West Virginia & Regional History Center

West Virginia & Regional History Center
Name	West Virginia & Regional History Center
Established	1929
Location	Morgantown, West Virginia
Type	archives, special collections
Director	University Libraries, West Virginia University

West Virginia & Regional History Center is the primary archival repository for the state of West Virginia and the Appalachian region, housed at West Virginia University in Morgantown, West Virginia. The Center documents the documentary record of Monongalia County and statewide subjects including coal mining, labor unions, and Appalachian cultural movements such as bluegrass music and Appalachian folk art. It supports scholars working on topics related to Civil War in West Virginia, New Deal, Great Depression, and twentieth-century industrialization in the region.

History

Founded in 1929 during the administration of Morgantown civic leaders and the administration of Eberly-era leadership, the Center expanded significantly after World War II with collections from figures such as Matthew M. Neely, Jennings Randolph, and Arch A. Moore Jr.. Throughout the Cold War era the repository acquired records from state agencies connected to National Guard deployments, Appalachian regional initiatives tied to the John F. Kennedy era, and documentation related to the coal strikes and labor disputes that intersected with the Congress of Industrial Organizations. In the late twentieth and early twenty-first centuries the Center integrated donations from families such as the Justice family and corporate archives from firms like Massey Energy and Union Carbide Corporation.

Collections and Holdings

The archival holdings include manuscripts, rare books, maps, photographs, oral histories, and government records from entities such as the West Virginia Legislature, U.S. Congress members from West Virginia like Robert C. Byrd, and governors including Cecil H. Underwood. Special collections feature the papers of judges from the United States District Court for the Northern District of West Virginia, records of mining companies tied to the Pocahontas Coalfield, and documentation of social movements such as United Mine Workers of America activities. The photograph collections document infrastructure projects under the Works Progress Administration and the Civilian Conservation Corps, while map and cartographic holdings include surveying records for the Monongahela National Forest and plats for towns like Glen Jean.

Services and Public Programs

Reference services support researchers from institutions including Library of Congress, Smithsonian Institution, and state agencies like the West Virginia Division of Culture and History. The Center offers instruction sessions for courses taught by faculty in departments such as History at West Virginia University and collaborates with programs like the Appalachian Studies Association conferences. Public programs include oral history workshops using methodology from the Oral History Association, lectures by scholars of figures like Felix Stump and Florence Reece, and training in archival practice aligned with standards from the Society of American Archivists.

Facilities and Preservation

Housed in a climate-controlled facility on the West Virginia University campus, the repository maintains conservation labs employing treatments consistent with guidelines from the National Archives and Records Administration, the Library of Congress, and regional preservation initiatives like the Appalachian Regional Commission. The Center's stacks and vaults protect collections such as fragile Civil War-era correspondence referencing the Battle of Philippi and industrial blueprints for railroads like the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad. It also preserves audiovisual materials documenting events such as the Battle of Blair Mountain and legal records from the Massey Energy litigation.

Research and Academic Use

Scholars from institutions like Harvard University, Ohio University, Marshall University, and Pennsylvania State University use the archives for dissertations on topics including Appalachian coal policy, environmental litigation involving SMCRA, and biographical studies of politicians like Jay Rockefeller. The Center supports grant-funded projects from organizations such as the National Endowment for the Humanities and partners on digitization efforts with initiatives like the Digital Public Library of America and the HathiTrust Digital Library.

Outreach and Exhibitions

Exhibitions rotate between on-site galleries and traveling displays coordinated with partners like the West Virginia Humanities Council and the Johnstown Flood Museum; past exhibits have focused on subjects such as Coal River, the Hatfield–McCoy feud, and Appalachian music traditions including Ralph Stanley. Outreach includes school programs aligned with curricula from the West Virginia Department of Education and collaborative projects with community organizations such as AmeriCorps and regional historical societies like the Preston County Historical Society.

Category:Archives in the United States Category:West Virginia history Category:West Virginia University