HINTON W.Va. (Hinton News) – Editor’s Note: Each week, local history collector William Jones discusses items from his collection and their historical significance. In this edition, he is delving into the topic of the Summers County Memorial Building.
Just like the Talcott School Gymnasium, which was recently rededicated as the Dallas “Bud” Mann Gymnasium, the Summers County Memorial Building was also a WPA project. The foundation of this building was not part of the WPA project as can be seen printed on the official advertisement card featured in one of the photos.
The concept behind the construction of the Summers County Memorial Building was to serve the community as a gathering place for children of the county in an affordable setting to be used for fundraising activities, after-school events, blood drives and many other types of events. Such as the story I wrote about the country music show my grandfather Bernard Thompson put on in 1969 and used it for the venue.
Prior to my wreck, my mother and I used to be involved with the Hinton Hope Foundation. We held many events in the Memorial Building, such as Hinton Game Night, where we had local celebrities serve as the hosts, country music shows, which led to various contestants making big names for themselves on a local scale and others.
During my tenure with the Hinton Hope Foundation, we felt the need to give back to this venue that had brought so much to our community. Over the years, the metal folding chairs had become worn out and broken over the decades of use. So we created “Chairs for Hope.” We held numerous fundraising events to purchase the new seating for the Memorial Building.
The new black metal and rubber chairs were purchased at Sam’s at a cost of around $22 apiece. It felt great to give something back to the place that had let the foundation hold events in its early days to grow and prosper. After nearly a century of having been built as a “community building,” which “is a building that is dedicated towards the creation or enhancement among individuals within a regional area or with a common need or interest.” This building has always served the community as just that!
When I used to work the elections at the Pence Springs precinct, we had our training in this building. Even recently, on Nov. 11, when the Veterans Memorial Wall was rededicated in Hinton, the ceremony was held inside the building and then we walked over to the wall to conclude the service. Where new plaques for all branches of the service were unveiled. It is fitting that the courthouse, Memorial Building, Post Office and Veterans Memorial Wall are all in what has come to be known as “courthouse square.” All major events in Hinton and Summers County seem to happen in this location.
The building is virtually identical to the way it was when it was first constructed. From the beautiful woodwork around the stage to the tile floor, to the railing around the center area of the foyer that used to be open to looking down to the floor below. But for safety reasons, it had to be floored to close it off. The proximity of the Memorial Building to the courthouse allowed for a much-needed upgrade that, not only the Memorial Building needed, but the courthouse needed also.
In 2004 an addition was put between the two structures with brick that matched up to the original brick of the Memorial Building to install an elevator to serve both structures, thus making them both fully handicapped accessible. Something that could not have been said since the courthouse was constructed in 1875.
The two items you see in the photos with this article were recently gifted to me by a fellow Summers County history and antique collector. The newspaper is the Hinton Daily News from Nov. 9, 1938. It is when the Memorial Building was first completed. The title of the article reads, “City Plans Huge Celebration Summers County War Memorial Building to be Dedicated Friday.”
In reading this original newspaper article, I learned that the building was first planned as early as 1923. At that time, Murvill Cook Post No. 6 Hinton American Legion spearheaded a movement for a war memorial. Its construction took over a complete decade and had two big obstacles during its construction which delayed it even further.
The blue booklet you see is an original dedication booklet for events pertaining to the ceremony to be held on Armistice Day, Nov. 11, 1938. Aside from the program being well organized in the book featuring three performances from the Hinton High School Band, it has ads from various businesses in Hinton and throughout Summers County placed in this booklet. Most of these I had heard of over the years but there are a few that are new to me.
The businesses were:
Hinton Hardware, Hinton Furniture Company, Puckett’s Drug Store, Hinton Banking Company, Wilson’s Sanitary Fountain, Barnette Funeral Home, New River Grocery Company, The West Virginia Water Service Company, Summers Printing Co., Hotel McCreery, The “B” Company, Central Plumbing Shop, F. W. Woolworth Co., Keaton’s Cleaning & Pressing, Dodd Brothers Food Market, New River Oil Company, Nick’s Sandwich Shop.
Bowling-Haynes Motor Co., Ripley’s Quality Dry Cleaning, City Drug Store, A. W. Cox Department Store, Acme Limestone Company, Buckland Transfer Co., Virginia Laundry Co., John W. Cook, Meadows Furniture Company, Hinton Builders Supply Co., Citizen Fire Insurance Agency, Garry & Sheffey, Johnson & Gwinn Inc., Welfley’s, T. A. Honaker, Wak Company Gas, Hinton Motor Company, C. Lawson Deeds, Esso, C.J.’s Stores, Third Ave. Meat Market, Masonic Fountain, Maddy Brothers.
Thompson’s Meat Market, Lowe & Hedrick Service Station, Arrow Head Inn, Harrison Studio, Hinton Service Station, E. M. Meadows Funeral Home, Hinton Floral Shop, O. K. Beauty Shop, Modern Beauty Shop, Mary-Ann Beauty Shop, Ritz Beauty Shop, The Ladies Auxiliary of The American Legion, G. C. Murphy Company, Purty Maid Products, Hinton High School, Harman’s Garage, W. T. Grant Co., The William Meador Grocery, Tomkies & Son, Williams Market.
W. L. Gum Motor Company, Miller Esso Station, Keaton’s Grocery, Sunbeam Grill, Miller Motor Co., Alderson’s Bootery, B. P. Brown, Parker’s Confectionery and Grocery, Packs Place, Avis Cash Grocery, Harcher’s Cafe, Call B. G. Grimmett, Beech Run Place, Jimmy’s Radio Service, The Hub Clothing Co., The Hinton Hospital, West End Grocery, The Laurel Shop, The Hinton Construction Company, Temple Lunch, R. M. Deeds, The Hinton Cooperative Mercantile Company, The Modern Cleaning Company, Ellison Electric Shop, Anderson’s City Market.
Summers County Court, The Meadow River Lumber Company, Hinton High School Band, Buckland Cabs, The First National Bank of Hinton, Anderson Cleaners, River View Grill, Lillian’s Beauty Shop, Supreme Liberty Life Insurance Company, Nickerson’s Barber Shop, Lincoln Grill, The Friendly Inn Sandwich Shop, Bridge Street Beauty Shop, Silver Moon Court, Benj. Bannaker Lodge, Honaker’s Service Station, O. K. Shoe Shine Parlor, Comer Cleaners & Dyers, Farley Service Station, Virginia Public Service Company and Coca-Cola.
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