West Virginians are invited to celebrate their historic preservation success stories through the Preservation Alliance of West Virginia’s new West Virginia Preservation Spotlight series. Submitting a Preservation Spotlight story helps shine a light on the small preservation successes that can add up to significant positive change in a community. Whether it’s a homeowner restoring a historic feature of their house or a business moving into a building on historic Main Street, PAWV wants to hear about preservation “wins” both big and small.
Spotlight stories should involve a West Virginia property listed on the National Register of Historic Places or as a contributing structure to a National Historic District. If you believe your story is relevant despite not meeting this specification (perhaps an event or advocacy success), please email to check with a member of our staff at info@pawv.org. Submitted Preservation Spotlight stories may be featured on PAWV’s website and social media channels to celebrate the positive steps everyday West Virginians are making towards historic preservation in their communities. PAWV is accepting submissions through a Google form here. A Word document submission form is available for download below.
1 Comment
AJ Hammond and Dylan Sheldon, DBA Historic Morgantown, recently completed the historic renovation of the home of former WVU President Daniel Boardman Purinton. The home at 76 Grandview Ave. in South Park, had fallen into a state of disrepair and sat vacant for over a year. However, recognizing the historic significance of the property, Sheldon and Hammond spent the last 18 months renovating the stately home to its original grandeur. “The completion of this project has been incredibly rewarding,” said AJ Hammond, who is a Relationship Banker at Citizens Bank of Morgantown, and the current President of Main Street Morgantown. “The beautiful architecture, the stories behind these properties in South Park and Downtown are what sets this neighborhood apart! Our mission is to preserve these buildings, and share this important history in order to build a more vibrant community and improve the quality of life in Morgantown!” President D.B. Purinton was not the only famed resident of this property. John Alden Purinton, named after his direct descendant John Alden a crew member of the Mayflower, was a son of the President and served as the first Basketball Coach at West Virginia University in 1904. Additionally, Edward Earle Purinton, who was an internationally renowned author and health expert, called this property home. The author’s most popular book selling over 700,000 copies, “Triumph of a Man who Acts,” was distributed to more than 50,000 Officers of the English Army in 1919. “This property was the crown jewel of the neighborhood,” said Dylan Sheldon, a Project Manager at Inneraction Media. “Being a part of the team who brought it back to life, has been an honor.” This project was not Sheldon’s first historic renovation, he also restored an abandoned property on Park Street built in 1926 by carpenter, D.B. Biser. “South Park is a special neighborhood, with important properties,” said Sheldon, “in order to be good stewards of what we’ve been given, it’s important to restore these homes for future generations.” Built in 1907, the Victorian home on Grandview Ave. served as a retirement property for the Purintons. Prior to moving to South Park, the family lived on the campus of WVU in the President’s Mansion. “The Purinton House,” as it is named today, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and houses the offices of International Students and Scholar Services. The historic renovation features approximately 3,000 square feet of living space, all new electrical, plumbing, roof and windows. This home has been upgraded with modern amenities while preserving the original trim, pocket doors and built-in cabinets. The four bedroom, three bath house will hit the market next week through Nancy Hillegas of Landmark Realty Services.
|
News and NotesCategories
All
Archives
July 2023
Subscribe to our mailing list to receive e-news updates on historic preservation news and events in West Virginia.
|