Preservation Alliance of West Virginia is having its 2014 Statewide Historic Preservation Conference in Huntington, WV, 09/25/2014 – 09/27/2014.  The 2014 West Virginia Historic Preservation Awards Banquet will occur Friday evening of the conference.

This year’s theme is “From the Ground Up” with the goal of showcasing how archaeology and brownfield re-use intersect increasingly with historic preservation projects.

The 2014 Conference Agenda is available in PDF form.  There are a few additions to be made over the coming weeks, and updates will be announced on our blog and website, www.pawv.org.  The most recent agenda was updated June 17, 2014.

Look for special features on different sessions and activities HERE.

For questions, email [email protected] or call 304 – 345 -6005.

REGISTER for the conference at the EventBrite page.

You can also REGISTER for the Banquet at the EventBrite page too.  You don’t have to attend the entire conference to go to the banquet.

To get $15 off the registration fee, become a member of PAWV today!  When you join, we’ll send you a special discount code for registration.

The activity  has been financed in part with Federal funds from the National Park Service, Department of the Interior and the WV Division of Culture & History, State Historic Preservation Office.

Regulations of the U.S. Department of the Interior strictly prohibit unlawful discrimination in departmental Federally Assisted Programs on the basis of race, color, national origin, age or handicap.  Any person who believes he or she has been discriminated against in any program, activity, or facility operated by a recipient of Federal assistance should write to: Office of Equal Opportunity, National Park Service, 1849 C Street, NW, Washington, DC 20240. 

By Danielle

PAWV’s 2014 Historic Preservation Conference, From the Ground Up, is scheduled for 9/25/2014 – 9/27/2014.  We are really excited to be back in Huntington this year for the conference.  We have not had a major event there since 2009.  We are also thrilled to be having Friday and Saturday’s educational sessions in Marshall University’s new  Visual Arts Center.
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It’s not every conference that we have the opportunity to be in a newly preserved historical building, and by new we mean that it is opening this summer!  We are going out of our way this year to ensure that our conference participants are not stuck in a conference center the entire weekend.  We want you to see and experience Huntington’s historic preservation scene.

Why are we so excited about this facility?

For starters, it’s a state-of-the-art facility in downtown.  It’s within walking distance of hotels and all the conference sites.  So no worrying about parking in downtown!  We’ll be experiencing the “walkability” of downtown Huntington.

Additionally, this project paints a picture of old meets new: The site of the VAC, once the historic Anderson-Newcomb Co. building, was built in 1902 — the same year Marshall began its visual arts program.

The $13 million transformation to remarkable, world-class visual arts facility incorporates the building’s original hardwood floors with 65,000 pounds of new steel, smart lighting, highly-efficient heating and cooling and Wi-Fi throughout.

Lined with spectacular glass, the street-view of the 66,000-square-foot building is directly adjacent to Huntington’s Pullman Square. The ground floor features retail space and a 2,200-square-foot gallery with upwards of 150 feet of linear display space.

We are also very excited because during our plenary session on Friday afternoon, we will have Ed Tucker, the architect for this project, give us an in-depth look into the planning, funding, challenges, and work that made this a reality.

So mark your calendars for 9/25/2014 – 9/27/2014!  You’re not going to want to miss this conference!  Look for more blog posts about what to expect for the conference.  Full registration information is coming soon.

And one more thing – become a member of PAWV, and you’ll benefit from a $15 discount from the conference pricing!  Membership donations are tax-deductible on your federal taxes, and through your membership, you’ll receive our biannual printed newsletter.  Join today, and you’ll receive the up-coming newsletter with conference brochure in the mail this July 2014.

The activity  has been financed in part with Federal funds from the National Park Service, Department of the Interior and the WV Division of Culture & History, State Historic Preservation Office.

Regulations of the U.S. Department of the Interior strictly prohibit unlawful discrimination in departmental Federally Assisted Programs on the basis of race, color, national origin, age or handicap.  Any person who believes he or she has been discriminated against in any program, activity, or facility operated by a recipient of Federal assistance should write to: Office of Equal Opportunity, National Park Service, 1849 C Street, NW, Washington, DC 20240.

All members in the Preserve WV AmeriCorps program benefit from intensive training.  It is an important part of our program and all AmeriCorps programs.  All members are trained at the beginning of the service year in historic preservation, heritage tourism, economic development, and more.  Throughout the remainder of the year, members are given other opportunities for training, whether that be attending the WV Association of Museums conference or the National Main Street Center conference.  Recently, one of our members, Eliza, received a scholarship to attend an Oral History Summer School in Hudson, NY.  Read all about her experiences on her Tumblr, HERE.

The Preserve WV AmeriCorps program is a service initiative created by the Preservation Alliance of WV.

The goals of this program are to build capacity of nonprofit organizations and to improve historical resources all over the great state of WV.  It is made possible through formula grant funding from the Corporation for National & Community Service and Volunteer WV.  This funding allows PAWV to train and provide a modest living allowance to all of our members.  There is little funding for administrative overhead, although this program has become an important part of our mission.  We rely on donations from our members and readers to make these programs possible.  If you are interested in donating to PAWV, please visit our PayPal page.  Every little bit counts!

​The old Pratt Truss Bridge spans 265 feet across the Kanawha River. In 1884, the Gilmer County Commission purchased steel components from the Canton Iron Works in Canton, OH. The construction of the bridge greatly enhanced the development of the city of Glenville and Glenville State College.

The bridge is decommissioned from use, and in 2010, a major snowstorm caused part of the bridge to collapse. Learn about some of the struggles associated with restoring this bridge in the WBOY Channel 12 video.

By Danielle, Executive Director

​PAWV recently had a delightful day spent touring sites along Rt. 19 and the Midland Trail in Fayetteville (Fayette County).  The Midland Trail is a National Scenic Byway of 180-miles cutting through the midsection of West Virginia.  There is so much to see in Fayetteville.  Between the historical and natural sites, there is no way we could fit everything into one day.  So for our trip, we visited with a few local folks working on preservation projects, and our tour guide, Adam Hodges of the New River Gorge Redevelopment Authority, picked some of the must-see historical, re-development spots for us to visit.   The focus of these tours is to meet with local residents and discuss potential or current historic preservation projects.

On our first stop we met with a local deconstruction contractor.  We discussed the possibilities of architectural salvage at demolition sites.  The contractor explained that some of his work projects include historic building demolitions.  Rather than let the historic building materials go to the landfill, the contractor often works to find homes for the really great stuff, like hardwood floors, glass, and window frames.  With the growing demand of historic buildings materials all over the country, we created a Facebook group, SAVE (Salvage Architectural Vestiges Exchange) with the goal of opening a dialogue about exchanging, buying, selling, and donating historic building materials.  This initiative is in its infancy, but we welcome all to join the group and post about building materials they have saved from the landfill.  Also post if you’re willing to donate, sell, or looking for something for your own building project.

Hawk’s Nest Golf Course was a short stop on our trip, but it proved to be fruitful for informational purposes.  We could only see the golf course from the side of the road because it is closed.  As far as we know, there are no plans for re-using the golf course site as it’s difficult to develop the area because Hawk’s Nest Tunnel  is under the golf course.  The tunnel diverts water from the New River for hydroelectric power.  It was built to generate power for Union Carbide’s Alloy plant.  It is not only important for generating power, but it is also the location of a major disaster where workers developed silicosis on a large scale.  Workers built the tunnel through silica, which is highly toxic when breathed.  Hundreds of workers died as a result of working without masks – it is unknown how many workers actually died.  While looking out over the golf course, we talked about what could be done with the site.  Some saw it as a great spot for an archaeological field school.  Others thought an ATV track would be appropriate.  Maybe even another golf course could re-open.  What do you think?

Moving along the Midland Trail, we came across a tie-dyed quonset known only as the Mystery Hole – very mysterious indeed!  It is closed on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, and we unfortunately couldn’t tour it.  I plan to return, and think it would make for a fun Excuse for an Excursion.  We all thought it would be a unique addition to the National Register of Historic Places too.  Have you ever been there?  Is it as mysterious as they say?

It was not the last stop on our journey, but the Prince Depot was one of the more notable spots.   The Amtrak station still functions as a passenger rail stop a few days a week.  From Prince, you can go to New York or Chicago three days a week.  A one-way ticket to Chicago is $113, and the trip takes about 17 hours.  The station’s streamline architecture dates back to the Art Deco era.  I really loved seeing it as I have been hearing a lot about it!  It is unique to West Virginia, and one of our Preserve WV AmeriCorps members is working on a National Register Nomination for the site.  The hopes are to apply for grants specifically for listed properties with the goal of restoring the historic station.

We had a delightful time touring Fayetteville, and I can’t wait to return!  I have a running list of all the things I want to do there, including a Jet Boat ride on the New River.  This tour was part of a new historic preservation initiative and partnership between PAWV and the New River Gorge Regional Development Authority.  From April – August 2014, Preservation Alliance of West Virginia is participating in the New River Gorge Regional Development Authority’s Bridges to the Past Historic Preservation Initiative.  As part of the initiative, PAWV gives monthly presentations and its traveling exhibit, Preserving West Virginia: Saving Communities, will be displayed in five different locations in the New River Gorge Region.  Currently it’s on view at the Fayette County Court House.  The exhibit is unveiled in each location during a special presentation, and PAWV staff take a tour of the locale’s historic assets the following day.  Each tour is arranged by New River Gorge Regional Development Authority staff.  The initiative is made possible through grant funding from the National Coal Heritage Area.

The West Virginia Northern Railroad Water Tower was added to the West Virginia Endangered Properties List in 2012.  It is a unique structure to the list – and the only water tower, so far.

The Friends of the Cheat are working to revitalize the entire brownfield area, including the water tower, as a rail trail.  The goal is to preserve the water tower and have it serve as the trail head.
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Learn more about the project and about what makes this water tower historic in the WBOY Channel 12 video.

The Mannington Train Depot was added to the WV Endangered Properties List in 2011. The depot is located in Mannington, Marion County, WV.  Mannington Main Street is working to re-use this historic building.

Learn more about the re-use project for this building in the WBOY Channel 12 video.

In historic homes, there are many concerns over hazardous materials such as mold, lead paint, and asbestos.

​There are other forms of hazardous household waste that are found in homes (historic or not).  Keep an eye out for these hazardous materials, especially in homes with babies or small children.

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.
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If you are interested in helping with this project, please contact [email protected] for more information.