Landmarks / Museums

CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Until 1834, nearly every residence in the Kanawha Valley near present-day Charleston was built of hewn timbers. Then along came James Craik, whose Greek Revival home, counted among the state’s best examples of Greek Revival architecture, still stands. Now a museum, an afternoon at the residence, “Elm Grove,” also known as the … Read more

Legendary springs across West Virginia are attracting new audiences among health-conscious people longing for a return to simpler times. Once supposed curative, “healing” springs have attracted travelers in search of better health since the 1700s, says Jonathan Bellingham, whose family has managed Capon Springs for four generations. Now, these bubbling springs—which notably include Capon and … Read more

A recent study of the Preservation Alliance of West Virginia’s AmeriCorps program suggests its heritage tourism programming is an important economic engine for West Virginia, according to Danielle Parker, executive director for the alliance. The study found that more than half of travelers who visit the program’s heritage sites traveled from more than 50 miles … Read more

There’s often no time to waste when rescuing a historic landmark, which is why West Virginia’s Preservation Alliance is expanding its endangered-properties program to accept nominations and provide assistance year-round. The alliance will continue to publish its anticipated list of endangered properties annually, but staff will now provide assistance as soon as submissions are approved, … Read more

Now open year-round to visitors seeking solace, the Rippling Waters Chapel at Romance, in southern Jackson County, West Virginia, continues to attract more visitors every year. Undoubtedly because of its location near the village of “Romance,” the little church has also become a popular venue for weddings, according to Kim Brittain, manager for the Rippling … Read more

This fall, visitors to the historic ghost town of Thurmond, West Virginia, will encounter more than ghosts. They’ll encounter goats. The National Park Service at the New River Gorge National Park and Preserve is implement a plan to use goats to treat invasive plants among its historic buildings, according to ranger Dave Bieri. “Resource managers … Read more

Widely considered one of the most important railroading landmarks in the U.S., the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad complex at Martinsburg exemplifies the form-follows-function principal of building design. It’s beautiful, and it’s practical. In my opinion, it’s also one of the most stupendous buildings in the world. According to Mark Jordan, executive director of the Berkeley … Read more

Blair Mountain, the site of the largest labor uprising in U.S. history, has been added again to the National Register of Historic Places, according to officials with the Department of Interior who called its removal from the register nearly a decade ago “erroneous.” Fought for five days in August 1921, the Battle of Blair Mountain … Read more

Developers in West Virginia are turning more often to preservation projects as investments, according to an insurer who’s specializing in the insurance of historic properties in the Mountain State. Interest in historic properties is growing across the state, according to Ben Morgan of Morgan Insurance, due in part to a new 35-percent state tax credit … Read more