Architectural Significance in Pocahontas County

 

Architectural Significance in Pocahontas County

A large number of historic buildings were considered architecturally significant. Many one- and two-room rural schoolhouses dotted the county. At one time, there was a schoolhouse approximately every 5 miles. Many schoolhouses still exist in adaptive reuse. Several notable churches, including Liberty Presbyterian Church, Dunmore United Methodist Church, Baxter Presbyterian Church, Hamlin Chapel, Edray United Methodist Church, Grace Episcopal Church, Wesley Chapel Methodist Church, Oak Grove Presbyterian Church, and Lower “Old” Droop Church, were considered significant enough to warrant listing in the National Register.

Droop Mountain Battlefield State Park

The Droop Mountain Battlefield is a State Park. This area contains several historically significant sites, including the Hillsboro community.

Potential Architectural Themes

The sources suggest developing a theme for each individual architect and identifying a body of work. Some architects and the sites they are associated with are listed below.

• Architect: Unknown. Sites: Pocahontas County Courthouse, Nick McCoy House, and other houses in Marlinton.
• Architect: Mr. Dassenville and Mr. Littlepage. Site: Harper Beard House in Marlinton.
• Architect: Smith. Site: Will Yeager House.
• Architect: E. D. King. Site: Frank R. Hill House.

Huntersville

Huntersville is an old settlement with many notable sites, including The Hitching Tree, the United Methodist Church, and the IOOF Building.

Additional Research

The sources recommend conducting further research on several buildings:

• The Marlinton Opera House. This building may be the oldest structural concrete building in West Virginia.
• The J. B. Hannah House.
• A former hospital for tuberculosis patients. The building was originally constructed in 1917 and currently functions as a nursing home.

The sources also note that many sites throughout Pocahontas County have an association and significance that may warrant listing on the National Register or as local landmarks. The sources recommend more intensive-level surveys to properly categorize these sites. Rural historic districts and buildings with a common theme are also mentioned. In all these cases, additional research is recommended.

Survey Recommendations

• The Slaty Fork area requires more inventory and research.
• The southwestern and northern areas of Pocahontas County require further surveying.
• The Cass Scenic Railroad and the Greenbrier River Trail need further surveying.
• The old Seneca/Marlinton to Hillsboro section of the old Staunton-Parkersburg Turnpike should be surveyed.
• The Snow Creek and Cass railroad depots, as well as other railroad structures in Marlinton, should be surveyed.

Recommended Listings

The sources recommend listing several sites on a County Historic Landmark Register to recognize those that are significant to the county or specific localities but may not meet the criteria for listing on the National Register. The county register would also provide a way to quickly recognize projects that need immediate recognition until they can be formally listed. This process could also be used for sites or areas that may not meet federal criteria, such as those less than 150 years old.

Historic District Recommendations

The sources recommend prioritizing the development of historic districts and provide a list of potential historic districts:

1. Huntersville
2. Hillsboro
3. Cass
4. Mill Point
5. Dunmore

The sources note that the historic districts could be negatively impacted by future alterations or the loss of historically significant structures. It is important to recognize that the accumulation of structures gives an historic district its significance.

Historic districts contain two types of sites: contributing and non-contributing. Non-contributing sites should comprise no more than 25% of the district. Contributing sites can be pivotal, or major, sites and contributing sites. Districts should have about 10% pivotal sites.