Aug. 31, 2011
Residents interested in preserving the heritage of Nicholas County are invited to a special September meeting of the Nicholas County Historic Landmark Commission.
On Sept. 15, members of the West Virginia State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) will discuss ways the state and federal government can assist in preserving the county’s historic landmarks, including financial incentives and the Secretary of Interior’s Standards for Rehabilitation.
The Nicholas County Historic Landmark Commission worked with the SHPO using grant opportunities to survey the historic resources of Richwood and to evaluate the building conditions and reuse possibilities of the Old Main High School in Summersville. The SHPO also partially funded a systematic county-wide survey. Continued use of survey and planning grants and development grants will provide additional opportunities to develop historic preservation activities in the county.
Some county resources already listed on the National Register of Historic Places include the Richwood Historic District, home of the Cherry River Boom and Lumber Co., which is significant for its association with the development of the town of Richwood and of Nicholas County. In 1927, the town was home to three banks, two theaters, two hospitals, many hotels and boarding houses, and the Coca-Cola Bottling Co.
Authorized under the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, the National Register is part of a program to coordinate and support public and private efforts to identify, evaluate, and protect our historic and archaeological resources.
Properties listed on the National Register include districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects that are significant in American history, architecture, archaeology, engineering and culture.
The Sept. 15 meeting begins at 11:30 a.m. at the Old Main Building on Old High School Hill in Summersville. Old Main, which also is listed on the National Register, is a circa 1913 Renaissance Revival building that was the center of community activity and hosted the annual Nicholas County Fair from 1915 until 1945.
Residents interested in attending the meeting are asked to RSVP by Sept. 12 to Benjean Rapp, secretary for the Nicholas County Historic Landmark Commission, at (304) 872-2486. Directions to Old Main also are available by calling this number.
For more information about historic preservation, contact Sara Prior, education and planning coordinator for the SHPO, at (304) 558-0240 or visit our website at www.wvculture.org.
The West Virginia Division of Culture and History is an agency within the West Virginia Department of Education and the Arts with Kay Goodwin, Cabinet Secretary. The Division, led by Commissioner Randall Reid-Smith, brings together the past, present and future through programs and services focusing on archives and history, arts, historic preservation and museums. For more information about the Division’s programs, events and sites, visit www.wvculture.org. The Division of Culture and History is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer.
