By Lynn Stasick, Statewide Field Representative

I had seen pictures of the Ananias Pitsenbarger farm, but a recent visit met all of the expectations the pictures had promised and more.  Located in Pendleton County near Franklin, this beautiful farmstead is nestled into gently sloping hillsides rising to the surrounding mountains.  Established circa 1845, the site presently consists of twenty-six extant log structures including the original house.

I visited with the owners and stewards of the property, Teresa and Jeff Munn in their newer log home perched on a hillside overlooking the original buildings.   In speaking with them, it immediately became obvious that these people are very dedicated, not only to the past history of the site and its people but to carefully preserving the structures. One such effort which is underway is to make the original home habitable once again for use as a guest house.  In addition, several of the outbuildings have foundation problems which they are addressing this spring.

In addition to a beautiful farm, the Munns are delightful people.  After viewing photos of the Pitsenbarger family, a book on the area, and a discussion as to what my role as field representative is and what we hoped to accomplish that day, we took a walk to examine the buildings and discuss their structural issues.  Afterward, my traveling companion and Elkins historian Deborah Farrell and I were treated to a wonderful Italian dinner followed by an apple crisp dessert.  It was delicious.  I would like to offer a word of thanks to Jeff and Teresa for their kind hospitality as well as to their tireless dedication to preservation.  Our hats are off to you.

For more information on the farm, visit http://www.pawv.org/endangered2013/farmONEweb.pdf
To learn about all the 2013 WV Endangered Properties, visit http://www.pawv.org/endangedlist2013.htm

The Residential Historic Rehabilitation Tax Credit has assisted homeowners throughout West Virginia to repair, retain, and improve quality housing for families of all income levels.  The purpose of the credit is to provide the needed incentive to repair older homes (including condos) listed individually or in a National Register historic district and to help individual homeowners afford this material rehabilitation.  It also encourages work that meets the “Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for Rehabilitation and Guidelines for Rehabilitating Historic Buildings” by providing a 20% tax credit for qualifying expenditures including roof, window, and siding replacement and the upgrade of heating systems.  

If HB 2916 and SB 436 are passed, this tax credit would be eliminated beginning July 1, 2013.

UPDATES ~ Currently both bills are in committees with HB 2916 in the House Finance Committee (http://www.legis.state.wv.us/committees/house/HouseCommittee.cfm?Chart=fin) 
​and SB 436 in the Senate Government Organization Committee
(http://www.legis.state.wv.us/committees/senate/SenateCommittee.cfm?Chart=govo).  Neither of the bills have been added to the agenda of the respective committees, and the bills must be out of committees by March 31st to ensure three full days of readings  – which means that if the bills do not leave their respective committees by March 31, the bills have no chance of being passed into law this session.  You can contact the respective committee members, at the above links, to show your support for the tax credit.

Why is the residential tax credit so important?

• The state homeowner historic tax credit is one of the few benefits for private homeowners and a key incentive in promoting rehabilitation of historic properties and stabilizing communities.  It preserves the character of our nation’s existing neighborhoods and historic districts thereby reusing public funds and reducing expenditures on new infrastructure.
• Homeowner tax credits contribute to economic development by bringing investment back into older downtowns and small towns, encouraging proper rehabilitation using highly-skilled labor, and increasing sales of building products – all of which create state tax revenues.
• West Virginia has been in the forefront of historic preservation activities for years.  In 1999, we were among the first to enact the residential tax credit for rehabilitation, and we have now been joined by 31 other states, including Pennsylvania, Ohio, Virginia, and Kentucky, that offer credits of 20-30%. Without this tax credit, homeowners will have a new incentive to invest and move to neighboring states.
• In the 11 years that West Virginia has allowed this credit, it has leveraged $10,342,504 in construction value from 67 projects.  Most of these projects are from middle class families, many of whom could not have afforded to do their rehabilitation without this help.
• The tax credits to date have averaged less than $188,047 per year.  This amount is less than the 2006 average amount of $203,120 for actual tax credits possible per year.  Eliminating this credit would be a very minor benefit to tax collection, but would lose a significant tool in encouraging preservation in our communities.  Additionally, not all projects use all of their tax credits.
• The administrative burden of this credit is minor.  The State Historic Preservation Office has one staff person who administers the program as a small portion of her duties, and this work directly contributes to the mission of the agency.
• It generally takes about 2 or 3 years for large rehabilitation tax credit projects to be completed.  Then it takes anywhere from 6 to 12 months for the certification to be completed and the tax credits to be used.  The lengthy, labor-intensive rehabilitation process allows West Virginia to offer an incentive that creates jobs and produces tax revenues now, and pay out the state investment years later.

Although the bills are not up for vote yet, you can still make your voice heard by contacting your State Delegates and Senators to make them aware of this threat.   You can show them your support for the tax credit by asking them to vote NO to HB 2916 or SB 436 if they are to come up in this session.  You can call their office, send emails, or faxes.

Contact information for state senators is here: http://www.legis.state.wv.us/Senate1/roster.cfm
Contact information for state delegates is here: http://www.legis.state.wv.us/House/roster.cfm

By William “Skip” Deegans, Lewisburg Historic Landmarks Commission

Many Greenbrier Countians have stepped inside “The Westly,” but few, if any, knew it had a history until Rose Thornton saw it.  Thornton, a nationally-recognized expert on kit homes, immediately realized it was an early version of a Sears Roebuck home known as The Westly.  Most locals knew it only as the West Virginia University Extension Office.

The house was built about 1925 and was bought by the Greenbrier County Court in 1941.  After the county purchased it, the house continued as a residence until it was converted into an office for the extension service.  A few years ago it was vacated and has quickly deteriorated because of neglect.

Many industrial construction projects require cultural surveys for locating cemeteries, battlefields, and other historic and prehistoric sites before beginning work. Cultural surveys are typically required as part of federal and state permitting and licensing processes. This is to protect such places from being inadvertently desecrated during highway construction, coal production, wind farm construction, and natural gas production and transmission. Despite this seemingly obvious concept, cultural surveys are not required for non-jurisdictional gathering lines used in the transportation of natural gas.

–>What is a Cultural Survey? 
A cultural survey is a search executed by a trained professional, i.e. an archaeologist, to make sure that construction plans avoid culturally significant resources like cemeteries, churches and other historically and culturally significant sites.

–>What Does this Bill Do?

• Requires that cultural surveys be performed prior to construction of non-federally regulated natural gas gathering lines, while setting requirements for such surveys
• Requires a buffer zone between the outer edge of a cemetery and the boundary of a gas operation.
• Expands injunctive relief for people who have lost, or may lose, traditional access routes to their families’ graves, and requires that such routes be maintained or replaced by “like and kind” access routes
• Relieves taxpayers of this burden by establishing a fee for reports sent to the State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO).

–>What is a Non-jurisdictional Gathering Line? 
A gathering line generally runs from the gas well to a processing plant or larger transmission line. Pipelines that perform a gathering function are exempt from FERC regulation under the Natural Gas Act of 1938. The WV Public Service Commission, in cooperation with the US Department of Transportation’s Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, regulates approximately 555 miles of Class II, Class III, and Class IV gathering lines in West Virginia for safety. Class I gathering lines are most common in rural areas and are not regulated by WVPSC/PHMSA. Such lines are generally referred to as “non-jurisdictional gathering lines” as they are not regulated by any state or federal agency. Since they are not issued permits, licenses, or approval by a state or federal agency, such pipeline construction projects are not currently required to conduct cultural surveys prior to construction.

–>Why is this Bill Important? 
West Virginia’s history is as dynamic as its landscape, as is evident by the wealth of rural cemeteries, graves, and other historic sites. SHPO records the presence of cemeteries, but only when reported by the public. Many go unreported and remain absent from the state’s records and maps. Also, many rural cemeteries and graves have a variety of markers in addition to the typical modern headstone, necessitating the need for a trained professional to recognize their presence to assure proper identification. This bill not only extends protection to the remains of West Virginian descendants, but helps preserve our state’s rich heritage for future generations.

Show your support for HB 2893 by contacting your State Delegates.  Contact information for Delegates is available at http://www.legis.state.wv.us/house/roster.cfm

The West Virginia Historic Preservation Tax Credit Program offers a 20% tax credit on allowable expenditures like roof repair and window restoration.  Privately-owned homes listed in the National Register of Historic Places and those listed in National Register historic districts are able to receive this tax credit.  This very effective program is in jeopardy as bills are being fast-tracked through the State Senate and House of Delegates to repeal this tax credit.

Please show your support for historic preservation and this tax credit program by contacting your state Senators and Delegates and ask them to VOTE NO to the following bills:

HB 2916 for the House of Delegates Bill, 
http://legiscan.com/WV/text/HB2916/id/784966

SB 436 for the State Senate.
http://www.legis.state.wv.us/Bill_Text_HTML/2013_SESSIONS/RS/Bills/sb436%20intr.htm

Many have already been contacting their Delegates asking them to Vote NO to HB 2916.  We appreciate this support and ask that you do the same for the SB 436.

To find your State Delegates by District, follow this link:
http://www.sos.wv.gov/elections/currentelection/districts/Pages/Districts_Delegate.aspx

​To find your State Senators by District, follow this link:
http://www.sos.wv.gov/elections/currentelection/districts/Pages/Districts_Senatorial.aspx

For contact information for your State Delegates and Senators, visit:
http://www.legis.state.wv.us/house/roster.cfm
http://www.legis.state.wv.us/Senate1/roster.cfm

We also ask that you contact the President of the Senate, Jeffrey Kessler, asking him to vote NO to SB 436.  His contact information is [email protected].  His Phone Number is (304) 357-7801.

You can also show your support for the residential tax credit by contacting the Speaker of the House Richard Thompson at [email protected]

Please help us to protect this tax credit, which creates opportunities for investment in our downtowns, saves our historic neighborhoods, and preserves our vast heritage.  Without it, historic districts like South Park in Morgantown, Luna Park in Charleston, and the Wees District in Elkins would not exist.

For more information, contact [email protected].

Preservation Alliance of West Virginia is accepting nominations for the 2013 West Virginia Historic Preservation Awards. The annual Historic Preservation Awards banquet will be held at the Hotel Morgan in Morgantown, WV on Saturday, September 21, 2013. All are welcome to submit nominations and attend the banquet.
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Visit http://www.pawv.org/update.htm for downloadable nomination forms and guidelines.
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All nominations are due May 15th, 2013. Please submit your nomination via email to [email protected].

As the statewide non-profit organization supporting historic preservation in West Virginia, we have received many calls of concern about the rising natural gas wells, pipelines, and drilling and the disregard for family cemeteries during these projects.  Until recently, the only advice that I could give to these folks is to contact the WV State Historic Preservation Office (WVSHPO) and complete a Cemetery Survey Form.  http://www.wvculture.org/shpo/cemeteries.html  Once the cemetery survey form is completed, at least the WVSHPO would have a record of the cemetery, and if a Section 106 review was necessary for a natural gas project, your cemetery would be considered in this project.

We are, hopefully, on our way to having greater protection for family cemeteries!  On Monday, March 11, 2013, Delegates Manypenny, Marshall, Moore, Wells, Caputo, Longstreth and Fleischauer introduced HB 2893 – a bill that would require cultural surveys to be performed before any natural gas project, as well as prohibit natural gas pipelines, wells and associated facilities from being constructed within one hundred feet of a cemetery or grave site.  
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Preservation Alliance sees this as a huge step towards protection of our historic resources.  Please take a moment with us to contact your state legislator, and show your support for HB 2893.  Also, don’t forget to thank the sponsoring Delegates for their support of historic preservation and the protection of family cemeteries.

Oftentimes, when devastating events such as fires occur, what to do and where to turn can be both overwhelming and daunting for the stewards of historic properties.  It is important to remember however, that the restoration, preservation, and adaptive re-use of a building should be viewed as a series of inter-connected baby-steps taken one step at a time.  This helps to calm the spirit and clear the head, which aids in moving toward the project’s completion.

In my capacity as Field Representative, I met with Tom and Margaret to survey the house and open up a discussion as to their plans for saving the building.  It was then that they expressed the need for some guidance.  Through further discussion, we agreed that I would act through PAWV as an agent on their behalf in an effort to gather estimates to have repairs made. In the past months I have done so.

Although it is PAWV’s mission to help with the saving of West Virginia’s historic properties, it is always refreshing to receive a message like the Feasters sent in thanks for our efforts.