By Raven, Preserve WV AmeriCorps serving at Marion County Historical Society

My name is Raven Thomas and I am excited to be starting my second year of service as a Preserve West Virginia AmeriCorps member in my hometown of Fairmont, West Virginia. I am continuing my service at the Marion County Historical Society, Inc and Museum until 2015. I enjoy giving back to my community and preserving the heritage of my family and every other family that has roots in Marion County.

Part of my service to the county is to completely restore and preserve the attached portion of the Marion County Jail for future use. This is an ongoing project and once the jailhouse is finished, it will be open to public tours. The training at Jackson’s Mill provided a nice refresher course on hazardous materials and historic preservation and restoration techniques that are used for structures such as the jailhouse. I used the information that was given during the training to properly test the jail for lead paint and other materials and purchase the appropriate safety gear for myself and the volunteers for this project. I am looking forward to the coming year and the progress of this project.
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The Preserve WV AmeriCorps program is made possible with grant funds from Volunteer WV and the Corporation for National and Community Service.

By Alex, PAWV VISTA

Hawks Nest State Park is located on 370 acres in Fayette County near Ansted, West Virginia. Hawks Nest State Park has welcomed visitors since the mid-1930s. The park first opened in 1935 as a roadside park when the state purchased 51 acres. The planning was done by the National Park Service.

The original building, now a gift shop and museum, was built as a CCC (Civilian Conservation Corp) project in which Eleanor Roosevelt was a driving force to build State Parks in WV and other areas. CCC Camp Lee (1935-1942) men built the concession building, public toilet building, and other facilities at Hawks Nest. CCC Camp Beaver (1937-38) men built the picnic shelter and museum building. These structures are unique and a great place to rest and picnic. Hawks Nest Lake was built in 1967.

The hydro-electric project tunnel that passes underneath nearby Gauley Mountain was the scene of the tragic Depression-era Hawks Nest Tunnel Disaster. It was a large-scale incident of occupational silicosis as the result of the construction of the Hawks Nest Tunnel near Gauley Bridge, as part of a hydroelectric project. This project is considered to be one of the worst industrial disasters in American history.

Hawks Nest State Park is nested in whitewater country. The New River was designated an American Heritage River on July 30, 1998. There are currently fourteen American Heritage Rivers in the country. With great views, some good trails, and plenty of wildlife, Hawks Nest is a good destination to visit in West Virginia in all seasons.

National Coal Heritage Area Issues Request for Proposals to support community efforts to preserve, interpret and promote coal heritage resources, the National Coal Heritage Area Authority requests proposals for funding for eligible projects within the National Coal Heritage Area. Funding appropriated for this round of grants is due to expire September 30, 2016 so projects must have matching funds available and be sufficiently advanced so that they can be completed by in a timely manner.

Funding for projects under this request must be matched on a dollar for dollar basis with other funds from non-federal sources or well documented in-kind resources including volunteer labor and services and donated materials and supplies. The National Coal Heritage Area management plan identifies interpretive themes for the area which include: The Business of Coal Mining, Working in Coal, The Company Town, Mining Technology and Crisis and Renewal. Each project must address at least one of the interpretive themes in some manner and could go across several thematic areas. Eligible activities for this round of grant funding include Interpretation and Heritage Programming, Historic Preservation and Resource Stewardship, Archives and Historical Records Collection, and Greenways, Public Parks, and Non-motorized Trails.

Previous projects have included preservation of archival materials, preservation of historic structures, creation of museum exhibits, and creation of brochures and marketing materials. Organizations eligible for grant awards are legally established non-profit organizations and institutions and public and governmental organizations including county and municipal governments, state agencies, economic development authorities, and educational institutions.

All organizations must demonstrate that they possess the administrative and fiscal capacity to manage awarded grant funds and complete the project in compliance with the grant contract. Community organizations without adequate professional staff are encouraged to seek the assistance of other organizations with fiscal systems and staff capability to manage the grant funds, if necessary. Projects must be implemented within the National Coal Heritage Area which includes the counties of Mercer, McDowell, Wyoming, Summers, Raleigh, Fayette, Boone, Mingo, Logan, Wayne, Cabell, Lincoln and the Paint Creek and Cabin Creek watersheds in Kanawha County. Approximately $150,000 has been allocated for this round of grants.

The deadline for receipt of applications in February 13, 2015. Grant instructions can be found here: http://coalheritage.org/DocumentsCenter/Grant%20application%202015.pdf or by calling 304-465-3720 or emailing lhawkins@coalheritage.org