Attractions

CHARLESTON, W.Va. — July marks not only the 250th anniversary of American independence but also the 50th anniversary of a modern Mountain State masterpiece—the West Virginia Culture Center. This deceptively simple, large, gray, boxy, stone-clad building in Charleston houses some of the state’s most important cultural treasures. From museum exhibits and valuable documents to educational … Read more

MIDDLEWAY, W.Va. — One of the nation’s leading historic preservation organizations has joined the legal battle over a proposed industrial water-extraction and bottling facility near one of West Virginia’s oldest villages, arguing that the project would irreparably damage a nationally recognized historic district and could weaken preservation protections statewide. The National Trust for Historic Preservation … Read more

WEIRTON, W.Va. — At the edge of a quiet suburban neighborhood in Hancock County stands what appears at first glance to be a weathered stone tower. It isn’t a tower, however, but the remains of an iron furnace. Marked only by a modest historical sign, the Peter Tarr Furnace played a surprising role in shaping … Read more

BERKELEY SPRINGS, W.Va. — For decades, one of the most significant African American landmarks in Berkeley Springs quietly served as little more than a storage shed. Now, community leaders hope to restore Mount Pisgah Church, an 1877 church founded by members of the town’s Black community, preserving a place of worship whose history reflects the faith, … Read more

CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Few places in West Virginia’s capital city are as popular with walkers as the Carriage Trail, the shaded path climbing the hillside below Sunrise, the former estate of Gov. William A. MacCorkle. Along the trail, a weathered stone monument tells one of the city’s most enduring Civil War stories. Its inscription leaves … Read more