There is special criteria to be identified as a WV Endangered Property. Each property must be listed or eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places; suffer from a demonstrable preservation emergency; and maintain owner and local support for the re-use of the property in the respective community.  Owner support is necessary because it’s the first step to ensuring the preservation process begins.  It is PAWV’s goal to encourage owners to turn these properties into viable contributors to WV’s economy.  Properties that were formerly on the endangered list but have graduated to saved include the First Ward School in Elkins and the Quarrier Diner in Charleston.

We hope you will take a look around your community for an historic building that is in need of attention, rehabilitation, speaks to the history of the community, has great potential to be re-purposed to serve community needs, and is of more value saved than destroyed.  If you know of such a building, please consider taking the time to submit a nomination for the property.

Nominations forms and additional information on Endangered Properties nominations can be found here.

For more information on West Virginia Endangered Properties and a list of current Endangered Properties in West Virginia, please visit http://www.pawv.org/endanger.htm or contact PAWV’s Preserve WV AmeriCorps member, Mercy Klein, at [email protected].

Happy Retreat was named a West Virginia Endangered Property in 2010 after being threatened by demolition due to development pressures in the area. PAWV is excited to share the tremendous progress the Friends of Happy Retreat has made in the last year.  It was listed as West Virginia’s first National Treasure under the National Trust for Historic Preservation.  The National Treasures “program demonstrates the value of preservation by taking direct action to protect cherished places and promote their history and significance.” Fewer than 75 places in this nation have been selected as National Treasures. Other National Treasures include Nashville’s Music Row, Theodore Roosevelt’s Elkhorn Ranch, the Houston Astrodome, the Grand Canyon, the historic Woodlawn estate adjacent to Mount Vernon, and The National Cathedral in Washington, DC.

Happy Retreat also demonstrated its value as a community resource this year as volunteers came together to host a highly-successful craft beer and music festival. Over 1,500 people braved the 94 degree heat to enjoy the day’s events.  Happy Retreat is planning to host the same event in 2017.

Project and Outreach Manager

The Wheeling National Heritage Area Corp. seeks a dynamic individual to join their leadership team. Candidates who possess previous experience with local or statewide “Main Street” programs/projects or related activities are preferred. Ideal candidates must have great presentation skills, verbal and written communication skills, thrive with community outreach/relations and be an avid networker and communication specialist in addition to having exceptional command and utilization of social media, Microsoft Office applications, and other web based marketing/design platforms and technology.

This position will be accountable for the following primary responsibilities:

• Management of the Main Street program, Reinvent Wheeling, and related activities
• Manage and implement the organization’s marketing strategies through social media, advertising, marketing, event planning, and related efforts
• Coordinate and lead community-supported crowdfunding programs (i.e., Show of Hands)
• Write and manage needed/new grants
• Develop partnerships and relationships with downtown Wheeling stakeholders, including, but not limited to, the business community, non-profits, and government entities to accomplish strategic objectives
• Provide and increase education about revitalization and related best practices
• Recruit, coordinate, and manage organization volunteers (i.e., Main Street committees and working groups)
• Serve as lead communication specialist for the organization, leading key messaging and outbound communications (press releases, design collateral, social media outlets, etc.)

This position provides a very competitive compensation package that is commensurate upon experience level. This position also provides health insurance. If you feel you are a good fit for this newly constructed role, please send your resume, cover letter, and a sample of your marketing or advertising work product via e-mail by no later than January 13, 2017, in confidence, to Mr. Jake Dougherty, Executive Director, at [email protected].

Equal Opportunity Employer

Updates compiled by Mercy Klein, Preserve WV AmeriCorps

Each year, PAWV announces the West Virginia Endangered Properties List – a collection of historic resources at risk of being lost to neglect, demolition, and other human and environmental factors.  PAWV works with stewards of each property to help improve and save the property so it can be reused.  Preservation projects usually take several years to complete, and they need continued support after the initial listing.  In the spirit of “Where are they now” updates, PAWV is doing a post about how the endangered properties’ projects are progressing.  Projects featured in this post (listed alphabetically) include the Ananias Pitsenbarger Farm, Wheeling’s Blue Church, Feagans Mill, 1400 Block of Wheeling’s Market Street, Margaret Manson Weir Memorial Pool, Staats Hospital, and the Tyler County “Poor Farm” Home.

West Virginia has 92 commercial and mixed-use historic districts ripe for revitalization – yet developers choose to invest in neighboring states instead of our downtowns due to West Virginia’s uncompetitive 10% historic rehabilitation tax credit.  Neighboring states, including Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Virginia, all have 25% historic rehabilitation tax credits.  Since 2002, each of these three states has created more than 44,000 jobs in the redevelopment of historic buildings, generating more than $3 billion in total income for each state.  In the same period, West Virginia’s 10% tax credit has created just 3,529 jobs, and $170 million in total income.

The state must take action to remain economically competitive with surrounding states.  An increase in the current state historic rehabilitation tax credit from 10% to 25% would make West Virginia’s historic commercial districts more attractive to developers, spurring private investment.

There are a number of ways you can support the proposal to encourage redevelopment of West Virginia’s historic building, you can contact your state legislators and sign a petition.  Learn more by visiting https://revitalizewvdowntowns.com.

The coalition’s members include the Abandoned Property Coalition, the American Institute of Architects WV Chapter, the National Trust for Historic Preservation, Wheeling National Heritage Area, and private businesses.  If your organization is interested in joining the coalition, contact PAWV at [email protected] to learn how.