West Virginia State Historic Preservation Office

West Virginia State Historic Preservation Office
Name	West Virginia State Historic Preservation Office
Abbreviation	WV SHPO
Formation	1966
Headquarters	Charleston, West Virginia
Leader title	State Historic Preservation Officer
Parent organization	West Virginia Department of Arts, Culture and History

West Virginia State Historic Preservation Office is the state agency responsible for administering historic preservation programs in West Virginia, coordinating with the National Park Service, implementing provisions of the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, and maintaining the state's inventory of historic properties. The office interfaces with federal agencies such as the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation, administers the National Register of Historic Places nominations for sites in West Virginia, and works with local governments, tribes, and nonprofit organizations including the National Trust for Historic Preservation and the Historic Charleston Foundation.

History

The office was established following passage of the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966 and the creation of the National Register of Historic Places, building on earlier surveys conducted after studies influenced by the Historic Sites Act of 1935, the National Park Service urban programs, and statewide efforts linked to the West Virginia Department of Arts, Culture and History and the West Virginia Archives and History. Early projects included work at Harpers Ferry National Historical Park, documentation relating to the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, and inventories connected to the New Deal-era projects such as those associated with the Works Progress Administration and the Civilian Conservation Corps. Over subsequent decades the office responded to issues involving Interstate Highway System impacts, coalfield landscapes near Beckley, floodplain concerns associated with the Great Flood of 1936 legacy, and preservation of sites tied to the American Civil War, including those near Greenbrier River, Rich Mountain, and Droop Mountain Battlefield State Park.

Organization and Governance

The office operates within the West Virginia Department of Arts, Culture and History and reports to the State Historic Preservation Officer, who coordinates with the National Park Service and the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation. Its governance structure involves review boards such as the state review board for the National Register of Historic Places, liaison with tribal historic preservation officers associated with Monongahela National Forest, and partnerships with local historic districts in municipalities like Charleston, West Virginia, Morgantown, West Virginia, Huntington, West Virginia, and Martinsburg, West Virginia. It implements state statutes related to preservation and conforms to federal laws including the National Environmental Policy Act, the Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act, and federal guidelines developed by the Secretary of the Interior.

Programs and Activities

The office administers programs including the state historic preservation plan, architectural and archaeological survey projects, rehabilitation tax credit reviews tied to the Historic Rehabilitation Tax Credit Program, and training workshops modeled on guidance from the National Trust for Historic Preservation and the Preservation League of New York State. It oversees archaeology projects connected to prehistoric sites within the Ohio River Valley, Civil War battlefield documentation near Gauley Bridge and Antietam National Battlefield-related studies, and industrial heritage work on sites of the Pocahontas Coalfield and the Kanawha Valley. The office provides technical guidance for preservation practices consistent with the Secretary of the Interior's Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties and engages with federal programs such as the Certified Local Government program and the Historic Preservation Fund.

National Register and Survey Efforts

The office prepares and reviews nominations to the National Register of Historic Places for properties across West Virginia, from rural farmsteads near Canaan Valley to urban historic districts like Wheeling, West Virginia and Charleston, West Virginia's East End Historic District. It conducts statewide surveys that document vernacular architecture styles including Federal architecture, Greek Revival architecture, and Queen Anne architecture, and records properties tied to the Underground Railroad and to industrial transportation networks including the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway and the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad. Survey work often coordinates with the Library of Congress's Historic American Buildings Survey, Historic American Engineering Record, and the National Archives for long-term stewardship.

Grants and Funding

The office administers grant programs including passthroughs from the Historic Preservation Fund and federal matching grants from the National Park Service. It provides technical assistance related to state and federal tax credit incentives similar to programs in other states promoted by the National Trust for Historic Preservation and distributes small-project grants that support stabilization projects for properties listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Funding partnerships have included collaborations with the Appalachian Regional Commission, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers on mitigation projects, and philanthropic support from organizations such as the Rockefeller Foundation and local foundations like the Greater Kanawha Valley Foundation.

Preservation Partnerships and Outreach

Outreach initiatives bring together stakeholders including the Historic Charleston Foundation, the West Virginia University Center for History and Public Policy, tribal representatives, county historical societies like the Raleigh County Historical Society, and national organizations such as the National Trust for Historic Preservation. The office hosts workshops with preservation professionals from institutions including the Smithsonian Institution, the Library of Congress, and the American Institute for Conservation and collaborates with economic development entities such as the West Virginia Department of Commerce to integrate preservation with community revitalization strategies used in towns like Lewisburg, West Virginia and Shepherdstown, West Virginia.

Notable Projects and Designations

Significant designations coordinated by the office include nominations for sites associated with Harpers Ferry, industrial complexes along the Kanawha River, coal mining landscapes in the New River Gorge area prior to its designation, and preservation of buildings linked to figures such as John Brown, Stonewall Jackson, and Mother Jones-related sites. Projects have encompassed archaeological investigations at prehistoric mound sites, rehabilitation of historic courthouses in counties like Berkeley County, West Virginia and Monongalia County, West Virginia, and the documentation of civil rights-era landmarks tied to the NAACP and regional civic movements. The office has also played roles in coordinating nominations that intersect with national designations such as National Historic Landmarks and in pre-National Park Service planning for areas that later involved the New River Gorge National Park and Preserve.

Category:Historic preservation in West Virginia Category:State historic preservation offices of the United States