Preserve WV Stories

a grand time at grandview

1/24/2022

When I first began my AmeriCorps service term at the New River Gorge National Park and Preserve in September, I immediately began helping with a preservation project at Grandview, one of the most popular areas of the Park. This project primarily involved restoring 30 stone hearths, a handful of which were built in the 1940s by the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC). Concurrent work was also performed on Grandview’s entrance pylons, culvert, and shelter 1 with its respective CCC built fireplace and chimney. This undertaking began as a project proposal by the Gorge’s 2020-2021 AmeriCorps member, Moira Gasior. The project was soon backed by the National Park Service’s Historic Preservation Training Center (HPTC), who, on September 13th 2021, sent a masonry crew to the site to provide professional support.

Following initial condition assessments and documentation, preservation of the hearths began with demolition, a phase of treatment where obstructive mortar and poor joints were chiseled away. The stones were then repointed and, if need be, reset. New fireboxes were reconstructed at an angle to promote water runoff and mitigate future moisture damage. Lastly, new grills were anchored and installed. Intentional removal of biological growth on the surface of the stones was avoided so as not to disturb the natural patina of moss and lichen which had accumulated over time. Depending on the severity of deterioration, preservation of one hearth could take up to a week to complete, not including the 10 days of covered curing time afterwards. Some hearths required minimal intervention, with only the removal and repointing of shallow cracked joints and the relaying of fireboxes. Others, however, quickly fell apart due to failed joints and missing mortar, sometimes requiring multiple stones to be reset.

A hearth before restoration work

Two weeks into the project, a voluntary week-long workshop was sponsored by HPTC at Grandview for members of NERI staff and other National Park Service affiliates. Participants engaged in lectures and learning modules and were provided hands-on guidance by experts in the field of historic brick and stone masonry.

This project was initially expected to take six weeks but was extended to accommodate the preservation of additional fireplaces. After nearly two months at Grandview, work officially concluded the week of October 25th.

A restored hearth

Not only do these hearths have historic significance as CCC built structures, but there is also a great deal of public sentiment towards them. During this project, I heard recollections from visitors who had come to Grandview back in its heyday - when the shelters were always busy, the trails were lively, and every hearth had an occupant. It was an extremely popular excursion for families and friends. In expectation of spending the whole day there, groups would have to get to the Park early to secure a good spot. However, as time progressed and tourism within the Park decreased, so did the use of these hearths. This led to a lack of maintenance, causing many of them to fall into disrepair. Some of the hearths were forgotten entirely as they resided farther in the woods and eventually became reclaimed by nature.

According to reports, tourism at Grandview increased by 300% last summer, likely due to the Gorge’s newly obtained designation as a National Park. To this effect, there was no better time for this project to happen. Our daily work at Grandview never saw a shortage of visitors, many of whom showed interest and appreciation at our efforts. People would often approach us with questions or comments about the work. Some of the hearths which were freshly preserved saw use almost immediately after being uncovered. Overall, the consensus about this project from both the Park and public seemed to be an air of excitement at the possibility of reviving what once was.

Kate Caplinger

Kate Caplinger served as a Preserve WV AmeriCorps member for the New River Gorge National Park and Preserve during the 2021-2022 program year.

If these bricks could talk

1/18/2022

On a brisk cold fall night, walking down the brick paved streets that make up Main Street, you can hear the Elk River flowing. This leads me to imagine what it would be like to live in Sutton when it was the most productive and the town was thriving. I can imagine our little town bustling with the sound of horse hooves hitting the brick, industry, and people. The very people who created the foundation of what I call home, Sutton West Virginia. The rich history and events that took place in this small community are much more than a recollection, but a story that begins with the very bricks I stand on.

Sutton was first settled in 1792 by Adam O’ Brien and is the geographical center of the state, only to be burned to the ground nearly 50 years later. The fire left destruction and only six buildings with structure intact. Rebuilding almost from scratch, Sutton remained a small county seat until the timber industry developed and Sutton became a commercial center. Throughout the years Sutton has been home to many businesses. The store fronts thrived with businesses such as pharmacies, restaurants, retail shops, banks and even motels.

Among some of the first settlers to Sutton were the Carpenters. Jeremiah and Benjamin Carpenter settled in Sutton and shortly after were killed by American Indians. To this day and many generations later the Carpenter family still reside in Sutton and have owned the motel that resides in the historic district.

Sutton's Main Street is filled with original buildings and a lot of them are still being used today. Specifically, the courthouse which is for the entire county and is in the center of downtown. Built in 1882, this is one of the earliest remaining courthouses in West Virginia. It was the second brick building built in town. Across from the courthouse is home to the Landmark Studios of the Arts Community Theatre, built in 1886 as a Methodist church and renovated as a theatre in 1988.

Sutton's historic district has always held importance to the community and consists of eleven square blocks. Residences date predominantly from the mid-19th century to early 20th century. Sutton's historic district was hit with yet another devastating fire in 2005. It destroyed 3 major buildings, one of those being the Braxton Newspaper. The privately owned buildings were donated to the town with hopes of restoration. It is our hope to use the building's façade and build a community park within the structure. Plans have been started and grants have been applied for. The community park would be such a great asset for our community while keeping the historic district intact and as beautiful as it once was. Whether it be the beloved courthouse or a building that has no great significance other than the bones itself, each one comes with history and the longing to be found and appreciated again.

briar williams

Briar Williams served as a Preserve WV AmeriCorps member for the Sutton Community Development Corporation during the 2020-2021 program year.

painting our town red

1/12/2022

Volunteers painting the Braxton Democrat building.

The Braxton Democrat became the first newspaper to serve Sutton, West Virginia but most importantly it served Braxton County. It worked as the main communication source and news outlet for many years. In a time where technology barely existed, and information sharing was difficult, our newspaper was the foundation of communication for our county. Although the name Braxton Democrat was officially in 1982 the newspaper dates to the early 1900s.

Beautifying and enhancing parts of the historic district has been a focus and interest of mine as an AmeriCorps member “the old democrat” as our town people call it is located right in the center of our historic district. It is two stories and concrete and wood. Through out the years and many great articles in between the building has seen its better days.

I have struggled on how to start beautifying my town and helping our progress. What can I do? What can my town do? Picking up trash from our littered sidewalks, planting flowers in our garden and decorating the pots in town can only do so much when the actual eye sores come from the abandoned buildings that fill our downtown.

The month of May is West Virginia’s statewide clean up month. During the clean up myself and volunteers took the entire day to bring the “old democrat” building back to life. The building was consumed with chipped paint and dirt and was getting lost in the eye of passing traffic. Before our day started the building was dark gloomy grey and a lime green that could make your stomach turn just by looking at it. We decided it needed to be a bright welcoming color and historically correct. Choosing paints we chose a concrete grey and a barn red. The red covered the grey beautifully. A lot of citizens stopped to admire our work and to praise us for our efforts.

It is my hope that with a little bit of hope, elbow grease and paint we can save each building one by one and bring it back to its original potential. I believe that business owners who are in search of properties are more likely interested in buildings that look fresh and show future potential before walking inside. We need to renovate the outside of the buildings and business as much as possible in Sutton to draw in more tourists and new neighbors. It all starts with an idea and ends with some paint.

briar williams

Briar Williams served as a Preserve WV AmeriCorps member for the Sutton Community Development Corporation during the 2020-2021 program year.

a grand time at grandview

Kate Caplinger

If these bricks could talk

briar williams

painting our town red

briar williams