Economic Development

ELKINS, W.Va. — The Preservation Alliance of West Virginia is adding the Middleway Historic District in Jefferson County to the West Virginia Endangered Properties List. The measure highlights the risks that could result from the construction and operation of the proposed Mountain Pure water bottling facility by Sidewinder Enterprises. The proposed development by Sidewinder is … Read more

ELKINS, W.Va. — Four theaters in West Virginia have been added to the state’s historic theater trail, established in 2010 to boost cultural and economic growth in Mountain State downtowns and rural areas. The Elk Theater in Sutton, the Granada Theater in Bluefield, the Robinson Grand in Clarksburg, and the eponymous Shepherdstown Opera House were … Read more

FAYETTEVILLE, W.Va. — Satellite-based broadband is allowing telecommuters to settle in some of the most remote areas in West Virginia, a development that’s changing the chiefly rural state at the center of the eastern U.S. “What’s happening now in West Virginia is revolutionary—yes, revolutionary,” says David Sibray, the publisher of West Virginia Explorer Magazine and … Read more

WASHINGTON, D.C. – An initiative designed to attract economic investment to historic buildings and districts in rural communities is being introduced to Congress by senators Mark Warner (D) of Virginia and Shelley Moore Capito (R) of West Virginia. The Rural Historic Tax Credit Improvement Act will significantly reduce financial burdens for rural homeowners and developers … Read more

CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Whether you think it looks good or not, painting a brick building can destroy it. Even if it doesn’t collapse the structure, maintenance will ever-after be pricey, as painters must return every several years to repaint. If your insurer doesn’t come after you first, the masons or demolitionists you may have to … Read more

THURMOND. W.Va. — Consultants employed by the National Park Service to evaluate the condition of nationally historic structures in the New River Gorge, which are now slated for demolition, instead recommend saving them. Despite recent proposals by park officials to demolish the buildings, professionals asked by the park service to weigh in on the matter … Read more

ALDERSON, W.Va. — Members of one of West Virginia’s founding families are fighting to save a commercial building on the National Register of Historic Places that consultants have determined to be viable as a new business location. Sarah Alderson, whose fifth great-grandfather established the town on the Greenbrier River, said she and her brother, Joe … Read more

FRANKFORD, W.Va. — One of the most significant restorations underway in West Virginia has attracted the attention of state preservationists, who are awarding its developers and proponents for their efforts. The Preservation Alliance of West Virginia has awarded the repair of a log-built picnic pavilion and other structures at the Blue Bend Recreation Area with … Read more

CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Communities across West Virginia are turning to their scenic potential to bolster local economies. They’ve discovered that beauty spots attract tourists and increase the desirability of nearby real estate without much expense. Landscape architect Joe Bird, vice president of A hiker gazes across the Greenbrier Valley. Photo courtesy Pine and rhododendrons help … Read more