historic
Homes
/ Off to the Races / travel to Williamson summer 14
Small Town
Getaways Outdoor
Escapes Fresh Picked
Recipes
summer D e s t i n at i o n
Explore Blennerhassett Island, uncover all there is to do in New Martinsville, and discover history in Charleston.
morgantown » shopping
•
dining • and so much more
volume 7 ◆ ISSUE 2
Summer 2014 nikki bowman
features
96
104
112
121
Living in New Martinsville
The Sport of Kings
Beguiling Blennerhassett
Drive-Ins Around the State
The thrill of horse racing is alive and well at these two tracks in West Virginia.
Visiting this historical island state park is like traveling to another world.
Pull in and grab a bite at one of these classic drive-in eateries across the state.
This Ohio River town packs charm with access to the great outdoors and unique shopping and dining.
wvliving.com 5
volume 7 ◆ ISSUE 2
47
15
74 23 spotlight
heritage
delicious food to every corner of Charleston.
warmth and hospitality in a vast early-20th century home.
15 Dining The Bridge Road Empire brings 17 Biz Buzz A Charleston business is bringing shoelaces to life.
21 Bookworm Check out Hippie Homesteaders by West Virginia author Carter Taylor Seaton. 23 Shopping Sharp’s Country Store in Pocahontas County is part museum, part general store. 28 Road Trip You won’t want to miss these fun statues across the state.
30 West Virginian Who Rocks
47 Lodging Beckley’s Ambrosia Inn offers 51 Art The Augusta Heritage Center in Elkins preserves a long history of arts in the region. 57 Travel Williamson offers a plethora of history and outdoor adventure in southern West Virginia. 63 Conversations Suzanne McMinn
8 Editor’s Letter 10 Letters to the Editor 128 The Parting Shot
On the Cover
returns to the land and tells her story in a blog and new book, Chickens in the Road.
We were drawn to the serene beauty of Blennerhassett Island State Park (page 112).
68 Celebrations Unwind with the family
Photo by Carla Witt Ford
and celebrate the state’s history at Blue Bend Campground.
A Fairmont man has made a name for himself making steam whistles—his work has even 72 In the Kitchen With Meet award- appeared in the hit film Hugo. winning Chef Brad Spates as he cooks up a storm in Martinsburg. 34 Preservation Locals rally to save a historic pool in Weirton. 74 Food These tasty tomato recipes are ripe for the picking. 36 Community A new Girl Scouts facility in Charleston provides an urban experience for 83 Living Local Have a sip at Bloomery local kids. Plantation Distillery in the Eastern Panhandle. 6 wvl • summer 2014
in every issue
HIS OR C
Homes
/ Off to
he Races
/
RAVEL TO
W l iamson
Small Town
GETAWAYS Outdoor
ESCAPES Fresh Picked
RECIPES
summer D E S T I N AT I O N
Explore Blennerhassett Island uncover all there is to do in New Martinsv lle and discover history in Charleston
growth that goes along with it, but it is a charming historic town—one that I would wager many of us have never visited but everyone should. Our story on page 96 will show you why it’s time to hop in the car and head to Wetzel County. We also travel to southern West Virginia to Williamson. I’ve been thinking about Mingo County a lot lately. Admittedly, it’s not hard with prosecuting attorneys, sheriffs, and judges being indicted left and right. This type of small town tyranny is destructive. It angers me. It angers the citizens of Mingo County. We need to remind ourselves that there’s more to this county than corruption. And that’s what I hope we accomplish with our story on Williamson on page 57—to show you this vibrant southern community is worth visiting. As you walk the streets, you can tell this Williamson is on the move in the right direction. I ate lunch at a hip coffee shop called Righteous Brew and then cozied up to the counter at Hurley’s Old Fashioned Drug Store. I walked into the Mountaineer Hotel, not quite sure what to expect, and my mouth hit the floor. This boutique hotel is on the National Register of Historic Places and the lobby is incredible—a hidden gem, to be sure. And this area is Hatfield-McCoy central. If you are a history buff, the Hatfield-McCoy feud will keep you entertained for days. Make sure you stop by the Coal House and get information, and then walk up to the floodwalls that protect the town from the ravages of the Tug Fork River. I have a sign in my office that reads:
Summertime on the Greenbrier River.
I
have an affinity for rivers. I’ve been baptized by the Elk in more ways than I can mention. I’ve waded the North Fork of the South Branch of the Potomac, picnicked on the rocks of the New, walked the banks of the Tug Fork, and fished the Greenbrier. Even at night, I sleep to a sound machine tune called “Babbling Brook.” No matter where I go I seem to be drawn, with camera in tow, to water. But try as I might, I’m unable to capture through my lens the essence that draws me—the constant ebb and flow, the persistent power that is steady and slow. Photos can show smooth boulders punctuated with the whitecaps of eddies, moss-covered stones lining the riverbed, and the waterway’s variegation of color, but they can’t capture the feeling of “Advice from a River: cool river mud between your toes, the roar of Go with the Flow. rushing water, or the lazy lapping against your Immerse yourself in nature. legs. Those moments can only be experienced Slow down and meander. in the now. Go around obstacles. It is those “now” moments that center us and Be thoughtful of those downstream. slow us down. For me that is what summer is all Stay current. about. Slowing down. And I admittedly don’t do The beauty is in the journey.” enough of it. In our “Celebrations” story on page - Ilan Shamir 68, we join forces with the National Wildlife Federation to encourage children to experience In West Virginia, there’s beauty around every the great outdoors. Each week on wvliving.com, bend. Enjoy your summer! we will feature family-friendly spots for outdoor recreation, and we hope you’ll join us in teaching our children the importance of enjoying nature. nikki bowman, Editor In this issue, we showcase one of our favorite places—the Greenbrier River and the swimming hole at Blue Bend. Follow us on , , , and . Two of the towns we feature have been facebook.com/wvliving indelibly shaped by rivers. New Martinsville, twitter.com/wvliving perched on the banks of the Ohio River, may be pinterest.com/wvliving experiencing an oil and gas boom and the rapid instagram: theWVeditor
8 wvl • summer 2014
CHECK OUT OUR FAMILY OF
PUBLICATIONS West Virginia Focus is New South Media, Inc.’s newest publication, a bimonthly business and policy magazine. wvfocus.com
SP I G/ UMMER 0 4
LOVE in HILLS
the
West Vi gin a s
ULTIMATE WEDDING GUIDE R al Wedd ngs V nues Gowns & More!
WV Weddings is the bridal “bible” for the state and now comes out two times a year. mywvwedding.com
Morgantown is a bimonthly city publication that is the go-to resource for West Virginia’s fastest growing city. morgantownmag.com
CHECK OUT OUR NEW WEBSITE
With a new mobile-friendly design, it's easier than ever to access West Virginia's premier online resource, wvliving.com.
Academy of Distinguished Alumni 2014 Inductees
Joseph Steranka BS, Journalism Seven years as CEO of the PGA of America
Dr. Bernadette Mazurek Melnyk BS, Nursing Associate VP for Health Promotion; University Chief Wellness Officer; and Professor/Dean of the College of Nursing, The Ohio State University
Dr. Vicente Anido Jr.
Dr. Gopala Krishna
BS, Pharmacy MS, Pharmacy Administration Chairman/CEO, Aerie Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
PhD, Genetics and Developmental Biology Executive Director/ Head of Preclinical R&D and Competitive Intelligence, Supernus Pharmaceuticals
Some Mountaineers not only touch the world in a special way, they change it. Each year, we honor these people for showing us what WVU graduates can achieve.
wvu.edu
Let ter s to the editor
Many Thanks
Many, many thanks to you for the fabulous feature on WVU Extension and Smith-Lever (Spring 2014). I was so excited to receive it and can’t stop telling everyone about it. We’ve pushed it out on our website, through our Employee Resources page, and through all of our social media channels—Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. (That would be in addition to shouting about it from the top floor of Knapp Hall.) It is such a treat to work with you and I’m so grateful for your positive approach to your stories and West Virginia. Couldn’t be more pleased! ann bailey berry, wvu extension, Morgantown, via email
Jubilant Appreciation
The entire (spring 2014) issue was great, and we really appreciated the article and advertisement for ZMM. adam krason, zmm architects & engineers, via email
10 wvl • summer 2014
I received my Spring 2014 issue of WV Living today, what a joy! Your feature of Judy House Bed & Breakfast was beautifully written and upbeat. I certainly enjoyed your title— jubilant is an excellent way to describe the joy of owning, operating, and living in this area. Petersburg is a jewel set in the rough
cut beauty of our mountains. Thank you again your wonderful article. kay leslie , Judy House Bed & Breakfast, via email
Proud
Just received my first issue—Spring 2014. What a beautiful magazine! So glad I subscribed and gave a gift subscription. You make us proud! sara ball campbell , via Facebook
Wonderful publication. As soon as I receive it I sit down and start reading. donna roberts, via wvliving.com
Let ter s to the editor
Loved This Project
Thank you again for providing us with the magazines for a discounted price. Our students LOVED this project, and I think the picture came out really great! THANK YOU! kevin kieffer, leona thompson, and their fourth grade class at North Elementary in Morgantown, via email
correction: In the spring 2014 issue,
Connie Hamsher should have been identified as Tammy Krepshaw in The Consignment Company article.
Let us hear from you. We want to know what you think about the magazine, and we’d love to hear your suggestions. Email: info@newsouthmediainc.com Call: 304.413.0104 Mail: 709 Beechurst Avenue, Suite 14A, Morgantown, WV 26505 Take WV Living with you:
wvliving.com 11
Volume 7, Issue 2 Published by
New South Media, Inc. 709 Beechurst Ave., Suite 14A Morgantown, WV 26505
New South Media, Inc. 1116 Smith Street, Suite 211 Charleston, WV 25301
304.413.0104
wvliving.com Nikki Bowman, nikki@newsouthmediainc.com
EDITOR
ART DIRECTOR
GRAPHIC DESIGNER
MANAGING editor
Laura Wilcox Rote, laura@newsouthmediainc.com
assistant editor
Pam Kasey, pam@newsouthmediainc.com
Kelley Galbreath, kelley@newsouthmediainc.com Carla Witt Ford, carla@newsouthmediainc.com
OFFICE & CIRCULATION MANAGER
Sarah Shaffer, sarah@newsouthmediainc.com
Laura Treacy Bentley, lauratreacybentley.com
BOOK EDITOR
web manager
Elizabeth Roth, liz@newsouthmediainc.com
staff writers
Katie Griffith, katie@newsouthmediainc.com
Shay Maunz, shay@newsouthmediainc.com
Contributor
Photographers
Dale Leatherman Nikki Bowman, Carla Witt Ford, Laura Wilcox Rote, Elizabeth Roth
INTERNS Courtney DePottey, Bethany Dzielski, Alexis Kessel, Shawnee Moran advertising account executives Christa Hamra, christa@newsouthmediainc.com Season Martin, season@newsouthmediainc.com Carrie Stanley, carrie@newsouthmediainc.com
advertising Assistant
Bekah Call, bekah@newsouthmediainc.com
Subscription rate is $20 for 4 issues. Subscribe at wvliving.com or call 304.413.0104.
Subscriptions
back issues Back issues may be purchased online at wvliving.com or by calling 304.413.0104.
editorial inquiries Unsolicited manuscripts are not accepted. Please send queries by email to info@newsouthmediainc.com.
new south media publications
P I G S MM R 2
4
LOVE in HILLS
the
W st V r i ia s
ULTIMATE WEDDING GU DE R al We di gs Ve ues Gowns & Mo e!
WV Living is published by New South Media, Inc. Subscription rates: $20 for one year. Frequency: Quarterly. Copyright: New South Media, Inc. Reproduction in part or whole is strictly prohibited without the express written permission of the publisher. © New South Media, Inc. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
12 wvl • summer 2014
elizabeth roth
Go Wild
Discover some truly hidden treasures this summer— from weird and wonderful statues to road bowling. pictured: Fantasy farm in unger, page 28
spotlight
dining
located in Charleston’s chic Bridge Road retail district, in an elegant space with a beautiful wooden bar and lots of candlelight. Locals often shorten the name, calling it just “the bistro,” and think of it as a Charleston’s Bridge Road Bistro is much go-to restaurant for an more than just a restaurant. upscale dining experience—it’s a reflexive andy Call signs off on all emails choice for anniversary dinners, birthdays, or the same way, with a signature that any sort of special occasion. But despite the reads, “General Manager, The posh atmosphere, it’s relatively casual—there’s Bridge Road Bistro Empire.” Bring live bluegrass music most weekend evenings, up her tendency to call the restaurant and booth seating. “We do all this fancy stuff, an empire and Sandy will laugh at the cheekiness but we do want you to come in here with your of her phrasing, but she stands behind it. “I really buddies and enjoy the music,” Sandy says. “We think of it as an empire,” she says. “I started don’t want people to be afraid to come with tagging my emails like that about a year and a their kids in their T-shirts and jeans and have a half ago because I looked around and realized nice meal with their families.” we’d grown in all of these different areas, and the Of course there’s a lot more to The Bridge word empire seemed to fit.” Indeed, The Bridge Road Bistro than just that restaurant. The Road Bistro has all the fittings of an empire, empire also includes a substantial catering with its sprawling network of business ventures division that handles everything from the all operating under one umbrella. food service at the Charleston Tennis Club to The Bridge Road Bistro’s flagship restaulunches delivered to boardrooms to weddings rant—Sandy calls it “the mothership”—is to parties at the governor’s mansion. There
Building an Empire
S
Bridge Road Bistro are less conventional projoffers fine dining ects, too, that are helping in a number of expand the bistro’s reach atmospheres across Charleston. throughout the Kanawha Valley. Last year the restaurant launched a food truck that travels to local festivals and events and roams around town at lunchtime on weekdays, parking in a different location each day. The truck is painted black with the bistro’s subtle logo on it so it stands out on the street. Patrons call it “the black truck,” and Sandy calls it “Bessie.” “She has a lot of character. She’s an old thing so she gave us fits for a while, but now we’ve learned to work with her, and we’re really happy with how it’s working out,” Sandy says. “It’s something different. You can just pull up, feed a bunch of people, and then pull away. It’s great.” Patrons keep up with the truck’s whereabouts using the bistro’s social media account and its smartphone app. That’s right—there’s an app. The restaurant launched it last year and uses it to keep the legions of loyal customers up-to-date on all things Bridge Road Bistro. Features include a regularly updated food and wine menu, events calendar, loyalty card, and tip calculator. The app jives with Sandy’s philosophy about the bistro’s growth—she wants
wvliving.com 15
spotlight The Bridge Road Bistro is best known for its flagship restaurant, but a food truck and catering service means the business extends far beyond that.
the restaurant to be forward-thinking and inventive. “I want to adapt, especially to suit the younger generations,” she says. It’s with that in mind that the empire moved into its latest brick-and-mortar venture, a café-style restaurant in the Kanawha Valley Community and Technical College building in South Charleston, on the campus of the West Virginia Regional Technology Park. “My vision for that venue is more of an upscale California coffee shop—just some nice healthy sandwiches, salads and wraps, coffees and cappuccinos,” Sandy says. The new café will cater to students at the community college and at Marshall University’s Charleston campus nearby, plus all the professionals who work in the technology park. Sandy wants it to be fresh, fun, and tech-savvy. The atmosphere at the new space is casual, with tables that can wirelessly charge devices like smartphones and tablets. “The kids or even the professionals can 16 wvl • summer 2014
come in and talk, chat, charge their devices, and have a bite,” Sandy says. The one constant across all of The Bridge Road Bistro brands is a commitment to fine food—it’s a farm-to-table restaurant with a commitment to seasonal food and close ties to local farms. But the types of food served from venue to venue vary dramatically: You can go to the flagship restaurant for a grass-fed rib eye steak, catch the food truck for nachos or an empanada, or visit the new café for a sandwich that costs less than $5. “We’re trying to give everyone a taste of The Bridge Road Bistro without them even thinking about the fact that it’s happening,” Sandy says. bridge road bistro
915 Bridge Road, Charleston, WV 25314, 304.720.3500 thebridgeroadbistro.com written by shay maunz photographed by elizabeth roth
biz buzz
Brightest Lace in the Box
photography by Mandi white
A Charleston attorney is looking for ways to brighten up men’s fashion. it seems like every office has a bow tie guy—you know the one. “His outfit is always very classic, but he likes to put that spin on it by wearing a bow tie every day,” says Marc Rigsby. “He wants to do something a little different.” Marc is a Charleston attorney and the cofounder of Crayon Lacing, a shoelace company. He wants more options for bow tie guy and his comrades in fashion who are similarly suppressed by office dress codes—and he thinks shoelaces are the answer. Crayon Lacing sells high-quality waxed shoelaces for men’s dress shoes in a range of hues that are not the norm for formal footwear. Marc started working on the business with a friend in 2012 while he was in law school at Wake Forest University. “Law isn’t the most creative job,” he says. “I wanted a creative outlet.” So he started looking for something to work on in his spare time—ideally something that combined his interests in business and men’s fashion. Marc isn’t a bow tie guy, but he does like dressing well and is always looking for new ways to spice up his wardrobe. “I went head to toe down the men’s outfit and thought about it like real estate, in terms of the areas of the outfit we haven’t done much with yet,” Marc says. “I came down to shoes and shoelaces and thought it was a good place for an accessory to insert a pop of color in an outfit where you wouldn’t see it before.” The laces come in a rainbow of bright but sophisticated colors— everything from a muted gold tone called bee pollen to a bright teal called robin egg to a deep red called autumn. Right now they’re available online and in a few retail stores in West Virginia and Alabama, and Marc says they have plans to expand—kind of. He’d like to sell the laces in more stores and make them in more colors, but he’s sticking with laces for the long haul. “Some companies start off doing one thing, and then expand and try to do more and more things,” Marc says. “We’re going to be the colored shoelace company and try to do that really, really well.” crayonlacing@gmail.com, crayonlacing.com written by shay
maunz wvliving.com 17
education
The 4 H’s This organization is teaching valuable life lessons across the state.
In West Virginia 4-H camps are flourishing. The numbers don’t lie—one out of every four kids in the state is involved in a 4-H program. Whether it is camp, an after-school program, or community 4-H club, children are taught to give back to the community. “I am truly the person I am today because of my experience in 4-H,” says Becca FintClark, WVU Monongalia County 4-H and youth development extension agent. “I met lifelong friends, learned how to be a leader, how to speak in front of groups, and the importance of giving back to my community.” As the name implies, 4-H focuses on four areas—head, heart, hands, and health. Children are taught to use their heads, follow their hearts, use their hands to serve, and use their health for better living. The community service based organization enables children to learn core values while having fun with activities and making new friends. Children can design their own projects at camp based on their interests and learn new skills—they learn to tie-dye, line dance, cook outdoors, or sing as part of a choir. “It is open to all youth, and it is a great experience,” Becca says. 4-hyd.ext.wvu.edu
tech
Free Travel Apps Check out some of our latest favorite travel-friendly apps and you’ll never feel far from some of West Virginia’s best towns and cities.
Discover an abundance of activities in Hurricane with this easy-to-use app. Visitors can find shopping, dining, and entertainment, while locals can keep up with city events, easily reach city departments, and even pay bills online.
18 wvl • summer 2014
MY MORGANTOWN Explore Morgantown’s local businesses, browse menus for area restaurants, and even find legal help with this free app.
VISIT HARPER’S FERRY-BOLIVAR This app provides a guide to local dining, entertainment, and lodging options in the historic towns of Harpers Ferry and Bolivar. Download a self-guided tour, find transportation services, and locate public facilities.
EXPLORE WV
SHOP RIPLEY, WV
VISIT WV
Access some of the state’s best nooks and crannies with Explore, a magazine turned app from the publishers of WV Living. You’ll find stories on Fayetteville, Moundsville, Morgantown, Summersville, Thurmond, Huntington, and more.
Take a virtual stroll through downtown Ripley with this business directory and up-to-date event listing for the city, plus lodging and more.
Southern West Virginia is at your fingertips with this great app full of itineraries. Easily plan your trip through the coalfields, into historic Bramwell and Bluefield, or across the Babcock Scenic Trail with this app.
WEST VIRGINIA TRAVEL GUIDE BY TRIPOSO Planning a summer staycation? Find updated lists of things to do, from finding monuments to fine dining. The app also includes offline maps, weather, and links to book lodging and tours.
WHEELING MOBILE APP Lodging, dining, history, and more—you can find it all with this map to the Friendly City. The calendar synchronizes with your iPhone calendar so you can set reminders and alerts.
wvu extension
CITY OF HURRICANE, WV
did you know ?
Irish Road Bowling a slight breeze brings with it the smell of hot asphalt, and as you shade your eyes against the summer sun, you hear a distant yell: “Bowling!” From March to November this scene plays out across countless miles of the Mountain State’s back roads as the West Virginia Irish Road Bowling Association holds matches for professionals and novices alike. The sport may not be as popular in the United States as it is in Europe, but these guys are pros—and they have the accolades to show it. West Virginia bowlers have won national tournaments and placed in international tournaments as well. Learn a thing or two from the champions as you watch them hurl small steel cannonballs—called “bowls”— for miles down winding country roads. You’ll pick up the game’s rules and eccentricities quickly as you follow the players to the finish line—just watch out for those fast-flying bowls! wvirishroadbowling.com written and photographed by
20 wvl • summer 2014
elizabeth roth
bookworm
Hippie Homesteaders
A new book looks at what continues to attract people to the land of West Virginia. in 1960s america, the times they were a-changin’. In the chaos of the Civil Rights movement and Vietnam War protests, young people across the country dropped out of school or quit their jobs to escape the society in which they were rapidly losing faith. They got back to nature—growing their own food, making and selling their own goods, and expressing themselves through art and music. Many of these back-to-the-landers came to West Virginia to forge new lives. In her latest book, Hippie Homesteaders, West Virginia author Carter Taylor Seaton tells us why. From 1971 to 1984 Carter worked for the Appalachian Craftsmen Cooperative in Huntington. Every summer she traveled to the Mountain State Arts and Craft Fair in Ripley, where she met Birkenstock-wearing artisans who didn’t have the same southern twang as the women with whom she worked. After moving away in 1985 and returning to West Virginia 10 years later, she visited the newly opened Tamarack and noted some familiar names. “I started recognizing the names of people I had known back in the day, so I started asking myself, ‘What in the world brought all these people to West Virginia?’” Carter says. She began interviewing old friends and discovered they all had come to the state around the same time to pursue a new way of life. And virtually all of the artisans and musicians she spoke with told her the same thing: that without the support of the state and its older residents who taught them a new trade—and essentially helped them survive—they would not have succeeded. Without the back-to-the-land movement, there may never have been a Tamarack, the first statewide collection of fine arts and handcrafts in the United States, or a Mountain Stage, the weekly live musical program broadcast worldwide on National Public Radio since 1983. Carter wants her readers to gain an appreciation for those homesteaders who came to the Mountain State and enriched our cultural heritage. “So many times when we talk about a West Virginia artist, what we really mean is someone who was born here and made their success elsewhere, like a Kathy Mattea. And while that’s a great thing, I don’t think people give enough credit to the people who came here and were willing to live a West Virginia lifestyle and all that that entails and became successful artisans.” Hippie Homesteaders is available in both print and e-versions and can be purchased at bookstores statewide or online at amazon.com, barnesandnoble.com, and wvupressonline.com. Carter will hold book signings at the Linwood Library in Snowshoe on June 8, 2014, and at the Monongalia Arts Center in Morgantown on June 26, 2014. written by alexis
kessel wvliving.com 21
spotlight
shopping
on the way. And like those travelers, you’ll discover that you’ve been duped by Dave Sharp. That “man” has been falling for about 50 years. He’s actually a mannequin dressed in overalls, first planted there by Dave, Sharp’s Country Store in Slatyfork is former owner of Sharp’s a living history snapshot of the past. Country Store in Slatyfork. When Dave gave ownership riving down Route 219 in of his family’s 300-acre land, general store, and Pocahontas County, you’ll see a gas station to his great-nephew Tom Shipley, man desperately clinging to the Tom upheld the quirky tradition that has spread side of a red barn after slipping to other states and draws curious customers from the loft. Like many daily. It’s that dedication to tradition that gives other travelers before you, you might slow Sharp’s Country Store its nostalgic charm. down and prepare to offer your assistance, Tom’s great-grandfather L.D. Sharp perhaps calling out to let him know help is opened the first Sharp’s Country Store when
Step Back in Time
D
he was 12 years old in 1884, on what was then the Huttonville Turnpike. The state abandoned that road in the 1930s, and the family found its new location on Route 219, where his son, Dave, took over. He was at the helm of the business and the property for most of his life until he passed them along to Tom 10 years ago. When you visit Sharp’s Country Store today, much looks the same. Seashells and coconuts from Florida that L.D. pressed into the stucco storefront when it was built remain intact. Eight-foot-tall gravity gas pumps stand out front, topped with glass globe canisters Tom says assured people they were getting their money’s worth. “They could see the actual gallons glugging down into their Model Ts, so they knew they were getting their five gallons.” A classic American car with a red windup key on the back—another byproduct of Dave’s playful sense wvliving.com 23
spotlight
of humor—is parked outside. “It looks like a little toy car. People love that thing. About 10 people a day ask me if I will sell it to them.” Walking inside is truly like being in one of the general stores of old. Kerosene lanterns, pitchforks, and advertising yardsticks are just some of the gems you’ll spot in the Sharps’ eclectic collection, along with a few standard Esso signs and other old signs. The original wooden counters from the 1800s remain, and the showroom windows house antiques that have been there as long as Tom can remember. “Our showroom windows, which used to be for current merchandise, now have things in them like old tools and Civil War artifacts from my family and very precious things. Those haven’t 24 wvl • summer 2014
Sharp’s Country Store with JoAnn Gardner, in Pocahontas County whose woolen blankets preserves history as a and antique-style sheep place where you can buy—or just admire— dolls he sells. “Her great-grandmother Miss things of old. Beverage used to sell things made from my great-granddad’s sheep’s wool. She would come down on horseback to get the wool and go back home and then bring back things she had made from it. We’re still doing that three or four generations later.” Sharp’s itself stands on an unbelievable piece of property. Behind the store, a log home built by Tom’s great-great-great grandparents remains in good condition—and Robert E. Lee visited it on two occasions. “Robert E. Lee’s first campaign as a general of the Confederate army was right through our farm, and they camped out for a little while. He was invited to have dinner in our home.” Across the road, a beautiful red covered bridge with the words “Sharp’s Kissing Bridge: Bridges Don’t Talk,” painted across the top has become as much of a local icon as the falling man. Tom has made reclaiming an apple changed since I was a little boy, about 60 years orchard on the property his latest project. ago.” Tom has a revolving display of items he He’s learning new grafting techniques and pulls from the family’s many barns so there’s still discovering the types of apples that are always something new to marvel at, including already on the Sharp land. “We have a big a vintage gramophone. A small corner of the farm and it’ll take me the rest of my life store that contains the original 19th century post to get it back in production, but it keeps office window functions as a little museum for me out of trouble,” he laughs. To Tom, the those interested. “Sometimes people like to look opportunity to contribute to his family’s but then they also like to find treasure for them- rich heritage makes it all worthwhile. “It’s a selves. Three-quarters of the store are things humble existence here, but it’s a good life.” that you can buy and we’ll gladly sell you.” sharp’s country store You can take home homemade jams from 35087 Seneca Trail, Slaty Fork, WV 26291, 304.572.3547 the Sharp Family orchards and other local sharpscountrystore.com pickings from around the county, or purchase a case of classic Coca-Cola in glass bottles. Tom written by alexis kessel photographed by carla witt ford carries on another family tradition working
THE 2014
cut here
Best of West Virginia BALLOT Mail to
SEEKING THE VERY BEST!
Vote ONLINE w v li v in bestog.com/ fwv
Our second annual Best of West Virginia awards will showcase the best of the Mountain State—from breweries to festivals to scenic views—as determined by YOU, the reader. So cast your vote!
dia uth Me New So st Virginia e W f Best o hurst Avenue ec 709 Be ite 14A Su V town, W Morgan 05 26 5
One submission will be drawn to receive a free subscription to WV Living magazine.
Submit by: July 1, 2014.
FOOD and DRINK
Best Bookstore
Best Fine Dining
Best Antique Store
Best Brunch
Best Women’s Clothing Store
Best Coffeehouse
Best Men’s Clothing Store
Best Tea Room
Best Jewelry Store
Best Bakery
Best Gift Shop
Best BBQ Joint
Best Sporting Goods/Outdoors Store
Best Italian Restaurant
Best Shopping Center
Best Steak
TRAVEL and RECREATION
Best Seafood Best Historic Landmark Best Brewery Best Visitors’ Center Best Winery Best State Park Best Bar Best Campground Best Pizza Best Romantic Getaway Best Hot Dog Best Summer Getaway Best Pepperoni Roll Best Winter Getaway Best Ice Cream Best Body of Water
ARTS, CULTURE, and SHOPPING
Best Scenic View
Best Art Gallery
Best Outdoor Adventure Company
Best Museum
Best Place to Hike
Best Music Venue
Best Golf Course
Best Natural Wonder Best Bed & Breakfast
DID WE MISS ANYTHING? Feel free to write in your own categories and candidates.
Best Hotel or Inn Best Resort Best Spa
COMMUNITY Best Festival Best Parade Best Local Nonprofit Best Local Park Best Main Street Best Farmers’ Market Best Hair Salon Best Dance Studio Best Real Estate Agency Best Local Pharmacy Best Hospital Best Local TV News Best Local Radio Station Best Local Newspaper
PEOPLE Best Artist Best Band/Musician Best Mayor Best Author Best Chef Best West Virginian
Best of West Virginia Call for NOMINATIONS
2014 Best Towns What's the best thing about your town?
We want to know which towns YOU think are the best (and why) for shopping, eating, nightlife, the great outdoors, and more. Submit your nominations and we'll choose the top three in each category for a second round of voting.
Nominations must be submitted by June 15, 2014. Voting begins June 17, 2014 and ends July 1, 2014.
categories Best Town for the Arts Best Town for Food Best Town for the Outdoors Best Town for Nightlife Best Town for Shopping Best Town to Raise a Family In Best Up-and-Coming Town Best Historic Town Town with the Most Community Pride Best College Town Most Unusual Town Best Town to Retire In
Submit your nominations online: wvliving.com/besttowns Or mail in your nominations: New South Media Best Towns 709 Beechurst Avenue, Suite 14A Morgantown, WV 26505
spotlight Fantasy Farm in Unger in the Eastern Panhandle has more than a dozen statues that come from all over the U.S.
road trip
Wild and Colossal These roadside attractions will have you making a U-turn in no time.
28 wvl • summer 2014
discovering the weird side of roadside attractions is an attraction in itself. Somewhere between a one-lane road and the failure of a GPS, apprehension rises and that adventurous spirit starts to fade. Just when you’ve decided you’re turning around at the next wide spot in the road, you see something, well, weird. If you happen to be in Unger in the Eastern Panhandle as this scene unfolds, you’ll be seeing a collection of giant statues that defy sanity. You’ve arrived at Fantasy Farm. George Farnham is the “farmer” here, cultivating an array of larger-than-life sculptures—like the 25-foot tall Muffler Man that presides over his yard—and other kitsch for his ever-growing collection. A roller coaster with a car full of Simpsons—the
cartoon kind—winds its way through one corner of the yard and a purple barn serves as the backdrop for a giant Santa in the other. Curious travelers are always welcome to stop and gawk. If George and his wife, Pam, happen to be around, you can also get a lesson in the history of this unique collection. Some of the pieces have made the trek to Unger from as far as California, and each one has a befittingly quirky story for such a quirky place. “The Farnham Colossi,” as it’s been dubbed by Roadside America, is the mecca of weird, but other parts of the state have their fair share of peculiarity. See the map for more weird attractions to check out on your next adventure. written and photographed by
elizabeth roth
Let us guide you to these one-of-a-kind state wonders across West Virginia. Barboursville Pink Elephant According to the Barboursville Pink Elephant Facebook page, the statue used to be in Michigan and was brought to a gift shop in Barboursville in 1970. 5958 U.S. 60 Barboursville, WV 25504
Bridgeport Giraffe Head west on Route 50 from Bridgeport and the giraffe will be on your left, right next to Alfred Construction.
Fantasy Farm From Berkeley Springs head south on 522 for two miles until you hit Winchester Grade Road. Follow it 14 miles, then turn left at the Unger Store. Fantasy Farm is 1.5 miles, on the left.
Minnehaha Hiawatha's wife stands outside of Hiawatha's Jewelry and Crafts store in Elkins. 100 Executive Office Plaza Junction US 219-250 South and US 33 East Elkins, WV 26241
Huntington Rafting Elephant (and friends) This adventurous elephant reflects the kid-friendly atmosphere inside Huntington Pediatric Dentistry & Orthodontics. 451 Kinetic Drive Huntington, WV 25701 304.781.8600
wvliving.com 29
largest manufacturer of new steam whistles in the country. Mike certainly wasn’t the first hobbyist to try to build his own steam whistle, but he was better equipped for the task than most. An occasional prop designer for plays and Hollywood movies, he had plenty of experience building things from scratch. He plays a handful of instruments, all by ear, which is key for the whistles’ musical component. “There’s some science to it, but also some musical ability to it,” he says. “You have to hear the notes so you can hear the parameters on how tall the notes should be—if a whistle doesn’t sound right, it will sound like a stuck pig.” Plus, Mike had the perfect workspace: his dad’s workshop at D&M Welding in Fairmont. A proper production space is a major barrier for most new whistle makers—the equipment is expensive and requires a lot of space, and it takes a west virginian while to make money from who rocks something as niche as a new steam whistle. That’s part of the reason MD Whistles was able to move out of the sphere of hobbyists and casual train enthusiasts and into the realm of a sustainable business. “If A Fairmont railroad enthusiast whose you’re doing it by yourself, it’s work has appeared in Hugo is a leading hard to mass produce them, which you have to do to make authority on steam whistles. them affordable,” Mike says. eople who are interested in rail“We didn’t ever have that problem.” Mike road trains, especially old ones, works with his dad on the welding business are often also interested in their with the whistles as a side project, running parts: the rails, the steam powered out of the same shop. engines, and especially the steam Mike has liked trains since he was a child. whistles. Mike Daugherty is one of those His family is filled with “railroaders,” he people who is interested in trains—and their says—his father worked on the railroad, as whistles—so in 1999 he tried to build one of his did his mom’s father—and his childhood own. “That first one was so primitive, I didn’t visits to Cass Scenic Railroad inspired awe try again for a while,” he says. “But later on I in him. “The trains are always going sometried again, and they kept getting better.” A where,” he says. “And to me they were kind decade and thousands of whistles later, Mike is of like a live animal. With all that water and the owner of MD Whistles in Fairmont—the fire, it’s like they’re breathing.”
The Whistle Maker
P
30 wvl • summer 2014
Train buffs aren’t uncommon, and Mike’s reasons for building a whistle were the same as for many of the people who now purchase them from him—he liked the sound of the old steam whistle, but couldn’t afford an antique one of his own. “I got into the business so anybody who wants a steam whistle can have one,” he says. The whistles from antique trains can cost hundreds of thousands of dollars—many of Mike’s sell for less than $1,000. Mike’s designs are re-creations of antique steam whistles. To build them, he relies on antique patterns. “But I don’t have patterns for every model ever made,” he says—so his job also involves a lot of research. Sometimes the owner of an antique whistle will let him inspect it, measuring each of its components so he can try to re-create the whistle in his shop. “It’s a lot of trial and error,” Mike says. “You mess up a lot. But you have to squeeze a few lemons to get lemonade.” After years of work, he can make more than 250 types of steam whistles, everything from high-pitched single-note whistles to bigger models that chime six times. All of them are standard railroad size, so they could all fit real locomotives—even if that’s not where they end up. Since he started MD Whistles in 2005, Mike’s sold more than 1,800 whistles—to the largest avocado farm in California, the U.S. Coast Guard, and train collectors young and old, just to mention a few. Factories and farms often use them to call in workers from the fields or the floor, and sometimes they’re used to sound alarms. “These days people are so used to the electronic alarms going off, but when you decide to blow a steam whistle, they pay attention,” Mike says. There’s one other customer, a big one, who has gotten Mike a lot of attention—Martin Scorsese and his team on the movie Hugo. Hugo is about a young boy in the 1930s living alone in a Paris train station. The movie’s sound team wanted to do an authentic rendering of the station’s audio landscape, and they turned to Mike for help. A team spent several days in his studio in Fairmont and at Cass Scenic Railroad recording sounds made by Mike’s whistles. The sound team on Hugo eventually won two Oscars for its work: one in sound mixing and another in sound editing. “It feels great when stuff like that happens, when they come to me,” Mike says. “I’m just an average West Virginian who likes to play with train whistles. It’s fun to get paid to go play with trains.” 304.366.3488, mdwhistles.com written by shay
maunz
carla witt ford
spotlight
Our world is changing faster than ever, and next is becoming increasingly unpredictable. So how do you deal with accelerating complexity and growing uncertainty, all while leading an enterprise forward? What we’ve learned over Spilman’s 150-year history is this: the only way to control what comes next is to create it.
Next Clients rely upon Spilman for wise counsel, thought leadership and innovative practices. That’s a tradition we promise to carry forward. What’s next? Let’s shape it...Together.
spilmanlaw.com/next
West Virginia | Virginia | Pennsylvania | North Carolina Responsible Attorney, Michael J. Basile | 1.800.967.8251 | This is an attorney advertisement.
green thumb
Natural Explorations Support the West Virginia Nature Conservancy. If you’ve ever spent an afternoon fishing on Cheat Mountain or gone white water rafting at New River Gorge, then you’ve benefited from the West Virginia Nature Conservancy. The conservancy is a statewide organization that has been working to preserve West Virginia’s beautiful natural resources for more than 50 years. The organization currently protects some 120,000 acres in the state. Here are five lesser known preserves to check out, according to the conservancy: 1. Pike Knob in Pendleton County This area
has no formal trails, so make sure to pack snacks and plenty of water before you set out to explore. The park is about six miles outside of Franklin, off of U.S. 33 West. 2. Ice Mountain in Hampshire County
This gorgeous preserve is unique because it supports plants and wildlife like the twinflower and species generally found in more northern climates, including Alaska. The preserve is about 20 miles outside of Romney, off of Route 50 East. 3. Brush Creek in Mercer County If you’ve ever stopped at the scenic overlook between Beckley and Princeton, you’ve seen this beautiful preserve, complete with a stunning waterfall. You can reach the area from Pipestem via Route 20 South. 4. Slaty Mountain in Monroe County Slaty Mountain forms part of a rare habitat found only in central Appalachia called a shale barren. Enjoy spectacular bird-watching and fishing here. You can get there from Union, about 40 minutes away. Take Route 3 East toward the town of Sweet Springs. 5. Greenland Gap in Grant County This unusual site features a water gap—where water cuts a path through the mountain—as well as some prime fishing and bird-watching areas. Reach Greenland Gap from Petersburg by taking State Route 42 North. wv nature conservancy field office
194 Airport Road, Elkins, WV 26241, 304.637.0160 westvirginia@tnc.org, nature.org written by
32 wvl • summer 2014
courtney depottey
culture
Tyler Evert
First Lady Fashion “imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.” The West Virginia Federation of Women’s Clubs took this phrase to heart in 1976 when it first commissioned Charleston ceramic artist Edna Henderson to make lifelike dolls of our state’s beloved first ladies. This collection at The Culture Center is nearly up-to-date, thanks to help from artists Joanne Gelin and Ping Lau, immortalizing the first ladies at their inaugural balls. “This collection is important for a couple of reasons,” says Caryn Gresham, deputy commissioner of the West Virginia Division of Culture and History. “When you look at the dolls you get a real view on how fashion has changed over the years. It also gives a sense that there is more to the governor’s office than just the governor. Many of our first ladies have taken roles in issues in West Virginia. For example First Lady Gayle Manchin was really involved in education, and First Lady Joanne Tomblin is very active in military initiatives.” Most recently Maryland dollmaker Ping worked with First Lady Tomblin to create her likeness. After reviewing photos from the inaugural ball and taking measurements, Ping got started on her work, sending the First Lady sketches throughout the design process. The doll made its debut in early 2014. The First Ladies of West Virginia exhibit is on the second floor balcony of The Culture Center in Charleston. Dolls not yet on display are Sandy Wise, Rachael Worby, and Dee Caperton, but Caryn hopes those can be added soon. The exhibit also features dresses worn by former first ladies as well as fine china and silver used in the Governor’s Mansion. wvculture.org written by shawnee
moran wvliving.com 33
spotlight
preservation
behind them, successfully rallied to halt demolition. The group commissioned a feasibility study to look into the possibilities of repairing and reopening the pool. “It is an interesting building, and there’s nothing really wrong with it,” Iris says. “The pool will hold water, but we need to get new pumps and filtration Locals rally to save a historic, and have it rewired for electric. The watery landmark. bathrooms are old, and there’s a good bit that needs done before opening locals know it as the Marland Heights to the public.” Estimated costs for full repair pool. The more official name is the Margaret sit around $350,000, with plans spanning Manson Weir Memorial Pool, and it’s been a five phases, she says. With $50,000 already community staple in Weirton since 1934 when raised, work will begin on the first two phases major employer Weirton Steel gifted it to the in 2014. Iris says the group hopes to have the community. In 2005 the above-ground pool pool open by summer 2015. The building that accommodated generations of summer is one of six buildings on the Preservation fun was closed. Two years ago, it was nearly Alliance’s 2014 list of Endangered Properties demolished. of West Virginia. The alliance, a nonprofit “The pool was built by many people’s organization supporting the preservation of grandfathers, great-grandfathers, and uncles. the state’s historic buildings, is working with I spent my youth there swimming during the the Marland Heights Community Association summer,” says Iris Himmelrick, a member of to assist in the pool’s preservation by providing the organization pushing for the pool’s survival. grant writing and educational support. “The city decided two years ago they were Now the Marland Heights Community going to demolish the pool, and it’s such a Association and the city parks and recreation beautiful historic place I hated to see it go.” board are looking into ways to make the The Art Deco-style pool was designed by association a joint manager of the site to help Wesley Bintz, famous for the egg-shaped style with grant funding. The association would of pool exemplified in Weirton. The facility also be responsible for managing the pool if it was placed on the National Register of Historic opens again to public use. “It’s one of the few Places in 1993. In 2012 when the city claimed things left in the city that is historic,” Iris says. the building was too expensive to repair and “Things keep getting torn down and some do decided to demolish the structure, locals balked. need to be torn down, but this doesn’t and it’s Iris and five other community members formed an important part of our city’s history.” the Marland Heights Community Associawritten by katie griffith tion and, with the support of the neighborhood
Weirton’s Lifeguards
Brew Skies It’s becoming a West Virginia tradition: enjoying a tall glass of local craft beer and jamming out to area bands at the Brew Skies Festival. In 2014 the festival will take place July 25 and 26 at Canaan Valley Resort State Park with must-see bands like American Babies playing Americana, the Larry Keel Experience bringing the best in bluegrass, and local favorites The Davisson Brothers with southern rock ’n’ roll and country sounds. “With the local craft beer scene still on the rise, Brew Skies really seems to be gaining popularity entering our third year,” says Stephen Dilettoso, manager of marketing and sales at Mountain State Brewing Company. “Not only does the event itself have a lot to offer, but Canaan Valley and the surrounding areas also have so much to offer—camping, hiking, mountain biking, and even accommodations at the lodge on the festival grounds.” Tickets at the door cost $60 for the whole weekend or $35 for a day. Discounted tickets can also be purchased in advance. brewskiesfestival.com written by courtney
34 wvl • summer 2014
depottey
Marland heights community association; carla witt ford
music
event
The Roadshow Stops Here
A beloved public television show is coming to Charleston.
courtesy of jeff dunn for WGBH
a middle-aged woman in a blue sweater stands beside a modern-looking coffee table. She’s explaining its origins to an appraiser: She and her husband purchased it on a whim in 1974 from furniture designer George Nakashima. They paid $200. The appraiser chimes in. “I’ve seen a lot of Nakashima pieces in my time, and this one is about a 10,” he says. He notes the surface has been damaged by exposure and in the audience you hold your breath—has the antique been ruined? No, he says, it can be fixed with a simple coat of linseed oil. You breathe a sigh of relief and watch the woman in blue do the same. Finally the appraiser gives his verdict. “One of these sold last year for about $25,000,” he says. There’s a dramatic pause before he continues. “So I would estimate this piece at auction at $20,000 to $25,000.” The woman is elated. “Oh my goodness,” she says, shaking her head in disbelief. This is Antiques Roadshow, the beloved public television program that puts everyday Americans and their antiques in a showroom with master appraisers and documents the results. This episode was shot in Boise,
Idaho, last year, but scenes like it could soon be playing out in West Virginia. The show is coming to Charleston on August 16, 2014. Antiques Roadshow is the highest-rated show on PBS—nearly 10 million people watch it each week—and by far the most popular show on West Virginia Public Broadcasting. Its impending arrival is causing a stir among antiques collectors and public broadcasting enthusiasts alike. “It’s been a big deal,” says Scott Finn, executive director of West Virginia Public Broadcasting. “We’ve had a lot of interest.” Tickets are free but limited, and more than 16,000 people applied for them. The lucky 6,000 who received tickets allowing them to bring antiques to the Charleston Civic Center were selected by a random drawing. The day of the show is like a revolving door of appraisals. Guests wait in line for a bit, then get face time with an expert. Attendees find out how much their items are worth—you can bring anything you’d like to know more about— though only a dozen or so make it onto each episode. The national show will use the material filmed in Charleston to create three one-hour shows, and West Virginia Public Broadcasting will create even more programming from the material, like an after-show available just to West Virginia audiences. “We’re going to make the most of it,” Scott says. “We see this as another chance for us to tell West Virginia’s story. We think this is a way to open people’s minds and to give them insight into our unique history and culture.” written by shay
maunz wvliving.com 35
community
Girl Scouts in the City
A new Girl Scout facility in Charleston offers a twist on the classic club for girls. it seems the only thing that has stayed nine in Ohio, three in Virginia, and one the same about the iconic Girl Scouts are the cookies. The troops of today are a far cry from the troops of your grandmother or mother— today’s girls use “text-athons” to sell cookies and get badges in digital arts. In Charleston all of that is happening at the Black Diamond Council’s new, modern facility. Opened in late 2013, the facility is like a Girl Scout beehive. The all-purpose building houses the council’s administrative offices as well as a spacious Girls Zone for visiting Girl Scout troops and camps. That zone is equipped with a dormitory of 12 bunk beds to sleep 24 girls, plus rooms for chaperones and a common area. The building has modern conveniences like Wi-Fi, but there’s outdoor space, too, with a fire pit—Girl Scouts still like fire pits in the 21st century. The whole building reflects a modern, urban environment in Charleston, and it’s not at all rustic. “It serves a very real need,” says Kathy Storage, the council’s manager for events and camps. “We can do things here we couldn’t do anywhere else.” One afternoon this spring Kathy was hosting a spring break camp for a dozen girls from throughout the council—which includes 51 counties in West Virginia, plus 36 wvl • summer 2014
in Maryland. It was rainy and cold that afternoon, so the girls brought their crafts inside. They spent the afternoon comfortable and dry inside, making bracelets from rubber bands and practicing songs. “If we’d been camping and this had happened, we would be rained out,” Kathy says. “But this space really lets us do a diverse set of activities.” Girls also use the facility as a home base as they explore urban Charleston. That’s great for the Black Diamond Council, which encompasses counties that are mostly rural. “So a girl who comes from a rural area might want to get a feel for the city, instead of the other way around,” says Jennifer Brown, the Black Diamond Council’s director of community engagement. Plus, it’s a great place to learn about government, business, and art—all things that are important to young girls today. “I think people look at Girl Scouts as being cookies, crafts, and camps, but it’s not really about that anymore,” Jennifer says. black diamond girl scouts council
321 Virginia Street West, Charleston, WV 25302 304.345.7722, bdgsc.org written by shay
maunz
photographed by elizabeth
roth
local flavor
Ellen’s Ice Cream
ellen’s ice cream might just be the happiest spot in Charleston. The decor is bright and inviting, the staff bubbly, the food guilt-free, and the ice cream delicious— and what’s happier than that? This little gem of an ice cream shop is a favorite among Charleston locals. On any given day, everyone from schoolchildren to state politicos can be seen at Ellen’s, lapping up cones of homemade ice cream in unique flavors. The everchanging menu includes everything from raspberry chocolate chip and espresso oreo to seasonal blends like lavender and tangerine. It’s not all ice cream though. Ellen’s also sees a flurry of activity around lunch hour, when the office set comes in for the healthy, organic, homemade food. Staples include the fresh hummus and grilled peanut butter and jelly sandwich, but the kitchen staff also cooks up a new soup and salad lunch special every weekday. You could eat at Ellen’s every day and never be bored. Don’t believe it? Just ask the restaurant’s dedicated crew of regulars. Owner Ellen Beal decided to open Ellen’s back in 1997, when she moved home to Charleston after spending time in Boston studying the flute. During her time in New England she fell in love with the creamy homemade ice cream that region is known for—and thought West Virginia could use a taste of it too. Now Ellen’s ice cream is a Charleston staple. And Ellen herself is a staple in her store—she’s often behind the counter, advising customers on flavor profiles or running the register—and in the local music scene. She plays the flute in the West Virginia Symphony Orchestra. ellen’s ice cream
225 Capitol Street, Charleston, WV 25301, 304.343.6488, ellensicecream.com
wvliving.com 37
spotlight At Fish Hawk Acres, from, too. Sign up for you don’t just eat the the dinner series at finest meals, but you wvfishhawkacres.com. learn where they come
mark your calendar
mint. This is a typical start to an evening of food and education during a Fish Hawk Acres dinner. “The goal is to get people reconnected with food,” says Chef Dale Hawkins, owner and operator Chef Dale Hawkins of Fish Hawk of Fish Hawk Acres. After a healthy dose of savoring Acres offers a monthly farm dinner and socializing, the hosts offer series featuring local farms and the culinary adventurers a tour of food in Upshur County. the farm. For the next half-hour they tour 27 acres of tomatoes, peppers, corn, herbs, root crops, magine you’ve signed up for one of and watermelon and learn about the process Fish Hawk Acres’ monthly farm of planting and growing. “People are surprised dinners. On the third Thursday of the by the vastness of the farm and the varieties month at 6 p.m. you drive onto the of produce,” Dale says. With 30,000 tomato Fish Hawk Acres farm in Rock Cave plants, 20 varieties of lettuce, and 50 types of and are greeted by 5,000 strawberry plants herbs, there’s plenty to see. and stunning wildflowers. You gawk at the By the time they’ve completed the tour, long rows of green plants as you amble toward guests have worked up an appetite. That’s a the pavilion with several dozen fellow dinner good thing because they’re about to enjoy an guests. You’re welcomed by the farm staff and a explosion of fresh flavors and textures. “My succulent hors d’oeuvre of oysters with bacon favorite thing is watching people eat local fresh and spinach or homemade Boursin cheese food for the first time and seeing how their with seasonal crudités. The snack is paired faces light up. I love to make people happy with with a seasonal cocktail—Bloody Mary, Jack food,” Dale says. Depending on the month, Rabbit (ginger, carrot juice, and vodka), or dinner includes local burgers from Hawthorne fresh lemonade with tequila and chocolate Valley Farm, corn-encrusted West Virginia
Farm Fare
I
38 wvl • summer 2014
rainbow trout, or grilled marinated flank steak with spicy Thai noodles. Side dishes are sugar snap peas, baby heirloom carrots, and parmesan grits or grilled summer squash with roasted Yukon gold potatoes. During dinner, guests hear from the people who have grown, caught, raised, and crafted the items on the table. “I want to educate people about how modern food can be grown in a way that is sustainable.” Dale says. “There’s nothing like eating food that was picked, cooked, and served on the same day. I want people to experience that.” But delicious dinners are just a small part of Dale’s mission. Along with Fish Hawk Acres’ community supported agricultural program and kitchen, Dale also runs New Appalachian Farm and Research Center, a nonprofit dedicated to promoting economic development and community through building food systems in West Virginia. “It’s about getting people to put healthy foods into their bodies,” Dale says. “And buying local foods keeps the wealth local and promotes the well-being of the community.” fish hawk acres
1 Fish Hawk Drive, Rock Cave, WV 26234, 304.924.9880 wvfishhawkacres.com
written by bethany dzielski photographed by carla witt ford
spotlight
event
Setting the Stage
The Contemporary American Theater Festival presents some of America’s newest plays in one of West Virginia’s oldest towns. Shepherdstown is steeped in history. Civil War buffs flock to visit nearby battlefields of Harpers Ferry and Antietam, basking in the rustic ambience of towns that date back to the 1700s. But across more than four weeks in July and August, a different kind of tourist journeys to Shepherdstown to watch as the modern and traditional collide. Theater lovers from all over the country attend the Contemporary American Theater Festival (CATF) at Shepherd University to get a first look at five of America’s newest plays in rotating repertory—they can see all five productions in just two or three days from July 6, 2014, to August 3, 2014. When freelance director Ed Herendeen arrived at Shepherd University in 1991, he was looking to start a professional theater on campus. In time the university president hoped to start a Shakespeare festival, but Ed pointed out there were already a few major Shakespeare theaters in the D.C. area, and so he proposed another idea: creating a place for brand new plays to grow and develop. Ed was hired as the producing director on the spot, and since its founding, the CATF has produced 100 new plays, including 37 world premieres and 10 commissions, gaining a reputation as one of America’s most important incubators for new work. 40 wvl • summer 2014
Every fall Ed travels to New York where he receives pitches from literary agents who know his thirst for socially relevant plays. “I look for plays that are engaged with life itself, plays that are an intrinsic part of our human existence,” he says. “When I’m reading new work, I seek illumination, deep feeling, confirmation, alienation. And I’m very interested in the criticism of society. But I only select plays I am compelled to produce.” In his quest to find those plays that “hit him in the gut,” he reads a hefty pile of scripts—for the upcoming 2014 festival, he read 125—that he narrows down to 12 and then to five after determining how the roles in each will mesh in one acting company. Ed says the works present a panorama of the American landscape. This year’s plays confront some controversial subjects. The lineup will include Uncanny Valley by Thomas Gibbons, a story that raises ethical questions about artificial intelligence, and One Night by Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Charles Fuller, which tackles sexual assault in the military. The festival has seen staggering success in its 24 years. The CATF started with a $100,000 budget and is now up to $1.2 million, generating a local economic
The Contemporary impact of $2.1 milAmerican Theater Festival lion into the Eastern in Shepherdstown is an Panhandle—the local opportunity to see some of the best new plays before hotels and merchants almost anyone else. call it “Christmas in July.” With attendance figures growing nearly 30 percent since 2010, the CATF now sells almost 14,000 tickets each year, and there’s plenty to satisfy the intellectual appetite. The 2014 festival will feature free lectures, stage readings, discussions, thematic classes, late-night classes, and an art exhibition, too. Patrons can also purchase audience immersion tickets to have breakfast with Ed and the artists to discuss the plays. But what really makes the CATF special is the dialogue between the artists and audience. Because these are new plays, the audience plays a big role in shaping them, providing valuable feedback for the playwrights both through their reactions during the performance and through thoughtful conversation at other events. “A lot of our plays are pretty provocative—they talk about current issues, politics, social ideas. There’s a lot of stuff to chew on,” says James McNeel, managing director of the CATF. “We want to create a forum for that conversation to occur. We want to encourage people to go beyond the work onstage, and it happens organically. At the local bed-and-breakfast, everybody who’s staying there on a weekend is here for the festival, so those folks are running into each other and they’re talking about the shows at breakfast or at dinner downtown, wherever it might be.” The intensity of a CATF weekend sparks interaction. “If you’re in an urban area and you go see a show at a theater, you may go with your
partner, sit there for a couple of hours, get on the subway, and go home,” says James. “Here it’s a little bit different. You’re really here for two days, maybe three nights, and everybody’s talking about the theater around you. It really encourages the conversation.” As with every season, Ed is most excited to share his passion for new American theater with the public. “I’m very excited in particular about these plays. We live in such a turbulent and dangerous world right now, but all five of these writers have their ears to the ground. They’re listening to America. They’re listening to American stories. And they’re telling uniquely important American stories in their own voices.” The festival takes place July 11 to August 3, 2014. Regular single ticket price is $59. catf.org written by alexis kessel photographed by seth freeman
The Lineup The Ashes Under Gait City by Christina Anderson Many years before trains, planes, and automobiles, the fictional town of Gait City, Oregon, burned to the ground. They rebuilt the city, but forgot the black people. Internet guru Simone the Believer launches a campaign to encourage black Americans to migrate to Gait City and reclaim their roots. Dead and Breathing by Chisa Hutchinson This beautiful comedy about a terminally ill woman and her hospice care worker chronicles the friendship that develops between them through the course of the play. One Night by Charles Fuller Two Iraq war veterans arrive at a seedy motel looking to start a new life. This play deals with the controversial topic of sexual assault in the military and is also a mystery, which unfolds in one night. Uncanny Valley by Thomas Gibbons (in affiliation with InterAct Theatre Company and San Diego Repertory Theatre): Set in the near future, neuroscientist Claire works with Julian, an artificial being, on becoming human. North of the Boulevard by Bruce Graham Set in a mechanics’ garage, this comedy about the diminishing middle class features three childhood friends and one crusty old man facing a moral dilemma that they must solve through the course of the play. wvliving.com 41
spotlight
don’t miss
The 2013 festival “On Friday and Saturday invited guests to evenings, once it starts watch white oak basket-making cooling off, jam sessions techniques, join in spring up everywhere and a singalong on the last into the wee hours of lawn, or enjoy music by a contestant in a the night,” David says. Friday night features more fiddle contest. than 50 banjo and fiddle competitions and younger musicians compete Celebrate Appalachian music and crafts at the on Saturday night. “It’s tradition that the West Virginia State Folk Festival in Glenville. younger folks can’t compete against the older folk. In the earlier years, the people over 50 the sounds of fiddles and banjos fill who practiced traditional crafts or played grew up with the music, while the younger the air and your stomach growls as the scents traditional music. Sixty-plus years later, group picked it up secondhand,” David says. of barbecue chicken and cornbread waft by. the West Virginia State Folk Festival is the “The great thing about the festival is you Antique cars sit in neat rows while curious longest continuously running traditional can watch a master perform on stage and passersby peek under their hoods. The yearly festival in the country. “It’s so rewarding to see then play with them later that evening.” The West Virginia State Folk Festival in Glenville the traditional music and craft pass down to festival also includes vocal music—a gospel begins on the third Thursday each June as a younger generations as a result of the festival,” sing and singing workshop as well as a church celebration of old-time music, square dancing, says David O’Dell, president of the festival. service with traditional gospel singing on and Appalachian arts and crafts. “The festival draws people from all over the Sunday. “Singing happens wherever we sit The festival began in 1950 when Patrick country and even from around the world.” down,” says Ginny Hawker, longtime festival Gainer, a professor at Glenville State College, At the folk festival, music happens attendee. “I moved here in 1977 because of taught a summer folklore class and asked everywhere—on-stage, in parking lots, on the the folk festival, and I’ve been going ever students to find people in the community street, anywhere old-time pickers congregate. since. I was absolutely knocked out. I didn’t
Crafts From the Past
42 wvl • summer 2014
spotlight
“I didn’t think life looked like this anymore—where music was such an integral part of life.”
too. “There’s such a resurgence of interest by high school kids. It’s great to see all different ages out there on the dance floor,” she says. Another festival tradition is the Folk Festival Belles. Each county in West Virginia is invited to nominate one belle, a woman 70 years old or older who has significantly contributed to her family and her community throughout her life, to represent their county as part of the festival. “The belles are very important,” ginny hawker, festival attendee Ginny says. “They get treated like royalty, and they stay busy with teas and a banquet dinner.” The belles wear long dresses and bonnets and think life looked like this anymore—where participate in the parade on Saturday morning. music was such an integral part of life.” “One belle told me, ‘I only wanted two things If you aren’t at the festival for the banjo in life—to win a Golden Horseshoe award and or fiddle, chances are you’re there for square to be a Folk Festival belle,’” Ginny laughs. dancing. On Fridays and Saturdays, the As the belles mingle with old friends old-time dancing starts at 8 p.m. “It’s very and the musicians play in the streets, many participatory. Beginners are welcome. If the festivalgoers enjoy the craft vendors and special experienced dancers find someone who wants sessions. “Unlike other festivals, we limit our to learn, they put them in a set with a bunch vendors to only those things that are of the of experienced dancers, and by the time the traditional craft,” David says. You’ll see things evening’s over they know the moves,” David like handmade pottery and leather goods, not says. Ginny enjoys watching the square dancing, store-bought items. Meanwhile, storytelling
Shoppers love the tents enthrall listeners, the general store. A past quilt show displays beautiful belle takes a break masterpieces, and sessions among the handmade quilts, while canning on basket-making and demonstrations are jelly-making expose a new held in the church generation to crafts from the kitchen. You can also past. “This year we even have buy local crafts like hand-carved birds. a banjo maker who will be making a banjo during the festival,” David says. A cornhole tournament, cakewalk, spelling bee, and duck race ensure there’s something for all ages. Athletic attendees can also compete in a 5K, and foodies may compete in the Country Roads cast iron cook-off. And everyone loves the Saturday morning parade. While the festival is packed with activity for all to enjoy, its purpose is never far. “It’s to keep these traditions that are an integral part of the life of West Virginia alive,” Ginny says. “So that we can appreciate them, and so can other people from around the world.” 304.462.9644, wvstatefolkfestival.com written by bethany
dzielski witt ford
photographed by carla
wvliving.com 43
carla witt ford
Heirloom Beauties
Savor the summer with our delicious tomato recipes and ideas for great getaways in the Mountain State. pictured: fresh from the garden, page 74
A Taste of Home The Ambrosia Inn in Beckley brings people together. written by shay
maunz witt ford
photographed by carla
her itage | Lodging Not much has changed at Chef Sawsan Galal’s house since she converted it into a bed-and-breakfast. It’s still filled with souvenirs from her world travels, and she’s still in the kitchen every morning, cooking up elegant breakfasts for her guests. The Ambrosia Inn is situated on a lush, two-acre plot of land in the heart of Beckley. The grounds include a garden where owner Sawsan grows her own produce and a grape arbor that supplies enough grapes to make homemade grape preserves all year.
there’s something uniquely appealing about The Ambrosia Inn in the heart of Beckley. When you leave, you find yourself wishing you hadn’t been using words like “delightful” and “charming” and “wonderful” so casually all these years, so they would better serve you now. That might have something to do with the environs—the bed-and-breakfast is distinctly modern and elegant; just being inside it makes you feel that way, too. Or it may have something to do with Ambrosia’s owner and innkeeper, Sawsan Galal. She’s so warm and clever that once you meet her, you immediately want to be her friend. But it’s probably a combination of the two that lends the inn its charm. “The personality of the innkeeper goes into the feel of the inn,” Sawsan says. “I went to one bedand-breakfast in Virginia, and it had kind of a country look with quilts. Now that’s beautiful, but it’s not my style. But I appreciated it when I was there because the owners were very nice and it was very much like them. It didn’t clash with their personalities.” Sawsan opened The Ambrosia Inn in 2013. That is to say, last year she began inviting paying 48 wvl • summer 2014
guests to stay there—she’s been living in the home for years, ever since she, her husband, and their daughter moved to Beckley from Boston 18 years ago. But her daughter is out of the house now and her husband passed away three years ago, so Sawson decided to shift her attention toward a new project. “You learn to go through stages and not look back,” she says. A little over a year ago, she moved out of the master suite and into the third floor of the house—it was guest quarters before but makes for a perfect little apartment now with two bedrooms, a living room, and a bathroom—and started preparing the rest of the house for guests. She didn’t have to do much—she really just had to bring family photos from the lower floors up into her personal space and buy new linens. Sawsan and her husband had already done major remodeling on the early 20th century house when they moved in. It had been sitting vacant for four years. “There was carpet in the bathroom and in here,” Sawsan says, sitting at the kitchen counter, laughing at the memory of it. “I never understood that. And we painted—everything was avocado green like from the ’70s, and there were these panels with huge yellow and green
flowers. It was sensory overload. I modernized it.” These days the space is much more pleasant. It’s outfitted with lushly upholstered furniture in a neutral palette. It feels decadent but refined, classic but still modern. And every so often you’ll turn a corner and find something vaguely exotic—the house is filled with souvenirs from Sawsan’s world travels with her husband and from her visits to Egypt, where she was born. At many bed-and-breakfasts, the proprietors are preoccupied with the sleeping accommodations; meals are an afterthought. Not at The Ambrosia Inn. Sawsan’s background is in food—she’s a trained chef and was giving cooking lessons in the home before it was B&B. She takes pride in serving her guests a lovely breakfast each morning, whatever they like. “There’s nothing worse than seeing a food you don’t like on a plate in front of you,” she says. “If they want eggs every day, and some people do, I’ll make them eggs every day. If not I’ll make something new every day they’re here.” She uses fresh ingredients, locally sourced when possible and sometimes from her own backyard—she even has a grape arbor that makes for fresh grapes all summer and homemade grape
preserves all year. “People are always asking me, ‘What are we cooking this week?’” she says. “And I don’t know until I go to the supermarket because I have to see what looks good there.” You can book a cooking class during your stay or, if you live near Beckley, get on the mailing list and come as often as you’d like—some of Sawsan’s cooking students have been visiting for years. “And they’re good cooks. They aren’t people who didn’t know how to cook before,” she says. “But when I teach cooking I don’t teach the recipe; I teach techniques. Because when you teach technique you can take that and translate any recipe.” Sawsan sees The Ambrosia Inn as a way to fill her life with a cast of new faces—many of whom go on to become friends. She says food brings people together. “You can’t isolate yourself in life. You have to open yourself to people,” she says from Ambrosia’s kitchen, still messy from a beautiful breakfast she prepared that morning. She’s interrupted by a guest in the middle of that thought, coming in for a hug goodbye on her way out the door. When she leaves, Sawsan continues. “Your attitude is so important, your vibe,” she says. “If you open– yourself to the universe, the universe gives back. But if you close yourself off you’re done.” the ambrosia inn
611 North Kanawha Street, Beckley, WV 25801 304.253.0429, theambrosiainn.com
wvliving.com 49
Augusta Heritage A mountain festival draws visitors from around the world. written by katie griffith photographed by carla witt ford
wvliving.com 51
her itage | Art
four-fifths of the Nashville bluegrass band The SteelDrivers teaching.” Missouri native Joe Newberry has been an Augusta regular since 1993. Joe is an internationally renowned banjo player, guitarist, fiddler, and singer, with a clarity to his music that makes his songs easily recognizable by fans. For the last six years Joe has coordinated Augusta’s Old-Time Week the best part of a mountain jam, with one of Augusta’s most easily recognized musicians might tell you, is the unspoken qualities in mind—relationships. “One of my cooperation between instrumentalists, singers, favorite things about Augusta would be the and dancers. By the simple touch of a knee beginning of the week when you see little or a nod of the shoulder, strangers play to the reunions with people who know each other guidance of an invisible conductor and create from years past,” Joe says. “My second favorite haunting melodies or foot-stomping tunes. is the end of the week with the hugs and the Modern West Virginia isn’t all flannel good-byes and knowing next year they’ll have shirts, overalls, and banjos, but traditional the first-day reunion all over again.” Intimate arts practiced around the state continue to class sizes and community spirit make the thrive at the Augusta Festival in Elkins. Augusta Festival one-of-a-kind, attendees The annual festival brings together the best say. Walking along the grassy lawns at D&E fiddlers and yodelers from West Virginia as during Augusta, visitors might see pockets of well as a cosmopolitan mix of national and musicians and artists spread among the trees international visitors for a month of heritage practicing or participating in an impromptu arts centered around community and friendship. jam session. At night, after classes and meals “I saw Augusta as a really unique networking are over, you can hear it. “It’s like a car radio opportunity, not just on a professional level but a signal picking up different stations,” Joe says. personal level,” says Emily Oleson, coordinator “Even though different groups are playing for Augusta’s dance program. “People are united different tunes, there’s a flow to it. There’s an by an interest in traditional arts, and it gives intensity. Some jam sessions are big and play life to a lot of lifelong friendships.” like a freight train with a lot of folks. In other The Augusta Festival, presented by the sessions people are playing knee-to-knee right Augusta Heritage Center, is a month-long at each other. The levels of communication celebration of America’s traditional arts— when folks are playing this kind of music Appalachian to Irish to Cajun to hip-hop— is incredible.” Stay late enough and the fog including music, crafts, and dance. Augusta starts rolling down the mountains, giving the Heritage takes its name from one of West campus an otherworldly glow. In the morning, Virginia’s historic monikers during early as the mist clears, people are still there and settlement periods, and its focus stretches ready to start all over again. back to early American settlement arts. The A popular but less impromptu moment festival is broken into five weeks, each with a at Augusta is the Onion Jam session—one theme, during which students and instructors of the most magical events of the Old-Time live on the campus of Davis & Elkins Week, Joe says. The Onion Jam takes its College (D&E) for intensive class time and name from the layers of music and talent workshops. “People come for a full week involved. The staff begins playing a song and and participate in really in-depth experiences students and instructors alike can move in with whatever they’re interested in,” says Beth and out of the session as they choose. This King, Augusta director and general manager of type of event is where the real instruction D&E’s Myles Center for the Arts. “Someone at Augusta takes place, Joe says. “I didn’t might come for Early Country Week to study learn music by traditional instruction. I vocals with Ginny Hawker in the morning and would go find people to play with,” he says. take Cajun fiddling classes in the afternoon.” “You start at the outside of the circle with Class instructors are often legends in their the goal of moving into the middle. People fields. “Every week has people who are just can self-select. A beginning student often stellar,” Beth says. “During Old-Time Week thinks they’ll never be able to play, but if you we have Joe Newberry, who you’ll often get thrown off the horse there are a bunch of hear on A Prairie Home Companion, and Jim people playing and you can jump back on.” Watson. During Bluegrass Week we have Participants interact as if in a dance during 52 wvl • summer 2014
Art | her itage
“The levels of communication when folks are playing this kind of music is incredible.” joe newberry clockwise from opposite
This festival offers much to see, hear, and even buy—from Cree Lahti Ceramics earrings to Shaffer Pottery
mugs and Allegheny Treenware. Baskets and rocking chairs beckon to passersby, while guests can get up close and personal with the basket-making
process and other crafts. You’ll find no shortage of felt crafts, pottery, and, of course, music, including the sounds of Joe Newberry, who looks forward to Augusta every year.
wvliving.com 53
her itage | Art clockwise
Children love the activity tent, and tents for art lovers of all ages line Elkins’ park walkways during the festival. Musicians gather at the Pickin’ Porch tent for a jam session, while guitars come in all shapes and sizes. You can find CDs and T-shirts to support the local artists you meet at the events. Dancers are also on-hand to demonstrate flatfooting.
54 wvl • summer 2014
Art | her itage
these sessions, with instrumentalists diving in and bowing out almost seamlessly. If one stumbles, it’s met with a round of friendly laughter, and the dance continues. “People coming to the workshops will take this community love back to where they live and look for jam sessions, build a jam session, or find a singing partner,” Joe says. “The Augusta community helps build a wider community.” Emily spent two years as a student before returning to Augusta as an instructor and coordinator for the dance program. She’s now spent about 12 years at the festival and watched it ebb and flow with the interests of participants. Always, though, the intimacy that defines Augusta remains. “The class size is an attraction,” she says. “Student-teacher ratio is everything. If you want to go to a large city and study with an internationally known artist with 200 or 300 people in the room, there are plenty of opportunities for that. But at Augusta you’ll have the same quality of instructor and one-on-one time.” Sprinkled between Augusta’s famous music classes are craft classes ranging from Cajun cooking to blacksmithing and basket making
to pottery. Visitors might also find an accordion or fiddle repair class thrown in. Festival and class attendance hits the thousands each year, but prospective students can usually find room, Beth says. “It’s always worth checking to see if there is space in a class, even if it seems too late. We offer such a broad range of classes and levels that we try to make sure there’s room,” she says. This year’s festival begins July 6 with Cajun/Creole and Early Country Music Week. Blues and Swing Week follows, then Irish Week, Bluegrass Week, and Old-Time, Vocal, and Dance Week. The five weeks are capped with a weekend festival August 8 to 10. The people of Elkins and beyond descend on D&E during the final festival for concerts, food, demonstrations, and shopping handmade crafts. Festival visitors will find dancing, singing, and a bit of neighborly competition to snag the best pieces in the craft show, says Scottie Roberts Wiest, a professional potter and longtime vendor at the festival’s juried craft market. “There are always early shoppers who come out to look for unusual, one-of-a-kind pieces. I personally try to look for Christmas and birthday gifts.”
Great music, good Due to the juried nature food, and plentiful of the show, visitors will art keep folks coming find the best of Appalachia’s back to Augusta again and again. crafts and the selection draws people from around the world. “I was told before we started going to Augusta that it was the best one-day show in West Virginia, and I’ve found that to be true,” says Tom Doak, a popular furniture builder. In addition to pottery, jewelry, and Tom’s handmade rocking chairs, visitors will find an assortment of handmade instruments from dulcimers to guitars. This year’s festival will feature one of West Virginia Public Broadcasting’s famous Mountain Stage concerts, too. Mountain Stage is a nationally renowned radio show that’s been documenting music for more than 30 years. “It’s a beautiful setting on a nice summer day,” Beth says. “Whether it’s someone performing on an official stage or one of the jams that pops up under a tree, it’s a great day. You hear a touch of bluegrass from one side and a little bit of Irish from another, or an oldtime jam and a bit of gospel. People come back year after year to spend the day visiting with friends and taking everything in.”
wvliving.com 55
Travel to Williamson Williamson is reinventing itself with the help of its history. written by shay
maunz photographed by nikki bowman
her itage | Travel
williamson is a spirited little place. It’s a town with a legacy of feuding families and booming coal mines, situated on the banks of a fitful river deep in the Appalachian Mountains in the heart of the southern coalfields. It’s a place where perseverance is worn like a badge of honor—it’s not that people don’t flourish there, too, it’s just that in Williamson they understand the order of things: First you deal with adversity, then you move on to prosperity. Take the Mountaineer Hotel downtown and its experience after the flood of 1977, when the river reached heights of 52 feet, more than 25 feet above flood level. “The hotel has operated as a hotel every single day since it opened in 1925,” says Manager Edna Thompson. “Through the flood, through everything, it’s always been open. It’s crazy for a little tiny town like us.” When the Mountaineer’s current owner bought the hotel, employees were still shoveling mud left by the flood out of the basement—and that was in 1996, more than 20 years later. But in true Williamson spirit, the Mountaineer stayed open—and kept shoveling—all those years. Once the mud was finally gone, they set to work remodeling, beautifying, and restoring the building. “We’re pretty proud of it now,” Edna says. “It’s really come back to life.” It was in that same spirit that the town spent years rebuilding itself and, in 1991, built a floodwall to protect the city from the river. Now it’s time for Williamson to thrive. In 2010 the population of Williamson was nearly 3,200. That’s a far cry from its heyday, when 12,000 people lived in the town with its bustling train station and coal mines, but today the city is re-imagining itself as the center of a tourism region based around a world-class system of ATV trails, southern West Virginia’s rich coal mining history, and the escapades of a couple clans of 19th-century mountaineers.
Past Made Modern
Today the Mountaineer Hotel is a stately old hotel. The lobby exudes a warm kind of grandeur that feels distinctly southern and distinctly of a bygone era: room keys are stored in pigeonholes and a mighty chandelier glitters overhead. Each of the hotel’s 116 rooms is named for a person who once stayed there, so each hallway is lined with a row of rooms and placards labeled with famous names like Eleanor Roosevelt, Paul Newman, and John F. Kennedy. The Coal House, home of the Tug Valley Chamber of Commerce and the town’s gift shop, is made from 65 tons of local coal—it was built as a publicity stunt in 1933. “They built this whole thing just as an advertisement for coal,” 58 wvl • summer 2014
says Cecil Hatfield, the Coal House’s resident historian. “Back then, not enough people knew about it, not like today.” A fire in 2010 gutted the interior of the building, prompting an extensive remodel. Now the inside is airy and modern, filled with West Virginia arts, crafts, and memorabilia. The application submitted in 1980 to place the Coal House on the National Register of Historic Places may best sum up its stature in the community. “Located on Courthouse Square, the Coal House occupies one of Williamson’s most prominent places,” it reads. “Both in physical setting and in the minds of this community.” Williamson is also home to a growing web of eateries that cater to both locals and tourists. A favorite among locals is Starters Sports Bar & Grill, which has been in business in downtown Williamson for 20 years. It’s the kind of place that has a steady stream of regular customers, but owner Kathe Whitt says newcomers feel at home there, too. “We know an out-of-towner when they walk in the door, but we treat them just like they’re an everyday customer,” she says.
“We make them feel like they belong.” There’s also a new coffee shop downtown, Righteous Brew, that caters to the lunch crowd with a light menu and daily specials. For breakfast, lunch, and dinner, try the soda shop at Hurley Drug Store. “We’re just what you’d expect out of a soda counter,” says the pharmacy’s owner, Nicole McNamee. “We’ve got a long bar with little round stools, and ice cream in the summer months.” Locals have been eating ice cream at that counter since the 1930s, and Nicole has experienced much of the shop’s history firsthand—she bought it in 1998, but her father owned the store in the 1960s.
After the Feud
Williamson sits smack dab in the middle of Hatfield and McCoy country, where these two families dueled for years in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, inspiring fascination in generations of Americans to come. “The question I get most often is, ‘Why are people still talking about the Hatfield and McCoy feud 100 years later?’” says Bill Richardson, a local
Travel | her itage clockwise
John F. Kennedy once stayed at the Mountaineer Hotel. Coal is still an important part of Williamson’s economy. The Main Street is lined with trees and hanging baskets. Righteous Brew Coffee House
is a popular place to grab a quick bite or a cup of Joe. The Tug Fork River flooded the town in 1977. Hurley’s Drugstore has been dishing out ice cream since the 1930s. Painted pigs are a colorful part of the Hatfield-McCoy legend.
wvliving.com 59
Hatfield Cemetery
Hatfield and McCoy expert and promoter of feud-related tourism. “These are extremely interesting characters who have great human flaws, who are overtaken by their passions, which results in these sort of bigger-than-life events. What it takes to make a great story is great characters and actions that are on the human scale that we can understand but go on to become something larger and more dramatic—and these stories do that.” There’s been a resurgence in interest in the Hatfield and McCoy story lately, spawned by a History Channel mini-series featuring Kevin Costner, and Williamson intends to take advantage of the publicity. Walking the streets of downtown, it feels like the entire town is in on it: Pigs—like the one at the center of one of the most epic arguments between the families—are everywhere. Not live pigs, but painted pig statues, about 2 feet tall, peer up at you from sidewalks or peek out from storefronts. “We did those last summer,” says Natalie Young, executive director of the Tug Valley Chamber of Commerce. “Local businesses bought the pigs, and they were painted by local high schoolers. They’re fun to have around. They keep the Hatfields and McCoys on your mind.” If you need a guide through feud country, Hatfield McCoy Guided Tours can show you the way. The company gives driving tours of Mingo County and Pike County, Kentucky, stopping at sites that are significant in the 60 wvl • summer 2014
story of the feud. If you prefer to tour the area without a guide, you can try the HatfieldMcCoy Trails, one of the longest professionally maintained trail systems for off-road vehicles in the world. It winds through several counties in southern West Virginia, but the Buffalo Mountain Trail System is the stretch that starts in Williamson. It’s a relatively low-key section of the trail and takes riders through more territory relevant to the feud than any of the other trails in this sprawling system. For a more whimsical kind of feud immersion, try the Hatfield McCoy House, a new bed-and-breakfast in downtown Williamson. It’s owned by Wendy Hackney, a descendant of both the Hatfields and the McCoys. “I have it on both sides, so it’s perfect,” she says. The historic house—the second oldest in Williamson—is outfitted as though the feuding families are still living there: She gave each of her favorite characters a bedroom and decorated it as though they are living there today. Roseanne—a McCoy who loved a Hatfield—has a wedding dress hanging in her bedroom, the dress she never got to wear. A journal on the nightstand tells the story of the two families through the eyes of the young girl. “It’s so fun for guests,” Wendy says. “I know this is one of the most fun things I’ve ever done. Today I was underneath a potty cleaning, and I thought, I am just so blessed to be here. I can’t even say how much I love this story and what we’re doing here in town.”
This is the burial site of the storied Anderson “Devil Anse” Hatfield, the leader of the Hatfield clan, along with most of his children. When Devil Anse died in 1921, of pneumonia at the age of 80, his remaining children commissioned a life-sized sculpture of the patriarch that now serves as his headstone. “Devil Anse had a reputation as a crack shot that was known throughout the mountainous region of the two states,” read his obituary in the Bluefield Daily Telegraph, published on January 8, 1921, now preserved in the state archives. “And at the age of 70 he could shoot a squirrel out of the tallest timber. He often turned the trick for admirers, with the old rifle he carried ready for action at all hours, and with which during the early ’80s, he would shoot on sight any member of the McCoy family.” In the years since his death, this cemetery has become a touchstone for generations of people entranced by the feud and the largerthan-life character that was Devil Anse Hatfield. “It’s probably the most iconic site in the Hatfield and McCoy feud,” says Bill Richardson, a local Hatfield and McCoy expert. “When most of the people think about visiting a site related to the feud, that life-sized statue of Devil Anse is the image that pops into their heads. For years people have been coming here, using this image to get a grasp of him.” The cemetery is a little more than 25 miles out of Williamson, along U.S. 52 South. There’s a short hike from the road to the gravesites.
the shoppes at seneca center Âť 709 beechurst avenue, morgantown
Conversations | her itage
proud owner of a 1930s farmhouse, a big red barn, and 100 acres she calls Sassafras Farm. Suzanne is a teacher, photographer, farmer, and the author of more than 26 published novels. She writes a bimonthly column for the Charleston Daily Mail and is the creator of the wildly popular chickensintheroad.com. Her memoir Chickens in the Road: An Adventure in Ordinary Splendor was published in 2013 by HarperOne, an imprint of HarperCollins. You always wanted to live in a place that had chickens in the road, so your title is perfect. Are ordinary splendors all around us? Yes, finding ordinary splendor is what living a simple life affords. It gives us those slow moments, when we make bread, for example, instead of tossing a plasticwrapped loaf into the grocery cart, to stop and smell the roses, so to speak. I really believe everything is just too easy and too fast in today’s world. Why did you name Glory Bee’s new calf Moon Pie? I decided all my cows’ names should make someone smile, and they should have two names like Beulah Petunia (Glory Bee’s mom). When Glory Bee was born, I was so glad that, glory be, it was a girl, so I named her Glory Bee. Dumplin’s full name is Apple Dumplin. Moon Pie came from her coloring. She’s a sort of silvery-white, looks like the moon, so I came up with Moon Pie, which is also after the Moon Pie treat. How did you learn to bake the Grandmother Bread that is one of the delicious recipes in your book? (Recipe on pg 64) My mother taught me when I was 9 years old. She learned how to make bread from my father’s mother when my father brought her to West Virginia as a new bride. My grandmother learned from her mother, and so on, going back in time. When my grandmother was a little girl, it was her job to make bread for the family every day. That was what life was like in those days. Today we can buy bread from the store, but why? It’s so easy to make and doesn’t take much time at all.
Conversations with
Suzanne McMinn written by laura
treacy bentley | phtographed by suzanne mcminn
moon pie is the latest addition to Sassafras Farm. Her mom, Glory Bee, and big sister, Dumplin, welcomed the adorable new calf to the family. Suzanne McMinn, “former romance writer turned intrepid farm girl,” was there to witness and celebrate the birth. After moving from state to state all her life, Suzanne wanted a place to call home, “a place to call mine,” she says. So she left the city and brought her three children to rural Roane County and stayed for a couple of years in a 100-year-old farmhouse until a home was built in nearby Stringtown where she lived for four years. Today she is the
You even make lard and corn cob jelly from scratch and offer how-to workshops at Sassafras Farm. What has been the best part of your journey so far? For me, the best part of sharing old-fashioned and sometimes forgotten skills is how excited it makes people when they learn and realize that they can do it, that it’s not that hard, that they can be self-sufficient, if only in a few ways. It’s purposeful, for me and for them, and that is very satisfying. Have you made root beer from the sassafras that grows on your property? Yes. I have dug some sassafras roots and have also made tea and even sassafras tea soap. What brought you back to West Virginia? I was looking for some kind of challenge and connection within myself. I was drawn by the memories of my childhood summers here, the beauty, the peace, and the simplicity. I was looking for a sort of peace within myself, and West Virginia wvliving.com 63
her itage | Conversations
Suzanne McMinn now lives on a farm with her horses and other beloved animals in rural Roane County. She lives on 100 acres she calls Sassafras Farm and has become known for her popular website, chickensintheroad.com.
is well suited to the pursuit of a simpler life because there isn’t a lot of monetary wealth in this state. You can get out in the countryside, find quiet, live surrounded by the natural beauty, and leave the noise of “keeping up with the Joneses” behind.
Describe your first winters here and the reality of country living. If you can remember the romance of it while you’re carrying stacks of wood into the house when your pipes are frozen, your power is out, and you can’t get to the store or take the kids to school because the roads are covered with a foot of snow, you can probably get through it with your sense of humor intact. I’ve broken ice on a pond to bring water inside to flush the toilet. I’ve had to send my kids away for weeks at a time to stay with friends in town so they could get to school. I’ve had animals get sick and die when I couldn’t take them to a vet because the road was impassable. That is reality on a very remote farm. At times it could be heartbreaking, but fortunately it wasn’t like that every day, and every day that I overcame the challenge of difficult days to get to the beautiful days was a triumph. When your children come home, what do they do first? What stories do they tell? They 64 wvl • summer 2014
head for the kitchen because they’re always hungry! They all have close friends in the area and are eager to get in touch with them as soon as possible. Their favorite story is about how they had to walk through a foot of snow uphill both ways. And as those of us who live in West Virginia understand, uphill both ways is not an exaggeration.
What do you tell people outside of Appalachia about our state? I tell them about the beauty and simplicity of Appalachia every day in my blog by sharing the pictures and stories of the country and the people. I find the most difficult thing for people outside West Virginia to understand is how small the population is. People from other areas may mention their medium-size town of 50,000 to 60,000, and they’re shocked when I tell them the largest city in this state is barely that size. Have you grown as a writer by moving to West Virginia? I felt as if I discovered, almost by accident, what I was meant to write, and my own voice. I was fascinated by West Virginia and the country lifestyle. In embracing that completely, all of the passion I had for it came out in my writing. This affected my life as well as my career as I embraced following my passion
in every way, every day. Life is short, and it’s so easy to be lost in the race of our own lives. Focusing on the simple things, and elevating them to importance, slows our lives down enough to see each moment.
In addition to being a mother, a writer, and a farmer, you are an accomplished photographer. What draws you to photography? I don’t understand shutter speed or just about anything else on my camera, but I have a creative eye, and that is what leads me when I’m taking pictures. Sometimes I may take 50 or 100 pictures to get one great one. I’m led by passion in what I photograph and how I frame it, so in that way, my lack of technical knowledge may be a benefit. I’m not distracted by the technical process. I just follow my passion. Some of my favorite photographs are the ones that were completely on the fly, such as a rooster that perched on a handrail next to a glass of wine, as if he were relaxing at the end of the day with a drink. That picture is my favorite, too. Is it symbolic of your life now—country living mixed with a trace of city girl? Yes, I do feel as if the photo of the rooster with the wine is symbolic of my life today. I am still a city girl in so many ways, but I’ve also become a country girl, too.
Conversations | her itage
“We only see our lives by the page as we live it each day. It makes us better characters when we don’t know where our story is headed. I’m in the middle of the next story of my life now, and I have no idea where it’s going.” suzanne mcminn
wvliving.com 65
her itage | Conversations
Grandmother Bread 3 cups warm water 1 tablespoon yeast (1 packet) ¼ cup sugar 1 teaspoon salt 7 cups all-purpose flour 1. In a large bowl, combine water, yeast, sugar, and salt. Let sit five minutes. 2. Stir in first three cups of flour with a heavy spoon. 3. Add the next cup of flour a little at a time as needed, stirring until dough becomes too stiff to continue stirring easily. 4. Add a little more flour and begin kneading. The amount of flour is approximate—your mileage may vary. 5. Continue adding flour and kneading until the dough is smooth and elastic. 6. Let dough rise in a greased, covered bowl until doubled. (Usually about an hour.) 7. Uncover bowl; sprinkle in a little more flour and knead again before dividing in half. 8. With floured hands, shape dough into loaves and place in two greased loaf pans. 9. Tear off two pieces of waxed paper and grease with oil spray (to prevent it from sticking to the loaves as they rise) and cover loaf pans. 10. Let rise till loaves are tall and beautiful. (About an hour, depending on the temperature in your kitchen.) 11. Bake for 25 minutes in a preheated 350°. yield: 2 loaves
66 wvl • summer 2014
When you travel, what is one of your guilty pleasures? I don’t travel very much because it’s difficult to leave the farm. But when I go into the city to do some shopping, it’s a huge treat if I go through the drive-thru at McDonald’s and get a Big Mac. You visited the Calhoun County home of West Virginia pioneer woman Jane Jarvis and were inspired by her life, work ethic, and inner strength. What did you learn? The story of Jane’s life taught me that no matter how much of a pioneer I thought I was becoming, I was nothing like Jane. Jane couldn’t decide to forget it for the day and go to the city and get a Big Mac, for example. If her cow dried up, she couldn’t run to the store for a gallon of milk. True pioneers had no choices. They weren’t “finding themselves” by engaging in an old-fashioned simple lifestyle. It was just their lives. That’s a reminder to me that no matter how hard I intentionally made my lifestyle, I was still making a choice and was spoiled to have that choice. Have you found the strength you were seeking in the hills of West Virginia? I was looking for some kind of mysterious strength by testing myself against so many self-inflicted challenges. In the end, I think the strength we’re all looking for in our lives is the strength of our spirits and our wills. It took me a while to understand the answer was inside of me all along. You wrote, “Other people may have chosen to leave, but I chose to come, and I choose to stay.” Why? Since the end of World War II, many people have left the state in search of jobs and a better life, and I understand that. My father was one of those people. At the same time, I believe what West Virginia needs most is motivated, hard-working people who are willing to come and stay and be part of making this state everything it can be. What’s your next adventure? We only see our lives by the page as we live it each day. It makes us better characters when we don’t know where our story is headed. I’m in the middle of the next story of my life now, and I have no idea where it’s going. wvliving.com 67
her itage | Celebrations
Let’s Celebrate Outdoors! This summer take your children outside to connect with nature, family, and friends. written by
shawnee moran bowman
photographed by nikki
68 wvl • summer 2014
Celebrations | her itage
I
t’s summer—time to get the kids outside into nature and away from the television, computers, and handheld devices. We are joining the National Wildlife Federation’s movement to get 10 million kids outside, and we hope you do, too. It’s no secret that the lack of time outdoors has doubled the childhood obesity rate and led to a decrease in creativity, concentration, and social skills. According to the Kaiser Family Foundation, kids 8 to 18 years old spend an average of 7 hours and 38 minutes using entertainment media each day. We can’t afford to have our younger generations disconnected from nature, and here in West Virginia, with our incredible state parks and recreational venues, it is easy to get our kids into the wild and wonderful outdoors. Each Wednesday on wvliving.com, we will feature one outdoor recreation area along with some fun suggestions to get your kids outdoors. And we want you to share your photos and stories with us—they may appear online or in a future issue of the magazine. Join us by committing to taking our children to our state parks, hiking in the wilderness, camping, fishing, and growing gardens. If you are looking for a special place to kick off our Outdoors Challenge, consider the Blue Bend Recreation Area and Campground in Greenbrier County, located off of State Route 16. Blue Bend was constructed in the 1930s by the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC), a public relief work program operated as part of Franklin Roosevelt’s New Deal program. The purpose of the CCC was to take unemployed young men and put them to work to help conserve natural resources. They developed state and national parks, built picnic shelters, put out forest fires, and planted millions of trees wherever they were needed across the country. Visitors today can still use the picnic shelters at Blue Bend built by the CCC from local lumber in the area and walk on the man-made trails. At Blue Bend, you can sit around a crackling campfire with loved ones, take a hike deep in the hills, or enjoy a peaceful picnic under a canopy of trees. Visitors can swim and fish in the waters of Anthony Creek, a tributary of the Greenbrier River. The pristine waters become a haven during the summer when people of all ages visit the swimming hole to cool off from the relentless sun. The Greenbrier River Trail, operated by West Virginia State Parks, is another popular attraction; it is more than 70 miles long and offers guests the opportunity to bike, backpack, and stroll along the river. Blue Bend has two campgrounds—Blue Bend Campground and Blue Meadow Campground—in the Monongahela National Forest. Blue Bend Campground offers 21 family-friendly campsites on a first-come, first-served basis. Blue Meadow Campground offers 17 private campsites for groups that include grills, picnic tables, lantern posts, and trash collection services. monongahela national forest
CCC Facts* ➻➻ The first CCC camp in West Virginia was south of Elkins. The young men would go from camp to camp in the state fixing and building whatever was needed. There were 67 camps in West Virginia. ➻➻ West Virginia is the only state in the country that has a CCC Hall of Fame. Those inducted into the Hall of Fame have a plaque in the museum, as well as their biography on the West Virginia State CCC Museum website. wva-ccc-legacy.org ➻➻ From the time the CCC started in 1933 to the time it ended in 1942, more than 55,000 young men worked to improve West Virginia. * according to Bob Anderson, president and founder of the West Virginia CCC Museum
White Sulphur Springs, WV 24986, 304.536.2144
wvliving.com 69
her itage | Celebrations
Betsy Beansprout Camping Guide
70 wvl • summer 2014
Banana Split S’mores 6 bananas, in the skin ½ cup chocolate chips ½ cup mini marshmallows 6 large graham crackers Mini coated chocolate candies, peanut butter chips, or raisins, optional 1. Make a long slit in each banana from stem to root, through the skin and down to, but not through, the skin on the other side. 2. Gently push in on either end to open the banana. Divide candies and mini marshmallows among bananas, pressing with your fingers to fit as much as possible.
perimeter of fire. Cook 5 minutes, or until chocolate and marshmallows melt and banana is warm. Serve immediately with graham crackers for dipping.
Camping Haystacks 1 can (15-ounce) chili with beans 2 packages (1-ounce each) corn chips ½ cup shredded cheddar cheese 1½ cups chopped lettuce 1 small tomato, chopped ½ cup salsa 2 tablespoons ripe olives, sliced 2 tablespoons sour cream In a small saucepan, heat chili. Divide corn chips between two plates; top with chili. Layer with cheese, lettuce, tomato, salsa, olives, and sour cream. Serve immediately.
3. Wrap each banana in aluminum foil yield: 2 servings and place on the center of grill or around
carla witt ford
“Betsy and I are BFFs. We are cut from the same cloth,” laughs Amber Elmore, author of the children’s book series Betsy Beansprout. “Betsy is a tomboy, and that’s how I describe myself. She grabs and savors everything life has to offer and lives like it’s her last day—that’s how I live my own life.” Amber brings an energetic love for nature and her experiences growing up in Watters Smith Memorial State Park in West Milford to the series. Her most recent book, Betsy Beansprout Camping Guide, teaches kids how to have fun outdoors while being safe. In the book, Betsy is a 6-year-old who lives in a state park. Amber says the adventures her main character goes through are based on true events in her life. “My parents instilled a deep passion for nature in me. That’s why the series was born,” she says. “We camp as a family, and it’s one of my favorite activities. I wanted to share that with kids and write something they can learn from.” Each book includes reader comprehension questions for parents and discussion points for teachers to share with students in the classroom. The camping guide includes kid-friendly interactive activities like a chance to create your own campfire song and a camping-themed word search. You can find Betsy Beansprout Camping Guide online at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Books-A-Million.
HER ITAGE | In the Kitchen With
This West Virginia native and award-winning chef is cooking up unique dishes at the Historic McFarland House in Martinsburg. written by bethany
dzielski
when brad spates left his home in Harpers Ferry to attend culinary school in New York he had only his aspirations. Now, years later, Brad has returned home as an award-winning chef as well as a contender on hit Bravo show Top Chef, set to air in fall 2014. “I grew up in a restaurant,” Brad says. “A close family friend owned John’s Family Restaurant in Rippon. When I was 8 or 9 I started rolling silverware. In high school I worked on the line. Cooking came naturally, but I didn’t think I was going to make a career out of it.” Brad paired a love of chemistry with his artistic ability to earn a pastry degree from Le Cordon Bleu and, eventually, a culinary arts degree from the Culinary Institute of America. In 2009, after earning his culinary arts degree, Brad started Cookology, a recreational culinary school in northern Virginia. With Cookology, Brad competed on the popular TV show Iron Chef with Jose Andres. Brad also holds the title of Iron Chef 72 wvl • summer 2014
Virginia Farm to Fork Committee. “We want to not only align farmers and restaurants, but also partner with charities to provide the healthy food that is often hard to afford.” historic mcfarland house
409 South Queen Street, Martinsburg, WV 25401 304.263.1890, historicmcfarlandhouse.com
Duck Fat and Parmesan Roasted Potatoes 4 pounds red potatoes, cleaned and dried 1 cup duck fat 1 cup Panko breadcrumbs 1 teaspoon chili powder 2 teaspoon smoke paprika 1 teaspoon garlic powder 2 tablespoons fresh chopped rosemary 1 teaspoon onion powder 1 cup Parmesan cheese, grated 2 tablespoons salt 1 tablespoon ground pepper 2 tablespoons butter 1. Preheat oven to 425°. 2. Bring a large pot of water to a rapid boil. Cut potatoes into 1-by-1-inch chunks, being sure to remove any bad spots. Once your water is boiling, add the potatoes. Boil for 10 minutes and then strain. Allow potatoes to cool to room temperature. 3. Melt the duck fat in the microwave. 4. Place a baking pan large enough to spread the potatoes in a single layer, or two pans if necessary, in the center of the oven and allow to get hot. 5. Toss the cooled potatoes, liquid duck fat, and remaining ingredients together in a large bowl. Make sure to mix well so every potato is equally covered. 6. Carefully pull the rack halfway out of the oven with the preheated pan on it. Gently pour the potatoes on the pan in a single layer, using a spatula to distribute them evenly. 7. Roast for 18 minutes or until edges are slightly brown and the bottom surface of the potatoes— the part making contact with the preheated pan—is golden brown. 8. Remove from oven and serve.
COURTESY OF PLATINUM PR
Brad Spates
D.C.—an Iron Chef-inspired competition that is not televised. “Winning the title Top Chef D.C. really propelled my career. It was one of my biggest moments,” Brad says. Brad worked at Pound the Hill, a coffee shop on Capitol Hill, for about two years before he decided he wanted some time off from cooking in 2013. He and his wife returned to West Virginia that year to relax and start a family. But Brad’s plans to take a break didn’t last for long. Michael McCarty and Donna Cobean, owners of the Historic McFarland House in Martinsburg, needed a new executive chef and Brad was just the man for the job. Built in 1878, the Historic McFarland House was transformed into a catering and restaurant business in the 1950s by William and Jane McFarland. “It’s an interesting house. It’s gorgeous,” Brad says. “I’ve worked hard to create food to fit the house— inspired by dishes from the time period of the house.” He serves 8- to 12-course meals with themes—from Asian-inspired to the 12 Days of Christmas—at a price point of $25 to $30. “There’s a lot of people who come in who know me or my parents or my grandparents. I love bringing quality, high-end food back home.” Brad enjoys serving fresh, local food that is inspired by the past with a modern twist. He uses molecular gastronomy, the science of cooking, in his dishes. One popular dish is the slow braised short rib—fresh organic rib braised in red wine for 12 hours, topped with a demi-glace of rich veal sauces and served with saffron-whipped golden potatoes and honey-roasted organic carrots. Another popular treat is the watermelon bore pop—a cube of watermelon, salted to pull out the liquid, smoked with hickory, soaked in red wine mixed with Kool-Aid, and wrapped in crispy pork belly. “In every course there’s something interesting. You’re never going to get plain turkey and gravy,” he says. Brad serves shrimp on a rosemary skewer that he smokes in a Mason jar. He lights the rosemary skewer on fire and closes the lid, so when the customer opens it he or she is greeted by rosemary-scented smoke and succulent smoked shrimp. In Brad’s beautiful historic-but-updated kitchen, hydroponic vegetables grow on the windowsill and a garden with fresh tomatoes and peppers peeks from the back door, serving as a reminder of Brad’s commitment to the farm to fork movement. “Getting away from processed food is the key to living a healthy life,” Brad says. “It’s important to support local sustainability, and the food just tastes better.” While in Virginia, Brad formed the Loudon County Farm to Fork Committee, and he has begun the process of establishing the West
EAT + DRINK + BE LO CA L |
Fresh from the
GARDEN Discover unique tomato dishes to enrich your summer cooking. written by bethany
dzielski photographed by carla witt ford and nikki bowman
Food | her itage
Whether you call it a fruit or a vegetable, the tomato is one of the
most widely used and loved ingredients. It’s the staple to some traditional favorites—tomato soup and spaghetti sauce—as well as a special ingredient in summer specialties—spicy salsa, savory bruschetta, and tomato salad. With a tomato the possibilities are endless. Add sundried tomatoes to pasta, dice them into homemade salsa, or roast and serve with pork cutlets. Celebrate the warm days of summer with these mouthwatering tomato recipes. wvliving.com 75
Tomato Cheddar Pie crust 2 cups all-purpose flour 1½ teaspoons baking powder ½ teaspoon baking soda ½ teaspoon kosher salt 6 tablespoons chilled unsalted butter, cut into ½-inch cubes 1 cup buttermilk filling 2 pounds large ripe heirloom tomatoes, cored, seeds removed, cut into ¼-inch slices 2½ cups extra-sharp cheddar, grated ¼ cup Parmesan cheese, grated 4 ounces cream cheese, softened ⅓ cup mayonnaise 1 small onion, diced ¼ cup fresh basil, chopped 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar 2 teaspoons sugar ½ teaspoon salt ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 1–2 tablespoons cornmeal, for sprinkling over crust Crispy bacon, for serving, optional
76 wvl • summer 2014
1. To make crust: Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together in a medium bowl. Using your fingertips, rub in butter or use a pastry blender until coarse meal forms and some small lumps remain. Stir in buttermilk and knead gently with your hands until dough forms, adding flour if needed. Dough will remain sticky. Dust lightly with flour, wrap in plastic, and chill for 1 hour. 2. Meanwhile, lay tomato slices in a single layer on a baking sheet lined with two layers of paper towels. Place another two layers of paper towels on top of tomatoes. Let stand for 30 minutes to drain. 3. Preheat oven to 425°. Roll out dough between two sheets of parchment or wax paper to an 11-inch round. Remove top layer of parchment and invert dough onto a 9-inch pie dish, carefully peeling off remaining parchment. 4. Toss the cheddar and Parmesan together in a medium bowl and reserve ¼ cup. Whisk cream cheese, mayonnaise, onion, basil, vinegar, sugar, salt, and pepper together in a small bowl. 5. Sprinkle cornmeal evenly over bottom of crust. Top with about ½ cup cheese mixture, arrange ⅓ of tomatoes over cheese, overlapping as needed, then spread half of the cream cheese mixture over the tomatoes. Repeat, layering with 1 cup of cheese mixture, ½ of the remaining tomato slices, and remaining cream cheese mixture. Sprinkle remaining 1 cup cheese mixture over, then remaining tomato slices. Sprinkle with reserved ¼ cup cheese mixture. Fold overhanging crust up and over edges of tomato slices or trim off the edges for a traditional pie. 6. Bake about 35 to 40 minutes, until crust is golden. Tent with foil halfway through if crust gets too dark. Let pie cool 1 to 2 hours before slicing. Serve with a slice of bacon.
Did You Know? In 1963 Mannon Gallegly, a professor at West Virginia University, unveiled a tomato that could withstand the most devastating farming conditions, even tomato blight. The West Virginia ’63 tomato is also known as the Centennial tomato because it was officially introduced on West Virginia’s 100th birthday. Mannon, now professor emeritus of pathology at WVU, continues to pick tomatoes at the WVU organic farm and examine them in his lab.
Food | her itage
Tomato Stack Salad with Corn and Avocado 2 bacon slices, halved ¼ cup low-fat buttermilk 1 tablespoon fresh chives, finely chopped 1 tablespoon fresh basil, finely chopped 2 tablespoons canola mayonnaise 2 teaspoons cider vinegar 1 garlic clove, minced 1 can corn Cooking spray 2 large beefsteak tomatoes, cut into 8 (½-inch thick) slices 2 globe tomatoes, cut into 8 (½-inch thick) slices ⅛ teaspoon kosher salt ½ ripe peeled avocado, thinly sliced 4 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil 1. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add bacon to pan; cook 8 minutes or until crisp, tossing occasionally to curl. Drain bacon on paper towels. 2. Combine buttermilk and next 5 ingredients (through garlic), stirring with a whisk. Stir in ¼ teaspoon pepper. 3. Coat pan with cooking spray. Place corn in pan and brown. 4. Sprinkle tomato slices evenly with salt. Alternate layers of tomato and avocado on each of 4 plates. Scatter corn evenly onto plates. Drizzle each tomato stack with about 1½ tablespoons dressing and 1 teaspoon oil. Sprinkle remaining ¼ teaspoon black pepper over salads. Top each salad with 1 bacon piece. yield: 4 servings
Tomato Facts • In 1887 U.S. tariff laws
imposed a duty on vegetables, but not on fruits. Thus, the status of tomatoes became
a matter of legal importance. The U.S. Supreme Court ruled in the case of Nix v. Hedden that tomatoes were to be considered vegetables.
• China is the largest producer of tomatoes.
• There are more than 7,500
tomato varieties grown around the world.
• Tomatoes are rich in lycopene, an antioxidant that is good for the heart and effective against certain cancers.
• Cooked tomatoes are better
for you than raw ones, as more beneficial chemicals are released.
• The biggest tomato fight in the world happens each year in the
small Spanish town of Buñol. The festival, called La Tomatina, involves 40,000 to 50,000 people throwing 150,000 tomatoes at each other.
• The heaviest tomato according to Guinness World Record weighed 7 pounds, 12 ounces and was grown by G. Graham in 1986 in Oklahoma.
wvliving.com 77
her itage | Food
1. Cut the tomatoes in half and scoop out the wet, seedy parts, and place the tomatoes cut-side up on a cooling rack. 2. Sprinkle them lightly, as desired, with sugar, salt, oregano, or other herbs. 3. Place the drying rack on the oven rack at the lowest temperature setting. 4. After four hours, check the tomatoes every half hour or so, removing the ones that are no longer glistening but before they’re dried to a crisp. Some may take up to 7 or 8 hours, depending on meatiness. 5. Place the finished tomatoes in a zipper-lock bag, squeezing out as much air as possible.
Crab and Tomato Stack 2 avocados, diced 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped, divided 1 tablespoon red onion, finely chopped ⅛ teaspoon salt ¾ cup Cumin Vinaigrette, divided 1 (8-ounce) container crabmeat, picked for shells 2 red tomatoes, sliced ¼-inch thick 2 orange tomatoes, sliced ¼-inch thick 2 yellow tomatoes, sliced ¼-inch thick Fresh cilantro leaves 1. In a small bowl, combine avocados, 1 tablespoon cilantro, red onion, salt, and 2 tablespoons Cumin Vinaigrette. 2. In a separate bowl, combine crabmeat, remaining 1 tablespoon cilantro, and 2 tablespoons Cumin Vinaigrette. 3. To assemble, layer red tomato slice, avocado mixture, orange tomato slice, crabmeat mixture, and yellow tomato slice. Top with about ½ tablespoon crabmeat mixture. Drizzle with additional Cumin Vinaigrette, and garnish with fresh cilantro leaves. yield: 8 servings
Oven-dried Heirloom Tomatoes (pictured pg. 75) Oven-dried heirloom tomatoes are mildly sweet, tangy, and intense in flavor and pleasantly chewy in texture. They’ll keep for weeks, at least, in the refrigerator, and for up to a year in the freezer. Choose medium-sized tomatoes at the farmers’ market—the smallest ones are not fleshy enough to come out chewy. A variety of colors makes a pretty assortment. Heirloom tomatoes Sugar Salt Oregano 78 wvl • summer 2014
Cumin Vinaigrette ¼ cup fresh lime juice 1 tablespoon sugar 1 teaspoon ground cumin ¼ teaspoon salt ½ cup vegetable oil In a small bowl, whisk together lime juice, sugar, cumin, and salt, until sugar is dissolved. Gradually add oil, whisking to combine. yield: about ¾ cup
Food | her itage
Tomato Fests Heirloom Bruschetta
Herbed Tomato Tart
2 tablespoons olive oil 2 cloves garlic, minced 1 pint red grape tomatoes, halved lengthwise 1 pint yellow grape tomatoes, halved lengthwise 1 pint chocolate cherry tomatoes, halved lengthwise 2 tablespoon Balsamic vinegar, reserve 1 tablespoon 16 whole basil leaves, chopped 1 medium red onion, thinly sliced Salt and pepper to taste 1 whole French baguette 2 tablespoons butter
3 medium tomatoes, thinly sliced ¾ teaspoon salt, divided 1 (17.3-ounce) package frozen puff pastry sheets, thawed 1 (8-ounce) package shredded mozzarella cheese 1 (4-ounce) package crumbled goat cheese ¼ cup finely chopped chives 1 garlic clove, minced ¼ cup assorted fresh herbs, finely chopped 1 tablespoon olive oil
1. In a small skillet, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add garlic and stir, lightly frying for about a minute, removing before the garlic gets too brown. Pour into a mixing bowl and allow to cool slightly. 2. Add tomatoes, balsamic, basil, onion, and salt and pepper to the bowl. Toss to combine, and add more salt if needed. Cover and refrigerate for an hour or two, or use immediately. 3. Cut the baguette into diagonal slices. Melt half the butter in a large skillet and grill half the bread on both sides. Cook until golden brown on both sides. Repeat with the other half of the bread and butter. 4. To serve, give the tomato mixture a final stir, then spoon generously over the slices of bread. Drizzle remaining balsamic vinegar before serving.
1. Preheat oven to 400°. Place tomatoes in a single layer on paper towels; sprinkle with ½ teaspoon salt. Let stand 30 minutes. Pat dry with paper towels. 2. Meanwhile, roll 1 pastry sheet on to a lightly floured surface; place on an ungreased baking sheet. Cut 4 (12-by-1inch) strips from remaining pastry sheet, and place strips along outer edges of pastry square, forming a border. Reserve remaining pastry. 3. Bake at 400° for 14 minutes or until browned. 4. Sprinkle pastry with mozzarella cheese and next 3 ingredients. Top with tomatoes in a single layer. Sprinkle tomatoes with herbs and remaining ¼ teaspoon salt. Drizzle with oil. 5. Bake at 400° for 14 to 15 minutes or until cheese melts. Serve immediately.
Marion County Extension Master Gardeners Tomato Festival For a celebration of all things tomato, visit the Marion County Tomato Tasting Festival on the afternoon of August 17, 2014. Participants have the opportunity to sample more than 50 varieties of tomatoes provided by local growers. Tomato tasting judges award prizes for the biggest, best tasting, and people’s choice tomatoes. Cooking demonstrations, gardening clinics, and produce tables will fill Fairmont’s Historic High Gate Carriage House for the 2014 event. 830 Walnut Avenue, Fairmont, WV
Hedgesville Tomato Fest If you’re in the Hedgesville area, swing by the annual Hedgesville Tomato Fest for a pulp-ably good time. The festival, held on August 16, 2014, includes a tomato tasting contest, seminars on how to grow your own tomatoes, cooking demonstrations from a local chef, and plenty of produce booths. This year the festival will be held at the Dillon Farm Museum (at the intersection of Route 9 and Ridge Road).
wvliving.com 79
real estate marketplace
Making
SweetShine Bloomery Plantation Distillery in the Eastern Panhandle is an intoxicating treat. written by
laura wilcox rote roth
photographed by ELizabeth
wvliving.com 83
her itage | Living Local
one of the happiest places on
earth—or at least in West Virginia—has to be Bloomery Plantation Distillery in Charles Town. At the end of a gravel road in a tasting room in a salvaged 1840s cabin, the booming laughter of Rob Losey rings out as he tells the story of growing lemons in the Mountain State. The Eastern Panhandle distillery is the first commercial grower of lemons in the Mid-Atlantic. It all started when Rob’s ex-wife and dear friend Linda Losey—standing 6 feet away experimenting with flavors on her “science cart”—returned from a trip to Italy in 2010 with the crazy idea to make and sell limoncello. Standing next to Rob is Rita, his girlfriend, who pours a packed room of visitors each a taste of Ginger Shine from what Bloomery calls its cocktail playground. “Our goal is to always provide a ‘Wow’ experience—from the product to the branding to the experience in the tasting room,” says Linda, who co-owns Bloomery with her husband, Tom Kiefer. “Part of that is laughter.” All of the employees—just over a dozen people help make the Bloomery brand the success it is—wear multiple hats in the business, sometimes literally. The distillery’s awardwinning labels grab attention, and the staff sometimes wear outfits to match. “I’m Pumpkin Spice,” Linda laughs. Rob says they wanted the labels to be reminiscent of turn-of-the-century seed packets. From there they personified the labels on the bottles with the “ginger guy” and the “pumpkin girl” and so on. Rob, co-owner and director of sales and distribution, says having fun is part of building the brand, though the employees really do enjoy themselves. Lively presentations in the intimate, rustic tasting room keep people coming back, but the crew aims to keep the excitement alive long after people leave, too. “One of our biggest challenges is being able to carry that fun experience outside of the distillery and into the market. It’s one thing to have a nice looking bottle but, as a small business, marketing budgets are limited. We have family, friends, and volunteers help bring our bottle characters to life and take them on the road to various events.” Along with 40 Italian Santa Teresa lemon trees housed in a greenhouse on the property off the beaten path, the distillery harvests 600 pounds of Hawaiian ginger each year and has 2,000 raspberry plants. The team is also working to harvest black walnuts, and pumpkins will be planted in 2014, too. In less than three years, Bloomery has hosted 35,000 visitors, offering up free tastings of the awardwinning SweetShine liqueurs. Flavors like
84 wvl • summer 2014
Cremma Lemma and the flagship Limoncello are most popular, while bottles of Raspberry Lemon, Ginger, and Chocolate Raspberry have no trouble finding good homes. “Everything we do starts with 190-degree moonshine,” Rob says, adding that it’s all-natural. The list of fresh ingredients that may go into the nine flavors is short, including lemons, raspberries, ginger, pumpkins, peaches, and black walnuts. “No colors, no flavors. We offer customers a handcrafted, all-natural, authentic product they really can’t get any place else. More and more people really want to step back and enjoy things that they know where they came from.” Drinking the liqueurs is also unique. They mix well together or with other ingredients— Bloomery suggests pairing Limoncello with West Virginia’s Smooth Ambler Vodka for a Zesty Mountaineer Martini, or add Chocolate Raspberry to a cup of hot coffee for a Chocolate Lab. You can choose from dozens of recipes on the distillery’s website or simply enjoy the SweetShine on its own. “We sell out of every bottle we make. Our biggest challenge is keeping up with production,” Rob says. “Some of our aging takes about six months, so it takes awhile for it to be ready to sell. We are continually ramping up our production.” You can find Bloomery at liquor stores across West Virginia as well as in D.C., Virginia, and Tennessee. You can also buy from Bloomery’s website, which ships to 42 states. Linda says it’s hard to be in a bad mood around lemons, but growing crops was no easy feat at first. “It’s been a real learning curve. We weren’t farmers,” she says, adding that folks at the nearby USDA research center and others were a godsend in the beginning. Bloomery also works closely with officials in Jefferson County, one of the few counties in the state to have an agriculture development officer on its economic development team. “Not that it was news to us, but farming is not easy,” agrees Rob, whose background is in construction. “We certainly have an even deeper respect for farming. A lot of work goes into raising an acre of raspberries.” Bringing an old cabin back to life was a worthwhile challenge, too. Linda found the 12-acre property with dilapidated cabin on Craigslist and fell in love. “My husband, Tom, was out at a conference and I texted him, ‘I’m going to meet the Craigslist killer.’” But everything turned out just right. The property just needed some tender loving care. Linda and Tom purchased the property in December 2010. “We were one of the fastest distilleries to
Living Local | her itage “There’s no way we could have done it without the team we have. That has been as rewarding as having the customers—building the team,” says Linda Losey, co-owner at
Bloomery Plantation Distillery. One of the first employees and also a co-owner, Rob Losey is a vital part of that team and can often be found in the tasting room making customers laugh.
wvliving.com 85
86 wvl • summer 2014
Living Local | her itage
get their licenses in America,” Linda says. “We had it in less than three months. I’m a researcher and that’s one of the things I love doing—I’m a Googler. I made sure all of my i’s were dotted and t’s were crossed, and we were approved. In less than a year we were open.” The cabin had been a slave quarters at one time, and it was in serious disrepair. “A building a couple hundred years old—there’s nothing that’s square,” Rob says. “You don’t go to Home Depot and pick up the doors. Everything had to be custom-made.” The roof had to be replaced and geothermal heating and cooling were installed. “In five months we put in a lot of sweat.” But it was close to their hearts, and it captured the feeling the team wanted to evoke. “We knew it’d be some place cool to come visit,” Rob says. Rob was the first employee working with Linda and Tom, and at first, everyone had two full-time jobs. “I planted the raspberry field and did the greenhouse and did work on the building itself,” Tom says. Tom’s brother, Don, also began working with the group in areas like production. Then, Linda says, it was time for Rob to take charge in the tasting room.
The distillery in “We look back every Charles Town has been day and go, ‘Wow.’ It’s popular since day one. been a wild ride,” Linda Try popular flavors like Limoncello or says, reflecting back on Raspberry Lemon and the distillery’s opening visit in summer for live day in September 2011. music or special events. Even then there were lines out the door, and business continues to boom. In a single month in late spring 2014, visitors from Russia, China, Ireland, Mexico, and even Australia all came through Bloomery. “It’s been a lot of fun. How many people can say they’re in business with their ex-husband and his girlfriend?” Linda says. “We call this the Land of Misfit Toys because we’re so diverse in personalities, but when we get together, we rock.” Bloomery Plantation Distillery is open Fridays and Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., and Mondays, Thursdays, and most federal holidays from noon to 6 p.m. Live music takes place most Fridays and Saturdays in summer.
“More and more people really want to step back and enjoy things that they know where they came from.” rob losey, Bloomery Plantation Distillery
bloomery plantation distillery
16357 Charles Town Road, Charles Town, WV 25414 bloomerysweetshine.com
wvliving.com 87
A House of History The Craik-Patton House is as grand today as it was nearly 200 years ago. written by shay photographed by
maunz nikki bowman
88 wvl summer 2014
The Craik-Patton House, now a historical museum in Charleston, may look unassuming today, but when it was built in 1854 it was one of the grandest homes in town. “It looks like a Greek temple,” says Executive Director Bri Jackson. Inside it’s decorated with period antiques that evoke a distinctly old-fashioned elegance.
wvliving.com 89
her itage | Spaces
at the far end of the Kanawha Boulevard in Charleston, where the buildings aren’t so densely packed and the trees are a little taller, is a white clapboard house, its door framed with white columns, windows with green shutters. It’s pretty, but unassuming—just seeing it from the street, you’d never guess it’s older than Kanawha Boulevard itself—older, in fact, than even the state of West Virginia. The Craik-Patton House, built in 1834, is now a historical museum in Charleston, a place you go to try to understand the way people lived in the 19th century. The house’s original occupants, the Craik family, aren’t particularly important—they were relatively prominent in the community and moderately wealthy, but really not so different from any other family living in Charleston in the 1830s and 1840s. In a way, that’s what lends the museum its charm—it’s easy, walking through the house, to imagine yourself living there in another time. You have only to transport yourself to another century—no need to imagine living as a princess or nobleman. The house sits on a wide green lawn with a row of trees on one side, screening it from the street, and a steep riverbank on the other sloping to the Kanawha River below. The front lawn is attractive, dotted with tidy shrubbery, but the back garden is especially lovely. In the spring the crisp rows of shrubs are surrounded by beds of bright tulips—it looks like the backdrop of a romantic scene in a Victorian novel. The house itself is built in the Greek Revival style fashionable in the 1830s. “It looks like a Greek temple,” says Bri Jackson, executive director of the Craik-Patton House. “They were discovering the ruins in ancient Greece then, and so the architects were going there and studying these ruins and they were bringing back this architecture to England and France, and then of course bringing it over here to America.” That explains the big white columns on the front of the house. Inside, the house’s three bedrooms, office, foyer, dining room, and living room are filled with old hardwood floors that have wide planks. The front rooms are lined with ornate crown molding, though the private bedrooms are more modest. Overall, it’s the kind of architecture that makes you murmur that old cliché, “They just don’t make them like they used to.” Today the house is decorated as it would have been when the Craik family lived there just after it was built, from 1834 through 1844. One bedroom is an exception—it’s filled with 90 wvl • summer 2014
pieces from the Civil War, when the family of George Patton, a Charleston attorney who fought for the Confederacy and died in the war, lived in the house. There are no family pieces left in the house, but it’s furnished entirely with antiques from that time period. That means the bedrooms are filled with china dolls and embroidery samplers, the parlor with a floral settee, and the dining room with a grand table and buffet. What’s surprising is how attractive the space is to the modern eye. Most of the rooms are wallpapered in 1930s patterns—
they’re historically accurate but also warmly appealing with intricate florals. The furniture is delicate but lushly upholstered, accessories like the stitched samplers are outdated but lovely to have around. The rooms were built with high ceilings—around 14 feet—in the 19th century to signal wealth, but today just make the rooms feel spacious and airy. “It’s very bright in here,” Bri says. “It’s nice.” Wandering through the house, it’s easy to imagine a family living there, especially with Bri’s help. All of those modern conveniences we think are crucial to our lifestyle—Bri can
Spaces | her itage The house is filled with objects that help us see what life was like for families 200 years ago. “It’s hard to imagine living here
explain how easily they lived without them 150 years ago. Temperature control is a good example. “The height of the bed corresponds perfectly with the height of the windowsills, which works really well for air conditioning,” she says in one of the bedrooms. “During the summer months when you’re sleeping with the windows open, it would keep you pretty cool.” A winter kitchen located under the house would have helped it stay warm in the cooler months, along with fireplaces. “This house is not very drafty,” Bri says. “I’ve been in here in the dead of winter and haven’t thought anything of it.”
The most valuable piece of furniture in the house is a sideboard buffet that came from another historic Charleston home. It was purchased by the Ruffners, a prominent Charleston family, in 1824 for $180. “That was quite a sum of money at the time,” Bri says. But the most interesting piece might be one that’s not old at all: a replica of George Washington’s desk. The home’s original owner was the grandson of George Washington’s personal physician—they were also dear friends. When Washington died he left his desk to grandfather Craik in his will, and it was passed down until it
now, without any appliances or anything,” Bri Jackson says. “But back then a family would have been quite comfortable here.”
reached James Craik in West Virginia. “And it sat in this house when he lived here,” Bri says. Since then the desk has been returned to the museum made of Washington’s home at Mt. Vernon, but a replica sits in the parlor at the Craik-Patton house, looking just as it might have in the 1830s. The house was built in 1834 by James Craik in the center of downtown Charleston, several blocks from where it is today. In 1906 it was moved to make way for a new street—the owners rolled it off of its sandstone base onto a row of logs and rolled it a few blocks east. It stayed wvliving.com 91
her itage | Spaces clockwise The house is
decorated with period antiques and art. The Ruffner Log House, on the Craik-Patton House grounds, is a re-creation of the Kanawha Valley’s oldest house. A portrait of the home’s first owner sits above the mantel. This doll is from before the Civil War. The property grounds are well maintained and especially inviting.
there until the 1950s, when the city slated the building for demolition—it had been vacant for several years and was looking pretty shabby. That’s when the Colonial Dames of America, a national historic preservation society with local branches in most states, stepped in to save the building. “The Dames ended up purchasing this house for a dollar, cut it into three sections, brought it here on the back of a truck, and put it back together on top of a sandstone base,” Bri says. The path from ramshackle old building to well preserved history museum was a long one: It took the dames 10 years to raise enough money to move the building and secure land from the city, and several more to renovate the structure, research its history, furnish it with period antiques, and secure the funding to hire a staff. 92 wvl • summer 2014
Today, the Friends of Craik-Patton group has grown to include 160 duespaying members in 2014, and the museum’s collection of antiques is growing, too. The house has one full-time staff member, Bri, plus an AmeriCorps volunteer. Around 10 years ago water damage prompted a major renovation of the building’s basement—it’s now a modern meeting room that can be rented for functions, even small weddings, and helps fund the historic preservation being done in the house above. The house is open weekdays for tours from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. and on weekends by appointment. 2809 Kanawha Boulevard East, Charleston, WV 25311, 304.925.5341, info@craik-patton.org, craik-patton.org
There’s always something happening in Charleston for families. Catch a West Virginia Power baseball game. Enjoy a night of free music at Live On The Levee. Explore the Clay Center For The Arts & Sciences. Make memories that you and your family will never forget. There’s no end to the fun you can have in Charleston. That’s why I’m proud to celebrate the 10th anniversary of baseball at Appalachian Power Park. I’m Chuck. I’m the mascot of the West Virginia Power. And I’m Charlie West.
charlestonwv.com
Hip, Historic... Almost Heaven!
Photo by Greg Salva
WV BES VO LIV T FE TED ING STIV MaAL IN ga zin e
FestivALL Charleston
“A City Becomes A Work Of Art” June 20 – 29, 2014 National talent at the Mayor’s Concert • Blues, Brews & BBQ Wine & All That Jazz • Mountain Stage and the Dance Gala Musical Theater • Art Fairs with street performers Taste-of-All Charleston • Smoke on the Water Chili Cook-Off • Riverboat rides • Public art projects and free family fun!
10 Days, 130 Events, 360 Performances.
festivallcharleston.com
Charleston’s premier specialty shop and farmers’
market destination located in the heart of downtown within seconds of I-64/77 exit 100 -- offering a gourmet grocer, butcher, fish shop, chocolatier, wine & cheese shop, the best WV foods & things, a café, numerous tasty lunch options and an Italian restaurant!
Gardening season kicks off a thriving outdoor market filled with plants, herbs, shrubs, blooms and ove over 20 local WV farmers.
We are open daily - year round! Gift Cards • FREE
Visitor Center
304.344.1905 • capitolmarket.net • 800 Smith Street • Charleston WV 25301
charlestonwv.com
Living In
New Martinsville Off the beaten path, this Wetzel County town on the Ohio River offers up history and culture you might not expect. written by Laura Wilcox Rote 路 photographed by Nikki Bowman
T
here’s no quick way to reach New Martinsville. This Ohio River town at the base of the Northern Panhandle is off the beaten path—you wind through the hills until you arrive in the county seat of Wetzel County, just off of State Route 7. Past sprawling farms and spells without cell service, what you find may surprise you. “We’ve got this beautiful downtown,” says Sandy Hunt, executive director of the Wetzel County Convention & Visitors Bureau. “Our goal was to create a destination.” It’s true. Step out of your car and go for a walk in downtown New Martinsville and, if you’ve never been here before, you’ll first be struck by the small town’s great architecture and then by the amount of things to do. Victorian homes line the streets dotted with historic churches while local shops and restaurants lure you in with the promise of something you can’t get anywhere else. With a population of about 5,300 people, there’s a lot more to experience than you might expect. Summer is the perfect time to explore—you can rent a paddleboat at Lewis Wetzel Park, play miniature golf at Bruce Park, see a top entertainer at one of the many fairs, or hit the weekly farmers’ market. “A lot of good things have happened in the last seven or so years,” Sandy says. Indeed, New Martinsville has seen a lot of change in the last decade. The oil and gas industry has brought more jobs into the area, while an already promising commitment to tourism continues to grow. In spring 2014 a Holiday Inn Express was being built on State Route 2 to accommodate a growing need for lodging.
The People
Sandy likes to say New Martinsville is its people. “There’s a wonderful work ethic here,” she says. “People work with one another. We’re all trying to row in the same direction.” Evidence of residents’ willingness to volunteer their time to improve their community is on almost every street. A community garden near the hospital is expanding, church and arts groups provide food to kids in need, and an unofficial bicycle club rides down tree-lined streets on any given day. There’s a strong community newspaper, a dog park, and a museum, to name just a few other perks. “We do what we do because we love this community,” Sandy says. In summer 2013, much of the town’s attention was turned to the Wetzel County Museum. The Main Street building used to be the local hardware store and dates back to the late 1800s. For more than a year volunteers have been working to repair floors, catalog artifacts, and install displays calling back to a time of flourishing family pharmacies and local glass industry. Renovations continue, but the museum is open Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays from noon to 4 p.m. Inside the Wetzel County Museum, you’ll also find information on the area’s ancestors. Native Americans lived in the area for thousands of years, and some of the oldest inhabitants—the Adena people—were known to be mound builders. Nearby, Grave Creek Mound is said to be the largest conical burial mound in the United States. 98 wvl • summer 2014
Fairs & Festivals
The Fourth of July is big in New Martinsville, and ArtsLink hosts a special Arts in the Park czelebration for the holiday, complete with an appearance from Uncle Sam and plenty of crafts and good food. The biggest draw to the county, though, is easily Town & Country Days—with more than 20,000 people in attendance each year. Big name entertainers, tractor pulls, animal exhibits, and carnival rides are just part of the fun, and the festival has been bringing in people from all over the county and neighboring states for more than 50 years. This year’s fair is August 11 to 16, 2014, and
clockwise
Presto Lunch serves great diner-style fare in downtown New Martinsville. A statue of Levi Morgan, one of the state’s leading frontiersman, stands in front of the courthouse. Grand homes with manicured lawns dot the streets around downtown.
clockwise
The area is known for Victorian architecture and historic homes. The historic Lincoln Theater on Main Street now hosts many ArtsLink productions. St. Ann’s
Episcopal Church is the oldest church in New Martinsville. History is at every turn, including traces of the Adena people, who were known to be mound builders in the region.
wvliving.com 99
features country music stars Trick Pony as well as Teddy Gentry (of Alabama) and local and regional acts. Bob Miller says the local campground fills up every year for Town & Country Days, and there is always something going on at the track, from ATV racing to the demolition derby. “One price gets you in the gate,” he says. “That includes your carnival rides and all the entertainment, track events, events at the barn, and the horse ring. There is no extra charge. And parking is free.” Admission costs $8 Monday to Thursday and $9 on Friday and Saturday. In September, life is all about boats as part of the New Martinsville Records Challenge & Regatta. Races are scheduled to take place September 27 and 28, 2014. This year, Sandy says, the regatta will also include the Festival of Memories. Festivities will include a street fair with fireworks in addition to the boat races.
Good Eats
You won’t go hungry in this town, either. Downtown, enjoy a healthy dose of comfort food from the vast buffet tables at Quinet’s Court Restaurant. Eating there is like spending time with the family, as photos from across the
decades fill the walls and choices range from dinner rolls and lasagna to sloppy joes and salad. Or grab a hot dog at Presto Lunch, also a popular downtown stop and familyfriendly with a jukebox and vintage décor. Save room for a milkshake. One of the most unique places in town is Baristas Café & Pub on Main Street. You’ll know the cool, casual eatery from its purple porch, and you’ll remember it for its fresh, original sandwiches served during the day. At night, a small, stone basement bar fills up quickly with regulars and musicians who want to kick back and play darts or sing a few tunes. In summer you’ll have a hard time pulling yourself away from the quaint outdoor patio. Less than a mile away from Main Street, La Pasta Bella is an Italian family restaurant that serves up homemade pasta and sauces every day but Sunday. The beautiful restaurant also has special steak nights and wine tastings and is perfect for a weekend date night on the outdoor patio. It also houses a great store with everything from baby gifts to Vera Bradley bags. Sandy says motorcyclists also love riding through the area and often stop to fill up at places like Blue’s Sidecar Restaurant on State Route 2.
clockwise from opposite
Baristas Café and Pub is a popular stop for food, coffee, and live music. La Pasta Bella serves up fresh pasta and also has a sprawling retail space. You can rent paddle boats by the hour at Lewis Wetzel Park. Baristas’ patio is popular in summer. Choose from many buffet options at Quinet’s Court Restaurant.
wvliving.com 101
102 wvl • summer 2014
Arts & Shopping
New Martinsville is home to an arts council serving both Wetzel and Tyler counties. Called ArtsLink, the organization sponsors local concerts and art shows as well as other special events. The group is housed in the Francis Creative Arts Center on Maple Avenue and Washington Street and puts on top-notch productions at the historic Lincoln Theater in downtown New Martinsville. An artist herself, Fran Caldwell is a past president of ArtsLink and wears many creative hats in the community. “We have a lot of artisans in our area,” Fran says. “It’s amazing.” While Bayer, PPG, and the Wetzel County Hospital are major employers for folks in Wetzel County, New Martinsville is also home to many successful small businesses. Witschey’s Food & Pharmacy has been a family business in town for decades, while newer ventures like The Tin Ceiling and Occasions Florist & Gifts quickly made names for themselves over the years. The Tin Ceiling on Main Street is located in a former 1900s drugstore and now hosts special events in addition to selling a bevy of candles, jewelry, wine, specialty food items, and even football gear, while Occasions Gifts specializes in wedding items and flowers. Sandy owns another popular shop—S & S Jewelry—with her husband, Steve, on State Route 2.
Great Outdoors
There’s no excuse to sit inside in New Martinsville— there is green space galore here. The city maintains the marina area and Hydro Drive (officially Howard Jeffers Drive), and boaters have easy access to the Ohio River, while bicyclists can jump on a great trail near the hydroelectric plant on the north end of town. “The
marina is busy in the summer with boaters at Hydro Drive,” Sandy says. “There are also a couple of fishing piers so you will always find the fishermen there along with the many people who use it as both a walking and a biking trail.” There, Hydro Park also has a ballpark facility and primitive camping areas. Bruce Park stays packed in summer, too, with its large above-ground pool, kids’ pool, miniature golf, ball field, picnic shelters, tennis courts, and basketball court. At Lewis Wetzel Park you can paddleboat across the pond with the ducks and geese or spend an afternoon by the community pool, shooting basketball, or on the playground or softball fields with the kids. “There are lots of ball games going on all summer long,” Sandy says. Nearby, Lantz Farm and Nature Preserve offers 500plus acres of walking trails that lead to diverse flora and fauna as well as a catch-and-release pond for fishing. A farmhouse offers overnight accommodation for groups. Sandy says easy access to the great outdoors is all around you in Wetzel County—from Lantz Farm to the many hiking trails and parks—and that’s what makes the area great. “There’s wonderful opportunity to be out in nature here. It’s not just steel and concrete. We have a lot of green here. And people still sit on their porches and wave to you as you go by,” she says. The future is bright, too, and Sandy expects people to continue to find the town a haven for rest and relaxation for many years to come. “When life gets too hectic and harried wherever you’re living, you can come here to kick back, relax, and refresh yourself,” she says. “It’s like the best-kept secret. I love New Martinsville.”
clockwise from opposite A
community garden in New Martinsville continues to expand. The Tin Ceiling downtown offers unique gifts. Fishing, boating, hiking, and biking are popular near Hydro Park.
wvliving.com 103
The
SPORT of KINGS
The Mountain State has a long and storied history of thoroughbred horse racing—and two racetracks that have stood the test of time. written by Dale Leatherman photographed by Coady Photography
I
t’s a balmy Saturday night at the racetrack. The breeze carries the scents of popcorn, beer—and horses. The runners in the last race jog back in front of the grandstand, wide-eyed, with nostrils flaring and sides heaving. The waiting grooms greet them with pats and murmured assurances of cooling baths and liniment rubs for tired muscles. One jockey turns his mount into the winner’s circle for a photo, while the rest head for the Jocks’ Room to change for the next race. About every 20 minutes, nine times a night, a new group of thoroughbreds parades past the grandstand. There’s a hush as the last horse enters the starting gate—and then the announcer cries, “They’re off!” All eyes focus on the runners as they round the turns and gallop across the finish line. A losing ticket flutters to the ground, but another race is minutes away—and hope springs eternal. “What began here as a thoroughbred racetrack is now a destination resort with many choices of activities, dining, and entertainment,” says Rose Mary Williams, director of racing at the Mountaineer Casino, Racetrack & Resort in the Northern Panhandle. “But it’s also the heart of a community of horsemen and fans for whom racing is everything.” With no cover charge or entrance fee, horse racing is one of the least expensive forms of entertainment you’ll ever experience. You don’t have to wager, but a $2 bet on the horse with the cool name or colorful silks—or that special look in his eye—gives you a stake in the race and a reason to cheer. West Virginia’s two thoroughbred racetracks race exclusively at night, which means families can enjoy a fun evening for the cost of hot dogs, popcorn, sodas, and whatever the adults wager. Of course, they can also indulge in fine dining, a show, and other forms of gambling at the racetrack and casino complexes, but live horse racing is the unique attraction. “From a wagering perspective, the last three years of racing have been the most successful in our history,” says Erich Zimny, vice president of racing operations at Hollywood Casino at Charles Town Races in the Eastern Panhandle. “We’ve had some of the best horses in the world here and there’s no better way to build our racing brand and market racing than continuing down that path.”
A Way of Life
Striding toward the saddling enclosure, the 110-pound jockeys look tiny without a 1,000-pound horse under them, but the riders exude confidence and nonchalance. Risking life and limb is a way of life for them. Racing is a way of life, too, for the trainers, grooms, and exercise riders who make up the support teams for the thoroughbred horses, the stars of the show. The sport is also critical to farmers, breeding and training farms, hotels, restaurants and other attractions near the state’s two thoroughbred racetracks—Hollywood Casino at Charles Town Races in Jefferson County, and Mountaineer Casino, Racetrack & Resort in Hancock County. A 2013 study by West Virginia University indicated horse racing has a $250 million economic impact and generates almost $4 million in state taxes. More than 5,300 people work in the racing industry, which accounts for nearly $81 million in employee compensation. 106 wvl • summer 2014
What’s good about Charles Town is year-round racing. Horsemen can buy a home, raise a family, and send their kids to the same school.
wvliving.com 107
West Virginia’s two thoroughbred racetracks race at night, so families can enjoy a fun evening for the cost of hot dogs, popcorn, sodas, and whatever the adults wager.
Visitors also have easy access to fine dining, a show, and other forms of gambling at the racetrack and casino complexes, but live horse racing is the unique attraction.
108 wvl • summer 2014
Donnelle Oxley
Hollywood Casino at Charles Town Races
Horse racing in the Mountain State began in 1786, when Charles Washington (George’s brother and the founder of Charles Town) organized races through the town streets. In 1933 Albert and Joseph Boyle built the Charles Town Races—the state’s first horse racing venue and the only one in the U.S. running year-round. Winter racing was popular, and daily trains from Washington brought fans to the track. FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover was frequently in the stands, and presidential candidate John F. Kennedy and Jackie attended a campaign rally there in 1960. The track spawned its own stars—Hall of Fame jockey Bill Hartack and Barbara Jo Rubin, the country’s first woman jockey to win a race. In the 1980s the Charles Town Races was one of the highest grossing tracks in the U.S. Then competition from tracks in neighboring states caused a decline in attendees (and betting dollars). The downward spiral stopped when Jefferson County voters approved other forms of gaming at the track—video lottery terminals (VLTs) and table games. Penn National Gaming (PNG) bought the track in 1997 and began multi-million-dollar upgrades that included new barns, gaming areas, restaurants, an indoor parking garage, and the Inn at Charles Town. Renamed the Hollywood Casino at Charles Town Races, the facility has become a world-class, Las Vegas-style gaming center with 3,500 video lottery machines and more than 100 table games. A portion of the casino proceeds go into race purses that attract high-caliber horses. One of the high-profile race days is the West Virginia Breeders’ Classics—the brainchild of NFL Hall of Famer Sam Huff and partner Carol Holden, president of the program. In 1986 the pair attended the inaugural Maryland Million, a day of racing at Laurel Park for Maryland-sired horses. “On the way home Sam asked, ‘Why can’t we do this in West Virginia?’” Carol recalls. “I was working for the West Virginia Thoroughbred Development Fund, but it was early on and we didn’t have enough horses to fill nine races.” What debuted in 1987 as five West Virginia-bred races with purses totaling $200,000 grew into a nine-race card worth about $1.3 million today. “What makes the Breeders’ Classics special is that it’s local people and local horses, and national coverage allows us to showcase West Virginia racing,” Carol says. The success of the West Virginia Breeders’ Classics in October gave rise to the $1.5 million Charles Town Classic (won by long-shot Imperative in April 2014), the richest race in the country other than the Kentucky Derby and the Breeders’ Cup World Championships. Another big event is the September Race for the Ribbon to support breast cancer research, which includes the $500,000 Charles Town Oaks, one of the country’s richest races for fillies, or females. For the Breeders’ Classics and the Charles Town Classic, PNG brings in the voice of the Triple Crown races and Breeders’ Cup World Championships—announcer Larry Collmus. “People probably think the track just got a national race caller for the big races,” Larry says. “They don’t know I
2014
The Mane Events august 2 Mountaineer’s signature event is the historic $750,000 West Virginia Derby september 20 Race for the Ribbon to support breast cancer research at Hollywood Casino at Charles Town Races october 18 West Virginia Breeders’ Classics at Hollywood Casino at Charles Town Races wvbc.com
Jeff and Susan practically grew up at Charles Town. My Runco live nearby high school buddies and I went there all the Hollywood Casino time. I fell in love with racing and knew it and have more than 40 horses. was what I wanted to do. I always visited announcer Costy Caras—a great character with a distinctive voice. For the last race on Classic night, I do an imitation of Costy.” A two-time winner of the Charles Town Classic and three-time winner of Breeders’ Classics races, trainer Jeff Runco and his wife, Susan, are familiar figures in the winner’s circle. The track’s perennial leading trainer, Runco also ranks in the country’s top 25 conditioners. The Runcos have more than 40 horses in training at the track or rotating through their nearby 30-acre Coleswood Farm for rest and relaxation. The state-of-the-art farm is also a nursery for the couple’s five broodmares and a training center for Susan’s show horses. Ironically Jeff met Susan when she was training racehorses at Charles Town and he was a jockey. When he scored his first win as a trainer, Susan was the jockey on the horse. “Jeff quit riding because he was tired of making the weight and wanted to train,” Susan explains. “I wanted to ride and I had horses he was helping me train, so we switched places.” Two grown sons and 20-plus years later, the Runcos are still happy with being at Charles Town. “We have the farm and raised our kids here, so we like it,” Jeff says. “It’s centrally located, so we can run at a lot of different tracks if we want to. PNG has created a good atmosphere for the horsemen here.” Another former Charles Town jockey is Dennis Kirk, who has been a racing official in various jobs for nearly 30 years and now manages the Jocks’ Room, a beehive of activity
wvliving.com 109
Deshawn Parker is 5'11" and experts say he is easily one of the tallest jockeys out there. He is also the all-time leading rider at Mountaineer.
during the races. His father and uncles were jockeys, and Kirk recalls being in the Jocks’ Room when he was 3 or 4 years old. “I rode a lot of good horses, had my share of injuries, and have seen improvements in safety equipment—and pay—for jockeys,” Dennis says. What’s good about Charles Town is year-round racing. Horsemen can buy a home, raise a family, and send their kids to the same school instead of moving track to track. “I can step into several jobs on the track in an emergency, but I like the Jocks’ Room. This is me. These are my people, my friends—and racing is my life.” Races are held year-round at Hollywood Casino at Charles Town Races, Wednesday to Saturday through October 31, and Tuesday to Saturday through December 20, 2014. hollywoodcasinocharlestown.com
Mountaineer Casino, Racetrack & Resort
Known locally as Mountaineer, this track in the northern tip of West Virginia first opened for racing in 1951 as Waterford Park, built by Charles Town Races cofounder Albert Boyle. Boyle chose a scenic spot on the Ohio River, which runs just behind the grandstand and clubhouse. Overlooking the river is the paddock where horses are saddled for the races. The grandstand, track, and paddock areas are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Owned by the MTR Gaming Group since 1992, the racetrack is the nucleus of a thriving, upscale resort with a hotel, golf course, restaurants, theater and events center, convention facilities, and a casino with 2,100 VLTs and many table games. The grandstand, track, and paddock areas are original and listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The track experienced lean times in the 1980s when the 110 wvl • summer 2014
profits from wagering could not sustain suitable purses, but other forms of gaming revived the facility and the racing community. “I’ve worked at the track in one capacity or another since 1977,” says Rose Mary Williams, Mountaineer’s director of racing. “The VLTs have definitely helped us increase our racing purses and spend money on racing. I deal with the horsemen every day and love my work. It’s a community atmosphere, particularly in the summer when we have lots of kids in the grandstand and families on the deck at the picnic tables. “Racing can be intimidating to newcomers who don’t know the jargon,” she adds. “We try to educate them. We bring 4-H and other youth groups to morning workouts, and we have ‘Night School’ on our website every Tuesday. There’s a live feed of the races and anyone can watch online and ask questions.” Mountaineer’s signature event is the historic $750,000 West Virginia Derby in August, on a day when purses total $1.65 million. Attracting a field of the country’s top 3-year-olds, last year’s Derby was won by Departing, owned by Kentucky’s legendary Claiborne Farm. Many Hall of Fame jockeys have ridden at Mountaineer, including Pat Day, Angel Cordero, Jr., Chris McCarron, and Steve Cauthen. Among the current riders is one who would garner respect even from this group—Deshawn Parker. He was North America’s leading rider in 2010 and 2011 and has been in the top 10 the last six years. He’s the all-time leading rider at Mountaineer with more than 4,500 wins. What’s exceptional about Parker is that he is AfricanAmerican—a rarity in jockey ranks today—and he is 5’11”, likely the tallest jockey on the planet. “When I told my dad I wanted to ride, he just said, ‘Go for it.’” Deshawn says. “I was always a skinny kid, so making the weight was not an issue. We both thought it would be a one- or two-time deal, not a career. Now I can’t imagine doing anything else. I love the competition, the speed, and the horses. I’m amazed at what they can do.” Deshawn, his wife, Maria, and their two sons live 15 minutes from the track. “It’s a laid-back place to live and raise a family with no worries about big city life.” Like Charles Town, Mountaineer is home to multigenerational horsemen like the Bairds. The late Dale Baird was the nation’s first trainer to reach 9,000 wins, for which he received a special Eclipse Award, racing’s highest honor. Dale’s son Bart, his brother John, and John’s son Michael all train at Mountaineer. “It’s what I’ve always done,” John says. “I’ve never not wanted to do it. It’s one of those careers that people will simply tell you, ‘I like what I do.’” Races are held at Mountaineer Casino, Racetrack & Resort Saturday to Wednesday through December 20. Post time for the first race is 7 p.m. moreatmountaineer.com
BEGUILING Blennerhassett This top destination in the Mid-Ohio Valley has a history as dramatic as the island is scenic. written by Katie Griffith
t
photographed by Carla Witt Ford
A
colonial gem on the Ohio River, Blennerhassett Island charmed visitors long before West Virginia was a state and the island a historical state park. Manicured lawns and neat gardens cover the land surrounding a sophisticated 18th century mansion, as a sternwheeler boat carries admiring visitors across the river from Parkersburg. The island takes its name from its most infamous residents, a landedgentry couple fleeing political turbulence in Ireland to brave the wilderness of the United States’ frontier. In 1800 Harman and Margaret Blennerhassett, uncle and niece turned husband and wife, made the island their home, building a glittering showpiece of their wealth and style in the dark wilderness of the then-new territories. Today visitors from all over the world flock to the island state park, the top tourist attraction in the Mid-Ohio Valley and a shighlight of life in Parkersburg. “Blennerhassett Island helps our community stay connected to its history. We’re viewed as one of the first oil and gas boomtowns, but Parkersburg goes back much further than that,” says Cecil Childress, chairman of Blennerhassett Island Historical Foundation. “The community as a whole really understands its natural draw, its beauty, its uniqueness, and its history. It’s an identifying mark. It’s part of the culture.” For several years after the Blennerhassetts built their island paradise, their home was the center of society in the region. Visitors from Pittsburgh would come to the balls and parties hosted by the family. The Blennerhassett mansion was once
114 wvl • summer 2014
considered the most beautiful and elaborately furnished home in the west, according to park historian Ray Swick. The family brought with them furniture from London, Baltimore, and New England, as well as French porcelain, oriental carpets, marble statues, and alabaster lamps. The mansion’s doorknobs and hinges were silver. The couple also had livery servants. Most people west of the mountains at the time lived in log buildings with dirt floors. “Margaret was an Old World lady,” Ray says. “The contrast with this wealth and the surrounding poverty was medieval.” The Blennerhassetts’ grand world fell apart by 1807 when the family became involved in a treason scandal with family friend and former U.S. vice president Aaron Burr. Burr was accused of attempting to steal U.S. territory to create an independent nation. Harman was jailed for supporting the expedition and providing a base for Burr on the island, while Margaret took some of their possessions and fled with their children downriver to the south. Some of the original furnishings were lost over time, but the mansion and the island museum in Parkersburg have a number of original pieces. The family’s sad tale has fascinated Ray since sixth grade, and the historian has spent his life researching and documenting their story. “They had everything the world and wealth had to offer at the time. Their story is exotic—with the island, leaving Europe for the wilderness, that they were uncle and niece and had to keep it a secret,” Ray says. “The exchange for their involvement with one of the most glamorous politicians in American history was losing all that and suffering like they did. It became nationally and internationally famous.” After the
The Blennerhassett Mansion was the most elaborate mansion of the American frontier, says park historian Ray Swick.
wvliving.com 115
116 wvl • summer 2014
The Blennerhassett Mansion is open for tours May through October. To reach the island, visitors take a
ferry ride on the Island Belle Sternwheeler, departing from Point Park in Parkersburg.
Blennerhassetts were forced to flee their island home, it later burned to the ground. The well-tended gardens and lawns returned to the wilderness. Civil War soldiers used the island as a staging area in the mid-1800s. Through the early 20th century, the island housed farmers, an amusement park, and even baseball programs. In 1984 West Virginia began rebuilding the mansion for the christening of the new island state park. “I remember touring the kitchen when the rest of the mansion wasn’t open yet,” says Parkersburg native Joyce Moler. “Even though it’s so close to Parkersburg, you feel like you’re somewhere different, like you’ve been to another world.” To reach the island, visitors take a ferry ride on the Island Belle sternwheeler, departing from Point Park on the waterfront in Parkersburg. “You get on a boat and it’s like stepping back in history,” Joyce says. Now president of Friends of Blennerhassett, a nonprofit supporting the island park, Joyce has been volunteering on the island for the last five years. “I’ve loved it ever since. It’s a beautiful place to go with wagon rides, gravel path roads. It’s not like driving down the highway—you’ve been transposed to somewhere else.” Volunteers dressed in period costumes lead guests on tours of the grounds and gardens, including the Blennerhassetts’ mansion and a 2009 addition to the island, the PutnamHouser House. Built across the river in Belpre, Ohio, by friends of the Blennerhassetts, the Putnam-Houser House is an 18th century original construction that was transplanted to the island to save it from demolition. “We’re always trying to make new and different experiences here,” says Park wvliving.com 117
A 2009 addition to the island, the Putnam-Houser House was built across the river in Belpre, Ohio, by friends of the Blennerhassetts. The 18th century original construction was moved to the island to save it from demolition.
Superintendent Matt Baker. The park hosts Civil War reenactments and parties for West Virginia Day, but its most popular event is Mansion by Candlelight, an after-hours event that takes guests on a candlelit tour of the mansion and grounds. “When you come to Candlelight it’s like you’re here at a party in the 18th century,” Matt says. “As you walk through, there are people eating, drinking, dancing, or playing music or cards.” The island volunteers dress in period costume and act out events, giving guests a look-see through the mansion and activities going on outside. “There’s candlelight everywhere, inside and outside the mansion—it’s just beautiful,” Joyce says. The October event acts as a grand season farewell before the island closes for winter. Over the last several years, the park increased its number of special events and began promoting weddings and charters on its sternwheeler. Recently the park hosted a Boy Scouts of America event with 300 Scouts on the island who helped to build a hiking trail. “At a place like Blennerhassett, history is the main focal point, but there’s also a lot of pretty natural areas on the island that shouldn’t be ignored,” Matt says. One of his favorite spots is at a point up the river on the easternmost end of the island. “It has some immensely large sycamore trees,” he says. “In the summer it’s hot, but it’s shady and breezy out there. If you’re out there at night you’re looking straight at the Parkersburg riverfront and the lights.” Another favorite spot is the Walnut Grove area where trees planted by a farmer years ago create a shaded grassy area for visitors to picnic. It’s hard to visit Parkersburg without getting caught up in the glamorous tale of the Blennerhassetts. Among locals, it’s a first choice to entertain visitors from out of town, Cecil says. “This history of Blennerhassett Island impacts the whole region. Blennerhassett isn’t just sitting in the middle of the Ohio River—it really tells the story of the whole frontier movement and the opening of the Northwest Territory.” Marietta, Ohio, the oldest city of the 18th century Northwest Territory, sits just north of Blennerhassett Island and had major connections and relationships to the family as well. “You haven’t experienced this area until you’ve experienced Blennerhassett Island,” he says.
118 wvl • summer 2014
Touring the Area
Blennerhassett Island Historical State Park is open May through October, though inclement weather may periodically close the island to visitors throughout the season. The island museum in Parkersburg is open year-round with varying hours and opening times. Schedules and prices for island visits, sternwheeler rides, and museum hours can be found at blennerhassettislandstatepark.com. In addition to Blennerhassett Island Historical State Park attractions, visitors have plenty of other opportunities in Parkersburg. Nearby attractions include the Historic Blennerhassett Hotel, the Oil and Gas Museum in Parkersburg, the Smoot Theater in Parkersburg, Fenton Art Glass in Williamstown, and North Bend State Park, located 35 minutes from the Blennerhassett Museum.
Drive-Ins Across the State
America’s iconic drive-in eateries thrive in West Virginia. written by Katie Griffith photographed by Nikki Bowman
Frostop DriveIn is an iconic eatery you can’t miss as you enter Huntington.
continue to thrive because of their original recipes and loyal customers. Perhaps it’s not fine dining in the traditional sense, but you’ll drive away from one of these establishments with a full belly, happy taste buds, and some nostalgia for old Americana.
Frostop Drive-In, Huntington
W
est Virginia’s finest dining doesn’t always come with a cloth napkin and multiple forks and spoons. Sometimes our best food can be eaten from behind the steering wheel of your car as a server hustles between the windows of vehicles in neighboring lanes. The 1950s drive-in is alive and well across the state, offering everything from West Virginia hot dogs with chili and slaw to pizza and milkshakes. Back in the day, you could jump in your car with a few friends or a potential beau, drive down the road, and pull into one of these eateries where a feast would be laid before you by “curb girls” outfitted in the latest rollerskating fashions. While the drive-in’s heyday is definitely over across much of America, beloved local eateries
122 wvl • summer 2014
Even today Frostop’s customers can’t stop raving about the frosted mugs of root beer at this 1950s classic drive-in. Frostop was a household name in the days drive-ins ruled the American dating scene. The franchise stretched across the United States, with establishments marked by a spinning root beer mug on top of the buildings. Now only a few remain, but the frosted mug adorning Huntington’s Frostop franchise twirls on. “We’re trying to do everything we can to keep our customers happy,” says Marilyn Murdock, co-owner with her sister Bing Murphy of the family-run Frostop. “That’s why our business has stayed so strong over the decades. We’ve remained consistent with our quality.” The Huntington Frostop opened in 1959 and continues to use the same recipe for homemade root beer it used when it opened. The hot dog recipe, like the business, has been passed down from one generation to another. “When I was growing up my mother and my aunt made hot dog sauce day after day after day until they got it to taste the way they wanted it,” Marilyn says. “We’re using the same recipe.” Other menu items include barbecue, milkshakes, sandwiches, and burgers. The drive-in remains popular with locals and has sold upwards of 800 hot dogs in a day, she says. “I have vivid memories of the day we opened. We pulled onto the lot and it was full of cars.” Today Marilyn has customers who drive in from all over the U.S. for a sip of cool root beer and a bite of a dog covered in sauce before continuing their journeys. Frostop is open seven days a week from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. on weekdays and 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. on weekends. ➼ 1449 Hal Greer Boulevard, Huntington, WV 25701, 304.523.6851
Jim’s Drive In, Lewisburg
Fried green tomato sandwiches are served alongside fresh blueberry milkshakes and the burgers of childhood dreams at Jim’s Drive In. This Lewisburg favorite has been a meeting place for families, kids, and college students over the decades. It’s even hosted a few class reunions. The restaurant was opened in the 1950s by Jim Dunbar, according to Lynn Massie, whose mother purchased the
Jim’s Drive In in Lewisburg serves up scrumptious fried green tomato sandwiches.
business nearly 14 years ago. “We are still an old-fashioned drive-in. We take orders from the car, deliver food on original trays, and make change at your car with our changers,” Lynn says. “Since taking over we have added outdoor picnic tables for families to enjoy the sunshine and have a great meal.” According to Lynn, Jim’s is best known for its original recipe for English hot dogs with homemade chili and slaw, pulled pork barbecue sandwiches, homemade French fries, macaroni and potato salads, cobblers, more than a dozen varieties of milkshakes, and a ranch burger developed in the early 1970s. Jim’s is open Monday, Tuesday, and Saturday from 10:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., on Wednesday from 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., and on Thursday and Friday 10:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. ➼ Route 60 West, half-mile outside Lewisburg, WV 24901, 304.645.2590
King Tut Drive-In, Beckley
No roller skates here, but the service at King Tut DriveIn is fit for a pharaoh. Customers rave about the extensive menu, particularly the milkshakes and cream pies. The Beckley staple opened in the 1940s and has been owned by the McKay family since 1955, says co-owner David McKay. “We don’t cut any corners. We have a pretty wide-ranging menu that includes full dinners and a lot of 124 wvl • summer 2014
homemade items,” he says. “A lot of the recipes came from my grandmother.” Bestsellers include the twice-baked potato, English hot dogs, and homemade pies that sell out daily. King Tut is open from 10:30 a.m. to 11 p.m., Thursday through Tuesday. The restaurant is closed on Wednesdays. ➼ 301 North Eisenhower Drive, Beckley, WV 25801, 304.252.6353
Lynn’s Drive In, Bluewell
Lynn’s Drive In on Route 52 in Bluewell began serving up homemade hot dogs and chili in 1950. Current owner Buck Lucado says he remembers visiting the restaurant with his mother and father when he was young. Thirty-five years ago, Buck and his wife, Bernice Lucado, purchased the drive-in and have been offering Bluewell residents curb-side service ever since. The menu has expanded over the years, Buck says, and Lynn’s focus on customers keeps locals coming back to try each addition. “We sell quite a bit of everything,” Buck says. “We’re always here for the customers. Everyone keeps telling me Lynn’s Drive In is sort of an icon.” Lynn’s is open seven days a week from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Saturday, and 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Sunday. ➼ 3705 Coal Heritage Road, Bluewell, WV 24701, 304.589.6279
clockwise
Diners stay busy in towns big and small across the state. Frostop in Huntington is known for its root beer. Lynn’s in southern West
Virginia has great hot dogs and chili, while Biggie’s in Grafton offers burgers and more. Beckley’s King Tut Drive-In has all the comfort food you could ask for.
wvliving.com 125
is open from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday. The restaurant is closed on Sundays. ➼ Pinnacle Avenue and Route 16, Pineville, WV 24874, 304.732.7785
Stewarts Original Hot Dogs, Huntington
Morrison’s Drive-Inn, Logan
Don’t forget to order a couple of hot dogs and some onion rings when you visit Morrison’s Drive-Inn in Logan. Arguably one of the most popular restaurants in Logan, Morrison’s has been serving up homemade comfort food for 60 years. Customers recommend the hot dogs with “everything” and the fried chicken. “Best sellers are homemade hand-breaded onion rings, hot dogs, cheeseburgers on grilled bread, and our hand-breaded fried chicken,” says owner Jay Mayhorn. “We don’t think of our food as fast food. It’s good food fast.” Morrison’s was opened in 1947 by John Morrison. Jay’s grandfather began working at Morrison’s in 1948 and later became the sole owner. The family business has been passed down through the generations ever since and has acquired two other Logan eateries over the years—Parkway Drive In and Janet’s Park & Eat. “All three establishments have similar items, but different recipes. We pride ourselves on keeping things exactly how they have been for years, and hopefully will continue to be for years to come,” Jay says. Morrison’s is open seven days a week from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Parkway is open Monday through Saturday from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. ➼ Morrison’s Drive-Inn, 126 Stollings Avenue, Logan, WV 25601, 304.752.9872 ➼ Parkway Drive In, 401 Justice Avenue, Logan, WV 25601, 304.752-7703
Pinnacle Drive Inn, Pineville
This hoagie and hot dog hotspot has made loyal fans of many who have driven through its lanes. The business opened in November 1968 and has been serving up its best-selling chili and hot dogs ever since, says owner Carolyn Clay. “We have people still coming who moved away a long time ago,” Carolyn says. “Our food is just good, I guess you’d say. We keep everything fresh as possible and we make our chili fresh every day.” Pinnacle
For more than 80 years Stewarts has been slinging its famous hot dogs to loyalists in the Huntington area. The city’s Fifth Avenue drive-in opened in 1932 selling root beer and popcorn. The next year it expanded its menu to include hot dogs and chili. Today Stewarts sends its dogs far and wide across the U.S., caters events, and hosts the annual West Virginia Hot Dog Festival in Huntington. “In the beginning we had root beer and popcorn, then we added hot dogs and barbecue, and then we added French fries and Pepsi products, made-to-order hamburgers, lighter food options, grilled chicken sandwiches, vegetarian dogs, corn dogs, and more,” says John Mandt, Jr., fourth generation owner of the family-run business. The drive-in became the official hot dog of Marshall University in 1988 and has expanded to a second location in Kenova. John says the business expansion all boils down to a great product and a family atmosphere. “We’re a family business, not a national chain,” he says. “We’re local, we understand our customers, and we have a long history here. People know what they’re going to get when they come here.” John says hours will expand for the summer. Currently the Huntington location is open 10 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. seven days a week. The Kenova location is open from 9:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. ➼ 2445 Fifth Avenue, Huntington, WV 25703, 304.529.3647 ➼ 1025 Oak Street Kenova, WV 25530, 304.453.3647, stewartshotdogs.com
Guest Check More to Eat West Virginia has other drivein restaurants for you to check out, too. More options include: Sterling Drive In 788 Stewart Street, Welch, WV 24801 304.436.3271 Biggie’s 505 North Pike Street, Grafton, WV 26354 304.265.2295 Midway West 445 6th Avenue West, Huntington, WV 25701 304.697.3644 Tunnel Drive-In 1899 West 3rd Avenue, Williamson, WV 25661 304.235.1787
Thank You! wvliving.com 127
the pa rting shot | by Nikki Bowman
Taking the Scenic Route photographed by
Nikki Bowman
This summer join us in getting kids outdoors. McKayla Mills, Abby Bowman, and Kendall Welch enjoy kayaking the Greenbrier River, one of the longest untamed rivers in the eastern United States. The Greenbrier River Trail, operated by the West Virginia State Park system, runs parallel to the river for 77 miles. 128 wvl • summer 2014