Charleston Historic Landmarks Commission — Charleston, WV
Date: 2024-02-15
Time: 16:00

Charleston Historic Landmarks Commission
 4:00 p.m., February 15, 2023
City Service Center Conference Room • 915 Quarrier Street




 AGENDA


 National Register Review
 Expansion of the Downtown Historic District


 New Business
 Discussion on Municipal Auditorium


 Report on Minor Work Permits


 Approval of Minutes
 Approve minutes of the 11/16/2024 CHLC meeting.


 Adjournment

NPS Form 10-900 OMB No. 1024-0018

United States Department of the Interior
National Park Service
National Register of Historic Places Registration Form
This form is for use in nominating or requesting determinations for individual properties and districts. See instructions in National Register Bulletin,
How to Complete the National Register of Historic Places Registration Form. If any item does not apply to the property being documented, enter
"N/A" for "not applicable." For functions, architectural classification, materials, and areas of significance, enter only categories and subcategories
from the instructions.


1. Name of Property
Historic name: __Downtown Charleston Historic District (Additional Documentation)
Other names/site number: ___________
 Name of related multiple property listing:__n/a______________________
____________________________________________________________________________
2. Location
Street & number: _Roughly bounded by Washington Street East, Leon Sullivan Way, Kanawha
Boulevard, and Summers Street.__________________________
City or town: _Charleston____ State: __West Virginia____ County: _Kanawha___
Not For Publication: n/a Vicinity: n/a
____________________________________________________________________________
3. State/Federal Agency Certification
As the designated authority under the National Historic Preservation Act, as amended,
I hereby certify that this X nomination ___ request for determination of eligibility meets the
documentation standards for registering properties in the National Register of Historic Places
and meets the procedural and professional requirements set forth in 36 CFR Part 60.
In my opinion, the property _X meets ___ does not meet the National Register Criteria. I
recommend that this property be considered significant at the following
level(s) of significance:
___national ___statewide _X__local
  Applicable National Register Criteria:
_X__A ___B _X__C ___D




 Signature of certifying official/Title: Date
 ______________________________________________
 State or Federal agency/bureau or Tribal Government


 In my opinion, the property meets does not meet the National Register criteria.


 Signature of commenting official: Date


 Title : State or Federal agency/bureau
 or Tribal Government


 1
United States Department of the Interior
National Park Service / National Register of Historic Places Registration Form
NPS Form 10-900 OMB No. 1024-0018


Downtown Charleston Historic District – Additional Documentation Kanawha, WV
Name of Property County and State
 06000166
 NR Reference Number
______________________________________________________________________________
4. National Park Service Certification
 I hereby certify that this property is:
 entered in the National Register
 determined eligible for the National Register
 determined not eligible for the National Register
 removed from the National Register
 other (explain:) _____________________


______________________________________________________________________
Signature of the Keeper Date of Action
____________________________________________________________________________
5. Classification
 Ownership of Property
 (Check as many boxes as apply.)

 Private: X

 Public – Local X

 Public – State

 Public – Federal




 Category of Property
 (Check only one box.)

 Building(s)

 District X

 Site

 Structure

 Object




 Section 1-6 page 2
United States Department of the Interior
National Park Service / National Register of Historic Places Registration Form
NPS Form 10-900 OMB No. 1024-0018


Downtown Charleston Historic District – Additional Documentation Kanawha, WV
Name of Property County and State
 06000166
 NR Reference Number
 Number of Resources within Property
 (Do not include previously listed resources in the count)
Contributing Noncontributing
_____119_______ ____ 32_______ buildings

______ 1_______ _____________ sites

_______1______ _____________ structures

_______2______ _____________ objects

_____123_______ ______32_______ Total

 Number of contributing resources previously listed in the National Register __7_____

6. Function or Use
Historic Functions
(Enter categories from instructions.) Additional Documentation buildings only
 __COMMERCE/Business
 __RELIGION/Gymnasium and social hall

Current Functions
(Enter categories from instructions.) Additional Documentation buildings only
 __COMMERCE/Business
 __RELIGION/Classrooms and social hall
 __WORK IN PROGRESS: DOMESTIC/Multiple Dwelling
___________________________________________________________________________
7. Description

 Architectural Classification Additional Documentation buildings only
 (Enter categories from instructions.)
 _MODERN MOVEMENT/International Style
 _MODERN MOVEMENT/Miesian

Materials: (enter categories from instructions.) Additional Documentation buildings only
Principal exterior materials of the property:
 Foundation: not visible (below grade)
 Walls: METAL/Aluminum (Resources 76, 96)
 Walls: GLASS (Resources 76, 96)
 Walls: CONCRETE (Resource 76)
 Walls: BRICK (Resource 79
 Roof: not visible (flat roofs)


 Section 7 page 3
United States Department of the Interior
National Park Service / National Register of Historic Places Registration Form
NPS Form 10-900 OMB No. 1024-0018


Downtown Charleston Historic District – Additional Documentation Kanawha, WV
Name of Property County and State
 06000166
 NR Reference Number


Narrative Description
(Describe the historic and current physical appearance and condition of the property. Describe
contributing and noncontributing resources if applicable. Begin with a summary paragraph that
briefly describes the general characteristics of the property, such as its location, type, style,
method of construction, setting, size, and significant features. Indicate whether the property has
historic integrity.)

______________________________________________________________________________
Introduction
The original Downton Charleston Historic District National Register nomination (listed March
24, 2006, NR #06000166) included an area of about 43 acres roughly bounded by Washington
Street East, Leon Sullivan Way on the south, Kanawha Boulevard on the west, and Summers
Street on the north. The boundaries of the existing historic district are not being changed.

The 2006 National Register nomination included 165 total resources. There were 129
contributing resources: 125 contributing buildings, 1 contributing site, 1 contributing structure,
and 2 contributing objects. There were 36 noncontributing buildings. The resources included
primarily commercial buildings, along with a small number of government, religious, and
education related buildings.

The 2006 nomination used a period of significance of c.1877-1956. The c.1877 date represented
the Eva Smith Building, believed to be the oldest standing resource in the historic district. The
1956 date represented the National Register program’s 50-year cut-off date for a nomination
listed in 2006. The selection of the 50-year cut-off standard implied that development continued
within the historic district’s boundaries after 1956. The post-1956 buildings could reach
significance, but the resources were not 50 years of age, the customary age for assessing
National Register eligibility, when the 2006 nomination was listed.

Since the 2006 nomination, the architectural and historic integrity of the historic district has
remained intact. The buildings maintain their integrity of design, materials, and workmanship,
along with retaining the setting and association representing downtown Charleston. In addition,
the 2006 boundaries continue to define the historic resources in the downtown Charleston core.

This additional documentation project completes several objectives. First, it extends the Period
of Significance to 1974, the National Register program’s 50-year cut-off date for a nomination
listed in 2024. The revision of the end of the Period Significance from 1956 to 1974 will
recognize the significance of resources constructed during that time period, reflecting both
National Register Criteria A and C. Second, the resource inventory is being updated to change
contributing/noncontributing status where needed due to the revised end date of the Period of
Significance. Third, the resource inventory is being updated to document building demolitions
and new building construction that has occurred since the 2006 nomination. The result of these



 Section 7 page 4
United States Department of the Interior
National Park Service / National Register of Historic Places Registration Form
NPS Form 10-900 OMB No. 1024-0018


Downtown Charleston Historic District – Additional Documentation Kanawha, WV
Name of Property County and State
 06000166
 NR Reference Number
changes is that the percentage of contributing buildings compared to all buildings in the historic
district has remained steady at just under 80%.

The following table is a summary of the changes in the resource inventory. All categories listed
in the first column of the table are then discussed in detail.


Downtown Charleston Historic District
Charleston, West Virginia
Resource Count Revision

 Contribu�ng Noncontribu�ng Contribu�ng Contribu�ng Contribu�ng Previously
 Buildings Buildings Sites Structures Objects Listed
 Original NRN
 125 36 1 1 2 7
 2006
 Note 1: 2006
 Nomina�on
 Count 0 -1
 Correc�on
 (Resource 155)
 Note 2: 2006
 Nomina�on
 Count -1 +1
 Correc�on
 (Resource 107)
 Status change:
 Noncontribu�ng
 to Contribu�ng
 +3 -3
 due to revised
 Period of
 Signiﬁcance
 Demoli�on -8 -3
 New
 0 +2
 Construc�on
 Final NRN 2024
 Addi�onal 119 32 1 1 2 7
 Documenta�on




 Section 7 page 5
United States Department of the Interior
National Park Service / National Register of Historic Places Registration Form
NPS Form 10-900 OMB No. 1024-0018


Downtown Charleston Historic District – Additional Documentation Kanawha, WV
Name of Property County and State
 06000166
 NR Reference Number
Note 1: 2006 Nomination Resource Count Correction

Resource 155, located at about 708 Virginia St., was described as an 18-story office tower. The
nomination listed the building as noncontributing with a construction date of 1969. This office
tower was constructed on the opposite side of the street (south side) at 707 Virginia St., outside
of the historic district boundaries. The 2006 nomination resource map shows Resources 154-
155-156 as three separate, abutting resources on the north side of Virginia St. Resource 155 did
not actually exist. Resource 154 (2003, 700 Virginia St., 4-story commercial building) and
Resource 156 (2004, 710 Virginia St., 2-story parking garage) occupy the available space on the
north side of Virginia St. See Note 1 row in above table. This correction decreases the number
of noncontributing buildings in 2006 by one. The 2024 resource map has removed Resource
155, retaining Resources 154 and 156.

Note 2: 2006 Nomination Resource Count Correction

Resource 107 was described as a one-story brick commercial building with a recessed garage bay
and a modem storefront consisting of an entrance and several display windows. The nomination
listed the building as contributing with a construction date of c.1965, which was a decade after
the Period of Significance ended (1956). It is likely that Resource 107 should have been labelled
“noncontributing” in the 2006 nomination. See Note 2 row in above table. This correction
decreases the number of contributing buildings in 2006 by one and increases the number of
noncontributing buildings in 2006 by one. Subsequent to the 2006 nomination, Resource 107
was demolished and has been subtracted from the resource count as part of “Demolition –
Noncontributing Buildings.” The 2024 resource map has removed Resource 107.

Note 3: Date Revision of 1000 Virginia Street East (Resource 163)
Resource 163 was described in the 2006 nomination with a construction date of “c.1970” and a
status of “noncontributing.” The construction date is incorrect. The building is much older. The
corrected date for the resource is “c.1910, 1967.” The status remains noncontributing, therefore
there is no change to the resource count in the above table.

 Property history documentation:
 The 1907 Sanborn map shows a two-story brick building identified as a “livery” (1002 Virginia Street
 East), plus a single-family house (1004 Virginia Street East) at the property location. 1 The 1912
 Sanborn map shows a three-story brick building identified as “storefronts” with an address of 1002-
 04 Virginia Street East. 2 The 1912 Sanborn map also carries the notation “from plans,” indicating a
 recent construction project. The three-story building may have incorporated several walls from the
 earlier livery. Uses in subsequent decades included the publication office of The Charleston Daily



1
  Sanborn Fire Insurance Map, Sanborn Map Company, April 1907, sheet 14. Library of Congress,
https://www.loc.gov/item/sanborn09394_006/. Accessed December 2023.
2
  Sanborn Fire Insurance Map, Sanborn Map Company, 1912, sheet 15. Library of Congress,
https://www.loc.gov/item/sanborn09394_007/. Accessed December 2023.

 Section 7 page 6
United States Department of the Interior
National Park Service / National Register of Historic Places Registration Form
NPS Form 10-900 OMB No. 1024-0018


Downtown Charleston Historic District – Additional Documentation Kanawha, WV
Name of Property County and State
 06000166
 NR Reference Number
 Mail, vehicle storage, repair garage, and public parking. 3 Center College purchased the property in
 1966, moved from 1027 Virginia Street East (demolished), and substantially altered the building for
 classroom and administrative space. 4 The façade walls on McFarland Street and Virginia Street East
 were replaced, losing their c.1910 architectural characteristics. This loss of architectural integrity
 makes the building not eligible for the National Register.


Status change: Noncontributing to Contributing due to revised Period of
Significance

Resource 76 Contributing
1012 Kanawha Boulevard
Historic Name: Heck’s, Inc.
Current Name: multiple office tenants
Date of Construction: 1967 5
Architect: Stanley Kasindorf, Meyer and Kasindorf, Great Neck, NY 6
Contractor: E. L. Harris and Son, Inc., Charleston, WV 7

Photo 1

This Miesian style, 5-story, flat roof building is raised one story above grade on round concrete
pilotis. The ground level consists of parking spaces, plus enclosures for entrances and
mechanical spaces, constructed of variegated red brick in a stretcher bond pattern. The entire
façade on the 2nd through 4th floors is a curtain wall, consisting of alternating rows of narrow
medium gray windows and dark gray spandrels, all set within a brick and concrete frame forming
the building’s edges. The remaining three elevations are clad in precast concrete panels 8
resembling rough-faced white brick in a stretcher bond pattern. The north elevation is a solid
wall, while the horizontality of the east and south elevations is punctuated by symmetrically
spaced vertical rows of narrow clear windows and medium gray spandrels. The small 5th floor
penthouse, clad in red variegated brick, has a curtain wall west elevation matching the façade
below.

The building maintains the integrity of its design, materials, and workmanship, conveys the
original purpose for which it was constructed, and retains its setting and association as part of
downtown Charleston.


3
  Charlie Connor, “Center College Acquiring 3-Story Parking Structure,” The Charleston Daily Mail, September 24,
1966, p. 1.
4
  “Center College Announces Seventh Annual Winter Term, Sunday Mail Gazette, January 8, 1967, p. 45; “How
New Center College Will Look,” The Charleston Daily Mail, May 10, 1967, p. 13.
5
  “Heck’s Will Erect Boulevard Building,” The Charleston Daily Mail, December 31, 1966, p. 5.
6
  “Heck’s Will Erect Boulevard Building,” The Charleston Daily Mail, December 31, 1966, p. 5.
7
  “Heck’s Will Erect Boulevard Building,” The Charleston Daily Mail, December 31, 1966, p. 5.
8
  “Heck’s Office Building Framework Rises,” The Charleston Daily Mail, July 29, 1967, p. 4.

 Section 7 page 7
United States Department of the Interior
National Park Service / National Register of Historic Places Registration Form
NPS Form 10-900 OMB No. 1024-0018


Downtown Charleston Historic District – Additional Documentation Kanawha, WV
Name of Property County and State
 06000166
 NR Reference Number
Resource 79 Contributing
1116 Kanawha Blvd. (Kanawha Boulevard and Leon Sullivan Way)
Historic Name: First Presbyterian Church Gym and Activity Center
Current Name: First Presbyterian Activities Building
Date of Construction: 1958 9
Architect: Greife and Daley, Charleston, WV 10
Contractor: R. H. Hewitt, Charleston, WV 11

Photo 2

This building is representative of the Modern Movement, forgoing ornamentation and instead
emphasizing massing and changes in wall planes to organize the design, as well as creating
decorative effects originating from a straightforward application of materials. It is a two-story,
flat-roofed building with a metal coping that has buff brick walls laid in a common bond pattern
with Flemish bond every sixth course. The Kanawha Boulevard elevation (west) has eleven bays
separated by rectangular brick piers. The deeply recessed wall plane of each bay consists of two
metal-framed transom windows above four metal-framed casement windows. The wall area
below each window assembly is stone-veneered. A low, stone-capped decorative brick screen
wall extends the width of the elevation. The Leon Sullivan Way elevation (north) consists of
eight recessed bays in the same design as the Kanawha Blvd. elevation, flanked by a section of
solid brick wall on each end. The same low, stone-capped decorative brick screen wall extends
below the six easternmost recessed bays. Each of the two westernmost recessed bays contain
original metal-framed, glass, double-leaf, entrance doors with full-height glass sidelights. Above
the entrance doors, the two bays are topped with a flat-roofed canopy. The south elevation has a
projecting, one-story, flat-roofed, glass vestibule. Seven slightly recessed bays have narrow
horizontal windows just below the roofline. The east elevation is windowless. Low, stone-
capped brick planters flank the Kanawha Blvd. driveway.

The building maintains the integrity of its design, materials, and workmanship, conveys the
original purpose for which it was constructed, and retains its setting and association as part of
downtown Charleston.


Resource 96 Contributing
901 Lee Street
Historic Name: National Bank of Commerce
Current Name: 900 on Lee (apartments)
Date of Construction: 1967-1968 12

9
  Activities building dedication, The Charleston Daily Mail, September 1, 1958, p. 10.
10
 Activities building dedication, The Charleston Daily Mail, September 1, 1958, p. 10.
11
 Activities building dedication, The Charleston Daily Mail, September 1, 1958, p. 10.
12
 “Bank Employees Due Key Roles In Groundbreaking,” The Charleston Daily Mail, February 13, 1967, p. 15;
Charlie Connor, “Commerce Square To Open in Dec.,” The Charleston Daily Mail, November 13, 1968, p. 29.

 Section 7 page 8
United States Department of the Interior
National Park Service / National Register of Historic Places Registration Form
NPS Form 10-900 OMB No. 1024-0018


Downtown Charleston Historic District – Additional Documentation Kanawha, WV
Name of Property County and State
 06000166
 NR Reference Number
Architect: C.E. Silling & Associates, Charleston, WV 13
General Contractor: National Bank of Commerce, Charleston, WV 14
Construction Consultant: Kenhill Construction, Charleston, WV 15

Photo 3

The property consists of a 16-story International Style office tower and an attached parking
garage. Each office tower elevation consists of fifteen bays of curtain wall construction with
tinted windows and dark spandrels. Wide vertical marble bands extend the full height of the
building at the elevation corners and divide each elevation into three primary sections. Narrow
vertical marble bands extending the full building height separate the remaining bays on the
elevations. A louvered screen conceals roof-mounted equipment.

On the façade (Lee St., north elevation), the central elevation section consists of polished,
mottled taupe granite panels. Each façade corner at ground level has a recessed entrance.
Mounted on the granite at the second story level is a bas relief bronze sculpture that is original to
the building: Man Wrests From The Earth Its Natural Resources To Build Pathways To The Stars,
designed by Milton Horn (1906-1995).

Recessed from the façade on the east and west elevations are narrow, flat-roofed, two-story
pavilions. The white marble-clad structural elements have a post-and-beam design, with the bays
infilled with metal-framed, fixed glass panels. Behind the office tower is a six-story concrete
parking garage. The marble-clad post-and-beam design motif of the pavilions is repeated an
additional six times, extending in front of the garage elevations.

The building maintains the integrity of its design, materials, and workmanship, conveys the
original purpose for which it was constructed, and retains its setting and association as part of
downtown Charleston.

Demolition – Contributing Buildings

Resource 51 – 208-218 Dickinson St. (c.1930, commercial bldg.)
Resource 55 – Dunbar St. between Quarrier and Lee Sts. (c.1924, commercial bldg.)
Resource 56 – Dunbar St. between Quarrier and Lee Sts. (c.1925, commercial bldg.)
Resource 83 – 1114 Kanawha Blvd. (c.1905, carriage house)
Resource 103 – 209 Leon Sullivan Way (c.1928, commercial bldg.)
Resource 104 – 210 Leon Sullivan Way (c.1908, residence)
Resource 112 – 108 McFarland St. (c.1935, commercial bldg.)
Resource 113 – McFarland St. between Virginia and Quarrier Sts. (c.1928, commercial bldg.)


13
 “Bank Employees Due Key Roles In Groundbreaking,” The Charleston Daily Mail, February 13, 1967, p. 15.
14
 “Bank Employees Due Key Roles In Groundbreaking,” The Charleston Daily Mail, February 13, 1967, p. 15.
15
 “Bank Employees Due Key Roles In Groundbreaking,” The Charleston Daily Mail, February 13, 1967, p. 15.

 Section 7 page 9
United States Department of the Interior
National Park Service / National Register of Historic Places Registration Form
NPS Form 10-900 OMB No. 1024-0018


Downtown Charleston Historic District – Additional Documentation Kanawha, WV
Name of Property County and State
 06000166
 NR Reference Number
Demolition – Noncontributing Buildings

Resource 82 – 1114 Kanawha Blvd. (c.1970, garage)
Resource 107 – 213 Leon Sullivan Way (c.1965, commercial bldg.) (see Note 2 above).
Resource 157 – 813 Virginia St. (c.1930, commercial bldg.)

New Construction

Two buildings have been constructed in the historic district since the 2006 nomination. The
2006 nomination resource numbering reached 170. These two new buildings use the next
numbers in sequence, 171 and 172. Both resources have been added to the 2024 resource map.

Resource 171 Noncontributing
204 Leon Sullivan Way
Original Name: Sacred Heart Pavilion and Early Learning Center
Current Name: Sacred Heart Pavilion and Early Learning Center
Date of Construction: 2011-2012 16

This one-story flat-roofed building was constructed as a day-care facility with a gymnasium.
The one-story section of the building has walls of five different color bricks laid in a variegated
pattern, cast stone window surrounds, and aluminum-framed windows. The entrance area on
Leon Sullivan Way, adjacent to a pick-up/drop-off lane, has a flat-roofed metal canopy.

The taller portion of the building, designed to appear as two-stories in height, is a gymnasium.
The Leon Sullivan Way elevation has ten bays. The upper wall portion is clad in the same brick
as the other section of the building, while the lower wall portion is faced with cast stone panels.
The central five bays are designed as blind arches (lower portion) or blind rectangular windows
(upper portion). Two flanking bays on each side of the central section consist of round-arched
windows (lower portion) or rectangular windows (upper portion). The westernmost bay,
surmounted by a cross, has an inscribed panel on the upper wall portion and a statuary niche in
the lower wall portion. The other gymnasium elevations are clad in fiber cement panels.

Resource 172 Noncontributing
129 Summers Street
Commercial Building
Date of Construction: 1997 17

This two-story, flat-roofed, Postmodern style, small commercial building combines fiber cement
panels and variegated red brick to create projecting, receding, and curved wall planes as part of a
narrow rectangular mass. The exaggerated wall height, with a stepped parapet on the Quarrier
16
 Brief History of Sacred Heart Parish, https://sacredheartcocathedral.com/parish-history/. Accessed December
2023; “Sacred Heart debuts new day care and gym,” Charleston Gazette-Mail online. Accessed December 2023.
17
 West Virginia Property Viewer, https://mapwv.gov. Accessed December 2023.

 Section 7 page 10
United States Department of the Interior
National Park Service / National Register of Historic Places Registration Form
NPS Form 10-900 OMB No. 1024-0018


Downtown Charleston Historic District – Additional Documentation Kanawha, WV
Name of Property County and State
 06000166
 NR Reference Number
St. elevation, gives the appearance of a three-story building to be more compatible with the
height of nearby buildings. Punched windows vary in size. The first floor recessed corner, with
an oversize round support column, has an aluminum storefront entrance.

Parking Areas and Vacant Site

When the 2006 nomination was prepared, surface parking areas existed in a scattered
arrangement throughout the historic district. Some of these parking areas came into existence as
far back as the mid-20th century. They are generally small in size, serving the building on the
same lot or an abutting lot. A review of aerial images for the current documentation project
shows that these lots remain small in size, roughly three-fourths of an acre or less. Locations
that fit this definition are labelled as “Parking” on the 2024 resource map, in order to provide a
generalized understanding of surface parking areas in the historic district.

Vacant Site 1

One area within the historic district, categorized as a Vacant Site, is defined as an area of
contiguous surface parking that serves general parking needs within its vicinity, such as multiple
businesses. The area is much larger than specific off-street areas intended to serve the parking
needs of individual buildings.

This parking area, about five acres in size, represents the majority of the acreage bounded by Lee
Street, Leon Sullivan Way, Quarrier Street, and Dickinson Street. A review of historic aerial
images shows that a large surface parking area had already formed at this location by the mid-
1950s. 18 Additional buildings were demolished during the final third of the 20th century. The
Vacant Site has become slightly larger since the 2006 nomination was prepared due to the
demolition of Resources 51, 55, 56, 103, and 107. Vacant Site 1 is labelled on the 2024 resource
map.




18
 HistoricAerials.com. Accessed December 2023.

 Section 7 page 11
United States Department of the Interior
National Park Service / National Register of Historic Places Registration Form
NPS Form 10-900 OMB No. 1024-0018


Downtown Charleston Historic District – Additional Documentation Kanawha, WV
Name of Property County and State
 06000166
 NR Reference Number
______________________________________________________________
8. Statement of Significance

 Applicable National Register Criteria
 (Mark "x" in one or more boxes for the criteria qualifying the property for National Register
 listing.)

 X A. Property is associated with events that have made a significant contribution to the
 broad patterns of our history.

 B. Property is associated with the lives of persons significant in our past.

 X C. Property embodies the distinctive characteristics of a type, period, or method of
 construction or represents the work of a master, or possesses high artistic values,
 or represents a significant and distinguishable entity whose components lack
 individual distinction.

 D. Property has yielded, or is likely to yield, information important in prehistory or
 history.


 Criteria Considerations
 (Mark “x” in all the boxes that apply.)

 A. Owned by a religious institution or used for religious purposes

 B. Removed from its original location

 C. A birthplace or grave

 D. A cemetery

 E. A reconstructed building, object, or structure

 F. A commemorative property

 G. Less than 50 years old or achieving significance within the past 50 years




 Section 8 page 12
United States Department of the Interior
National Park Service / National Register of Historic Places Registration Form
NPS Form 10-900 OMB No. 1024-0018


Downtown Charleston Historic District – Additional Documentation Kanawha, WV
Name of Property County and State
 06000166
 NR Reference Number
Areas of Significance
(Enter categories from instructions.)
_COMMERCE______
 ARCHITECTURE

Period of Significance
_c.1877-1974__________

 Significant Dates
 _ n/a __

Significant Person
(Complete only if Criterion B is marked above.)
_n/a________________

Cultural Affiliation
 n/a________________

 Architect/Builder Additional Documentation buildings only
 _Architect – Greife & Daley, Charleston, WV
 _Architect – Meyer & Kasindorf, Great Neck, NY
 _Architect – C. E. Silling & Associates, Charleston, WV




 Section 8 page 13
United States Department of the Interior
National Park Service / National Register of Historic Places Registration Form
NPS Form 10-900 OMB No. 1024-0018


Downtown Charleston Historic District – Additional Documentation Kanawha, WV
Name of Property County and State
 06000166
 NR Reference Number


Statement of Significance Summary Paragraph (Provide a summary paragraph that includes
level of significance, applicable criteria, justification for the period of significance, and any
applicable criteria considerations.)

The 2006 nomination was eligible for the National Register under Criterion A for Commerce and
Criterion C for Architecture. For Criterion A, “Charleston's downtown is significant for its
association with and reflection of the commercial growth of the city from a small village in the
mid-nineteenth century to the capital of West Virginia. Many events pivotal to the state and
region's history took place in Charleston's downtown.” For Criterion C, “downtown Charleston
is significant for its collection of historic architectural landmarks exhibiting architectural styles
such as Italianate, Classical Revival, Renaissance Revival, Art Deco, and International.” 19 The
architectural styles represented in the historic district included examples in the classifications
Late Victorian, Late 19th and 20th Century Revivals, Late 19th and Early 20th Century American
Movements, and the Modern Movement.

This section begins with a brief discussion of the economic growth of Charleston during the 19th
and 20th centuries, providing context as to why a prosperous central business district developed
in Charleston, and further, demonstrating that its influence as a business center extended beyond
the 1956 end date for the Period of Significance in the 2006 nomination.

Next, the extension of the Period of Significance from c.1877-1956 to c.1877-1974 warrants
discussion on three topics related to broad patterns of history that influenced the historic district
during the 1950s-1970s: population trends, highway construction, and urban renewal. Each of
these topics will be discussed in this section.

Finally, in terms of architecture, this section also includes a separate discussion about the
architects who designed the three buildings that have been added to the contributing resources
count and the context within




19
  National Register of Historic Places, Downtown Charleston Historic District. Charleston, Kanawha County, West
Virginia, 2006, NR #06000166, p. 43.

 Section 8 page 14
United States Department of the Interior
National Park Service / National Register of Historic Places Registration Form
NPS Form 10-900 OMB No. 1024-0018


Downtown Charleston Historic District – Additional Documentation Kanawha, WV
Name of Property County and State
 06000166
 NR Reference Number
______________________________________________________________________________
Narrative Statement of Significance (Provide at least one paragraph for each area of
significance.)

Throughout its growth from wilderness to village to town to the capital of West Virginia,
Charleston developed its industries, commercial enterprises, and educational and cultural
resources, attracting an influx of new residents, and providing economic growth for the city and
the region.

Early Beginnings
Early expeditions and surveys of the area done in the late 18th century by noted frontiersmen
Simon Kenton, and later Colonel William Crawford, served to attract settlers to the region. In
1787 Colonel George Clendenin and his brothers settled in the area and founded Charleston’s
first permanent settlement, Fort Clendenin (renamed Fort Lee in 1792). In 1794, “Charlestown”
(renamed Charleston in 1818) was chartered by the Virginia General Assembly as a village. By
1800, “Charlestown” had a population of 65 persons. 20

About this time, salt brines were found just south of “Charlestown” in present-day Malden.
Commercial salt production began in the late 1790s, and by 1818, twenty wells had been drilled,
with 52 furnaces boiling the brine to produce useable salt. With a peak production output of over
three million bushels of salt a year by 1846, the Kanawha Valley became one of the largest salt
producing locations in the country. 21 The salt industry spurred the development of other
industries to support it, including the construction of sawmills to provide lumber to make barrels
to store the salt during shipping and flatboats to provide the means to transport the goods by
river. Other discoveries that would prove extremely lucrative to Charleston’s economy included
natural gas wells (1815), petroleum, and coal (1817). By 1850, the population had grown to
1,050 persons, and by 1860 it had increased to 1,520 persons. 22

Civil War and West Virginia Statehood
While “secession from Virginia was the hope of some western Virginians as early as 1829 …
[due to feelings of being] underrepresented in the legislature, overtaxed, and shortchanged in
state spending,” 23 it wasn’t until 1861 with Virginia’s vote to secede from the United States that
27 counties in the western portion of Virginia organized to remain loyal to the federal
government. After six months, the leaders of the movement were able to recruit another 21



20
 National Register of Historic Places, “Downtown Charleston Historic District,” NR #06000166, pp.43-44.
21
 Kanawha Salines Foundation, History of Kanawha Salt, Early History: the Great Buffalo Lick,
https://kanawhasalinesfoundation.com/history-of-kanawha-salt/, accessed December 2023.
22
 U.S. Decennial Census.
23
 Virginia Museum of History & Culture, Why is There a West Virginia?: Time Period 1861 to 1876,
https://virginiahistory.org/learn/why-there-west-
virginia#:~:text=Secession%20from%20Virginia%20was%20the,terrain%20made%20plantation%20agriculture%20
impractical. Accessed December 2023.

 Section 8 page 15
United States Department of the Interior
National Park Service / National Register of Historic Places Registration Form
NPS Form 10-900 OMB No. 1024-0018


Downtown Charleston Historic District – Additional Documentation Kanawha, WV
Name of Property County and State
 06000166
 NR Reference Number
counties to their cause. 24 Undeniably, the issue of slavery was a consideration, with western
Virginians holding strong opinions and divided loyalties on the issue. Additionally, both the
North and the South recognized the strategic importance western Virginia held due to the natural
resources available, including salt (used in the manufacture of ammunition), natural gas,
petroleum, and coal (used in the manufacture of steel and fuel for railroad transportation).
Nonetheless, West Virginia was officially admitted to the Union as the 35th state of the United
States on June 20, 1863. Due to the political climate at the time, West Virginia was admitted as
the last slave state, however, eighteen months later, in February 1865, the West Virginia
legislature completely abolished slavery. 25

Becoming the Permanent State Capital
The location of the newly formed state of West Virginia’s capital changed several times, moving
back and forth between Wheeling and Charleston. In 1877, the citizens of West Virginia voted
to make Charleston the permanent capital. The first state capital building was opened in
Charleston 1885. Charleston had a population of 3,162 persons in 1870, a population of 4,192
persons in 1880, and a population of 6,742 persons in 1890. 26

Into the Twentieth Century
Over the next several decades, the population of Charleston grew rapidly from 11,099 persons in
1900, to 22,996 persons in 1910, to 39,608 persons in 1920, and to 60,408 persons in 1930.
Charleston, as the center of state government, contributed greatly to the booming office,
commercial, and wholesale market growth, while the abundance of natural resources attracted
new industrial enterprises to the area, including chemical, glass, timber, and steel companies.
The expansion of both passenger and freight railroad transportation greatly expanded
transportation opportunities. Population growth, while still increasing, began to slow by 1940,
when the population was 67,914 persons. 27

Mid-Century Charleston
The 1950s through 1970s ushered in the era of the Interstate Highway System in West Virginia,
culminating in the creation of three major routes – I-64, I-77 and I-79 – all of which converged
in Charleston. Construction of the West Virginia Turnpike began in 1952 and was completed in
1954. In addition to providing improved local and statewide travel, the new interstate highway
system spurred suburban development just outside of Charleston and into the adjacent county of
Putnam. Due to the shorter travel times, the new highway systems made it feasible for those

24
 Virginia Museum of History & Culture, Why is There a West Virginia? – Time Period 1861 to 1876,
https://virginiahistory.org/learn/why-there-west-
virginia#:~:text=Secession%20from%20Virginia%20was%20the,terrain%20made%20plantation%20agriculture%20
impractical. Accessed December 2023.
25
 “Letter From Wheeling, Death of Slavery in West Virginia,” Wheeling Intelligencer, February 9, 1865, West
Virginia Division of Culture and History, West Virginia Archives and History,
https://web.archive.org/web/20150506122301/http://www.wvculture.org/history/africanamericans/slaveryabolished0
4.html. Accessed December 2023.
26
 U.S. Decennial Census.
27
 U.S. Decennial Census.

 Section 8 page 16
United States Department of the Interior
National Park Service / National Register of Historic Places Registration Form
NPS Form 10-900 OMB No. 1024-0018


Downtown Charleston Historic District – Additional Documentation Kanawha, WV
Name of Property County and State
 06000166
 NR Reference Number
Charlestonians who wished to relocate to suburban Kanawha County or even Putnam County to
do so, but still commute to their jobs in Charleston.

The 1950 population of Charleston was 73,501 persons, an increase of over 8% from 1940, while
the population of West Virginia, at slightly over two million persons, reached its peak during that
decade. By 1960, the city of Charleston reached its peak, with a population of 85,796 persons. 28
Following declining population patterns set after 1950 by the state, the population began to
decline in Charleston after 1960 as well. This decline reached almost 17% between 1960 and
1970 and almost 11% between 1970 and 1980. This trend of decline in Charleston, as well as for
the state, has continued through the 2020 Census.

Notably, starting in 1960, the population of Charleston as a percentage of the population of the
Charleston Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA), which consisted of Kanawha and Putnam
Counties, continued to drop from 31% in 1960, to 28% in 1970, and to 24% in 1980. This
decline emphasizes the possibility that some Charlestonians moved to the suburbs and/or that
persons moving into the area chose to live in the suburbs, rather than moving into Charleston
proper.


Highway Transportation

Steady population growth in urban areas during the early and mid-20th century, along with the
advent of automobiles and trucks, strained local road networks. Nationwide motor vehicle
registrations consistently increased every decade. Although West Virginia remained a small
percentage of overall vehicle registrations, the number of vehicles in the state rose significantly,
reaching one million during in the 1970s (Exhibit – Highway 1):




28
 U.S. Decennial Census.

 Section 8 page 17
United States Department of the Interior
National Park Service / National Register of Historic Places Registration Form
NPS Form 10-900 OMB No. 1024-0018


Downtown Charleston Historic District – Additional Documentation Kanawha, WV
Name of Property County and State
 06000166
 NR Reference Number
Exhibit – Highway 1
Total Motor Vehicle Registrations, United States and West Virginia, 1910 – 1980

 Motor Vehicle Registrations
  Year United West West Virginia as a
 States Virginia percent of U.S.
 1910 468,500 880 0.2%
 1920 9,239,161 80,664 0.9%
 1930 26,749,853 268,897 1.0%
 1940 32,453,233 309,231 1.0%
 1950 49,161,691 482,275 1.0%
 1960 73,857,768 600,549 0.8%
 1970 108,418,197 800,933 0.7%
 1980 155,796,219 1,319,915 0.8%

Source: U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration, Highway Statistics Summary to 1995,
Section II – Motor Vehicles, Tables MV-200 and MV-201.
http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/ohim/summary95/section2.html. Accessed December 2023.



Data available from the mid- to late 20th century also illustrates that as motor vehicle
registrations increased, vehicle miles of travel also rose. During the period 1960-1980, when
highway construction occurred widely in the country, including in West Virginia, urban streets
continued to account for approximately 45% of all vehicle miles of travel, even as total travel
miles increased (Exhibit – Highway 2):




 Section 8 page 18
United States Department of the Interior
National Park Service / National Register of Historic Places Registration Form
NPS Form 10-900 OMB No. 1024-0018


Downtown Charleston Historic District – Additional Documentation Kanawha, WV
Name of Property County and State
 06000166
 NR Reference Number
Exhibit – Highway 2
Vehicle Miles of Travel, United States, Total and Urban Streets, 1940 – 1980

 Vehicle Miles of Travel (millions)
 Urban Street
 Year Urban travel as a
 Total
 Streets percent of
 total
 1940 302,188 149,993 49.6%
 1945 250,173 130,161 52.0%
 1950 458,246 218,248 47.6%
 1955 605,646 275,105 45.4%
 1960 718,762 318,299 44.3%
 1965 887,812 431,907 48.6%
 1970 1,109,724 488,720 44.0%
 1975 1,327,664 607,776 45.8%
 1980 1,527,295 694,023 45.4%

Source: U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration, Highway Statistics Summary to 1995,
Section V – Roadway Extent, Characteristics, and Performance, Table VM-201.
http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/ohim/summary95/section2.html. Accessed December 2023.



West Virginia Turnpike 29

The turnpike, pre-dating the interstate highway system, was the first transportation project that
impacted Charleston and the historic district. The state-financed 86-mile route significantly
improved north-south travel in the state. The turnpike, built mostly as a two-lane road with
twelve-foot wide travel lanes plus a nine-foot wide paved berm, reduced travel time from
Charleston to Princeton from four hours to two hours. Today, at standard interstate speeds, the
entire route takes about 90 minutes to complete.

West Virginia was not alone among states in the eastern United States that made the decision to
construct toll roads with the objective of improving transportation and stimulating economic
development. In Pennsylvania, the earliest turnpike section opened in 1940, and the route was
completed to the Ohio border in 1951. In New Jersey, two state highways planned in the late
1930s became the turnpike, constructed 1950-51. In Ohio, the earliest turnpike section opened in


29
  Carol Melling, "West Virginia Turnpike," e-WV: The West Virginia Encyclopedia, March 14, 2023. Accessed
December 2023; West Virginia Parkways Authority,
https://transportation.wv.gov/Turnpike/about/turnpike_history/Pages/default.aspx. Accessed December 2023.

 Section 8 page 19
United States Department of the Interior
National Park Service / National Register of Historic Places Registration Form
NPS Form 10-900 OMB No. 1024-0018


Downtown Charleston Historic District – Additional Documentation Kanawha, WV
Name of Property County and State
 06000166
 NR Reference Number
1954 and the road was completed in 1955. The New York Thruway was proposed in 1949, and
almost all of it opened during 1954-55. In Indiana, the toll road was constructed in 1954-56.

Planning for the West Virginia turnpike officially started in 1947, with the legislature’s creation
of the West Virginia Turnpike Commission. The commission envisioned a four-lane highway
from Charleston to Princeton, near the Virginia border, to improve travel in the southern portion
of the state. Following six years of planning, construction began in 1952. Rather than four
travel lanes however, lower toll revenue projections resulted in the road being built mostly in a
two-lane design. The turnpike opened in two stages in late 1954.

In 1958 the turnpike was included in the two-year-old interstate highway system, but major
changes were needed because the Federal Aid Highway Act of 1956 set interstate road standards
to require at least four travel lanes. West Virginia, and other states in a similar situation,
received financial assistance after the 1968 Federal-Aid Highway Act included a provision
permitting the use of interstate funding for road expansion and reconstruction, and the
companion 1970 highway act allowed tolls to be retained. The upgrading of the turnpike to four
travel lanes, started in 1976, was completed in 1987.


National System of Interstate Highways

In 1939, the U.S. Bureau of Public Roads offered a plan for constructing a national highway
system. In 1944, Congress and President Franklin D. Roosevelt approved construction of the
Interstate Highway System but failed to appropriate funds to pay for construction. The ensuing
discussions in Charleston and other cities focused on the potential of highways to serve urban
renewal, assist the downtown economy, and speed up traffic. Engineers, planners, and elected
officials also needed to consider the emerging trend of population out-migration from Charleston
to suburban communities that was underway. Finally, in 1956 Congress and President Dwight
D. Eisenhower approved a gasoline tax to fund the system, particularly the National System of
Interstate and Defense Highways. With a funding source available to pay 90% of total costs,
routes were more definitively located.

Even at early planning stages, Charleston was intended to be part of this national network. As
the state’s largest city and capital, with a desirable roughly midpoint location north-south in the
state, the city was considered a desirable link. A 1947 map of the proposed system showed
Charleston served by an east-west interstate highway (I-64), connecting Charleston westward to
Louisville, Kentucky and St. Louis, Missouri and eastward to I-81 in Virginia. 30 An updated
1958 system map showed that the I-64 route remained. In addition, the West Virginia turnpike
had been incorporated, now shown as part of I-77 extending northward through Ohio to

30
  American Association of State Highway Officials, “Official Route Numbering for the National System of
Interstate and Defense Highways,” August 14, 1947.
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/9c/Interstate_Highway_plan_August_14%2C_1957.jpg.
Accessed December 2023.

 Section 8 page 20
United States Department of the Interior
National Park Service / National Register of Historic Places Registration Form
NPS Form 10-900 OMB No. 1024-0018


Downtown Charleston Historic District – Additional Documentation Kanawha, WV
Name of Property County and State
 06000166
 NR Reference Number
Cleveland and southward into North Carolina, connecting to I-85 east of Charlotte. 31 Contracts
related to I-64 and I-77 in the Putnam and Kanawha Counties area were being let as early as
1959. 32 An updated 1970 map showed that the I-64 routing east of Charleston had moved south
to Beckley, with I-77 and I-64 sharing the same route between the two cities before I-64 headed
east from Bexley on its own. At Charleston, a new route had been added, I-79, which would
now connect Charleston northeastward to Pittsburgh, connecting to a previously proposed
section of I-79 linking Pittsburgh and Erie, Pennsylvania. 33

The early intention to include Charleston on the interstate highway system enabled the
community to plan specific routing, which had positive and negative impacts on the historic
district. Groups such as state and local transportation planners, elected officials, business
leaders, and the Charleston Urban Renewal Authority, eventually selected routing that connected
I-64 to I-77 just north of downtown and the highway then passed about one-half mile east of
downtown and the historic district. Interstates 64 and 77 were completed in the Charleston area
in the mid-1970s.

The economically stable downtown, including the historic district, witnessed an immediate
improvement in transportation access with the completion of the highways. From the downtown
historic district, it was now only 2.5 hours to Columbus, Ohio; 3.5 hours to Pittsburgh,
Pennsylvania; 4.0 hours to Louisville, Kentucky; and 4.0 hours to Charlotte, North Carolina. As
the focal point of retail and office uses, as well as cultural and religious institutions, companies
constructing new buildings in the historic district recognized the business advantage of their
location. Heck’s, Inc. employees at headquarters (Resource 76), now had a faster transportation
network that enabled them to travel to their discount department store locations that radiated
from Charleston to neighboring counties and states. National Bank of Commerce (Resource 96)
purposely developed a building far larger than its own needs in order to create a multi-tenant
corporate office location that successfully attracted companies to Charleston. First Presbyterian
Church, who constructed their Church Gym and Activity Center (Resource 79) in the late 1950s
while the highways remained in the planning phases, had enough confidence in the stability of
their church and school location to invest in an expansion project.


Urban Renewal

The Urban Renewal movement of the mid-20th century also had an impact on the Downtown
Charleston Historic District during the 1950s and into the 1970s.

31
 American Automobile Association, “National system of interstate and defense highways,” June 1958.
https://www.loc.gov/resource/g3701p.ct003465/?r=0.476,0.214,0.633,0.345,0. Accessed December 2023.
32
 “SRC Sets June 30 As Road Bid Date,” The Raleigh Register [Beckley, West Virginia], June 12, 1959. Accessed
December 2023.
33
 “National system of interstate and defense highways,” March 30, 1970.
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/83/Interstate_Highway_plan_March_30%2C_1970.jpg.
Accessed December 2023.

 Section 8 page 21
United States Department of the Interior
National Park Service / National Register of Historic Places Registration Form
NPS Form 10-900 OMB No. 1024-0018


Downtown Charleston Historic District – Additional Documentation Kanawha, WV
Name of Property County and State
 06000166
 NR Reference Number
Post-World War II America witnessed a population surge, the rapid growth of suburban
communities beyond the central cities, and the creation of a highway network that facilitated this
shift. The result for many commercial areas in established cities was disinvestment: aging
buildings with repair needs, underutilized or vacant upper stories or storefronts, and marginal
business uses that gravitated to the lower rents of these less desirable areas. Commercial areas
on the fringes of established central business districts, including Charleston, were often a
conglomeration of land uses on smaller parcels, including commercial, housing, and industrial,
occupying buildings dating to the late 19th or early 20th centuries.

Such challenges to the viability of ‘downtown’ inspired “the determination of businessmen to do
something – even though they usually didn’t know what at first – to conserve downtown’s
economic strength.” 34 This attempt to reverse the decline of the downtown was widespread, and
took place in large- and medium-sized cities across the country. At the time, it was hoped that “if
strong coalitions of business and political leaders, planners, and architects can indeed create this
new downtown image – and the odds are strong that they can – it will be the most remarkable
chapter in the remarkable history of the modern city.” 35

The federal government recognized this demographic and economic shift as well, approving
multiple pieces of legislation designed to focus reinvestment into central cities by providing
federal funds, matched with local dollars, for specific purposes. 36 The federal programs began
with the Housing Act of 1949, providing federal funding for “slum clearance and urban
redevelopment.” When a municipality designated an area for urban renewal, property
acquisition and demolition were deemed to be a public purpose, enabling cities to use the
eminent domain process to compensate property owners and assemble large tracts of land under
public ownership. Once cleared, local government sold parcels of land to private real estate
developers at below-market prices in exchange for agreed upon new construction projects.

The caveat in the 1949 law was that the federal government provided its two-thirds subsidy for
wholesale demolition and land clearance for projects focused on housing. Subsequent legislative
amendments required planning documents and expanded the eligible uses of funds. For
example, the Housing Act of 1954 required a community receiving urban renewal funds to
prepare a comprehensive community development plan. In addition, “the 1954, 1959, and 1961
housing acts permitted an ever-increasing amount of urban renewal money to be spent for
commercial projects.” 37

As these legislative changes evolved, Charleston prepared for urban renewal projects. The
Charleston Urban Renewal Authority (CURA) 38 was created in 1952, pursuant to the newly

34
 David Carlson, “Downtown’s Dramatic Comeback,” Architectural Forum, February 1964, p. 99.
35
 Carlson, p. 99.
36
 Jon C. Teaford, “Urban Renewal and Its Aftermath,” Housing Policy Debate, vol. 11, issue 2, 2000, pp. 443-45.
37
 Teaford, p. 445.
38
 CURA History, Charleston Urban Renewal Authority website, http://curawv.org/index.html. Accessed December
27, 2023.

 Section 8 page 22
United States Department of the Interior
National Park Service / National Register of Historic Places Registration Form
NPS Form 10-900 OMB No. 1024-0018


Downtown Charleston Historic District – Additional Documentation Kanawha, WV
Name of Property County and State
 06000166
 NR Reference Number
enacted language in the West Virginia Code, Chapter 16, Article 18, Slum Clearance. This new
Code article identified slum clearance and blight removal as a public purpose and authorized the
creation of local entities such as CURA to undertake the preparation and implementation of
community renewal plans focusing on slum and blight elimination.

Charleston's first urban renewal project involved the Summers Street/Boulevard Project, a three-
block area bounded by Kanawha Boulevard, Capitol, Virginia and Court Streets. CURA was
studying these blocks by 1960, 39 and by 1966, construction was underway on CURA-owned land
that resulted in the development of the Charleston National Bank Building and the Charleston
House Holiday Inn. The edge of this urban renewal area abuts the historic district along Capitol
Street.

With this successful project, CURA initiated studies for two additional projects: Government
Square (1965) and the Triangle District (1966). Government Square consisted of a 10-block area
bounded by Kanawha Boulevard, Laidley, Lee, and Clendenin Streets. This are developed,
beginning in the later 1970s and beyond, with office towers, civic buildings, and an enclosed
shopping mall. The edge of this urban renewal area abuts the historic district along Laidley
Street.

The Triangle District project was bounded by Washington Street and the Government Square
project, the Elk River, present-day Interstates 64/ 77, and roughly Morris and Bradford Streets.
In the early and mid-20th century, the area was a lower income Black neighborhood. The CURA
project demolished the neighborhood in the early 1970s, and the area redeveloped in the later
20th century primarily with commercial uses, plus a small residential neighborhood. Acreage
was also allotted for construction of the highway and a wastewater treatment plant. The edge of
this urban renewal area overlaps with the north side of Washington Street in the historic
district. 40

The delineation of urban renewal area boundaries was based on an inventory of all buildings.
Information collected included building age, vacancy status, building uses, repair needs, and
property tax valuation. Although all three of Charleston’s urban renewal projects abutted the
historic district – or overlapped on one side of a street – the boundary placement documented a
distinct difference between the urban renewal areas and the more stable retail and office
economic environment of downtown Charleston. The economic activity of downtown
transitioned at its north and east edges to a different mix of land uses and less economic activity.




39
 “Council Gets Proposal For Skyscraper Sites,” The Charleston Daily Mail, August 16, 1960, p. 7.
www.newspapers.com. Accessed December 2023.
40
 Map in The Charleston Gazette, August 27, 1965, p. 16; Roxy Todd and Eric Douglas, Community Still Grieves
Loss of Triangle District, Once The Center of Black Music and Culture, West Virginia Public Broadcasting,
https://wvpublic.org/community-still-grieves-loss-of-triangle-district-once-the-center-of-black-music-and-culture/.
Accessed December 2023.

 Section 8 page 23
United States Department of the Interior
National Park Service / National Register of Historic Places Registration Form
NPS Form 10-900 OMB No. 1024-0018


Downtown Charleston Historic District – Additional Documentation Kanawha, WV
Name of Property County and State
 06000166
 NR Reference Number
Although not directly related to CURA and the urban renewal projects, the three entities
responsible for constructing buildings within the historic district during the 1950s and 1960s
were aware of the community efforts to encourage reinvestment. Furthermore, it is possible that
the three entities, a major bank, a major retailer, and an important Presbyterian church, may have
been active supporters in the coordinated efforts of the business community, local elected
officials at the city and county levels, and long-time local institutions to encourage reinvestment
in Charleston’s downtown and its vicinity.

During the 1980s, CURA did become involved in activities within the historic district, although
not in the role of land purchase, clearance, and sale. The 1983 opening of Charleston Town
Center, the indoor shopping center constructed in the Government Square urban renewal area,
hurt retail business activity downtown. In response, the Charleston Renaissance Corporation was
formed, and the organization prepared the Downtown/Old Charleston Urban Renewal Plan for
CURA in 1985. The Plan had the primary goal of preserving, restoring, and enhancing the
downtown’s existing historic character and of prioritizing pedestrian linkages. Proposed public
space redevelopment projects included the redesign of Capitol Street between Virginia and Lee
Streets and Quarrier Street between Capitol and Dickinson Streets; the development of a
riverfront park (now Haddad Riverfront Park); expansion of a farmers market; and the
redevelopment of the former Holley Hotel site. 41


Resource 76
Heck’s Inc.
Built: 1967

Heck’s was a West Virginia-based chain of discount department stores, founded in 1959 by four
Boone County, West Virginia businessmen: Fred Haddad, Thomas Ellis, Lester Ellis, and
Douglas Cook. The company focused initially on small cities in West Virginia, and by the mid-
1980s operated 127 stores in nine states, employed more than 8,000 people, and had assets of
$300 million. Increased competition from Walmart and other discount retailers led Heck’s to file
for bankruptcy in 1987. The company emerged from bankruptcy with a new owner, but its assets
were liquidated in 1991. 42

To meet its growing office space needs, Heck’s began a search to construct a freestanding
headquarters building in downtown Charleston. In 1965, Heck’s Inc. expressed interest in
purchasing property owned by CURA in the Government Square urban renewal area, but the
purchase was not finalized. Instead, the firm bought the property at 1012 Kanawha Blvd.,
replacing a service station and parking lot. 43 Heck’s Inc. specifically chose to build in



41
 The Mayor’s Institute on City Design, Meeting Summary, Midwest Session, February 10-12, 2010, p. 14.
42
 Scott Finn, "Heck’s Inc.", e-WV: The West Virginia Encyclopedia. February 23, 2012. Accessed December 2023.
43
 “Heck’s Will Erect Boulevard Building,” The Charleston Daily Mail, December 31, 1966, p. 5.

 Section 8 page 24
United States Department of the Interior
National Park Service / National Register of Historic Places Registration Form
NPS Form 10-900 OMB No. 1024-0018


Downtown Charleston Historic District – Additional Documentation Kanawha, WV
Name of Property County and State
 06000166
 NR Reference Number
downtown Charleston, understanding the real estate investment occurring in the vicinity and the
work of CURA. Fred Haddad served briefly as CURA Board chairman in 1972. 44


Resource 79
First Presbyterian Church Gym and Activity Center
Built: 1958

Religious congregations have been located in downtown Charleston for much of the city’s
history. As of 2024, there are five churches within the historic district. The First Presbyterian
Church traces its roots to 1819 and became a wealthy congregation, building an imposing
limestone Neo-Classical Revival building in 1914-1915 (Resource 99). The 1932 religious
education building, built in 1932 and housing a school, was connected to the rear of the church.

The Gym and Activity Center, a freestanding building behind the education building, represented
a $1,200,000 expansion program of the church. A planning committee was formed in 1955 and
the building was dedicated in 1958. The construction of this activities building allowed the
church to further utilize space in the education building for Sunday School classes. The activities
building included a 400-seat banquet hall with a modern commercial kitchen,
gymnasium/auditorium with film projection capability, conference and lounge rooms, and
meeting space for Boy Scout and Girl Scout troops. The original gymnasium in the church
school building has been converted to classrooms. 45 The Gym and Activity Center constructed
in the mid-20th century represented a continuing commitment to its location by a long-time
religious institution within the historic district.


Resource 96
National Bank of Commerce
Built: 1967-1968

The bank was founded in 1918 in Nitro, West Virginia as Citizens Bank of Nitro. In 1920, the
bank moved to Charleston and was renamed the State Street Bank. Two years later, the name
was changed to the Bank of Commerce, and in 1930 it became a national bank, the National
Bank of Commerce. Prior to constructing its building on Lee Street, the bank was located nearby
at Capitol and Lee Streets.

The 16-story 46 office tower with 71,500 square feet of space was constructed as a multi-tenant
corporate office location officially known as Commerce Square. National Bank of Commerce,
which developed the building, occupied the ground level for a public banking location, plus

44
 Jack Seamonds, “Haddad Resigns,” The Charleston Daily Mail, July 15, 1972, p. 1.
45
 Activities building dedication, The Charleston Daily Mail, September 1, 1958, p. 10.
46
 Many published accounts referred to a 17-floor building, but there is no 13th floor in the numbering system.
“Commerce Square To Open in Dec.,” The Charleston Daily Mail, November 13, 1968, p. 29.

 Section 8 page 25
United States Department of the Interior
National Park Service / National Register of Historic Places Registration Form
NPS Form 10-900 OMB No. 1024-0018


Downtown Charleston Historic District – Additional Documentation Kanawha, WV
Name of Property County and State
 06000166
 NR Reference Number
floors two and three. On the remaining thirteen floors were about three dozen tenants when the
building opened. Some companies relocated from Charleston locations and took the opportunity
to expand, while other firms opened Charleston offices. Many of the firms represented important
West Virginia industries, as well as firms that provided services to those companies. The fields
represented included coal, gas, oil, insurance, accounting, legal services, and data processing and
computer firms. National Bank of Commerce hoped to draw banking and financial services
customers from the business tenants and their employees. The business roster reinforced the
reputation of downtown Charleston as the most important corporate business location in West
Virginia, with proximity to the state government departments, administration, and legislature. 47

Architecture
The three buildings being changed to contributing building status also represent the Modern
Movements of design prevalent during the 1950s and 1960s.

Resource 76
Heck’s Inc.
Date of Construction: 1967 48
Architect: Stanley Kasindorf, Meyer and Kasindorf, Great Neck, NY 49

This building was designed in the Miesian style, with the building raised one-story above grade
on pilotis, a curtain wall façade, and other elevations dominated by brick walls with minimal or
no fenestration. Stanley Kasindorf (1925-1983) 50 and Ralph M. Meyer (1924-1999) 51
established their partnership in Great Neck, New York in 1959 and designed various building
types including offices, commercial, hotels, and educational buildings. The firm developed
specialties in designing shopping centers and office buildings of various sizes. 52 Based on a
review of newspaper articles, most of the firms work occurred in the Long Island, New York
area, Connecticut, western Massachusetts, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania.

Meyer was born in Bremen, Germany. He emigrated to America and earned a Bachelor of
Architecture degree from Pratt Institute in 1953. Kasindorf, born to Russian immigrant parents,
grew up in the Bronx, New York City. 53



47
 e-WV: The West Virginia Encyclopedia. "National Bank of Commerce." July 28, 2023. Accessed December
2023; “Commerce Square To Open in Dec.,” The Charleston Daily Mail, November 13, 1968, p. 29.
48
 “Heck’s Will Erect Boulevard Building,” The Charleston Daily Mail, December 31, 1966, p. 5.
49
 “Heck’s Will Erect Boulevard Building,” The Charleston Daily Mail, December 31, 1966, p. 5.
50
 Find a Grave, https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/80630497/stanley-kasindorf. Accessed December 2023;
Social Security Death Index, www.geneaologybank.com. Accessed December 2023.
51
 Social Security Death Index, www.geneaologybank.com. Accessed December 2023.
52
 “Forum Architect Is International Commuter,” The Berkshire Eagle, [Pittsfield, MA], April l5, 1969, p. 4.
53
 New York State Census, 1925, Assembly District 08, Page Number 36, Line Number 18. www.ancestry.com.
Accessed December 2023.

 Section 8 page 26
United States Department of the Interior
National Park Service / National Register of Historic Places Registration Form
NPS Form 10-900 OMB No. 1024-0018


Downtown Charleston Historic District – Additional Documentation Kanawha, WV
Name of Property County and State
 06000166
 NR Reference Number
Resource 79
First Presbyterian Church Gym and Activity Center
Date of Construction: 1958 54
Architect: Greife and Daley, Charleston, WV 55

The building is representative of the Modern Movement. Instead of ornamentation, the brick,
stone, and glass design emphasizes broad, low massing with a balance of horizontal and vertical
wall elements, changes in wall planes, and decorative effects originating from a straightforward
application of materials, such as a screen wall created from stacked bricks.

Robert P. Greife (1885-1981) 56 and Robert H. Daley (1903-1977) 57 worked in a Charleston
architectural partnership with Wilbur Meanor (Meanor, Greife & Daley). One of the firm’s
important works was the Art Moderne style Stone & Thomas department store (Resource 95).
Upon Meanor’s death in 1948, the firm reorganized as Greife & Daley the same year. The firm
designed commercial, educational, and institutional buildings in West Virginia. The partnership
became Greife, Daley & Hoblitzell in 1962. 58

Robert P. Greife was born in Higginsville, Missouri and graduated from the Ohio Mechanics
Institute in Cincinnati (1905). For a number of years, he lived in northern Kentucky, across the
Ohio River from Cincinnati, and worked as a structural engineer. 59 Greife relocated to
Charleston, West Virginia in the early 1920s, working mostly with Wilbur Meanor.

Robert H. Daley was born in Chatham, New York and graduated with a Bachelor of Architecture
degree from Cornell in 1929. He worked for several other firms before becoming the office
manager at Meanor & Handloser (1938-43).


Resource 96
National Bank of Commerce
Date of Construction: 1967-1968 60
Architect: C.E. Silling & Associates, Charleston, WV 61




54
 Activities building dedication, The Charleston Daily Mail, September 1, 1958, p. 10.
55
 Activities building dedication, The Charleston Daily Mail, September 1, 1958, p. 10.
56
 Social Security Death Index, www.geneaologybank.com. Accessed December 2023.
57
 Find a Grave, https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/235385057/robert-house-daley. Accessed December 2023;
58
 AIA Historical Directory of American Architects,
https://aiahistoricaldirectory.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/AHDAA/overview. Accessed December 2023.
59
 U. S. Decennial Census, www.ancestry.com. Accessed December 2023.
60
 “Bank Employees Due Key Roles In Groundbreaking,” The Charleston Daily Mail, February 13, 1967, p. 15;
Charlie Connor, “Commerce Square To Open in Dec.,” The Charleston Daily Mail, November 13, 1968, p. 29.
61
 “Bank Employees Due Key Roles In Groundbreaking,” The Charleston Daily Mail, February 13, 1967, p. 15.

 Section 8 page 27
United States Department of the Interior
National Park Service / National Register of Historic Places Registration Form
NPS Form 10-900 OMB No. 1024-0018


Downtown Charleston Historic District – Additional Documentation Kanawha, WV
Name of Property County and State
 06000166
 NR Reference Number
This International Style office tower has curtain wall construction on all four elevations. Cyrus
Edgar Silling (1899-1993), 62 FAIA, was born in Palmer, West Virginia. He graduated from
Charleston High School and received a Bachelor of Architecture degree from the Carnegie
Institute of Technology (1920). He started his career in the prominent Charleston firm Warne,
Tucker & Patterson in 1921, became a partner in 1928 and became the head of the successor
firm, C. E. Silling & Associates, in 1951. Through the predecessor firms and his own firm,
Silling designed numerous buildings at West Virginia University, the Kanawha Airport Terminal
Building, the West Virginia Cultural Center in Charleston, and other office, educational, and
institutional buildings in West Virginia. 63

Mounted on the granite at the second story level is a bas relief bronze sculpture original to the
building: Man Wrests From The Earth Its Natural Resources To Build Pathways To The Stars,
designed by Milton Horn (1906-1995). Horn was a Ukrainian-born sculptor who had a 70-year
career. He focused on collaborating with architects to create art as part of building projects, and
in 1957 received a Citation of Honor from the American Institute of Architects. During the
1970s-1990s, Horn had extensive involvement with West Virginia University. 64




62
 https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/159935599/cyrus-edgar-silling. Accessed December 2023.
63
 AIA Historical Directory of American Architects,
https://aiahistoricaldirectory.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/AHDAA/overview. Accessed December 2023; Obituary,
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, June 9, 1993, p. 15; Charlie Connor, “Architect Keeps Offices 50 Years,” The Charleston
Daily Mail, December 23, 1966, p. 7.
64
 Kenan Heise, “Milton Horn, 88, a ‘poet’ of sculpture,” Chicago Tribune, April 5, 1995, p. 165. Accessed
December 2023. A lengthy chronological inventory of his works is listed at the Wikipedia entry, “Milton Horn.”

 Section 8 page 28
United States Department of the Interior
National Park Service / National Register of Historic Places Registration Form
NPS Form 10-900 OMB No. 1024-0018


Downtown Charleston Historic District – Additional Documentation Kanawha, WV
Name of Property County and State
 06000166
 NR Reference Number


______________________________________________________________________________
 9. Major Bibliographical References

 Bibliography (Cite the books, articles, and other sources used in preparing this form.)

AIA Historical Directory of American Architects.
https://aiahistoricaldirectory.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/AHDAA/overview. Accessed December
2023.

Brief History of Sacred Heart Parish. https://sacredheartcocathedral.com/parish-history/.
Accessed December 2023.

Carlson, David. “Downtown’s Dramatic Comeback.” Architectural Forum (February 1964): 99-
100.

Charleston Gazette-Mail online. Various articles. Accessed December 2023.

CURA History, Charleston Urban Renewal Authority website, http://curawv.org/index.html.
Accessed December 2023.

Drennen, Bill. "Kanawha Valley Bank." e-WV: The West Virginia Encyclopedia. July 20, 2023.
Accessed December 2023.

e-WV: The West Virginia Encyclopedia. "National Bank of Commerce." July 28, 2023.
Accessed December 2023.

Find a Grave. www.findagrave.com

Finn, Scott. "Heck’s Inc." e-WV: The West Virginia Encyclopedia. February 23, 2012. Accessed
December 2023.

Geneaologybank.com. Various records. Accessed December 2023.

HistoricAerials.com. Accessed December 2023.

Kanawha Salines Foundation. History of Kanawha Salt, Early History: the Great Buffalo Lick.
https://kanawhasalinesfoundation.com/history-of-kanawha-salt/. Accessed December 2023.

Melling, Carol. "West Virginia Turnpike." e-WV: The West Virginia Encyclopedia. March 14,
2023. Accessed December 2023.




 Section 9-end page 29
United States Department of the Interior
National Park Service / National Register of Historic Places Registration Form
NPS Form 10-900 OMB No. 1024-0018


Downtown Charleston Historic District – Additional Documentation Kanawha, WV
Name of Property County and State
 06000166
 NR Reference Number


Sanborn Fire Insurance Map. Sanborn Map Company. https://www.loc.gov. Accessed
December 2023.

Stollings, Carrie. "Charleston National Bank." e-WV: The West Virginia Encyclopedia. October
30, 2023. Accessed December 26, 2023.

Teaford, Jon C. “Urban Renewal and Its Aftermath,” Housing Policy Debate. 11, issue 2 (2000):
443-465.

The Charleston Daily Mail online. Various articles. Accessed December 2023.

The Charleston Gazette online. Various articles. Accessed December 2023.

The Mayor’s Institute on City Design. Meeting Summary, Midwest Session. February 10-12,
2010.

Todd, Roxy and Eric Douglas, Community Still Grieves Loss of Triangle District, Once The
Center of Black Music and Culture. West Virginia Public Broadcasting,
https://wvpublic.org/community-still-grieves-loss-of-triangle-district-once-the-center-of-black-
music-and-culture/. Accessed December 2023.

U.S. Decennial Census. Various years.

West Virginia Division of Culture and History. West Virginia Archives and History.




 Section 9-end page 30
United States Department of the Interior
National Park Service / National Register of Historic Places Registration Form
NPS Form 10-900 OMB No. 1024-0018


Downtown Charleston Historic District – Additional Documentation Kanawha, WV
Name of Property County and State
 06000166
 NR Reference Number


___________________________________________________________________________
 Previous documentation on file (NPS):

 ____ preliminary determination of individual listing (36 CFR 67) has been requested
 __X_ previously listed in the National Register
 ____ previously determined eligible by the National Register
 ____ designated a National Historic Landmark
 ____ recorded by Historic American Buildings Survey #____________
 ____ recorded by Historic American Engineering Record #____________
 ____ recorded by Historic American Landscape Survey # ___________

 Primary location of additional data:
 __X_State Historic Preservation Office
 ____ Other State agency
 ____ Federal agency
 ____ Local government
 __ _ University
 ___ Other
 Name of repository: ________________

 Historic Resources Survey Number (if assigned): _
______________________________________________________________________________


 10. Geographical Data

 Acreage of Property _NO CHANGE____

 Use either the UTM system or latitude/longitude coordinates

 Latitude/Longitude Coordinates
 Datum if other than WGS84:__________ NO CHANGE
 (enter coordinates to 6 decimal places)

 1. Latitude: Longitude:

 2. Latitude: Longitude:

 3. Latitude: Longitude:

 4. Latitude: Longitude:


 Section 9-end page 31
United States Department of the Interior
National Park Service / National Register of Historic Places Registration Form
NPS Form 10-900 OMB No. 1024-0018


Downtown Charleston Historic District – Additional Documentation Kanawha, WV
Name of Property County and State
 06000166
 NR Reference Number



 Or
 UTM References NO CHANGE
 Datum (indicated on USGS map):

 NAD 1927 or NAD 1983

 1. Zone: Easting: Northing:

 2. Zone: Easting: Northing:

 3. Zone: Easting: Northing:

 4. Zone: Easting: Northing:

 Verbal Boundary Description (Describe the boundaries of the property.)

 NO CHANGE


 Boundary Justification (Explain why the boundaries were selected.)

 NO CHANGE

_______________________________________________________________________
 11. Form Prepared By
 name/title: Heather Rudge, CEO; Marcia E. Moll, Project Principal; and Richard J. Sicha,
 Project Principal
 organization: Historic Preservation Group LLC
 street & number: 2425 West 11th Street – Suite 4
 city or town: Cleveland state: Ohio zip code: 44113
 e-mail: heather@hpgroup-llc.com
 telephone: 216-302-3510
 date: December 31, 2023

 Preliminary research assistance:
 Michael Gioulis, Historic Preservation Consultant, Sutton, West Virginia




 Section 9-end page 32
United States Department of the Interior
National Park Service / National Register of Historic Places Registration Form
NPS Form 10-900 OMB No. 1024-0018


Downtown Charleston Historic District – Additional Documentation Kanawha, WV
Name of Property County and State
 06000166
 NR Reference Number


 ___________________________________________________________________________

 Additional Documentation

 Submit the following items with the completed form:

 • Maps: A USGS map or equivalent (7.5 or 15 minute series) indicating the property's
 location.

 • Sketch map for historic districts and properties having large acreage or numerous
 resources. Key all photographs to this map.

 • Additional items: (Check with the SHPO, TPO, or FPO for any additional items.)

 Photographs
 Submit clear and descriptive photographs. The size of each image must be 1600x1200 pixels
 (minimum), 3000x2000 preferred, at 300 ppi (pixels per inch) or larger. Key all photographs
 to the sketch map. Each photograph must be numbered and that number must correspond to
 the photograph number on the photo log. For simplicity, the name of the photographer,
 photo date, etc. may be listed once on the photograph log and doesn’t need to be labeled on
 every photograph.

 Photo Log

 Name of Property: Downtown Charleston Historic District – Additional Documentation

 City or Vicinity: Charleston

 County: Kanawha State: WV

 Photographer: Michael Gioulis

 Date Photographed: October 2022

 Description of Photograph(s) and number, include description of view indicating direction of
 camera:

 Photograph 1 of 3
 Resource 76
 1012 Kanawha Boulevard
 Description: Heck’s Inc.


 Section 9-end page 33
United States Department of the Interior
National Park Service / National Register of Historic Places Registration Form
NPS Form 10-900 OMB No. 1024-0018


Downtown Charleston Historic District – Additional Documentation Kanawha, WV
Name of Property County and State
 06000166
 NR Reference Number


 Camera Direction: East

 Photograph 2 of 3
 Resource 79
 1116 Kanawha Boulevard
 Description: First Presbyterian Church Gym and Activity Center
 Camera Direction: East

 Photograph 3 of 3
 Resource 96
 901 Lee Street
 Description: National Bank of Commerce
 Camera Direction: South




Paperwork Reduction Act Statement: This information is being collected for applications to the National Register of Historic
Places to nominate properties for listing or determine eligibility for listing, to list properties, and to amend existing listings. Response
to this request is required to obtain a benefit in accordance with the National Historic Preservation Act, as amended (16 U.S.C.460
et seq.).
Estimated Burden Statement: Public reporting burden for this form is estimated to average 100 hours per response including
time for reviewing instructions, gathering and maintaining data, and completing and reviewing the form. Direct comments regarding
this burden estimate or any aspect of this form to the Office of Planning and Performance Management. U.S. Dept. of the Interior,
1849 C. Street, NW, Washington, DC.




 Section 9-end page 34
United States Department of the Interior
National Park Service / National Register of Historic Places Registration Form
NPS Form 10-900 OMB No. 1024-0018


Downtown Charleston Historic District – Additional Documentation Kanawha, WV
Name of Property County and State
 06000166
 NR Reference Number


Resource Map




 Section 9-end page 35
United States Department of the Interior
National Park Service / National Register of Historic Places Registration Form
NPS Form 10-900 OMB No. 1024-0018


Downtown Charleston Historic District – Additional Documentation Kanawha, WV
Name of Property County and State
 06000166
 NR Reference Number


Photo Key




 Section 9-end page 36