virginia in present-day West Virginia. Opened in 1864, the building has been abandoned since 1990. A National Historic Landmark, Weston State Hospital is a massive three-story stone structure owned by the state. Despite
recent marketing attempts and monies earmarked for preservation, the building
remains vacant.
Historic Inscriptions and
Graffiti, Statewide
Significant inscriptions and graffiti spanning the range of West Virginia's
cultural history are being lost. Typically unrecognized, these resources
include prehistoric stone glyphs destroyed by vandalism and construction
projects to Civil War-era signatures and political cartoons drawn on plaster.
Building renovation or remodeling projects inadvertently destroy many such
historic resources, often hidden beneath accumulated layers of paint or
wallpaper. Contact the WV Division of Culture and History for further details
if you believe a significant discovery has been made.
Clendenin Middle School,
Kanawha County
Completed in 1912, Clendenin Middle School is illustrative of the plight of
historic schools in West Virginia and across the nation. Originally known as
the Big Sandy District High School, this building attests to the early twentieth
century growth of public education in the state. Today the building is home to
Clendenin Middle School, slated to close at the end of this school year. Unless
local residents can find a new use for the building, it is likely to meet the
wrecker's ball.
Cass Historic District,
Pocahontas County
The town of Cass was established in 1900 by the WV Pulp & Paper Company
(Westvaco) and is now owned by the West Virginia Division of Natural Resources.
Cass is a rare surviving example of an early twentieth-century logging industry
company town. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in
1980. Vandalism, looting and arson have impacted many of the irreplaceable
resources.
Historic Bridges, Statewide
A number of West Virginia's bridges are nationally known landmarks. The 1849 Wheeling Suspension Bridge
(listed as a National Historic Landmark in 1975) and the modern New River Bridge
exist as international icons of the bridge builder’s art. The 1852 covered
bridge in Philippi is revered for its role in the first land battle of the Civil
War. Other state bridges have not been so lucky. Unless key examples are saved,
an entire era of West Virginia bridge architecture may be lost.
Blue Sulphur Springs Pavilion,
Greenbrier County
This 1834 monumental Greek
Revival pavilion, located three miles south of Smoot, covers the sulphur spring
for which the Blue Sulphur Springs resort hotel was famous. Eighty-nine
Confederate soldiers of Georgia died here of typhoid fever during the winter of
1862-63 and are buried nearby. In 1864, Federal troops burned the entire resort
complex. Now only this neglected pavilion sits forlornly in a pasture.
Coal Heritage Area,
Southern Counties
More than twenty
southern counties of West Virginia were designated as a Federal disaster area
following summer 2001 flooding episodes. Approximately four hundred buildings
were removed during the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s initial recovery
efforts. The towns of Mullens, Welch, Kimball and Keystone were heavily impacted
by high waters. The disaster area covers much of the designated Coal Heritage
Area.
Jefferson County Jail
In this notable 1918
Colonial Revival structure, pro-union miners were incarcerated after the Battle
of Blair Mountain. The jail is associated with the dramatic treason trials at
Charles Town that followed in 1922. Jefferson County Jail is a contributing
element to the Downtown Charles Town Historic District, listed in the National
Register of Historic Places. In 2001, the Labor Heritage Foundation added
Jefferson County Jail to its Inventory of American Labor Landmarks. The jail,
vacant for a decade, has been used for document storage. Now the Jefferson
County Commission has slated the landmark for demolition, claiming it is too
costly to renovate. According to the Jefferson County Preservation Alliance to
Save our Heritage, independent architects and an engineer have examined the
building and reported it structurally sound—an excellent candidate for adaptive
re-use. Application for a stay of a demolition injunction pending appeal has
been made to the West Virginia Supreme Court. |
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