Every hand helps. This Saturday, March 28th, 2015, lend us your hand in preserving our nation’s hallowed ground.Rich Mountain Battlefield Foundation, in coordination with the Civil War Trust, will be leading a community-wide cleanup of the Rich Mountain Battlefield. Tools and water will be provided. Meet on the mountain at 10 am.

We hope to see you there!

For more information on Park Day nationwide: http://www.civilwar.org/aboutus/news/news-releases/2015-news/national-park-day-event-2015.html

The Downtown Beckley Business Association will host a tax credit workshop on March 26, the first in a series of economic development programs designed to help downtown property owners prepare for a possible investment by West Virginia University.

Jennifer Brennan, a tax credit coordinator for the State Historic Preservation Office, will advise property owners in the downtown historic district on how best to manage the pursuit of tax credits, which can offset up to 30 percent of the cost of renovations.

Jim Chambers, a property owner and spokesman for the association, said investors in the downtown are increasingly excited about the availability of funding and support for development.

“Property owners are beginning to have a clear vision of the value of being in a historic district, especially in light of the possible investment from WVU,” Chambers said.

“New staircases, elevators, fire escapes — these are the kinds of construction incentives we’ll need to make the best use of our buildings, and the funding is available, thanks to our location in a national historic district.”

Chambers said that only property owners in national historic districts, or those who own nationally historic properties, are eligible for the credit. Ten percent of the credit is managed through the state government; 20 percent is managed through the federal, he said.

The state also offers grants for the restoration, rehabilitation, and repair of historic properties, he said, and the association will soon also present a program on grants.

According to the National Park Service, the tax credits can be used to help cover the cost of the repair or installation of walls, doors, stairs, floors, windows, ceilings, chimneys, escalators, elevators, partitions, plumbing, fire escapes, electrical wiring, sprinkler systems, heating and central air conditioning systems and other components related to the operation and maintenance of properties.

Chambers said an architect will address the meeting of the association on March 9 to help advise property owners on the adaption of their buildings for activities associated with the university.
In an interview earlier this month with the Charleston Gazette, Rob Alsop, WVU’s vice president for legal, government and entrepreneurial engagement, said that the university expected to complete its purchased of the former Mountain State University campus in downtown Beckley this month.

Chambers said the purchase would make WVU one of the largest landowners in the Beckley Courthouse Square National Historic District.

The tax credit meeting has been scheduled for 5 :15 p.m. at the Tickity Boo Mercantile at 337 Neville Street. The meeting will be free and open to the public. For more information on the meeting or the association, contact Jim Chambers at 304-573-4332 or David Sibray at 304-575-7390.

For more information on tax incentives for historic properties, visit: http://www.nps.gov/tps/tax-incentives.htm

The Kickstarter campaign to raise $25,000 toward the restoration of the Blue Sulphur Spring Pavilion continues to move forward.  As of Monday, March 16, 2015, more than 70 individual backers, champions all, have pledged nearly half of the goal.  While the fund raising is moving forward, time is getting short since the campaign ends at 4:00 p.m. on Saturday, March 28.

Chair of the Friends of the Blue, Alex McLaughlin said, “We all have this great fascination, desire and belief that the Blue is worth saving, but the stabilization and restoration of the Blue is not automatic. The Blue will not stabilize itself or restore itself. Only we can do that through our donations and efforts to get others to contribute.”

One person who has made a significant effort is Karen Lee McClung.  She has stepped up to help the cause by creating a beautiful watercolor rendering of the Blue.  A print of her watercolor is available for a pledge at the $75 level and at the $100 level a backer will receive a small pin representation of the Blue and a print and 5 note cards featuring McClung’s work.

McLaughlin said, “Let this be our inspiration to walk the extra mile to turn our fascination, desire and belief that saving the Blue is worthwhile into a reality. We are the Champions of the Blue and we can make this happen.”

Everyone is encouraged to support the Blue by going to
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/693916700/restore-the-blue-sulphur-spring-pavilion 
​and making a pledge using a credit card.

Kickstarter is a crowdfunding mechanism which uses the reach of the internet to give donors a safe way to back a project.  It is an all-or-nothing approach where the project receives no funds if the goal is not met.  Donors “pledge” using their credit card and the amount is only deducted if the full amount of the goal is pledged.

Because the Greenbrier Historical Society is a 501 c 3 organization, pledges are deductible from federal taxes in accordance with the law.

Preservation Alliance of West Virginia (PAWV) is seeking an AmeriCorps VISTA to begin in July 2015.  The VISTA  will assist with research, grants writing, educational activities, and communication.  Preservation Alliance of WV is the statewide, grassroots organization for the Mountain State, in addition to being the Preserve WV AmeriCorps program administrator and statewide partner for the National Trust for Historic Preservation. VISTA oversight is provided through the National Coal Heritage Area Authority VISTA program. Applicant should be self-directed and have degree or background in public history, public administration, marketing, or related field. For more information about VISTA http://www.americorps.gov/for_individuals/choose/vista.asp. For information about Preservation Alliance of WV, visit www.pawv.org. VISTA will serve at the Darden House in Elkins, West Virginia.  The position is for one year with renewal possibility for one additional term. Responsibilities will include:

• Build organizational capacity for PAWV by assisting with fundraising efforts, event planning, and program development
• Offer, promote, and organize educational workshops about economic incentives, resources, and programs for historic preservation and economic development
• Manage and expand the Buildings At Risk Register (BARR)
• Assist with membership outreach
• Plan and organize workshops and fundraising events
• Provide technical and review assistance for the submission of grant applications and tax credit applications for preservation projects
• Recruit, coordinate and organize volunteers

​To Apply: Application will consist of resume and cover letter expressing why you think you are right for this position. You will also submit an AmeriCorps VISTA application to the National Coal Heritage Area via the My AmeriCorps portal.  Visit http://www.nationalservice.gov/programs/americorps/join-americorps and search “West Virginia”.  Applications should be submitted for CHHA – Preservation Alliance. Applications will be reviewed as received and will be accepted until position is filled. Resume and cover letter materials can be delivered in any one of these ways:

• Emailed to [email protected] (preferred)
• Mailed to Preservation Alliance of WV, 421 Davis Ave. #4, Elkins,WV 26241

The Morgantown History Museum has been selected to participate in the Museum Assessment Program (MAP).  Through guided self-study and on-site consultation with a museum professional, participation in MAP will empower the Morgantown History Museum to provide better services to the citizens of Morgantown. This will help the museum to meet and exceed the highest professional standards.

The program is funded by the Federal Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) and throughout its 30 years has been administered by the American Alliance of Museums (AAM). As part of the IMLS National Leadership program, MAP advances best practices and fosters improvement in museums.  MAP is a self-motivated program; application to and participation in MAP is initiated by each local institution, and those accepted invest considerable human and institutional resources into the assessment.

The Morgantown History Museum is excited to grow and expand from within in order to better serve the needs of the community. Coordinator, Pamela Ball expressed her gratitude and comments, “We have progressed quite a bit in the last three years in particular. The change from the tiny operating space upstairs and our current facility has made all the difference!” Our commission, staff, friends of the Morgantown History Museum, and volunteers will work together to strengthen the museum in order to have a brighter and more successful future.

MAP is a confidential process of self-study, peer review and implementation.  Museums use the assessment process to strengthen operations, build capacity, and enhance communication throughout the organization and in response to community needs. Participant museums choose one of three categories for its assessment: Collections Stewardship Organizational, Community Engagement. The Morgantown History Museum will take part in the organizational assessment process.  Small and mid-sized museums of all types, including art, history, science and technology, children’s, natural history, historic houses, nature centers, botanical gardens, and zoos participate in the program.

“Choosing to be part of the MAP program is indicative of the commitment to civic involvement, public service and overall excellence on the part of the Morgantown History Museum,” said Ford W. Bell, president of AAM. “Studies have shown America’s museums to be among the country’s most trusted and valued institutions. MAP is designed to make them even better.”

Since its creation in 1981, the MAP program has served over 4,300 museums. MAP is supported through a cooperative agreement with IMLS. For more information, including a complete list of museums participating in MAP, please visit www.aam-us.org/map, call 202/289-9118 or e-mail [email protected].

AAM is the only organization representing the nation’s entire museum community and has been dedicated to promoting excellence within the museum field for over 100 years. For more information about AAM, visit www.aam-us.org. The Institute of Museum and Library Services is the primary source of federal support for the nation’s 123,000 libraries and 17,500 museums. To learn more about the Institute, please visit: http://www.imls.gov.

The Morgantown History Museum is located at 175 Kirk Street in Morgantown, West Virginia. The museum is open Tuesday-Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The museum features collections that take visitors through the history of Morgantown. The museum also features special temporary exhibits focusing on particular aspects of local history.  For any further questions visit our website morgantownhistorymuseum.org or call at (304) 319-1800.

BAD Buildings Program News
A Brownfields, Abandoned and Dilapidated Property Initiative

The Northern WV Brownfields Assistance Center has announced the availability of the 2015 BAD Buildings Program’s Technical Assistance grant program!

The BAD Buildings Program is a statewide initiative that provides technical assistance and site analysis tools to develop and enhance abandoned/dilapidated buildings programs in West Virginia communities. The program also addresses barriers to identifying, prioritizing, and redeveloping BAD buildings. The BAD Buildings Program is funded through a grant from the Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation.

The 2015 BAD Buildings Program will provide technical assistance to up to 8 communities from across the state to create or enhance community-driven revitalization and redevelopment of abandoned, dilapidated, or vacant properties.

BAD Buildings – How to Apply
Begin your application process by downloading the Request for Applications and the Program Guide.
Completed applications may be submitted on or before Friday, February 13th, 2015 by U.S. Postal Service, commercial delivery service, or via email to [email protected].
​
Who Should Apply
Eligible applicants include the following:

• Unit of local government;
• Non-profit organization;
• Government entity created by State Legislature;
• Redevelopment Agency that is chartered or otherwise sanctioned by the state.

The BAD Buildings Program is designed to offer technical support to communities at varying stages of local redevelopment and with differing levels of local capacity. Communities with an existing abandoned/dilapidated buildings program are encouraged to apply as well as communities who are beginning to address this issue.

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 [email protected]

Historic Gerrardstown is unveiling its new town signs on December 7, 2014 at each entrance to its National Register community placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1991. The brief ceremony on Dominion Road and Destiny Lane, will start at 1:00 with a reception and presentation of donor plaques, to follow at the Gerrardstown Presbyterian Church.

The signs honor America’s heritage by placing one of its remaining small towns in the ranks of historic places elsewhere that have learned to boast and announce their worth.

The design, voted on by over 200 residents, is new shiny metallic, not antiquarian, and is in keeping with the town’s historic character. The signs were manufactured by Vital Signs in Charles Town. Funds for the three signs were raised from two weekends in 2012 that celebrated Gerrardstown’s 225th Anniversary, private donors, and the sale of T-Shirts at Tracy’s Corner Grocery.

The signs are sympathetic to the two cast iron State Highway Markers erected during the American Bicentennial in 1976.

The project was supported by the Berkeley County Historical Society; and the Berkeley County Commissioners, who individually voted their support and encouragement. Significant donations came from the National Fruit Company, Jefferson Security Bank, South Berkeley Pharmacy, Berkeley County Historic Landmarks Commission, and the Martinsburg and Berkeley County Visitors Bureau.

David Gerrard laid out the village of Gerrardstown in 1784 although a small community already existed there. It was known as Middletown when it was officially established in 1787. Site of the first Baptist church and cemetery west of the Blue Ridge Mountains, today’s unincorporated village has numerous historic structures of log or stone construction.

Marshy Dell at the eastern entrance to the village is an 18th century two-story log home, one of the largest log homes in the county. The stone Gerrard House built by John Hayes is one of the oldest houses in West Virginia. Ward “Hill” Lamon, Abraham Lincoln’s Law Partner and personal body guard is buried in the Presbyterian Cemetery.

Travelers are able to appreciate the rare setting they are in—a traditional town preserving its past while eyeing the future.

Mark your calendars to attend the unveiling on 12/7/14 at 1:00 on Dominion Road and Destiny Lane with parking and reception at the Gerrardstown Presbyterian Church.

By Danielle

It seems like almost every day, PAWV is debunking myths related to the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP).  There is so much misinformation floating surrounding this listing, and this post is going to highlight the top three myths.

But first, what is the National Register of Historic Places?  .

The NRHP is an honorary listing recognizing our nation’s most historic places.  According to the National Park Service’s website, the NRHP “is the official list of the Nation’s historic places worthy of preservation. Authorized by the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, the National Park Service’s National Register of Historic Places is part of a national program to coordinate and support public and private efforts to identify, evaluate, and protect America’s historic and archeological resources.”   There are 90,540 listings in the NRHP.

Myth 1: Placing a building on the NRHP restricts use or sale of a property.

FACT: NRHP Listing does not place any property restrictions on the owner.  Many NRHP properties, such as historic schools or commercial buildings, have changed ownership and maintained the historic listing.

Historic homes change ownership over the years, but the properties are still recognized for their historic significance.

Myth 2: NRHP listing requires the owner to give tours of the property or open it to the public.

FACT: Public property listed in the NRHP often is open to the public for tours and other educational initiatives, but there are no requirements to do this.  Many residences and commercial buildings are listed in the NRHP, and the owner can do what he/she wants with the property.
​
Myth 3: When a building is listed on the NRHP, the owner cannot change the look of the building or demolish it – or must follow certain guidelines for rehabilitation.

FACT: There are no special protections or government regulations to stop demolition or preserve NRHP-listed properties.  A property owner can change the windows, paint the building any color, or demolish it. The property owner can also choose not to have the property listed in the NRHP.

However, if a property owner is awarded grant funds or historic rehabilitation tax credits to preserve her building, then she has to follow the Secretary of the Interior Standards for Rehabilitation.

There are several benefits to having a property listed in the NRHP.  Listing opens up funding opportunities for historic preservation grant funds and historic rehabilitation tax credits.  The listing also recognizes that you own a special place that had an impact on the development of our state and country.  It’s a listing that invokes pride and should be valued not avoided.

Have more questions about the NRHP?  PAWV gives workshops on the listing and how to nominate a property or historic district to the list.  Contact PAWV at info@pawv.org or by calling 304-345-6005.