West Virginia Independence Hall Museum (WVIH) in downtown Wheeling will hold a press conference on Monday, May 12, at 4:30 p.m., to announce a $1-million restoration project for the historic facility. Governor Joe Manchin, Cabinet Secretary Kay Goodwin for the Department of Education and the Arts and Commissioner Randall Reid-Smith of the West Virginia Division of Culture and History are scheduled to attend the announcement.
The $1-million project, with funding provided by the West Virginia State Legislature, will be used to replace the roof, restore or replace all the windows, restore the interior plaster, and paint the interior, including restoring the trompe l’oeil effects in the historic third floor courtroom. In addition, the building will be repointed, which is the process of renewing mortar joints, and several rooms will be refurbished to accommodate new and expanded exhibits.
For more information about the press conference or restoration project, contact Jacqueline Proctor, deputy commissioner for the Division, at (304) 558-0220.
West Virginia Independence Hall, originally built as a federal custom house in 1859, served as the home of the pro-Union state conventions of Virginia during the spring and summer of 1861 and as the capitol of loyal Virginia from June 1861 to June 1863. It also was the site of the first constitutional convention for West Virginia. Designated a National Historic Landmark in 1988, the museum is maintained and operated by the West Virginia Division of Culture and History, with the cooperation and assistance of the West Virginia Independence Hall Foundation. The museum is open daily from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., with the exception of major holidays. The museum is located on the corner of 16th and Market Streets in Wheeling.
The West Virginia Division of Culture and History, an agency of the West Virginia Department of Education and the Arts, brings together the state’s past, present and future through programs and services in the areas of archives and history, the arts, historic preservation and museums. Its administrative offices are located at the Cultural Center in the State Capitol Complex in Charleston, which also houses the state archives and state museum. The Cultural Center is West Virginia’s official showcase for the arts. The agency also operates a network of museums and historic sites across the state. For more information about the Division’s programs, visit www.wvculture.org. The Division of Culture and History is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer.
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