The National Park Service is hosting several events this week to celebrate the “hidden histories” of southern West Virginia. It’s part of the 16th Annual Hidden History Happenings.
The National Park Service is hosting several events this week to celebrate the “hidden histories” of southern West Virginia. It’s part of the 16th Annual Hidden History Happenings.
Park rangers are guiding hikes, hosting a Lumberjack Festival and even making apple butter to celebrate the rich history of the region.
Hikers will explore old farm sites, and foundations at Pipestem Resort State Park to learn about life pre-park. Other state parks hosting events include Babcock, Carnifex Ferry Battlefield, and Twin Falls Resort.
The old saying ‘If these walls could talk’ rings true in West Virginia’s House and Senate chambers. And, if asked, those historic marble walls – might also cough a bit.
Looking up in the House of Delegates chamber, the ceiling windows form a distinct, artistic pattern. House assistant doorkeeper Carlo Zorio explained that decades ago, some of those now closed windows did open, and not to let a breeze cool any ‘hot air’ coming from the house floor.
“The windows in the ceiling do open but not all of them,” Zorio said. “It was a way to get the smoke out of this room when they smoked in here.”
Zorio said the delegates’ smoke got so thick it stained the marble walls. He pointed out the old discoloration still on two adjacent wooden platforms.
“They had to open those windows for all that smoke to go out,” Zorio said. “It probably looked like a train burning coal going out in the street.”
When this Capitol building opened in 1932, there were many more cigars than cigarettes smoked in the house chamber. The cigar brands could have been White Owls, an El Producto, an imported Cuban – or some old cheroot.
In the Senate chamber, Assistant Sergeant-At-Arms Grover Miller said the early Senate body was considered the ‘gentlemen lawmakers’ of the state. Miller said on the Senate side, they nearly all smoked cigars. He pointed out the huge upper chamber windows behind the gold lattice – smoke vents that haven’t been opened in years.
“And that would allow the air to flush out the smoke,” Miller said. “And there are windows on the other side that would allow fresh air to come in to help cool off the place.”
What else defines quirky chamber history? The illustrious Robert C. Byrd was elected to the House of Delegates in 1946, and Zorio said he literally left his mark in the chamber.
“We have Mr. Byrd’s initials, yes, his name, marked into his desk,” Zorio said. “I don’t know what he scratched it with, maybe nail clippers. And, he scratched in the years that he served here.”
At first glance, the nearly century-old wire loops left under the Senate gallery seats look to be for stashing old papers or files. MIller said no, giving us the history of the hat holder.
“They would have a place to put their hat with these spring rods here,” Miller said. “So they would sit down and then just below they hung their hats and they would stay blocked and out of the way. And that would take care of their hat and it wouldn’t get messed up.”
Both gentlemen said the stories abound from these historic meeting rooms of old. So, what if these House and Senate chamber walls could really talk?
“If they could talk, we’d all probably have to leave the state,” Zorio quipped.
The West Virginia State Historic Preservation Office is presenting a training session on a tax credit program and changes that become effective in January.
The session next week will include a presentation on changes to the Historic Rehabilitation Tax Credit program passed by the West Virginia Legislature in October. The changes include an increase from 10 percent to 25 percent in the Commercial Historic Rehabilitation Tax Credit.
The program is at 2 p.m. Tuesday at Hinton City Hall. It’s hosted by the Hinton Historic Landmark Commission and is free and open to the public.
The West Virginia Division of Culture and History said in a news release the training session will also cover additional changes to the tax credit program, new requirements and an explanation of the program’s financial incentives.
During a special session of the West Virginia Legislature in October, lawmakers passed a bill that makes redeveloping historic buildings in the state more viable, financially. The bill had widespread support from both sides of the aisle, but some are concerned it doesn’t go far enough.
The state historic rehabilitation tax credit was put in place as an incentive for individuals, developers, and property owners to take dilapidated, historic buildings and bring them back up to snuff — rehabilitating them into apartments, businesses, or community spaces…
Just like the Charles Washington Hall in Jefferson County.
What Rehabilitating Historic Buildings Could Look Like
The City of Charles Town took advantage of the state historic rehabilitation tax credit a few years ago to help rehabilitate the Charles Washington Hall in the city’s downtown area. At the time renovations began, a 10 percent tax credit was in place in West Virginia. The credit provides dollar-for-dollar reductions in income tax and corporate income tax liability for historic rehabilitation projects.
But the new legislation bumps that tax credit to 25 percent — though, it doesn’t go into effect until December 31.
Credit Liz McCormick / West Virginia Public Broadcasting
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West Virginia Public Broadcasting
A new auditorium space in the Charles Washington Hall in Charles Town, W.Va.
The Charles Washington Hall, originally built in 1874, is now home to an auditorium, a soon-to-open restaurant featuring Appalachian cuisine, and a small, organic, locally-sourced grocery store. Renovations were completed earlier this year.
The grocery, called Bushel & Peck, is the main presence at the location.
“It’s a beautiful building; wood floors and ceiling molding are really striking to me,” Abby Beavin, Assistant Manager at Bushel & Peck, said, “and all the beautiful wood detail. It has kind of its own challenges, like making a food safe facility in a historic building, but I think it’s a beautiful, beautiful space, with beautiful natural lighting.”
Bushel & Peck moved into the space at the beginning of October, so the market is still getting situated. Beavin hopes it will help revitalize downtown Charles Town and create a tighter community.
“It’s a difficult time to keep the main street businesses alive,” she noted, “You see a lot more of them boarded up in small towns than you do opening a new business. So, it’s a risk, but, you know, we’re out here and we’re gonna see what happens and see what works and what this will mean for Charles Town.”
Credit Liz McCormick / West Virginia Public Broadcasting
Last year, the Hub traveled the state to bring awareness to community members and lawmakers about the benefits of increasing the historic rehabilitation tax credit.
Jake Dougherty, Executive Director of Wheeling Heritage, was heavily involved in that campaign.
“We’ve seen people and developers choose Winchester, Virginia, over Martinsburg; Saint Clairsville, Ohio, over Wheeling; Ashland over Huntington; Waynesburg over Morgantown; it’s happening all across the state, and that’s revenues and that’s a stronger tax base, and that’s more jobs that aren’t happening in West Virginia, and they’re right across the border,” Dougherty explained.
A couple versions of a bill to increase that credit were introduced during the regular 2017 state Legislative session, but it wasn’t until a special session in October that advocates like Dougherty got their wish.
House Bill 203 increased the state’s historic rehabilitation tax credit from 10 to 25 percent, making the credit more competitive with West Virginia’s bordering neighbors like Virginia, Ohio, and Pennsylvania — BUT the bill also has a $10 million cap, or limit, per project and an annual, overall statewide cap of $25 million — unlike some neighboring states like Virginia, which have uncapped incentive plans.
Credit Will Price / West Virginia Legislative Photography
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West Virginia Legislative Photography
Sen. Glenn Jeffries, D-Putnam.
Democratic Senator Glenn Jeffries, of Putnam County, was the lead sponsor of a Senate version of the bill during the 2017 regular session.
He said, while he’s relieved something finally passed, he’s concerned the caps will discourage developers — especially the annual $25 million cap.
“I don’t want to see us hinder potential investors to come to West Virginia, invest their dollars, and [then] take it somewhere else,” Jeffries said, “If you keep the cap on it, that just pushes your application, and it’s first come first serve; somebody walks in there on day one, and the first three application takes up that $25 million, you gotta wait until the following year.”
Jefferies said he understands the reason for the limits — uncapped incentives could become a financial juggernaut in an already tight state budget if too many developers take advantage of the program all at once. But Jeffries argued it’s a long, step-by-step process to get approved and complete a renovation, so it wouldn’t hit the state in the way opponents fear. He plans to introduce amendments to the bill during the 2018 session.
The National Register of Historic Places has just over 700 historic buildings registered in West Virginia — like the Charles Washington Hall. To-date, 175 in-state projects have used the 10-percent historic rehabilitation tax credit.
