The History of the PCHS Prom

 

The history of the Junior-Senior Prom at Pocahontas County High School (PCHS) in Dunmore, West Virginia, reflects the unique geography, cultural fusion, and community spirit of the rural Allegheny Mountains.

From its origins as a unifying event for rival communities to its evolution into a high-country celebration, the PCHS prom has anchored student life in the county for decades.

1. The Dawn of Consolidation (1970–1971)

Before the autumn of 1970, Pocahontas County secondary education was fragmented. Students attended community-centric high schools: the Marlinton Copperheads, the Green Bank Eagles, and the Hillsboro Red Devils. When these schools consolidated into the newly built Pocahontas County High School in Dunmore for the 1970–1971 school year, administrators faced the daunting task of blending three fierce athletic and social rivals into a single identity: the PCHS Warriors.

The very first PCHS Junior-Senior Prom, held in the spring of 1971, served as a crucial social milestone. Under the guidance of the school’s first principal, Frederic Smith, the junior class took on the responsibility of hosting the seniors. It was one of the first major extracurricular events where students from the northern, southern, and western ends of the county worked together to establish new traditions, setting aside past rivalries to decorate the brand-new school gymnasium.

2. The Gymnasium Era & The Grand March

For the first few decades of PCHS history, the prom was fundamentally a school- and community-contained affair. Because the county lacked large commercial banquet halls, the PCHS Gymnasium served as the primary venue.

Transformation of the gym was an intense, days-long project undertaken by the junior class. Eras like the 1980s and 1990s featured classic, high-effort decorations:

• Hundreds of yards of gossamer and crepe paper streamers radiating from the center of the ceiling to conceal the basketball hoops.

• Hand-painted murals matching the annual theme (ranging from rustic mountain aesthetics to classic themes like “A Night in Heaven” or “Starry Night”).

• Trellises interwoven with silk flowers and balloon arches for the mandatory photo backdrops.

A hallmark of the Pocahontas County prom tradition has always been its transparency and community involvement. It was common practice for parents, younger siblings, and local residents to fill the gymnasium bleachers just to watch the Grand March—the formal procession where couples were announced individually, showcasing their dresses and tuxedos to the community before the public was cleared and the private dance began.

3. Historic Regional Venues

As transportation became easier and students sought distinct experiences, the prom occasionally migrated from the high school gym to historic and cultural hubs within the Greenbrier Valley.

Two venues in particular stand out in PCHS prom lore:

• The Pocahontas Opera House (Marlinton): This historic, light-filled turn-of-the-century venue has occasionally hosted the prom. Its grand wooden architecture and historic stage provided an intimate, timeless Appalachian elegance that contrasted sharply with standard school gymnasiums.

• The Snowshoe Mountain Resort Communities: In more recent decades, the prom shifted toward the top of the county—literally. Venues like the Corduroy Inn and Lodge and various banquet halls at Snowshoe Mountain Resort became frequent hosts. Holding prom atop the 4,848-foot mountain offered a modern, resort-style formal experience, complete with high-country mountain vistas that are uniquely characteristic of Pocahontas County.

4. Uniquely Appalachian Elements

Growing up in the rural expanse of West Virginia's third-largest county by land area introduces distinct logistical quirks to prom night:

• The Commute: With students scattered from northern areas like Linwood and Arbovale to southern points like Hillsboro, simply getting to prom often involved long, formal dress-clad drives across winding mountain ridges like Droop Mountain or along Route 219.

• Weather Disruptions: Because high-altitude West Virginia spring weather is unpredictable, PCHS winter and spring events (including Sadie Hawkins and early Prom prep) have historically battled late-season mountain snowstorms, occasionally forcing rapid rescheduling by the junior class.

• The Soundtrack of Home: While the music shifted from 70s rock to 90s pop and modern hits, traditional PCHS dances have long maintained a deep respect for regional pride. It remains an unbroken tradition for the final stretch of major school dances to feature a collective, full-throated rendition of John Denver’s “Take Me Home, Country Roads.”