Dec. 17, 2015
CHARLES TOWN, W.Va. – The West Virginia Division of Culture and History (WVDCH) will travel to Charles Town, Jefferson County to recognize the Jefferson County Jail, one of 14 historic sites featured in the 2016 State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) calendar.
At 10 a.m., Tuesday, Dec. 22, a presentation will take place at the Jefferson County Circuit Clerk’s Office, also known as the “old jail.” The 2016 calendar celebrates the 50th anniversary of the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966. The new calendar will be unveiled along with a certificate presentation. The presentation also will recognize the cover of the calendar, a streetscape in Harper’s Ferry. The town was one of the first listings in the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) in West Virginia.
“We are pleased to announce the publication of our 2016 calendar, which highlights 50 years of West Virginia’s contributions to the national historic preservation movement,” said WVDCH Commissioner Randall Reid-Smith. “The individual buildings and sites included in our calendar represent our state’s commitment to its historic resources.”
Susan Pierce, director of the SHPO added, “The calendar is the state historic preservation office’s annual educational publication, which shares information about our state’s historic resources and the programs that protect and preserve them. We are happy to be part of the 50th anniversary celebration of the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966.”
The Jefferson County Jail, part of the Downtown Charles Town Historic District, is featured in April and has been listed in the NRHP since 1997. The jail was built in 1918 by Thomas Mullett. In 1922, the jail held at least thirty of the principal leaders of the Battle of Blair Mountain in Logan County while they were tried for murder and treason. The jail has been converted for use as court and office space for the circuit court.
For more information contact Caryn Gresham, deputy commissioner of the WVDCH, at (304) 558-0220 or Caryn.S.Gresham@wv.gov.
The West Virginia Division of Culture and History is an agency within the West Virginia Department of Education and the Arts with Kay Goodwin, Cabinet Secretary. The division, led by Commissioner Randall Reid-Smith, brings together the past, present and future through programs and services focusing on archives and history, arts, historic preservation and museums. For more information about the division’s programs, events and sites, visit www.wvculture.org. The Division of Culture and History is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer.
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