WV Living - Spring 2014

LET TER S to the EDITOR

Share Our Story

We’ve always believed in and been proud of what we do here at MacKenzie-Dow, but it still feels good when someone else believes in us too and wants to share our story with the world. Several months ago we received a call from the fine folks at WV Living asking if they could come down for a tour and interview. We’re big fans of the magazine and their mission to celebrate our beautiful state and its heritage, and were thrilled to be considered. mackenzie-dow, via newsletter

Wild and Wonderful

Tradition

The Great Bear Hunt is an excellent article.

Your grasp of the tradition of the hunt and the humor you displayed rendered this article informative and entertaining. All involved were pleased. Thank you. francine snyder, via email

12 wvl • spring 2014

Spirit of Family

Just saw the winter layout of the feature on the Halls’ home. One word—amazing! The photography is exquisite and you beautifully captured the spirit of the family and the amazing feast they create each Christmas. alyssa g. gregg, via email

Best of WV

The Philippi Planning Commission is currently in the process of updating the comprehensive plan for the city of Philippi.

It is interesting seeing the contrast of pastpresent-future outlooks on our town. Also, examining other “best of WV cities” from your magazine has helped align some new goals for the city, while preserving the great history of our local culture. Keep the good work coming! lara foster (alderson broaddus university), Philippi, via email

A subscription to WV Living is the best Christmas present EVER! My family and friends who have moved out of state love this magazine. It showcases the state of West Virginia and brings a little piece of “Almost Heaven” home. I’ve even placed copies of WV Weddings in our waiting room at work. The patients enjoy looking at the photos and many of Love It them know couples whose pictures are featured.

We put the magazines on the houseboat for Wonderful magazine for a Wild and Wonderful people who come in and stay. We have people state! kim vickers, St. Albans, via email

SPOTLIGHT

dining

spot that eludes so many restaurants across the state. Black Sheep makes food that plays by its own rules, and the crowd couldn’t be happier.

On the corner of Third Avenue and Hal Greer Boulevard, right brings between downtown and Marshall University’s campus, Black Sheep’s dining room offers one of the most cohesive dining experiences in the Mountain State. From the vibrant artwork on the wall to the exposed brickwork and metal detailing behind the bar, the two-room space manages to feel forwardthinking and comfortably worn in at the same time. Every detail has been curated for your enjoyment—the moody underlighting on the liquor shelves, the leather-topped, barber-shop

A Restaurant Apart Black Sheep Burrito & Brews flavor to the table.

N

ever judge a book by its cover, but feel free to judge Huntington’s Black Sheep Burrito & Brews by its name.

Since opening its doors in September 2011 the restaurant has become the source for eclectic, culture-bending food that doesn’t mind standing out from the crowd. And yet Black Sheep has managed to find that sweet

The flock of tacos style bar stools, the bottle is one of the most of Sriracha on every table. popular items on the Anywhere you look, you see menu at Black Sheep Burrito & Brews in the result of a lot of creative Huntington. The thinking and care. You also restaurant opened see a lot of happy customers. a second location in Charleston in 2014.

In many ways Black Sheep is what happens when the right people open the right restaurant in the right town at the right time.

At its heart the Huntington flagship is a collaboration between owner Patrick Guthrie and head chef Jeremiah Bowen. Jeremiah, an experienced chef and visual artist, returned to Huntington after years of opening and working in restaurants in places like Charleston, South Carolina, and Columbus, Ohio. Patrick, a local business owner, was looking to open a restaurant that might shock some life into the local food scene when the two met through a mutual friend and the

wvliving.com 17

SPOTLIGHT

concept for Black Sheep was born. “The main focus was to open people up to more flavor than they’re used to, but to not put them in a situation where it’s haute cuisine,” Jeremiah says. “We were careful not to appear snooty.”

At first glance Black Sheep’s food might appear to fall under the umbrella of Mexican cuisine, but the tortilla shell is really just the wrapping. The good stuff—the confit of pork shoulder, the vindaloo spiced chicken, the ginger and sesame marinated short ribs—is inside. “A lot of people had the misconception that we’re just another Mexican burrito joint, but a burrito is just an economical delivery system. It’s all of that good stuff wrapped up in one package,” Jeremiah says.

A big highlight of the menu is its flock of tacos, a choice of three tacos that allows diners to sample from a dozen of choices.

The hard part is narrowing it down, but firsttimers can’t go wrong with the Trout Taco— smoked native trout served with a bourbon bacon marmalade, anoho yogurt sauce, and shaved red cabbage. It’s perhaps the one menu item that most exemplifies Black Sheep’s culinary ideology—locally sourced ingredients presented in a globally-minded package with no pretense. “Every menu item 18 wvl • spring 2014

“People who have been coming here for two years still haven’t tried everything,” says head chef Jeremiah Bowen.

is really different from the next, but there is still a cohesiveness,” Jeremiah says.

Black Sheep isn’t just about great food, though. The friendly staff and rotating selection of musicians make it the perfect place to just drop by and hang out. It doesn’t hurt that Black Sheep has one of the better draft beer and cocktail menus around.

A regular selection of local favorites like Bridge Brew Works and Charleston Brewing Company is always on tap, and the bartenders at Black Sheep are becoming somewhat notorious for their margaritas and bloody marys. The latter even comes in a bottomless variety during weekend brunch.

With success comes new opportunities, and Black Sheep is not without its share of exciting new opportunities. In 2013 Patrick and Jeremiah began work to expand its Huntington business to add a new, late-night bar and eatery upstairs. Then an opportunity to open a second

location in the state’s capital presented itself—a unique collaboration with the staff of Charleston Brewing Company, who were looking to hand over the restaurant side of the Quarrier Street location and focus on brewing beer. The Charleston location opened in early 2014 and was immediately busy, Jeremiah says, while the Huntington expansion was under way in late winter. “It sounds insane, but luckily all of the hard work of opening a restaurant is done in Charleston. We’re just trying to warm it up and give it that Black Sheep feel,” he says.

Indeed, Black Sheep has a feel that is all its own, and in no time at all it’s become one of the most beloved restaurants in Huntington by just being itself. Is it tempting to call Black Sheep a success story? Yes, but with a space this welcoming and food this good, was there really ever any other outcome?

black sheep burrito & brews

1555 Third Avenue, Huntington, WV 25701, 304.523.1555 blacksheepwv.com; 702 Quarrier Street, Charleston, WV 25301, 304.343.2739 written by aaron

rote

photographed by elizabeth roth

SPOTLIGHT

did you know ?

The Cabin that Confounds

Hidden on the back roads in Mineral County is a small cabin dedicated to one of the state’s most obscure historical landmarks.

Keyser, you might notice a small sign pointing the way to the Nancy Hanks Memorial. If you’re feeling up to a historical detour, you will be led seven or eight miles down three country roads, each one narrower and more remote than the last. When you arrive at your destination, an unassuming log cabin sits right off the road. The only indication of what you have stumbled upon is a small marker on a stone pillar across the street, declaring the site as the place where

Nancy Hanks, mother of Abraham Lincoln, was born in 1784.

You can let yourself in to explore.

The cabin, a replica of the original 18th century cabin, has been furnished with period items. There’s a guestbook where you can sign your name and leave comments. But chances are, you’ll leave with more questions than answers.

WV Living set out to uncover the story behind the cabin. Here’s what we found. written by miriah hamrick photogaphed by nikki bowman

➻ After traveling historian and lecturer William Barton came to Mineral County and shared his conclusion that Nancy Hanks was born there, Governor William Conley appointed a committee to investigate the claim, which they judged to be true.

1929

➻ The Doll family, who had owned the land up to this point, put the property up for sale. Questions were again raised about the site’s authenticity, and Governor Hulett Smith concluded there wasn’t enough evidence to make the claim with certainty.

1933

1966

➻ The campground was closed when William Lawrence sold the land for real estate development.

He kept the land around the cabin in an environmental trust, protecting it from future development. Neighbors of the cabin formed a group, called the Friends of the Nancy Hanks Cabin, and they keep an eye on the property and perform routine maintenance to this day.

1972

1986

➻ William Lawrence, from Manassas, Virginia,

➻ The government promised $5,000 to

construct a monument on the site, and a local group formed the Nancy Hanks Association and had the monument erected.

20 wvl • spring 2014

bought the property. He found a replica cabin on nearby Patterson Creek and had it moved to the site and furnished.

A campground was established around the cabin, providing live entertainment to campers on weekends.

2009 ➻ The West Virginia Legislature upheld that Nancy Hanks was indeed born in Mineral County.

But for Harriett Hartman, a member of the Friends of the Nancy Hanks Cabin, it simply confirmed what she already knew. “Some families have lived in this area for a long time, so the information has been passed down. We’ve always

known it was true.”

KATIE HANLON / SHUTTERSTOCK

driving on route 50 near

artist

What’s in the Water

NIK BOTKIN

One city’s trash is an artist’s inspiration. when nik botkin was a kid growing up in West Virginia, he saw a giant fish kill on the Kanawha River. Dead fish clogged the river so heavily it seemed you could walk right across the river on top of them.

“I can still see that image,” Nik says. That memory was the catalyst for a body of work exploring the impact of pollution. Nik casts life-sized fish—all species native to West Virginia—in clear resin, exposing a piece of trash inside. Almost all of the garbage comes from the banks of the Kanawha River. Not only is Nik bringing attention to the river’s pollution, he’s actively cleaning it up. Nine fish species, 18 molds, and approximately 4,000 cast-resin fish later, his creations are popping up all over the state and beyond. You can find them as part of the exhibit “Reanimation” at Glenville State College through March 21, 2014. You can even get a glimpse of Nik’s process with updates and in-progress photos on the Facebook page for Nik’s stidio, Apartment Earth. apartmentearth.net written by elizabeth

roth wvliving.com 23

SPOTLIGHT

Be Hope, Be Light The lessons Jake Harriman learned as a boy in West Virginia inspired him to join the fight to end extreme poverty.

P

reston County native Jake Harriman was a U.S. Marine in Iraq when he had a life-altering experience. Face to face with an Iraqi farmer’s sheer desperation, he realized one of the greatest global crises is extreme poverty, which leads people to commit desperate acts and ultimately contributes to terrorism. Jake left the Marines to attend Stanford University’s Graduate School of Business, where he earned an MBA and developed the concept for Nuru International.

The Nuru Model is designed to end extreme poverty in remote areas and focuses on four areas of need—hunger, the inability to cope with economic shocks, preventable disease and death, and a lack of quality education for children. Nuru trains local leaders through its leadership program to determine their community's needs and establish solutions. Suc24 wvl • spring 2014

What is Nuru fighting to do? Our goal is to empower people with meaningful choices, to empower people to lift themselves and their communities out of extreme poverty permanently. We train local leaders and work with them to address needs and to design effective solutions and scale those solutions.

Then we build a for-profit company and those profits are used to pay for the ongoing work of the programs independent of outside donations. It’s completely self-sustaining.

What was it like growing up in West Virginia? I grew up on a little farm in Preston County. I guess by American standards we were poor, but I never really knew it. My parents provided a great life for us. We worked on the farm and learned the power of good work ethic and a can-do attitude. It was a good childhood.

How are the places you’ve traveled like West Virginia? People are people. We are all driven by a need to provide for those we love. The people I grew up with are just like the people I’m working with today. They speak a different language, have a different culture, but some of the bravest, most resourceful, intelligent people I’ve ever met are those trapped in poverty, whether on the farms I grew up near in West Virginia or the farms I work on in Kenya or Ethiopia.

How did your upbringing bring you to where you are today? Growing up in a farming community that was relatively poor, you had a lot of farm families who bonded and stuck together through tough times. I learned the value of working together and sacrificing for your neighbors.

My dad taught me to work hard and never give up, and I learned compassion and mercy from my mom. I learned great lessons, even about servant leadership from my parents and from farmers in the community who would serve each other when one of them was down.

How was the concept for Nuru born? I was in combat in Iraq, one of poorest places in the world, and Iraqi Special Forces had been coerc-ing poor farmers to fight the Americans.

One morning we were in a defensive position when a car came racing at us. The driver jumps out, waving his arms frantically and running at us. I thought he’d strapped a bomb to himself. Then I looked behind him and saw this large black military truck rolling up. Several guys jump out and surround this man’s car and start shooting. That’s when I realized what was happening—this guy was a farmer trying to escape across our lines with his family. That was an awakening moment for me. I put myself in this guy’s shoes and asked the question: I live in a world of choices—what school do I want to go to, what do I want to have for breakfast—but what choices did this guy have when he woke up this morning? I made this connection between people living in poverty and their inability to make choices.

That was the beginning of a journey for me—to start an organization that could fight extreme poverty and take away the desperation.

Other West Virginians are on Nuru’s staff.

Are they friends of yours? Some of the folks from West Virginia are guys I went to school with who had a similar dream to impact the world and give ourselves to a greater cause.

Billy Williams was one of the first five people I hired, and John Hancox, Andy Cogar, and Trey Dunham served as the three original board members with me. The four of them have been in it from the beginning.

What does Nuru’s future look like? Nuru is at a very exciting point in our growth right now.

The Nuru Model is a very different approach to fighting extreme poverty, so we need to prove it first. Once we’ve proven it, then I want to take this model to some of the toughest places in the world. We see that we can end extreme poverty in our lifetime, but Nuru can’t do it alone. We want to train other organizations and governments how to adopt our model and adapt what they’re doing to make it more sustainable and scalable. Through this approach, we can empower thousands more, even millions, much more quickly.

Finally, as a child, what did you dream of becoming when you grew up? I wanted to be Superman. I was always a dreamer, even as a kid. We only live once, and from a very young age, I wanted to make my life count. That was important to me. nuruinternational.org written by rachel

coon

NURU INTERNATIONAL

west virginian who rocks

cessful local businesspeople are then recruited to start businesses and are provided with world-class training and access to new markets and capital. This means Western funders can invest a fixed, small amount of capital into a given country and, as new businesses achieve financial sustainability, increasing profits enable the work to spread regionally and fund program expansion that realizes national impact. To date, Nuru has been launched in Kenya and Ethiopia.

diy

Household Helpers These common ingredients will have you cleaning—and saving cash—in no time.

LEMON

➻ Run lemon peels through the garbage

BAKING SODA

➻ Substitute ½ cup of baking soda for your detergent to keep clothes bright and use half the amount of detergent. ➻ Pour baking soda directly onto surfaces you don’t want to scratch, like the refrigerator, and scrub with a sponge. ➻ Sprinkle baking soda in your toilet bowl instead of chemical toilet cleaners that are harmful to your health.

disposal to freshen up the drain and leave a citrus smell. ➻ Put lemon juice in a spray bottle and spritz in the shower to break down soap scum and hard water deposits. ➻ Lemons also have high germ-fighting power and are a natural stain remover. Add lemon juice to a bucket of hot water when disinfecting surfaces. ➻ To whiten your sink, mix a paste of lemon juice and baking soda and have it shining like new.

WHITE VINEGAR

➻ Soak a rag or sponge in vinegar and use it

a small amount of olive oil into your hands to remove dried paint. ➻ Repair scratches on furniture with a small amount of olive oil.

COFFEE GROUNDS

➻ Leave a dish of coffee grounds out to absorb unwanted odors. ➻ Insects hate coffee. To keep

ants away, put coffee grounds in your houseplants or around an ant nest. ➻ The abrasiveness of coffee grounds makes them great for scrubbing dishes without damaging them.

26 wvl • spring 2014

CORN STARCH

➻ Let cornstarch set in your carpet for a while before vacuuming. It will pull up odors and dirt.

➻ Iron your clothes with a mist of cornstarch and cold water instead of spray starch. ➻ A paste of water and cornstarch functions as a great buffer for polishing silver.

CARLA WITT FORD

OLIVE OIL

➻ Use olive oil to polish and shine wooden furniture as well as stainless steel. ➻ Rub

to wipe down surfaces. Watch as it cuts through grease. ➻ Add a tablespoon of vinegar to a quart of water to make an environmentally friendly glass cleaner. ➻ ¼ cup of baking soda, ½ cup of vinegar, and a cup of hot water clears lightly clogged drains. ➻ Put vinegar in a spray bottle to kill mold and mildew. ➻ Soak a burned pot in 1 cup vinegar and 2 tablespoons of baking soda.

when to smile, when not to smile, depending on the trends in New York at the time.”

The Symphony League now holds open calls and all are welcome to audition, regardless of age, experience, or background.

“We are looking for models who are economically and physically diverse,” says Crystal Good, the show’s co-chair and one of its models for the past 22 years. “The only qualifications are that they have to have a passion for fashion and be a role model—a thoughtful, generous person who recognizes that this is a community fashion show, don’t miss not a ‘catty’ show. It’s fun, it’s for a good cause.”

Funds support the West Virginia Symphony Orchestra, the state’s leading performing arts organization since 1939. Along with its 10 annual concerts in Charleston, the symphony tours across the state. The symphony also provides funding for programs in Kanawha County Schools and the West Virginia Youth The West Virginia Symphony Symphony, offering music training and experience to students in elementary school League Fashion Show shows through their freshmen year of college. off the latest trends and raises By attending the fashion show, guests help support the cause and reap lavish benefits funds for the symphony. themselves. Before the event, 20 designer each spring a small-scale edition of Fash- purses are auctioned as grab bags stuffed with ion Week hits West Virginia in the form of the extravagant favors—pearl earrings, diamond West Virginia Symphony League Fashion Show. rings, and lotions. Afterward, guests and models The West Virginia Symphony League, mingle and pick up their prizes at a champagne the fundraising arm of the West Virginia mixer. It’s all in the name of generating more Symphony Orchestra, began organizing the interest in the West Virginia Symphony Charleston event in partnership with Stone & Orchestra and the Symphony League.

Thomas department store in 1958. Billed as Crystal and the Symphony League hope the largest fashion show in West Virginia with to feature even more of state talent and truly more than 300 attending each year, its legacy build a Fashion Week-style celebration at home. has made it one of the Symphony League’s “We want to make it more of an economic signature events. The event showcases the development conversation,” Crystal says. “I need latest trends through donations from retailers people to contact me who are West Virginiaand designers across the state. creative. Designers, makeup artists, hairstylists.

For most of the show’s history, models were When they see designers from West Virginia, selected by invitation from a pool of Charleston’s the crowd gets so excited. Just because people social elite—including the First Lady of West don’t think of fashion when they think of West Virginia—so it was a high honor to be asked.

Virginia doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist.”

Louise Palumbo, fashion icon in West Virginia The Symphony League Fashion Show will and buyer for Stone & Thomas, spearheaded this be held in early May 2014 in partnership with process for many years with strict expectations. the Tamarack Foundation. The model call this “Louise would call and ask you to be a model, year will be at the Girl Scout Headquarters in and then you’d meet with her and she’d tell you Charleston on March 9, 2014, from 3 to 6 p.m. what was expected of you,” says Helen Lodge, wvfashionshow.com two-time president of the Symphony League and the unofficial historian. “If the model was written by alexis kessel new, they’d teach you how to walk, how to pivot, photographed by sarah francke

A Stylish Affair

wvliving.com 27

SPOTLIGHT

local flavor

Sip Off the Beaten Path Discover unique West Virginia wineries you may not have heard of before.

green thumb

Huntington Goes Greener

Stone Road Vineyard

Chestnut Ridge Winery

Cascarelli’s Old Country Wine

David and Lynne Stone believe in providing enjoyable vintage wines to folks in their local area, so they opened the doors to Stone Road Vineyard in 1999. Their vineyard offers a variety of both red and white wines, which they playfully nicknamed after traffic themes.

Wines include Keep Right Red,” a semi-sweet red wine; Crossroads,” a wine that complements hearty dishes; Merging Traffic,” a blended red wine; and several other delicious, fun options. The vineyard is located in Rockport, just south of Parkersburg, near the Ohio border.

Moorehead Ridge Road, Rockport WV 26105, 304.474.3480 thinkstone.com/srv/

Chestnut Ridge Winery in Spencer was founded in 2013

by West Virginian artists Theresa and Phillip Holcomb. The winery is another way the Holcombs contribute to the Chestnut Ridge Artist Colony—a group they have long been part of—by giving their fellow artists and visitors a place to relax, sip wine, and enjoy light refreshments provided by the winery. The winery sells red and white wine, apple and peach wine, and basic and peachflavored mead.

15 Chestnut Ridge, Spencer, WV 25276, 304.927.4831

In Salem, Cascarelli’s Old Country Wine has been operated by the John Cascarelli family since 2007.

The winery uses a unique blend of ingredients for its wine—a homemade recipe passed down from John’s grandfather, Vincenzo Cascarelli, an immigrant to the United States in 1913. The winery offers sweet and semi-sweet wines, including both versions of Concord, Niagara, Fredonia, and Catawba.

The winery is open from 2 to 8 p.m. on weekdays and weekends.

7440 Meathouse Fork Road Salem, WV 26426, 304.782.2768

ELIZABETH ROTH / CARLA WITT FORD / BREANNA SHELL

•

•

•

Huntington is known for its beautiful outdoors. With its tree-lined streets and 11 public parks, the city places a high importance on the improvement of the community landscape. To promote such civic endeavors, Huntington is again joining America in Bloom, a national program that encourages beautification in communities across the country through the use of flowers, plants, and trees. As part of this program, Huntington in Bloom will hold a Best Bloomin’ Street photo contest for the second year this year, from May 19 to June 4, 2014.

Contestants are encouraged to submit photos of efforts to beautify the city’s streets, sidewalks, or other public spaces. Photos may include litter clean-up efforts, graffiti removal, flower plantings, or other enhancements.

Breanna Shell, last year’s winner, submitted this photo of a dogwood tree in bloom against a well-maintained lawn.

To be eligible, photos must be taken in Huntington and submitted on the Huntington in Bloom Facebook page. The contest winner will be announced on June 6, 2014, and will receive a prize from a local Huntington restaurant or shop. facebook.com/huntingtoninbloom huntingtoninbloom.com wvliving.com 29

SPOTLIGHT Taste of Parkersburg takes place May 30 to 31. Tickets cost $12 in advance or $15 at the door.

mark your calendar

with festivalgoers celebrating a dizzying array of libations and culinary treats.

The annual event is organized

by Downtown PKB—a community revitalization program This celebration of food and wine draws that promotes the thousands to the area each year. historic and economic redevelopment of wo men sit at a table discussing downtown Parkersburg. Since the event began their golden-colored craft beers. in 2006, Taste of Parkersburg has inspired A woman cradles a glass of wine food, wine, and beer lovers throughout the and strolls over to a dessert vendor region, giving attendees a chance to sample where a young couple is purring fare from across the state, discover new wines about the chocolate mousse cake. You might and wineries, and enjoy live music. never guess such a buzz of activity would take Downtown PKB’s annual Taste of place in a parking lot. In Parkersburg, the Parkersburg (TOP) event features local food, historic Blennerhassett Hotel is usually the wine, and beer vendors as well as international center of attention, but for one weekend a year wine distributors, drawing approximately the hotel’s parking lot draws more visitors 2,000 people to the parking lot on the corner than its luxurious accommodations as part of Third and Market streets in downtown of Taste of Parkersburg. Tents and tables fill Parkersburg. “We have people come from

Taste of Parkersburg

T

32 wvl • spring 2014

Pittsburgh, Ohio, Florida, and all over West Virginia. For some families it’s a tradition for everyone to come back and go to the event together each year,” says Carrie Nesselrode, executive director of Downtown PKB. In past years, guests chose from da Vinci’s German pizza with sauerkraut, Nutella-filled chocolate cake from Hometown Cakes, or chicken quesadillas from Tampico Mexican Restaurant & Cantina. While the food vendors are local, the approximately 20 wine vendors include distributors from West Virginia and all across the country, offering everything from the sweetest Moscato to the driest Chardonnay.

“We want to celebrate local restaurants and expose locals to wines from around the world,” Carrie says. “In the past we’ve had wines from Asia, Argentina, France, Napa Valley, and several from West Virginia.”

The event is a great opportunity for wine distributors, says Chris Jones, director of education and the fine wine manager for Galaxy Distributing of West Virginia. “It’s a fantastic event,” he says. “It’s fun to interact with people, taste wine, and tell about our

products.” The wine vendors also make an effort to educate the attendees. “It’s great to get our brands out there, but it’s also about education—helping people understand more about wines,” Chris says.

A live jazz band entertains the crowd of revelers at TOP as the sun sets over Parkersburg. Once guests have filled their bellies with gourmet fare and fine wine they can sit back and enjoy the sights and sounds or make their way to the Parkersburg Art Center tent. There they can watch as an artist creates pottery, browse tables of handmade silver earrings and beaded necklaces, or purchase artisan-made calendars and prints.

“It’s an opportunity to socialize and have a great time,” Carrie says. “It’s like a huge outdoor party with 2,000 of your closest friends. There’s nothing else like it in Parkersburg.” taste of parkersburg

304.865.0522 downtownpkb.com/events/taste-of-parkersburg written by

bethany dzielski

photographed by carla witt ford

wvliving.com 33

Lodging | HER ITAGE

Jubilant Judy House A Queen Anne Victorian from 1906 is now a bright bed-andbreakfast in Petersburg. written by laura

wilcox rote photographed by nikki bowman

judy house bed & breakfast

exudes warmth. From the moment you walk up the steps to the big yellow house with pink petunias hanging all across the front porch, you feel it. Then owner Kay Leslie shows you around, offers you muffins or cookies, tea or coffee, and talks about the breakfast you’ll receive in the morning. You feel like you are home, and in a way, you are.

The 1906 two-story Queen Anne Victorian in the heart of Petersburg was home to Kay and her family from the 1980s until a few years ago, when she thought about selling after her children had grown. “This old house never had any children in it until ours. I always say the old lady was tested late in her life with lots of activity.

She’s held up well,” Kay laughs. “We were happy to live here and have many memories, and we really loved this old house. It had great location, great bones, and a nurturing base, really.”

But then the Leslie family decided not to

sell. They were still moving into a new home, but they couldn’t part completely with the wonderful old house that had given them joy for so many years. “We thought, ‘Let’s do something new and exciting and share our home with others.’ We opened up Judy House and named it after the first owners, and each of the rooms are named after owners of the house.”

Three families have lived in the house in its 100-plus years. Its first owners, of course, were the Judys. The prominent Dr. J.N. Judy built it for himself and his wife in 1906, but he died in 1918 of the Spanish flu, which took many lives in the region at the time. Kay says, “The story goes that he told his wife Marion, better known as Ms. Mernie, ‘If I have to go out to see patients one more time, it will kill me.’”

Then, someone came and said he had to make another house call. The doctor left, came back, went to bed, and never woke up.” Ms. Mernie was one of the first to graduate from West Virginia University School of Pharmacy in 1917, and she went on to run a local drugstore in town for many years.

The second couple to own the Grant County house was the Turners, who operated one of the area’s first true beauty salons out of the home.

Today décor throughout the bed-and-breakfast tells the story of the life of the house since the early 20th century. “I wanted it to be a home that showed life through its 100-plus years, so there are modern pieces in it, antique pieces, and some pieces the Turners had here in the ’30s and ’40s. Even though the home is a period home, its furnishings show the transformation from the beginning to where we are now.”

Each of the four rooms sleeps two, though the Leslie Suite also offers up a second adjoining room that is perfect for children.

The Dr. J.N. Judy Room is the original master bedroom of the house. The large room is located in the southeastern turret and has a queen bed surrounded by three original, curved windows. The ceiling fixtures, brass door hardware, and doors with trompe l’oeil oak graining are all original, too.

The bed-and-breakfast has been open for less than a year, but Kay says the experience has already been great. “I’ve loved meeting the people who come though. I’m amazed at all the professional people we see. It’s really a bigger world than just Petersburg. It’s quite interesting.”

She says Judy House has visitors from as far away as Pittsburgh and Washington, D.C., among other places, as folks travel to the region for outdoor recreation or to visit family.

The cheerful house has been a landmark in Petersburg for a long time. “It’s a big house and wvliving.com 37

HER ITAGE | Lodging clockwise

The Leslie family is one of three families who have lived in the Judy House since it was built in 1906.

“We turned it

into a bed-andbreakfast so other people could come and enjoy all of the architectural features of a period home,” owner Kay Leslie says.

it’s yellow, so that pretty much says, “Hello,” whenever you pass by,” Kay laughs. She says first impressions were vital to people in the early 1900s, and that’s evident from the front of Judy House. A family’s wealth and social standing was on full display on a person’s front porch. “That’s where all of the extra touches went,” she says. “It has the leaded glass panels and big beveled glass in the entrance doors.” The free classic-style Victorian home also has rounded columns.

Inside, the original wormy chestnut and oak floors and doors and original light fixtures show off how well the house has been maintained. “The rest of the house is still very nice, but it doesn’t have all the show.”

The Leslie family expanded the house in the 1990s, but carried its original look throughout the addition, making sure the ceiling heights, trim, and even paint colors matched up. “We tried hard to make it as seamless as possible,” Kay says.

Many of Judy House’s early visitors have been couples in their 30s, which Kay says 38 wvl • spring 2014

“We thought, ‘Let’s do something new and exciting and share our home with others. We opened up Judy House and named it after the first owners.” kay leslie, owner

she didn’t expect. “They’re coming to stay to experience the area, but they don’t want to over-pay,” she says. “They want to experience the romance of an older home, and of course my prices are not outrageous.” Judy House has four bedrooms, two of which share a bathroom. All of the modern conveniences are included, from WiFi to cable TV to central air. “The 30-somethings are a vibrant group of people so it’s fun to visit with them.

They do all kinds of exciting things.”

The main house also has many common areas where guests can enjoy relaxing by the fireplace, have a cup of tea, or curl up with a good book. In the turret is the cozy parlor. A breakfast room offers ample space for eating or watching TV, and a card room is set up and ready to go for a rowdy game of chess— just shut those beautiful pocket doors set with stained glass. Rocking chairs invite visitors to people- watch over Petersburg from the front porch. Kay says her five-year plan is to keep running the house and eventually add another room for guests—transforming her

HER ITAGE | Art

The Magic of Metal Nathan Baker is right at home with his upcycled art in Thomas. written by laura wilcox rote photographed by elizabeth roth

your grandmother’s silver , dad’s trophies, an old trash can—Nathan Baker is on the hunt for metal, but it’s not what you think. “I’m always peeking in dumpsters, knocking on doors. Like, ‘Hey, do you want that hubcap that’s in your yard?’ kind of thing,” he says.

About three-and-a-half years ago Nathan made his first masterpiece out of metal. Now he sells his work to art collectors, motorcyclists, and everyone in between.

His pieces sell for anywhere from $28 to $1,200, depending on size, complexity, and how much he’s become attached to them over the many hours he’s spent cutting and bending and banging against them.

Nathan has a reverence for the cardboard boxes and grimy shelves overflowing with old metal that is usually reserved for newly polished silver in a church or museum display case. He talks about the way each piece catches the light and the way it transforms when left outside. “I love how it patinas and messes up. I will even put some outside just to see what happens,” he says of his sculptures.

“There are usually half a dozen different metals involved so they’re all going to rust or not rust or patina differently.”

Sometimes clients will put his works in their gardens or yards and send him photos as they change.

When you walk into The White Room Art Gallery on East Street in Thomas—easily one of the coolest streets in all of West Virginia—you can’t miss Nathan’s work. It is here, in the back room of the gallery, that Nathan makes everything from small sculptures of spoons and forks to elaborate chandeliers created incredibly out of unwanted trash cans or washbasins. But much of the art you can even glimpse from the street outside, as the gallery’s large windows invite the area’s many summer tourists to peek in. Nathan’s creations hang from the ceiling and jut out from the walls. Shiny, silver points and strange shadows come from towering, contorted collections of forks, spoons, plates, and serving trays. And all around his work are examples of even more local talent—paintings and purses and photos made by folks all across town that keep all of the artists motivated to keep creating.

It can take Nathan anywhere from eight to 50 hours to complete one of his unique pieces, but it all starts with a great find. He once discovered an old washbasin 40 wvl • spring 2014

Art | HER ITAGE

under some boards regularly. Then, people while hiking in the our parents’ age, they woods near an old started to store it more, homestead in the area. but it would come out That discarded relic for Thanksgiving. Now, went on to become with this generation, it a giant, gleaming really is discarded. It’s chandelier that now kind of like an old tool hangs prominently that we no longer use.” in The White Room.

Nathan had always But it’s that moment dabbled with art— in the back of the drawing, painting, and gallery—in Nathan’s even making avantdark studio where he garde bookcases that bends and shapes and looked like they were cuts the metal and the about to topple over. project suddenly reveals He graduated with a itself—that makes it bachelor’s degree in all worthwhile. “Every creative writing with aspect is enjoyable, but a poetry emphasis seeing a loose idea all of from Michigan State a sudden come together University, and he in a startling and started working entrypleasing way—that’s level construction right the most important out of college. “I started part,” he says. “It’s that using my bachelor’s to moment when it really make weird bookcases,” feels like its happening he laughs. “And then the through me.” art thing really just kind Nathan’s serious of happened.” endeavors as an artist He says he long began when he and assumed he’d end three friends—Robin up working mostly Quinlivan, Sarah in carpentry, though Hubbard, and Seth he does do a lot of Pitt—opened The construction still during White Room Art the day—framing Gallery in 2008. He walls for a neighbor, fell in love with his art rebuilding a local form one night when storefront, or renovating they were in the gallery the 1890s home he hanging out over drinks. owns with his partner, Nathan takes discarded metal—from hubcaps to forks—and makes magnificent “We literally had one of Christine Kozan, before sculptures at The White Room Art Gallery in Thomas. those boxes full of metal working on his art in stuff that people tend to the evening. Being have, and I worked construction, too, so I had the piece right then and there. “I thought it surrounded by talented, imaginative people in some tin snips and I just cut a pot and opened had a ridiculously high price at the time—I Thomas has spurred his own creativity, and it up. It all folded out like a radial pattern. I think it was like $200—but I didn’t really he said art just had to happen when he and was like, ‘Dang. That is sparkly and cool,’” he consider myself an artist at that point.” Now his friends started The White Room. “I think laughs. So then he made a few more and stuck he thinks about what his art means every day. one, maybe two, considered themselves artists them together with rivets and hung the work “Changing the function of what used to be an already. We started with the gallery and then in the gallery. No sooner than the new shiny everyday object that is now discarded refuse— had to fill it. It really did exude creativity—not piece of art was on the wall did a woman come that keeps me interested.” just with us, but for the community.” Now the in and say all the right things to get Nathan’s He says the culture surrounding his work of 25 artists is on display in the gallery. wheels turning about what his work meant. “I medium—the metal, the “found” things— Nathan says just living in Tucker County wasn’t even hip to upcycling then, you know? keeps him intrigued, too. “So much of what makes him a better artist. The cost of living It was like she fleshed out the concept.” The I find is refuse. Two or three generations is low, giving all of the artists a little more woman was an avid art collector and bought ago, so much of it was probably used quite leeway in terms of creative and personal time. wvliving.com 41

HER ITAGE | Art Nathan Baker finds beauty in metal pieces big and small.

You can find his creations hanging from the ceilings and jutting out from the walls at The White Room Art Gallery in Thomas.

“I think it greatly affects my art,” he says, adding that he doesn’t feel pressure to rush the creative process. “Really, any place where an art community happens, it usually also just so happens that there’s super cheap rent and a bunch of interesting people who have more ideas than money. That’s one of the blessings of being here.”

Nathan grew up in Grand Rapids, Michigan, and has lived in Portland, Oregon, and Tucson, Arizona, but it wasn’t until he landed in Thomas that he says he felt at home.

His friend Seth was in the area working for AmeriCorps when Nathan visited. “I went west in the country looking for this place—a really interesting town that was small enough but had a really great creative foundation, and I never really found it out west,” he says.

“Seth was back here in Thomas for a couple of years. By the time I visited I was like, ‘Oh. I guess you found it.’ I really was looking for a place like Thomas.”

Now Nathan lives walking distance from his studio—he can almost always be found 42 wvl • spring 2014

“Really, any place where an art community happens, it usually also just so happens that there’s super cheap rent and a bunch of interesting people who have more ideas than money. That’s one of the blessings of being here.” nathan baker, The White Room Art Gallery

at the gallery or up the street with friends at TipTop, a creative coffee shop, bar, and bakery where he also works part-time. “There are so many interesting folks here that it’s easy to glean energy and creativity,” he says.

But it’s not just the people who live in and around Thomas who make it colorful.

The people drawn to the region on day or weekend trips play a part, too. Nathan says he loves to see the wide range of people who become interested in his work. “Within a few moments a pretty rough looking leather-clad guy who just hopped off a Harley will come in and appreciate it, and then there will be a group of 60-year-old ladies who will be talking about similar pieces they own or art that reminds them of things they own— turkey platters or whatnot,” he says. “That’s not something I expected or intended, but it’s been really fulfilling to see.” the white room art gallery

14 East Avenue, Thomas, WV 26292, 304.621.2008 thewhiteroomofthomas.com, nathanbakerart.com

Travel | HER ITAGE

Travel to Princeton

This southern city full of history and culture gets brighter every day. written by laura

photographed by nikki

wilcox rote bowman & laura wilcox rote

wvliving.com 45

HER ITAGE | Travel

in southern west virginia, Princeton leads by example. When children need a creative outlet, a music school opens. When old buildings or alleys appear dark or rundown, artists take over. The once bustling coal and railroad town has reinvented itself, and it’s working.

Driving through downtown, you can’t miss the murals. There’s not one or two, but half a dozen—a man and his violin, a girl and her Hula-Hoop, a scene honoring veterans at Dick Copeland Town Square, where music plays on Wednesdays in summer. All of the murals contain a positive message—Create Joy and Peace, Celebrate Life.

While Mercer County is a Certified Arts Community in West Virginia, Princeton—population 6,432 as of 2010—is a West Virginia Community Development Hub Blueprint Community. Blueprint Communities receive resources to help them develop and implement community revitalization plans, and suffice it to say the people of Princeton have some great plans.

ART “The murals are a big thing here,” says Marie Blackwell, executive director of the Mercer County Convention & Visitors Bureau, as she drives through town. Artists’ Alley, tucked between buildings on Mercer Street, shows off some of the latest paintings— these created entirely by locals, including a couple of 13-year-olds. Mural organizer Lori McKinney calls the alley a 24-hour art gallery and says that transformation was a highlight of 2013. “Everybody was there painting at the same time, and it just so happened that all the big murals started going up when Artists’ Alley started, too.”

Up the street, a bright blue and green mural depicts things everyone loves—a marching band, a boy throwing a Frisbee, a child painting.

Across the way, a mural by Charleston artist and Princeton native Patch Whisky shows colorful creatures and is a focal point of town, overlooking a community garden set to open in spring 2014. Some days Lori stands by the window at her building nearby just to take all of it in. “This is one of my favorite spots,” she says of the murals outside the window from The Room Upstairs. The Room Upstairs is one part of the inspiring RiffRaff Arts Collective she co-founded with her husband, Robert Blankenship. The 10,000-square-foot gallery, 46 wvl • spring 2014

recording studio, and performance space opened in 2006. The Room Upstairs is an expansive loft with mismatched couches and an eclectic New York City feel. The live music spot also has a recording studio built by Robert.

Creativity runs in this family. Lori’s sister, Melissa McKinney, is the owner and director of Stages Music School in town. Melissa moved back to Princeton after years of success in Charlotte, and Lori’s glad she did. “I feel so inspired every time I walk in here,” Lori says. Stages is a safe, creative place for nearly 200 middle and high school students as they take lessons, form bands, or just jam out. “It’s kind of like a School of Rock,” Lori says.

Melissa was excited in winter to announce her programming is expanding even more, with a more intensive after-school program at Turnaround Concert & Gathering Hall, also on Mercer Street. And that’s not all of the exciting plans downtown. As part of the Princeton Renaissance Project, the historic Lavon Theater is also undergoing a transformation in 2014.

Less than two miles away, creativity continues at the state-of-the-art Chuck Mathena Center. People travel from all over

clockwise The to take one of the 900Chuck Mathena Center plus seats in in this $14 is a sprawling state-ofmillion facility. “We the-art facility with a theater, art exhibits, and are very lucky some more. Art is the heart of dedicated individuals downtown Princeton, spent so many years as bright, new murals decorate the town. bringing this to us,” says Marketing Manager Ashley Dillow. “Our theater rivals absolutely any theater in New York, Chicago, or anywhere. Not to mention you go anywhere else and you’ll pay $50 a ticket.”

Established in 2008 and named for the founders’ son who was killed in a vehicle accident, the Chuck Mathena Center hosts meetings, weddings, and art exhibits in addition to shows like Seussical on March 18, 2014, and The Buddy Holly Experience on June 14, 2014.

“Our average ticket price this year was $16 for adults, and then rentals are super cheap.

You cannot beat it,” Ashley says. “People look at the building and think, ‘No way can I afford to go to a show there,’ or ‘No way can I afford to rent.’ But our rentals start at $25.”

In February the airy rotunda of the center was home to a host of area artists’ work, including that of Bluefield’s Gary Bowling.

Travel | HER ITAGE clockwise

Cool treats are the name of the game at Berkshire’s Old Fashioned Frozen Custard. The Mercer County War Museum honors veterans with remarkable exhibits. Old buildings keep the

charm of downtown Princeton alive.

“All these buildings are so old and they have so much character to them,” says Lori McKinney, co-founder of the RiffRaff Arts Collective (center).

Stores all across

town are also unique, from The Bronze Look to Gold ’N Diamonds Look, selling rare coins, fine jewelry, and more. You can find art everywhere you turn, including Artists’ Alley downtown.

wvliving.com 47

features artifacts any train buff will love as it transports them to the Virginian Railway.

“It was so important to Princeton and it was so important to transporting coal across the Appalachias,” says volunteer Carol Lawless. The Virginian ran for 50 years, starting in 1909.

“I brought my 7-year-old grandson here the other day,” Marie says. “He said, ‘Nana, do you think we’ll see a train?’ I said, ‘Oh, the trains don’t really run on Saturdays.’ But then we were standing at the window and he was looking out and goes, ‘Nana! Here comes a train!’ Sure enough, there went a train.”

Kids love the museum and learn a lot there, too. Outside, a red caboose is open as part of the tour, and Carol marvels at the many people who have no idea what a caboose looks like inside. “It’s very cozy,” Carol smiles, looking over the small sink, table, and bed. “In the early days they would assign one of these to a conductor and he treated it like his home.” Next door the Agricultural Museum—open by appointment—offers up even more history with farming artifacts, antique tools, and more.

PLAY Spend the day exploring the artists’ wares at The RiffRaff Gallery, a co-op of local artists with everything from glass rings and clothing to photo prints and paintings.

Enjoy America’s pastime with a Princeton Rays game at H.P. Hunnicutt Field.

The Rays are a minor league team in the Appalachian League and have one of the nicest stadiums around, Marie says. They are an affiliate of the Tampa Bay Rays. “It’s great family entertainment and inexpensive,” she says. “It’s really fun when Princeton and Bluefield play each other.”

Curl up with a good book at Dayfly Books and Collectibles, where owner Rachel Parsons invites you to have a cup of coffee and relax in the comfortable seating area to read and connect to the WiFi. Opened in late 2013 Diamonds ’N Gold Look is a known entity as owner Randolph Evans ships fine jewelry, rare coins, and more all over the country. Peruse everything from Blenko and Fenton glass to West Virginia paintings to Coach purses at this bright store. “This is a shop where you can get really unique gifts,” Marie says. Randolph also owns The Bronze Look in town, which sells Civil War photos, among other items. •

wvliving.com 49

Conversations | HER ITAGE

a teenage jeannette walls left southern West Virginia after her junior year at Welch High School and headed to New York City by bus with only $100 in her pocket. A friend met her at the bus and offered to carry her suitcase.

After one block, he set it down, and Jeannette carried it the rest of the way. “You West Virginia girls are one tough breed,” he said. “You got that right,” Jeannette told him.

Many people know the story of this author’s upbringing—much of it detailed in the pages of her haunting memoir and #1 New York Times bestseller The Glass Castle (Scribner, 2005). Her father was an alcoholic, and her free-spirited mother was unable to care for her children.

The family was often homeless and lived in squalor, but when Jeannette boarded the bus that day, her life changed forever.

She lived in the Bronx with her older sister, worked evenings and weekends while she finished high school, and saved her money.

With the help of grants, loans, and scholarships, she graduated from Barnard College and became a journalist whose work has appeared in New York Magazine, Esquire, USA Today, E! Entertainment Network, and MSNBC. Her first book, The Glass Castle, was named one of the “Top 10 Books of the Decade” by Amazon. Four years after writing The Glass Castle, Jeannette wrote Half Broke Horses: A True-Life Novel (Scribner, 2009), and her latest—a young adult novel—The Silver Star (Scribner, 2013).

She now lives on a 205-acre spread near Orange, Virginia, with her writer-husband John Taylor.

Her father passed away in 1994 and her mother lives in a cottage on Jeannette’s property.

out of this world for me to contemplate, and she’s also intimately involved with the production of the movie, which I think is great.

As excited as I am about Jennifer Lawrence, I’m equally thrilled about the director, a truly amazing guy named Destin Daniel Cretton. He just blows me away with his intelligence and sensitivity and how deeply he understands the seeming contractions of the story. I have tremendous faith in all three of these people, which is great, because what I know about filmmaking wouldn't fill the back of a matchbook.

Conversations with

Jeannette Walls

We’ve heard The Glass Castle is being made into a movie starring Jennifer Lawrence?

It’s been green-lighted, and the script has been written. It’s in the works, and she’s definitely on board. However, shooting has yet to begin (hoping to start shooting in summer 2014), but a lot can happen between now and then.

written by laura

treacy bentley

Did you have any input into the screenplay and the casting? How are you handling all this excitement? The producer, a fabulous guy named Gil Netter, has been consulting with me regularly. He’s very keen on being true to the book.

Jennifer Lawrence is not only an astonishing actor, but everyone who's dealt with her says she's a genuine, down-to-earth, wonderful person. The casting is just too bizarrely

You were named after your father’s favorite teacher at Welch High School—Jeanette Bivens. How important is education to you? I’m a big fan of education. It’s the great equalizer for kids who grew up like me, and good teachers are transformative. I’ll always be grateful to Miss Bivens, but there’s another teacher I’d like to give a big shout out to, and that is Mrs. Phyllis Owens. She was my ninth grade English teacher and got in touch with me shortly after the publication of The Glass Castle. She’s another one of those amazing teachers who understands the importance of learning and self-esteem. She now teaches at Bluefield College, and we remain in touch. Mrs. Owens just blows me away with her passion and intelligence and is a real testimony to the power of education and how much a good determined person with a powerful mind and heart can achieve. She usually ends her emails to me: Write on!

What are some of the classes that benefited you in high school? And what are the benefits of being a journalist turned creative writer? Typing class! In addition to typing, I took shorthand, which was also hugely helpful in my career, but I’m probably dating myself because I don’t think it’s taught in too many schools these days.

I still think of myself as a reporter rather than an author. For me it’s more about observing and recording than making stuff up. Not to lump myself with the greats, but a wvliving.com 51

Conversations | HER ITAGE I’ve been back to Welch a number of times.

The town has had it tough in recent years, including a series of floods. There are very good people still living there. Sometimes I’ll be somewhere else in West Virginia or a nearby state—or on occasion, one pretty far afield—and someone will come up to me and say, “I’m from McDowell County, too!” And we’ll have ourselves a good chin wag.

You accept your mother for who she is and she even lives on your property, but you ran away to New York. You worked hard and thrived, but your parents followed you, and now your mother is in Virginia. How do you cope? Mom’s a hoot, but I’ll be honest with you, she still makes me nuts sometimes.

She’s like a child, however, and I can never stay mad at her long for being who and what she is. This is a woman who can’t take care of herself—how could I expect her to take care of me? Both she and my dad might not have given me everything I wanted, but they gave me the tools to get them myself and that makes me a very lucky person.

The title of your memoir came from the dream home your father designed but never built. If he were alive today, would he still be reading the drafts of your books, going to the library, and doing research to help you? Would he be living in the cottage with your mother? I think about my dad every day and miss him so much.

There’s no question that if he were alive he’d try to be helping me with my research and writing.

But he planted the seed, and that’s enough.

I would love for him to be living with me in Virginia. I like to entertain the fantasy that if he were here, I could help him stop drinking.

But of course, I couldn’t. I wonder what he would think of The Glass Castle—if he’d be proud of me or think it was a violation of him.

My brother, who is very smart about that sort of thing, says, “Curse him or praise him, Dad didn’t care as long as you said his name.” So I like to think that wherever he is now, he’s just grinning ear to ear.

One of the saddest scenes in The Glass Castle was when you left Welch for New York on the bus and turned to wave to your father. Do you

still have the horn-handled jackknife he gave you? I still have the knife. I miss my geode—it had fine white crystals inside—and I’d often considered buying one for myself to replace it.

But it wouldn’t have felt right, like I was trying to fill a void.

One of things I have learned since The Glass Castle has come out is that these things we think we have lost will come back to us—if we let them. At book-signing events, people sometimes feel compelled to bring me gifts.

I have Tinkerbell dolls, a whole collection of miniature glass castles, and dozens of gorgeous geodes. They are what decorate my office rather than good luck charms because they represent something more important to me than luck, and that is the realization that people are astonishingly kind and compassionate.

If you could create a survivor’s kit for neglected children, what would the directions say?

Trust yourself. You’re stronger than you realize, and you’ll make it through this. And the most horrible experience often has a precious gift wrapped inside, if you are willing to receive it.

wvliving.com 53

HER ITAGE | Celebrations

A Junkin’ Journey Deb and Jeff Hartshorn make discarded trash bloom into stunning works of art. written and photographed by nikki

54 wvl • spring 2014

bowman

Celebrations | HER ITAGE

creativity is a journey. And for Wirt County residents Deb and Jeff Hartshorn, it’s a junkin’ journey, literally and figuratively. This husband and wife duo scour the back roads looking for treasures—railroad bracing, attic fans, bicycle parts, gas gauges, mufflers, doorknobs, stove grates, plumbing fixtures, motorcycle sprockets, chains, saw blades, old kitchen utensils, colanders, rusted bundt pans, flatware, and lug wrenches—that they will transform into their Junkin Journey sculptures.

Deb has always had an eye for transforming discarded objects. When she was 9 years old, she remembers watching her parents load scrap metal onto the back of their pickup truck when she begged her father to tow an old beat-up Volkswagen van from a field of weeds to her backyard.

Deb recalls, “I gutted the inside and added curtains crafted from dish towels. That old rusted heap of junk became a perfect playhouse.”

Jeff ’s junkin’ journey began at the age of 16 when he discovered a 1957 Ford truck with a flat tires and a rustedout floorboard. He purchased the truck for $50 and coated it with fresh paint. Thirty-five years later, Deb joined Jeff, who is a certified welder and teacher at Wirt County High School, in taking a teacher certification class together on art welding. Together they created multiple sculptures for their course. Their one-of-a-kind upcycled pieces became so popular people from all over the state began requesting them. Deb says, “We grew up being taught to make use of what you have and create what you want. So that has become our tagline.”

For the Hartshorns, the family that welds together stays together. “I love that we work together. We really enjoy our road trips looking for great inexpensive discarded odds and wvliving.com 55

HER ITAGE | Celebrations

above Deb

creativity kno bounds. “In a to our Junkin sculptures, I d of paper craft invitations, j scarves, and replication,” s

56 wvl • spring 2014

ends and then bringing all the stuff back and figuring out how to fabricate the sculptures,” Deb says. “We have a great time.”

The Hartshorns’ metal floral pieces, ranging in size from 4 to 10 feet tall, can be used as garden or indoor art.

Each piece can stand securely on its own or be staked in the ground, and no two sculptures are alike. One may be crafted from a collection of horseshoes found at a flea market with a porcelain doorknob as the center of the flower. Another may take shape from a fan shield found in Newark, a motorcycle sprocket from Turkeyfoot Road, and a disassembled wall hanging purchased for pennies at a yard sale. But there’s one thing they all have in common: Each comes with a Junkin Journey journal, crafted by Deb from recycled cardboard, that shares their story of how the journey of each piece came to be. Within the booklet is a personalized luggage tag that includes a “junkin-ology” of the particular items incorporated into the sculpture. Even the cleverly stamped and die-cut tags are made from the aluminum of recycled soda cans.

“We are now being approached by people to create custom pieces for them using their own junk. They will bring us tools from the barn their granddad used that otherwise would be thrown away or old parts their dad had stashed in the garage, or cooking utensils a grandmother used, and

HER ITAGE | Celebrations

Recently, Deb put her party

hosting skills to work and held a house party for the Tamarack Foundation, an organization that helps artists grow and market their businesses. Heavenly Sunlight Alpaca Farm, Spring Creek Soaps & Lotions, Nikki Butler Design, and Aska’s Atelier joined Junkin Journey in showcasing their products to guests.

My Thyme Meals and Catering provided tasty treats, local winery Stone Road Vineyard offered samples of their wines, and Bobby Pierce of Hometown Cake shared delectable pastries like peanut butter and jelly macaroons.

Breathtaking floral arrangements created by Caroline Waller of Passiflora completed the evening soirée.

clockwise Deb

Hartshorn hosted a house party showcasing local artists for the Tamarack Foundation. Heavenly Sunlight Alpaca Farm set up a loom to demonstrate their craft. Stone Road Vineyard offered samples of their wide

58 wvl • spring 2014

assortment of wines.

Passiflora transformed roses and hydrangeas into beautiful floral displays.

My Thyme Meals and Catering dished out creative appetizers.

Hometown Cake’s French macarons were divine.

HER ITAGE | Food

A TRUE HERALD OF SPRING, asparagus is one of Mother Nature’s most nutrient-dense creations. These spears of green have been cultivated for thousands of years and for just as long, their rich flavor and tender texture has made them a true delicacy.

62 wvl • spring 2014

Food | HER ITAGE

ASPARAGUS, FONTINA, and PROSCIUTTO PANINI

2. Assemble the panini. Spread a piece of bread with mustard. Place whole asparagus spears over the mustard. Sprinkle with cheese and top with ham. Sprinkle with a little more cheese to anchor the bread and place another slice of bread on top.

1 teaspoon olive oil Asparagus (about 6 spears per sandwich), tough ends trimmed Salt and pepper, to taste Sturdy Italian bread, cut in 8 ½-inch slices Dijon mustard Fontina cheese (½ cup per sandwich), grated Prosciutto (2 slices per sandwich), thinly sliced Butter

3. If you have one, cook in a panini press.

Otherwise, in the skillet used for the asparagus, heat a small pat of butter and a drizzle of olive oil over medium heat.

Place the sandwiches in the pan and place something heavy on top of them, like a heavy pan or foil-wrapped brick. Press until the bottom of the bread is golden and the cheese begins to melt, about 5 minutes.

Carefully flip and press on the other side until golden, about another 5 minutes. Cut the panini in half and serve.

%

1. Heat olive oil in a large, heavy skillet over medium-high heat and sauté the asparagus until crisp tender. Time varies greatly based on the thickness of the asparagus—thicker spears take about 8 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and remove from pan.

yield: 4 sandwiches

wvliving.com 65

HER ITAGE | In the Kitchen With

William Dissen This West Virginia native serves Appalachian cuisine from his green kitchen at The Market Place in Asheville. written by bethany photographed by

dzielski matt rose

on a small farm in Jackson County Chef William Dissen’s grandparents lived off the land—growing corn and tomatoes and foraging for wild mushrooms and ramps. “I remember how amazing my grandmother’s food was,” he says. “They were meager 66 wvl • spring 2014

mountain folks, but every day she put on a show in her garden and kitchen to create buttermilk biscuits, pan-fried country ham, red-eye gravy, and greens.”

The Charleston native and West Virginia University alum trained at the Culinary Institute of America and was an apprentice under Chef Peter Timmins of The Greenbrier before becoming head chef and owner of The Market Place Restaurant & Lounge in Asheville, North Carolina.

Today his kitchen is a mixture of modern and heritage cuisine.

His cast-iron wood stove burns hickory and oak logs and grills a pork shoulder while the Pacojet hums, processing ice cream. A local farmer knocks on the kitchen door to drop off a batch of freshly picked yellow turnips, followed by a forager who delivers wild mushrooms.

While adopting culinary traditions from around the world, The Market Place is committed to making good, simple food from sustainable sources. The flavorful cuisine— everything from Sunburst Farm Trout and roasted Indian cauliflower to pan-roasted duck breast—is made with ingredients grown or raised at Appalachian farms within 100 miles of the restaurant. “Really great ingredients make really great food,” William says. “Fresh vegetables and herbs—that is what food is all about.”

William has received many accolades, including being named the StarChefs rising star chef and the 2013 winner of The Greenbrier’s Cast Iron Cook-Off. Many of his awards recognize his environmentally friendly kitchen. “People started telling me, ‘You’re so sustainable.’ But it’s the same concept as my grandparents working on the farm. When you’re living off the land you

don’t have a lot of money. You are constantly recycling, composting, and using what you have,” William says. At The Market Place he and his staff recycle, compost, source from local farms, and use thermal solar panels. The tabletops are recycled, the lights are LED, and even the toilets are low-flow.

“Being sustainable is what everyone should be doing. It’s not only good for the environment, it makes good business sense,” he says.

William uses his role as an influential chef to promote sustainable seafood practices, too. “We often don’t think a lot about how the food we consume can have a major effect on our oceans and environment. There are ramifications—we can mess up the food chain leading to changes in the environment.” William also partners with the Monterey Bay Aquarium as a seafood-watch ambassador, part of a task force consisting of 20 chefs from around the country. He travels around the country, educating consumers and legislators about seafood, and advocating for federal regulations of seafood. the market place

20 Wall Street, Asheville, NC 28801, 828.252.4162 marketplace-restaurant.com

Pan-Roasted Sunburst Farm Trout with Beluga Lentils, Smoked Bacon, and Confit Tomato Vinaigrette beluga lentils 1 cup Benton’s bacon, diced 8 cups water 2 cups lentils ½ teaspoon dry thyme ¾ cup carrots, peeled, diced ¾ cup celery, diced 1. Render bacon in a medium pot until golden brown. Do not drain the fat.

2. Add the cold water, lentils, and dry thyme, and slowly bring to a gentle simmer.

3. Simmer for 30 minutes, stirring frequently, until the lentils start to become tender.

4. Add the carrots and celery and continue to cook until the lentils are just tender but still hold their shape, about 10 to 15 minutes.

5. Drain the lentils and allow to cool on a parchment paper-lined sheet tray.

lentil garnish 1 tablespoon olive oil 1 tablespoon garlic, minced ¼ cup dry white wine 2 tablespoons Lusty Monk Original Sin whole grain mustard 2¼ cups heavy cream Salt and pepper, to taste 1. In a small pot, heat the olive oil and garlic over medium heat until the garlic is golden, stirring frequently to keep the garlic from burning.

2. Add the white wine and reduce by half.

3. Remove the pot from the heat and whisk in the cream and mustard. The mixture will begin to thicken.

4. Season with salt and pepper.

confit tomato vinaigrette 1 cup confit plum tomatoes, diced ¼ cup pickled red onions, diced 1 teaspoon honey 1 tablespoon aged red wine vinegar ½ teaspoon rosemary, roughly chopped ½ teaspoon thyme, roughly chopped Salt and black pepper, to taste 1. Drain and dice the confit tomatoes small.

Reserve the oil.

2. Combine the diced tomatoes with remaining ingredients and mix thoroughly to incorporate.

3. Fold in about 2 tablespoons of the confit oil to create the vinaigrette consistency.

4. Season with salt and pepper.

trout 4 6-ounce fillets of Sunburst Farms trout, skin on, pin bones out Salt and pepper, to taste 2 tablespoons olive oil 1. Season the trout with salt and pepper and pan roast, skin side down, in a cast iron pan until medium.

2. In another pan, add the lentil mixture and the lentil garnish. Bring to a simmer and cook until the lentils mixture is slightly thickened.

3. Place a ring mold in the center of a plate and spoon in lentils.

4. Place 2 tablespoons of the confit tomato vinaigrette around the lentils.

5. Remove the ring mold and place the pan roasted trout on top.

6. Garnish with an herb salad and basilinfused olive oil. yield: 4 servings wvliving.com 67

Among the

TWOODED U HILLS

No need to travel to New England for a lesson on colonial history.

Just sneak a peek with us inside this unique Charleston home. written and photographed by nikki

bowman

HER ITAGE | Spaces

when you pull onto the gravel drive in

front of Jean Miller’s home, you are transported to 18th century New England. Situated on more than four acres of prized flat land in the tony South Hills neighborhood in Charleston is a house where Longfellow himself would feel quite at home—especially given that a replica of the Wayside Inn’s tavern bar is tucked into the basement.

With its gambrel roofline, this clapboard-sheathed saltbox resembles a living history museum. In fact, the home was built with salvaged material from dismantled homes in New England and is a replica of the Ashley House, a historic home built in 1734 that now serves as a museum in Historic Deerfield, Massachusetts.

Jean and James Miller built their home at the corner of Bridge Road and Loudon Heights Road in 1978. “My husband was the only survivor in an airplane crash, and he had to have several operations. He realized how short life is and wanted me to fulfill my dreams, so he told me that I could build my dream house.” So Jean did. It took three years to design and two years to build. She says, “I always wanted an 18th century house, and I wanted it to look 18th century. I didn’t want a 20th century interpretation of an 18th century house.”

Jean studied the period assiduously and incorporated as many period details from the Ashley House as she could, beginning with the doorway and the distinctive elaborate molding surround. The windows in the door even have hand-blown crown or bullseye glass. The central hallway, typical of the period, pays homage to another historic home. “I went with my friend to the Hyland House in Guilford, Connecticut. It was built in the 17th century and it had a beautiful stairway. I loved it and said, ‘I want that stairway in my home,’” she recalls.

To the right of the hallway is the formal parlor.

Distinctive recessed shell cabinets anchor the fireplace and are painted a colonial green that is typical of the period. To the left of the hallway is a large, light-infused study with built-in cabinetry that once contained four full-size desks.

All of the windows in the home were custom made and include pocket shutters that retract into the wall. The flooring is wide plank Northern Pine. “Southern Pine has too many knots in it,” Jean says. The four-story home has 11 fireplaces, 10 in the house and one in the apartment above the standalone four-car garage. The kitchen is home to the grandest of the fireplaces. At 9-by-5 feet it is true to the period, with hanging pots, a weighted pulley and cord system that served as a mechanism to turn the spit, and a swinging pole, which was used to dry laundry.

An antique settle, a high-backed bench that was created in medieval ages to provide shelter from drafty rooms, sits in front of the fireplace in the kitchen as if it has been there for 300 years. “This spot in the kitchen is strictly candlelit,” Jean points out. “I wanted one spot in my house that had no electricity.”

The expansive kitchen has open shelving and lower cabinetry, and a wall of high windows looks out onto a screened-in porch and the courtyard beyond. The home’s exposed timber framing with mortise-and-tenon

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joints continues in the cozy den where even the plasterwork is reminiscent of the time period. “A man came to do my woodwork, and I told him what I wanted the plaster to look like. He asked, ‘Why do you want it gray, and why do you want it rough?’ I said, ‘Have you ever been in a 100-year-old New England house? That’s what I want here.’”

Jean’s favorite room is the dining room, and at 23-by20 feet, it easily accommodates her 9-foot table. “Nobody notices my Windsor chairs, but I have arms on every chair. It’s unusual. Men don’t sit at a dining room table if they aren’t comfortable.”

above “It took me three

years to design this house and two years to build it," says owner Jean Miller. "I loved every minute of it.”

right The Connecticut

Valley style doorway is a replica of the Ashley House in Massachusetts. The front parlor features two built-in shell cabinets. The upstairs bedrooms are very large and can accommodate many guests.

Jean Miller loves sharing the story of the house.

Spaces | HER ITAGE

wvliving.com 73

HER ITAGE | Spaces

Jean hired an architect and contractor from New Hampshire. She says, “There wasn’t anyone here who could build an 18th century house like I wanted.”

When the Millers were tearing down the old Victorian home on the property, they discovered two historic log cabins beneath the exterior. The house is now listed at $1.5 million. For more information, contact Vickie McLaughlin at Old Colony at 304.415.0366.

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The 8,232-square-foot home contains five bedrooms.

These aren’t your typical bedrooms—they are very large and each has its own fireplace. The 29-by-18-foot upstairs bedroom contains historic paneling from a house in Massachusetts and incorporates a 16th century shell cupboard.

At every turn there’s a captivating detail, like the builtin chest in the hallway or the period-perfect light sconces.

But there are also nods to modern conveniences. There’s a large laundry room on the second floor and the home has four and a half bathrooms, a luxury our colonial ancestors would have surely appreciated.

The basement contains a replica of the bar in the tavern of the Wayside Inn, the oldest tavern in the country and the inspiration for Longfellow’s famous poem. “When I was at the Wayside Inn, I took a tape measure and measured every detail. I think they thought I was crazy, but I love this bar,” Jean says. “Do you know why they are called bars?

It’s because the original taverns had vertical bars like a jail,

protecting the alcohol. It was locked up every night.”

History abounds at every corner, and even more so outside, where two original log structures stand adjacent to the home. “When we bought this property there was an old Victorian farmhouse on it, and we needed to tear it down,” Jean says. “But when we started removing the siding, we discovered that there were two log homes underneath the façade. We couldn’t tear it down.” They painstakingly removed the Victorian façade and protected the treasure beneath. The Millers found out the two-story log home was once the homestead of a 300-acre farm and believed to be one of the oldest buildings in the area. A summer kitchen also exists on the property, and both buildings are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Jean says it is now time for the house to have a new owner. “I hope someone buys this house and appreciates all the history and all the details. I hope they love it as much as I do.”

HER ITAGE | Living Local “Every school has a thing in it called a kid and a kid’s gotta eat—common sense tells you the school has to buy food to feed them,” says Mason County Extension Agent Rodney Wallbrown.

Farm to School West Virginia’s 280,000-plus students are some of the hungriest people around. Farmers are taking notice. written by pam kasey photographed by daniel

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todd

in the search

for ways to create demand for locally produced foods, one huge and overlooked market is schools.

West Virginia’s public schools spend more than $100 million on food each year. Now the West Virginia Farm to School Community Development Group is working to bridge the gap between farmer and student. “We’re trying to create that connection,” says Bekki Leigh, Farm to School coordinator at the state Department of Education’s Office of Child Nutrition.

“We’re letting farmers know they can sell to schools, and we’re letting schools know it’s OK to buy from a local farmer who may not be driving up in a big truck.”

It’s not an easy gap to bridge. While big corporate food suppliers offer one-stop shopping for a wide variety of foods with predictable timing and quality, small West Virginia farms have variable production and lots of growers for a purchaser to deal with. “There are a lot of inefficiencies in multiple farmers contacting a county school system’s food service director with their products,” Bekki says. “What we have to move to is a system that removes some of those inefficiencies and makes it easier for farmers to work together cooperatively selling to schools.” One solution, her organization is finding, is aggregators that act as intermediaries between the two and smooth out the process for both—though some counties like to keep it loose.

Six or seven growers got involved in Mason County in 2011, the first year of the county’s Farm to School program, and about 30 during the 2012 growing season. “The school system has purchased beef and pork products, vegetables, dried beans, fruit— all kinds of stuff,” says county Extension Agent Rodney Wallbrown. Growers are responding. “One gentleman here used to raise a few cucumbers and watermelons and sell them at a roadside stand. Now he has a good market for potatoes and tomatoes and cucumbers and squash, and he sells several thousand dollars’ worth,” Rodney says. “And we’ve worked hard with our 4-H and Future Farmers of America members. One boy had about a quarter acre of potatoes and one boy had a half acre, so even these young kids and their families are seeing there’s money to be made and good experience.”

And how is it working for the schools?

“Here it’s kind of left up to the cooks and the growers,” says Mason County Schools Child Nutrition Director Cristi Rulen, who coordinates purchasing. “All 10 of our schools are involved. My cooks like knowing the farmers, knowing where the stuff comes from,” Cristi says. “They try to come up with different recipes for zucchini and other things so the kids will like it— it’s like a challenge for them.” The county spent $64,000 on locally grown foods through about the first half of the 2013–14 school year.

Buying local may be a little more complicated, but it also brings some unanticipated benefits. “Schools start to see that the local produce has a longer shelf life,” Bekki says. “For example, lettuce may last a week longer, and that’s a cost savings for them.” And the best part? “The kids like it more. They’re more excited about it, and they eat it,” she says. “The janitors tell us there’s a lot less waste when we do a Local Day in a school—down from maybe four cans of garbage to one. It’s significant.”

The Farm to School program also encourages the most local foods of all— produce grown by students themselves. At Tucker County High School in Thomas, for example, students grow produce in the school’s greenhouse and sells it to the county for school lunches. “Almost $50,000 of this school year’s local purchases statewide so far has been from student growers,” Bekki said in January. “They’re not only able to generate some revenue but also to take some pride in the fact that they grew that item that’s being served.”

This partnership of government, education, and nonprofit organizations is seeing quick success, with local food purchases taking place in 38 counties so far, and purchases rising from $350,000 in the 2012-13 school year to likely more than $1 million in 2013-14. “I just met with a farmer today and a food service director in a county that hasn’t bought in the past,” Bekki says happily. “He’s gearing up to plant and she’s gearing up to buy starting in May and June—so we’re continuing to make new connections.” Rodney sees great potential. “I’ve been involved in professional agriculture for 42 years and this is probably one of the best programs I’ve ever been involved with,” he says. “I think it’s unlimited.” groweducatesell.com wvliving.com 77

S

mack dab in the middle of West Virginia is Sutton— where rivers, railroads, and thoroughfares like Interstate 79 and U.S. Route 19 meet. This once booming center of commerce is home to less than 1,000 people but continues to be a place where Civil War buffs, nature lovers, artists, and foodies unwind.

Many years ago the area was a central meeting ground for Civil War troops. Sutton was settled in the late 18th century and remained a small settlement until the 1830s when it became the seat of Braxton County. By 1861, Sutton found itself at the center of history when Civil War troops vied for position near the confluence of key waterways and turnpikes. Later that year Confederates burned most of downtown Sutton, and in 1863, in nearby Bulltown, a 12-hour battle became one of the last Confederate offensives in the state. After the war, the residents of Sutton poured their hearts into rebuilding. They opened general stores and banks and built the Braxton County Courthouse. The Elk River town thrived through the early 20th century timber boom. Today downtown Sutton is a historic district on the National Register of Historic Places, and residents enjoy a small town atmosphere and movie setting charm while welcoming visitors to center themselves in Braxton County.

Treasure Trove

“There’s a little bit of old and a little bit of new here,” says Mayor JL Campbell. Downtown’s historic architecture is charming, and the area’s potential is clear at shops like Clothes Closet, The Needle Basket, and Country Charm and Floral. Local food and the arts are in high demand at places like The Artisans at P.J. Berry’s. “Sutton is a sweet little town,” says Melody Urbanic, who owns and operates Café Cimino Country Inn with her husband, Chef Tim Urbanic. “With its turn-ofthe-century buildings, it’s like a movie set from the early 1900s.”

Stop by the county courthouse for a photo op and take this tidbit of history with you—it’s one of the state’s oldest original courthouses still in use. Catch a film at the Elk Theatre, a one-screen movie theater built in the 1930s and run by a husband and wife team. The theater was recently promised a future in uncertain times when residents helped raise funds to upgrade it to digital. If a live performance is more your style, check the schedule at Landmark Studio for the Arts, home to Sutton’s thriving community and children’s theater and housed in a 19th century church that is an experience all its own with magnificent stained glass windows and woodwork original to the building.

When the dinner bell rings, Sutton’s restaurants offer everything from casual and atmospheric to divine and award-winning. “P.J. Berry’s is my kind of hangout,” JL says. “They offer a great menu at affordable prices, serve microbrews from the Fayetteville area, and have live music.” Built downtown in the 1890s, the former thrift shop, tobacco shop, and grocery store now serves casual fare in a newly renovated space. Equally historic and architecturally noteworthy, Café Cimino Country Inn is a restored Colonial Revival mansion on the 1904 P.J. Berry estate at the end of Main Street on the banks of the Elk River. The inn features luxurious suites in the main house, carriage house, and cottage and is widely renowned for its restaurant, which welcomes patrons with exceptional service and wvliving.com 81

clockwise A surprising muse overlooks town. P.J. Berry’s is more than just a fun store, with great food and brews, too. The Braxton County Courthouse is the center of local government.

a gourmet culinary experience unexpected for such a small town. Herbs and vegetables grown on the family farm, local produce and goods, and Chef Tim’s passion for excellence make up Café Cimino’s recipe for 15 years of success. “We couldn’t be ordinary and survive. We’re committed to being unique and surprising people with Tim’s cuisine,” Melody says.

Once you’ve explored downtown, head north to the next exit on Interstate 79 for shopping at Flatwoods Factory Stores where favorites like Tommy Hilfiger, Fenton, and Fiestaware can be found. Sisters’ Antique Mall is another popular stop off of the Flatwoods exit, and if you’ve shopped until you’re ready to drop, stay the night at Flatwoods Days Hotel and Convention Center with mountain-view rooms, a restaurant, and an indoor and outdoor pool.

Outdoor Oasis

One can hardly talk about Sutton without mentioning the Elk River Water Trail. “The Elk River Water Trail is our real calling card,” says Melody. Just 67 interstate miles and 108 river miles upstream from Charleston, the residents of Sutton and Braxton County have devoted themselves to making their 72-mile stretch of Elk River a destination with easy access sites, navigable paths to and from the river, informational kiosks and signs, and plans for even more improvements. “The designation of Elk River as a water trail is one of the biggest things to happen in town lately. We’re still just realizing the economic benefits of it,” JL says. Andrew Smith, executive director at the Braxton County Convention & Visitors Bureau (CVB), echoes the mayor’s sentiments.

“It’s created a surge in local interest in kayaking and canoeing and in the Elk River,” he says. “The word’s getting out—if you come to Braxton County and know nothing about the Elk River, you can find a brochure or kiosk that will tell you everything you need to know.”

A walking trail system has also been developed, featuring everything from easy trails in the center of town to a moderate fitness trail to challenging treks through the woods. And the word’s already out about Sutton Dam, a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers project that was completed in 1961 and created Sutton Lake, one of the area’s greatest treasures with more than 40 miles of shoreline for swimming and camping and more than 1,500 acres of surface for fishing and boating. “The lake is 82 wvl • spring 2014

CAFE CIMINO COUNTRY INN

clockwise

CafĂŠ Cimino Country Inn serves some of the best meals in the state.

The Needle Basket offers everything

you need for sewing, quilting, and more. The main street of town is home to such icons as Landmark Studio for the Arts.

wvliving.com 83

clockwise The

Elk River Water Trail makes the river easily accessible and navigable.

Food and drinks are plentiful at P.J. Berry’s.

The Elk Theatre recently got a new lease on life.

The Sutton Dam was completed in 1961 and created Sutton Lake.

definitely an attraction for the county,” says Mike Gioulis, a longtime Sutton resident. “We go as often as we can, and if we have visitors in town, we try to have at least one day on the lake. We take our canoes and kayaks or rent a boat there at the marina.” Another site worth seeing is Falls Mill about 15 miles north of Sutton on Route 19 with a beautiful waterfall and excellent fishing. Other nearby attractions include Burnsville Lake, which offers camping, fishing, hiking, and hunting as well as picnic areas and boat rentals, and Bulltown Historic Area, where history buffs can see where the Civil War battle took place.

Passion & Effort

Sutton and its surroundings have a lot to offer, and while accessibility might be Sutton’s biggest asset, the town’s people are passionate about constantly improving their home. Sutton was the first West Virginia community to be designated ON TRAC, a program created by Main Street West Virginia for smaller communities looking to boost economic and community growth, and the town’s efforts include festivals and fundraisers held throughout the year. “Fall Festival is one of Sutton’s biggest draws,” 84 wvl • spring 2014

says Andrew. “Live bands perform, local arts and crafts vendors set up booths, and in the evening when all the street lights are on and all the people are out, it feels like you’re in a movie in this classic, pretty, small town.” The weekend-long celebration includes the WV Filmmakers Festival, which started with just West Virginia filmmakers but grew so much films are now accepted from across the country and even Canada. “We had a great number of films last year,” JL says. “The festival is getting bigger and better every year.”

Pasta & Jazz Night hosted by Café Cimino in July is another big hit held in conjunction with That Dam Race 5K, and the truly curious can visit the CVB for a look at the Flatwoods Monster and the history behind the legend. In August, Bikers for Babies will benefit March of Dimes for the sixth year when it brings hundreds of bikers to the county. Visitors can also experience culture in Sutton year-round, at one of the Mountain Dance Trail’s old-time dances or by participating in the self-guided Sutton Artz Walk, using a brochure that highlights downtown history and art markets. suttonwv.com, braxtonwv.org

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year in West Virginia, 85,000 children participate in 4-H, the largest youth program in the U.S. Programs like Energy Express promote reading and nutrition, and the Extension’s Junior Firefighter Camp is one of only a few in the nation that gets youth involved early in local emergency response.

Over the years more programs have been added, but the Extension’s mission remains the same. “Part of Extension’s responsibility is to be responsive to local communities, so the basic mission survives. But how the agents respond changes,” Steve says. West Virginia’s communities serve as the agents’ living classrooms and needs continue to be met because the Extension listens.

“It’s a real strength—listening to the local communities and what they identify as their priorities and needs, and establishing how the university can help address those.

It’s a clear strength of Extension Service that has allowed us to survive for 100 years.”

Ask anyone involved with WVU Extension Service whether they believe the Extension will celebrate another 100 years of service a century from now and they will passionately and emphatically reply, “Yes.” The SmithLever Act of 1914 sought to bring the knowledge of landgrant universities into America’s rural communities, and WVU Extension has been doing just that for 10 decades.

But it’s more than just education. “Knowledge alone does not change a community,” Donald says. “It’s knowledge and the skill set of an individual that changes a community. Extension never stops at just knowledge. You have to have the knowledge and you have to practice the skill you just learned, and that’s what makes Extension programming different—you walk away with a true skill you can use in your life.” ext.wvu.edu

WVU EXTENSION SERVICE

By that account Hoke Smith and Asbury Lever were successful in their efforts a century ago to increase accessibility to education. The original mission was simple—take the land-grant university to the people.

Make universities across the U.S. more accessible. Be the outreach arm of the university. “The core of our mission really remains the same. That’s part of what’s magical about Extension,” says Ann Bailey Berry, associate director of WVU Extension. “The reason we were started remains the reason why we are still in business today.”

The needs and demands of communities across the state are ever-changing. Where one community might be desperate for an after-school program to keep children out of trouble, another might need guidance on healthy food choices, and yet another might turn to an Extension agent for help with a community garden. “When you look at what Extension is to West Virginia, you will see in every county an Extension agent, but behind that agent is an army of volunteers who are local, trusted, helping their neighbors help themselves. Extension agents used to be called ‘agents of change,’ and in truth, that is still the reality,” Donald says.

During World War I, the national Extension System was part of efforts to increase wheat acreage, market agricultural products, and promote food preservation. During the Depression, Extension helped producers with farm management and marketing programs and organized farmer cooperatives. At the same time, agents worked with families on household management, gardening, canning, nutrition, and other skills useful in rural life. During World War II, Extension was again active in promoting food production and preservation and developed programs to provide seed, fertilizer, and gardening tools for 20 million gardens. Every

WVU EXTENSION SERVICE / NIKKI BOWMAN

On May 7 and 8, 2014, members, volunteers, and supporters of the national Cooperative Extension System will come together in Washington, D.C., to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the signing of the Smith-Lever Act of 1914. The centennial celebration will include a convocation event and will highlight Extension’s past and focus on the contemporary application of Extension’s transformational educational programming into the future. extension100years.net

wvliving.com 113

THE PA RTING SHOT | by Nikki Bowman

Taking the Scenic Route photographed by

Nikki Bowman

Every time I visit Pendleton County, I try to stop at the Sites Homestead. Tucked beneath the shadows of West Virginia’s most famous rock formation, Seneca Rocks, it is a serene spot that provides a great vantage point to view the rocks. In the late spring and summer, the heirloom gardens are magnificent. Built in 1839 by Jacob Sites, it was added on to by his son in the 1860s. Tours of the home are available; visit Seneca Rocks Discovery Center.

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