Economic Development

WHEELING, W.Va. — Hosted by the Preservation Alliance of West Virginia, the West Virginia Historic Preservation Conference, to be held May 1-3 in Wheeling, will feature tours, speakers, demonstrations, and educational sessions designed to help community leaders, preservation professionals, and owners of historic properties. Danielle Parker, executive director of the organization, said the 2025 event will … Read more

ELKINS, W.Va. — Two “irreplaceable” historic buildings in West Virginia are facing the possibility of demolition, which the state’s preservation board is working to prevent. The towering middle school in Mannington and the courthouse annex in Roane County have been added to the West Virginia Endangered Properties List, a registry maintained by the Preservation Alliance … Read more

CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Governor Patrick Morrisey has announced the creation of “Tourism Works,” an online education program designed to enhance hospitality skills and training among the state’s tourism workforce and everyday West Virginians. The announcement was made at the state capitol with the support of more than 200 tourism and hospitality industry professionals to celebrate … Read more

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