By Stephen Smoot
One of the first moves of the incoming administration of Governor Patrick Morrisey lay in putting the former Cabinet-level Department of Arts, Culture, and History under the Department of Tourism. This signalled the idea that the State of West Virginia should approach history from the perspective of economic activity and development.
A vital part of using history to attract tourists includes keeping historical assets in place and using creative ways to present them to visitors and natives alike.
Mike Queen approached the Harrison County Commission last week representing the Historical Preservation Alliance of Harrison County.
“I am here as a citizen in support of the newly created Historical Preservation Alliance,” Queen opened.
The Alliance does some of the same work as a similar statewide preservation organization. In Harrison County, it bands together 14 separate history and heritage organizations and facilities. This includes Shinnston’s Bice-Ferguson Museum and the Shinnston Historical Association.
Other members include the Clarksburg History Museum, the Randolph House in Salem, Fort New Salem, Salem Depot Museum, the Civilian Conservation Corps Museum, Harrison County Historical Society, Lost Creek Depot, Stonewall Jackson Civil War Roundtable, Waldomore, and West Virginia Heritage Crafts.
He explained that the organization came together “a little over a year ago” and that their business before the Commission on that day lay in requesting “an excess levy to support historic preservation and programming” in Harrison County.
The levy, like all others, would put the question of using a levy to support historical projects and programs before the public, who could then vote it up or down.
The organization’s plan would provide some funding for each constituent organization, with Bice-Ferguson and the Shinnston Historical Association both slated for $5,000. Other organizations with profound needs, such as Fort New Salem at $14,600, would receive more.
Another $70,000 would go to historic cemetery preservation. The Historic Clarksburg Cemetery Preservation Alliance continually raises funds for maintaining the final resting places of so many from the county. The rise of vagrancy and drug abuse in the region has likely contributed to cases of vandalism in these cemeteries. Queen noted that it can take “several thousand” to restore tombstones damaged by both criminal activity and/or the ravages of time.
The other $250,000 that the Alliance would collect over the lifetime of the proposed levy would be put in an emergency fund for special and urgent projects. Queen stated that a committee appointed by the County Commission would make decisions concerning that money.
No West Virginia counties have ever passed such a levy. Morris County, New Jersey’s (near New York City) Board of Chosen Freeholders (County Commission) passed such a levy in 1992. By 2014, the mission of the established fund had broadened to include local trail development.
Last summer, it issued $2.6 million in grants for historic preservation.
Harrison County Commissioner David Hinkle asked if the levy would be “stand alone” and not part of other efforts. Queen responded in the affirmative.
Hinkle then shared his main concern, that “we’re only allowed to levy so much” and that if some levy funds went to historic preservation, they might take away from other possible needs, such as EMS.
Queen replied that he supported helping county EMS services, but countered that with “costs continuing to rise, we really need that funding somehow.”
“I need you all to understand,” Hinkle stated “that our tax collections continue to go down. We don’t have the value we had last year, or the previous year.” He shared that the decline had hit “two billion in value lost.”
“I appreciate what you’re doing and I understand,” added Hinkle, who then said “I hope my Commissioners look at the big picture.” He reiterated that the County had a limit on what it could collect via levies and placed blame, stating “you can thank the State of West Virginia and what it did to oil and gas . . . and did not make us whole.”
That “affected what we were able to do,” he also said.
Queen stated that he was not aware of the decline in revenues and that the organization would “make do” with anything they could get. “We don’t want to jeopardize our emergency services or vital services levy” but “we do think this is important enough to at least consider it.”
Hinkle replied that the County should hold meetings with the organization to work on possible solutions.
“The Commission has always been there to support these organizations represented here today,” concluded Queen in appreciation.