Institution

Founded in 1999, Arts Monongahela grew out of the Morgantown Area Chamber of Commerce’s Vision 2000 program. In 2014, the organization became the city’s first official Arts Council. In addition to other arts organizations like the Monongalia Arts Center, and those focused on community and economic development, such as Main Street Morgantown and the Historic Landmarks Commission, Arts Monongahela strives to&nbsp;enhance the area’s arts scene.&nbsp;Arts Monongahela collaborates with a variety of local organizations with the Morgantown Board of Parks and Recreation, West Virginia University, theatres and theatre companies, libraries, museums, nonprofits, and small businesses. Programs cover a variety of art forms including student art shows, juried exhibitions, demonstrations, poetry readings, dance performances, and concerts. Arts Monongahela also co-hosts the annual Arts Walk, an evening event held in the spring and fall in downtown Morgantown.

Website

Arts Monongahela is a nonprofit arts organization serving the greater Morgantown area. Developed by the Morgantown Area Chamber of Commerce in 1999, Arts Monongahela has since become the city’s first official Arts Council. The organization engages local citizens with the visual, literary, and performing arts, actively promotes the work of local professional and amateur artists, and encourages economic and community development. In addition to programs across the area, Arts Monongahela hosts events and exhibits at their gallery located in Morgantown’s downtown business district.

Arts Monongahela

This short walking tour includes a number of historic buildings and museums that offer an introduction to Morgantown's history.

The building consists of four floors and a two-level basement, which houses a large gymnasium, making it both the largest and most sophisticated Women's Christian Temperance Union (WCTU) building in the state of West Virginia. The interior of the building has retained its original oak woodwork and fixtures and is virtually unchanged. The building also has many of its original furnishings, including cut-glass mirrors, mission-style and wicker furniture, and 1920s artwork.The Morgantown chapter of WCTU was formed in 1884 with 19 initiating members. The chapter’s first president was Elizabeth Moore, a founder of Morgantown’s Woodburn Female Seminary and the area’s leading proponent of women’s education.The WCTU Community Building was home to many of the humanitarian projects that the Morgantown chapter of the WCTU undertook in the areas of women’s suffrage, health and education, and the prohibition of alcohol.However, despite the chapter’s high membership, the WCTU Community Building was not completed until 1919. In fact, it took the WCTU five years to raise the money for the center through continuous fundraisers, benefit plays and concerts, help from other WCTU chapters and other civic organizations, and $20,000 left in the will of a former chapter president.Although the Morgantown chapter of the WCTU shrunk substantially with the repeal of prohibition and the onset of the Great Depression, the WCTU Community Building still stands as a reminder of the era in which women proved that they could constitute a deciding force in national politics and mores, with or without the power of the vote. The WCTU Community Building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1985.Lenna Lowe Yost was born on January 25, 1878 in Basnettville, Marion County, West Virginia. Prior to her marriage, she attended Ohio Northern University and West Virginia Wesleyan College to study art. Yost and her husband, Ellis, were both active advocates of prohibition. After moving to Morgantown with her husband in 1905, Yost sought activist involvement in Morgantown’s WCTU. Her husband, through his position as a member of the House of Delegates, proposed a 1913 enforcement act to be applied to West Virginia’s 1912 prohibition amendment; this came to be known as the “Yost Law.” [1]She became the president of West Virginia’s WCTU in 1908 and quickly set her sights on incorporating women’s suffrage into the activist causes of the Temperance Union. She served as president of the WCTU for ten years. She resigned from her role of president of the WCTU in 1918, so that she could serve as legislative representative for the national WCTU and as the organization’s Washington, DC, correspondent for the Union Signal. [1]During this time, Yost also served as a member of the West Virginia Equal Suffrage Association, serving as its president from 1917 to 1919. She returned to West Virginia from Washington to lead the state in its ratification process for the 19th amendment, which would give women the right to vote. She succeeded in her efforts when West Virginia became the thirty-fourth of the thirty-six states needed to ratify the 19th amendment and guarantee women’s voting rights.Following her success with women’s suffrage, Yost continued to pursue her passion of temperance activism by becoming even more politically involved. She served as chair for the Republican National Convention that would nominate Warren G. Harding for president. Following his assumption of the office, President Harding appointed Yost as the United States’ representative at the International Congress Against Alcoholism in 1921 and 1923. [2]Yost went on to be the first West Virginian woman to hold a wide variety of positions in the state’s Republican Party and she was the first woman to be on the State Board of Education. After she moved to Washington, DC in 1930, she became the Director of the Women’s Division for the National Republican Party until her retirement in 1934.[1] She died at age 94 in Washington, DC in 1972.

This building was constructed in 1919 in the Neoclassical Revival style, which was popular for public buildings in the early 1900s. The idea behind the community center was to create a place that could provide a recreation alternative to saloons and could offer educational programs to alleviate the conditions that drove people to drink. Several notable West Virginians were involved in the temperance and women's suffrage movements, including suffragist Lenna Lowe Yost. An extraordinarily intelligent organizer, Yost dedicated her adult life to pursuing a variety of causes including a successful campaign that led West Virginia to be among the states that ratified the 19th Amendment. In addition to promoting equal political rights for women, she labored on behalf of temperance. Her activist work extended past the borders of the state of West Virginia; she worked in the nation's capital and even served as a delegate in international temperance conventions.

Women's Christian Temperance Union Community Building

Don Knotts was born Jesse Donald Knotts to William Jesse Knotts and Elsie Luzetta Knotts. Don Knotts was the youngest of four sons. His father passed away when he was thirteen and he and his brothers were raised by their mother in Morgantown. Knotts attended Morgantown High School, where he first became interested in acting. His first gigs involved performing as a comedian and ventriloquist at local Morgantown churches. Immediately after graduating high school, Knotts went to New York City in hopes of landing a career as a comedian. However, he was only gone a few weeks before returning home to enroll at West Virginia University (WVU). After a year in college, Knotts joined the army. During WWII, the aspiring comedian was able to practice his trade touring the Pacific as part of the GI variety show "Stars and Gripes." Though he was an awarded serviceman, Knotts elected to return to WVU rather than pursue a military career.Knotts completed his bachelors degree in education between 1946 and 1948. In addition to the education degree, Knotts also acquired a minor in speech. He was active on campus and belonged to the Phi Sigma Kappa fraternity and the Alpha Psi Omega theater honors society. After graduating from WVU in 1948, Knotts returned to New York City. With his experience in the army entertaining troops, he was more successful the second time around and soon found jobs appearing on a variety of radio and television programs. In 1955, Knotts made his Broadway debut and was introduced to future co-star Andy Griffith in "No Time for Sergeants," a theatrical production that was later produced as a movie.Knotts joined Griffith again in 1960 for the first episode of the Andy Griffith Show. Playing the role of hapless but eager deputy Barney Fife, Knotts won three Emmy Awards for outstanding performance in a supporting role in a TV series. Knotts reprised this role many times over the years in various spin-offs and special episodes. He also made frequent appearances on shows such as The Cosby Show and Here's Lucy. Though in 1970 Knotts received his own television variety show, The Don Knotts Show, it was relatively unsuccessful and short-lived. His next big role was in 1979 when he was cast as the landlord Ralph Furley on Three's Company. Knotts continued to appear in television shows and movies up until the end of his life, often playing Barney Fife or a transparent homage to the character. In 1998, South University Avenue was renamed Don Knotts Boulevard in honor of the comedians 74th birthday. The effort to rename the road began with Monongalia County Commissioner John Pyles who initiated the campaign to change the name of the roadway after watching reruns of the Andy Griffith Show. At the same time, the Monongalia County Sheriff's Department named Barney Fife an honorary deputy sheriff. Knotts passed away on February 21, 2006 after contracting lung disease. Efforts to construct a statue to honor Knotts in Morgantown began immediately when local residents started raising funds. The statue is located at Morgantown's Metropolitan Theater where Knotts performed as a boy. Sculptor Jamie Lester made it his goal to capture the warmth of the local comedian and the statue also depicts Knotts holding Barney Fifes hat while a prop from "The Ghost and Mr. Chicken" can also be seen in the work. Fans, friends, and local residents attended the statue's dedication in 2016 as the statue was unveiled by the late comedian's daughter Karen Knotts. Don Knotts' legacy as an accomplished actor hailing from Morgantown continues to be a source of pride and inspiration for the local community.

Dedicated in 2016, this statue commemorates the life and career of Don Knotts, an actor and comedian from Morgantown. Knotts is best known for his portrayal of Barney Fife on The Andy Griffith Show from 1960-1968. Knotts also starred in films like "The Ghost" and "Mr. Chicken and The Shakiest Gun in the West." His career and legacy influenced many other comedians and he was a beloved figure among his fellow West Virginians for both his success in Hollywood and the way that success did not change the kind and open person who was raised here. 

Don Knotts Statue

The Metropolitan Theatre is the only theatre in Morgantown to have retained its original architectural integrity since opening in 1924. Shortly after opening, the Metropolitan Theatre was deemed "West Virginia's most beautiful playhouse." George P. and John P. Comuntzis bought land from Milton and Hattie Hirschman of New York City for $130,000 on January 10, 1921 and began construction on their playhouse. The same man who built the West Virginia University College of Law building, C.W. Bates of Wheeling, was also responsible for building the Metropolitan Theatre. <blockquote>"The plans for the $500,000 building are gone, and the architect's wife destroyed his sketches, so it is hard to know exactly how many rooms are in the building. A 1924 description noted a large room in the basement to house a cafeteria, billiard room and barber shop, a sub-basement included the power plant and heating and ventilating systems. Under the stage was a room for musicians, plus space for scenery, baggage rooms and dressing rooms. The dressing rooms were on outside walls to get light and ventilation. Above the pool room (below the theatre) are two storage rooms - one very large under the lobby area and a smaller one under one of the small storage rooms. A complete sign shop was located in one of the basement rooms. "1</blockquote>Opening night was July 24, 1924 and featured "Seven Acts of Vaudeville sent here by the B.F. Keith Amusement Company from its New York Office." From that night on, the Comuntzis brothers provided high quality performances to the Morgantown area. Performances included: Ziegfield's "Sally," "The Marriage of Figaro" and "Madame Butterfly," the original cast of George White's "Scandals" which opened at the Met before going to New York for a multi-year run, the farewell tour of the nationally known "McIntyre and Heath," Schubert's "The Student Prince," a New York City production of "The Green Hats" with Charlotte Walker and Norman Hackett, Maria Jeritza, (leading prima donna of the Metropolitan Opera Co.) Will Rogers, "The Beggar's Opera," Pat Rooney's "Five Rodeo Boys" with three-year-old Mickey Rooney, etc.1 The theatre's interior was elaborately painted in the color scheme of French Gray, old rose, and gold. The furniture was supplied locally by Royal Furniture of Morgantown. A large reinforced concrete vault with steel doors in is the basement and holds all of the electric currents needed to operate the theatre. In March of 1930 the Met experienced a devastating fire and was forced to close until May of 1930. When the theatre reopened it was completely restored with the exception of missing a few balcony seats due to the extension of the projection room. In 1933, the Metropolitan Theatre was one of the first theatres in the country to supply air conditioning.1 The Met was also the first theatre in northern West Virginia to install Vitaphone and Movietone sound systems. Due to these advancements, the Met was chosen as one of the few theatres in the United States to show movies prior to their national release dates.  In 1990 the Metropolitan Theatre underwent extensive restorations. It was later added to the West Virginia Historic Theatre trail by the West Virginia Department of Commerce.  Today the Met is owned by the City of Morgantown. It continues to serve as a community meeting space, playing host to West Virginia University events, Miss West Virginia pageants and various community groups.

The Metropolitan Theater is a stage theater located on High Street. Founded in 1924, it is one of West Virginia's foremost centers for the dramatic arts, hosting stage plays and other presentations several times a year. Featured on the West Virginia Historic Theatre Trail, the Metropolitan Theatre is a cornerstone of Morgantown history and culture and introduces local youth to the dramatic arts through its junior theater programs. Outside the theatre, a statue of Morgantown native Jesse 'Don' Knotts has been installed. Knotts frequently performed at the Metropolitan. 

Metropolitan Theatre 

There were a number of prominent taverns scattered across Morgantown in the community’s early years but among the most prominent was that of Captain William N. Jarrett, who in 1805 took over Hugh McNeeley’s tavern after his death and subsequently married his widow Polly. Such establishments served a number of purposes during the era, attending not only to the demands of thirsty locals but to those of weary travelers looking for shelter on their way through town as well. They also often opened their doors to gambling, a choice that made them a frequent target for religious reformers but reliably attracted regular customers looking to strike it rich by fleecing their neighbors. Jarrett’s enterprise was no exception the games of whist, high end liquor, and lively conversation offered there brought in some of the area’s most prominent residents, among them town founder Zackquill Morgan (who, according to Jarrett’s accounts, drank only upon occasion and in moderation). The site served in a similar capacity after the American Civil War, this time as the location of the Wallace House, a hotel and restaurant established by James C. Wallace in 1870 that continued in operation until the early twentieth century. The original Wallace House consisted of two adjoining red brick buildings, the slightly taller one to the north containing guest accommodations and the shorter one to the south holding the dining room. Wallace also owned and operated a livery stable where guests could house their horses on the corner of Maiden Alley (Wall Street) and Spruce Street where the Aull Center for Local History and Genealogy Research now stands. The first Wallace House (which came to be known by locals as the “Old” Wallace House) remained under Wallace’s control until 1898, when John G. Lantz purchased the property, refitted it with hot and cold running water, and reopened it as the “New” Wallace House. Lantz in turn sold the property in 1905, when C.D. Matthews purchased it and upgraded the facilities to include toilets. While the southern section of the Wallace House with the dining room (which could seat up to 150 people) continued in operation into the 1920s, the taller section to the north remained in its location for only two more years. Then, in 1907, local developer John Wiles purchased that section of what was once Lot 71 and constructed an office building there that came to be known as the Wiles Block Building. Wiles, who was responsible for much of Morgantown’s growth into the suburbs of South Park and Westover in the twentieth century, located his own office in the building and rented out the remainder of the space to a variety of other business establishments. While the Wiles Block Building would have its fair share of excitement in the coming decades, the Wallace House next door was soon to entertain by far its most famous guests in the almost half a century in which it had existed. Those guests were Henry Ford, Thomas Edison, and Harvey Firestone, the famous “Vagabonds” who traveled the countryside of the United States on annual camping trips to advertise the utility of new technologies like the Ford automobile for long distance travel. From 1915 to 1920, the Vagabonds had been known as the “Four Vagabonds,” counting among their number the famous American naturalist John Burroughs. With Burroughs’ death in the spring of 1921, however, the Vagabonds sought a replacement, settling upon the current President of the United States, Warren G. Harding. Harding accompanied the Vagabonds for a portion of their trip through Maryland, but returned to Washington, D.C. prior to their arrival in Morgantown, an occurrence that took place by sheer happenstance. Once entering West Virginia, the Vagabonds’ plan had been to travel from Elkins to Fairmont before turning north toward Uniontown, Pennsylvania. Heavy rains made the roads in that direction impassable, however, and they chose instead to detour through Morgantown on August 2, 1921. Once there, the Vagabonds lunched at the Wallace House before touring the town and surrounding area. According to the Morgantown Post, when “questioned about the paucity of Fords” in the area by the Vagabonds locals responded that they had “too much respect for the flivver to use on West Virginia roads.”<a href="#_ftn1" target="_blank">[1]</a> While the Vagabonds’ visit to Morgantown certainly brought the old Lot 71 a fair share of attention, it was an event next door at the Wiles Block Building that cemented it in local memory. Less than five years after the Vagabonds had come and gone, on April 15, 1926, the area’s residents once more crowded around the corner of High Street and Wall Street, this time to rubberneck at the scene of one of the town’s most notorious murders. That night, Georgia Ridgeway, nurse of local physician and Scotts Run coal mine company doctor William Bruce Borror, stabbed her employer with a butcher knife in the apartment of Borror’s secretary Rose Hastings. Hastings’ apartment, which adjoined Borror’s offices in the Wiles Block Building, was soon overrun by curious residents who ignored police instructions to cordon off the scene of the crime. In the weeks and months that followed, the case received attention in local newspapers throughout the United States in areas as close as Pittsburgh and as distant as Utah and South Dakota. According to those outlets, which based their coverage on reports from local authorities, Ridgeway had attacked Borror out of jealousy after the doctor was visited by a female patient several times over the course of one day. Ridgeway herself appears to have remained relatively silent on the matter, and when Borror’s widow (and mother of his four children) visited her in jail shortly after the incident their conversation remained private. During the trial Ridgeway claimed as her defense that Borror was intoxicated on the night in question, had in fact regularly hosted drinking parties at his office in Morgantown and out at Scotts Run in defiance of nationwide Prohibition. According to Ridgeway Borror had in his state of inebriation attempted to disarm Ridgeway when she threatened with the butcher knife, and in the ensuing struggle fallen upon the blade by accident. Unconvinced, the jury found Ridgeway guilty and she was ultimately sentenced to twelve years in prison for second-degree murder. Eventually, she faded into obscurity. Borror’s funeral, on the other hand, had over a thousand attendees. Among them was an unnamed miner from Scotts Run who, according to the Charleston Daily Mail “sobbed” openly saying “I owe my life to him and would gladly have given it could he but have lived.”<a href="https://www.theclio.com/editEntry/84724#_ftn1" target="_blank">[2]</a> Through such events, the southeast corner of High Street and Wall Street shares connections to some of the most profound historical processes in the both the local and national pasts. Among them can be counted the history of travel in the United States over the course of two centuries, the expansion of Morgantown into the suburbs of South Park and Westover, and sensationalism of American media’s coverage of crime in the early twentieth century. These histories make the site a unique location in the area, despite the fact that no historic building remains there to be seen by passersby. <a href="#_ftnref1" target="_blank">[1]</a> "Ford-Edison Party Here," The Morgantown Post, August 21, 1921, 1. <a href="https://www.theclio.com/editEntry/84724#_ftn2" target="_blank">[2]</a> “Funeral of Slain Physician Is Held.” The Charleston Daily Mail, April 19, 1926.

The southeastern corner of the intersection between High Street and Wall Street (formerly known as Maiden Alley) in downtown Morgantown, West Virginia has been a focus of community activity since the town’s inception in the eighteenth century. Originally listed as Lot 71 when Zackquill Morgan laid out his plan for the town between 1783 and 1785, the area has since served in a number of capacities, most notably as the site of the Jarrett Tavern, then the Wallace House, and later the Wiles Block Building. Over the course of this history, Lot 71 has played host to a number of prominent individuals and events, most notably welcoming Henry Ford, Thomas Edison, and Harvey Firestone during their brief visit to Morgantown in 1921 and serving as the backdrop of a 1926 murder that received nationwide attention. Through its association with these events and others Lot 71 represents a connection between the town and much broader processes, among them the histories of travel, technology, crime, and suburbanization. The site is currently occupied by a number of local businesses, all of which are open to the public.

Lot 71

The Aull Center for Local History and Genealogy Research is located in the Garlow House, a Queen Anne Revival originally owned by Aaron J. Garlow, president of the Second National Bank and business investor in Morgantown. As a banker, Garlow was able to afford this upper-class house design and hire one of Morgantown's most renowned architects, Elmer Forrest Jacobs, to design it. The Queen Anne architectural style was popular at the turn of the twentieth century. The Garlow House boasts one of the Queen Anne's most identifiable features, a tall, rounded tower. It also has textured exterior walls, irregular roof shapes, varied window designs, and a rich appearance. The house's completion date, 1907, is still visible in the arc window. The Garlow family remained in the house until Aaron and Rebecca's granddaughter, Elizabeth Lewin, passed in 2000.The Morgantown Public Library acquired funds from the William and Josephine Aull trust to purchase the house in 2000. The Aull Center opened in 2004 and holds the Library's non-circulating local history and genealogical collections on the first floor. Researchers enjoy a beautiful historic setting as they work. 99% of the house's woodwork is original and a painted glass window displays a classic Appalachian mountain scene in one room. The Aull Center also hosts forums, such as the Morgantown Area History Roundtable, and occasionally offers tours of the house.The second floor of the building is home to two unique collections, the J. D. Rechter Holocaust Memorial Library and the Appalachian Prison Book Project. The Holocaust Memorial Library was established by Edith Levy, a Holocaust survivor from Vienna, Austria, who immigrated to the United States and settled in Morgantown. Levy had help from book dealer Ken Schoen, who also had family members in the Holocaust. The Library bears the name of Levy's father, who perished at Auschwitz. With more than 1,000 books on the Holocaust, the J. D. Rechter Holocaust Memorial Library is the largest collection of its kind in West Virginia. Also at the Aull Center is much of the Appalachian Prison Book Project (APBP) collection. Created by WVU English professor Katy Ryan in 2004, APBP is a nonprofit organization that has sent over 20,000 free books to incarcerated individuals in Appalachia.At the Aull Center, history is not just part of a mission statement, but brought to life every day through research, education, and preservation.

A branch of the Morgantown Public Library established in 2004 and dedicated to local history and genealogy, the Aull Center is located in the historic Garlow House. The house was built in 1907 and was home to the family of Aaron J. Garlow, president of the Second National Bank. Researchers at the Aull Center are welcome to explore collections of books, photo albums, yearbooks, and a plethora of family histories. The Aull Center is also home to the J. D. Rechter Holocaust Memorial Library and a portion of the Appalachian Prison Book Project collection. The building serves the public as a research center and forum for discussing the past.

Aull Center for Local History and Genealogy Research

The Colonel Zackquill Morgan statue on Spruce Street does not, in fact, depict the actual image of its subject but instead the artist’s rendering of a typical “Mountaineer” from the colonial period of American history. Indeed, even the image most often characterized as a portrait of Colonel Morgan is of uncertain origin. The portrait, of a middle-aged man in a suit with a mustache and sideburns, was simply one found among the personal effects of Morgan’s wife Drusilla and may depict one of her male relatives. The uncertainty of even the colonel’s appearance hints at the much broader lack of information regarding his life and activities more generally. Much about Zackquill Morgan’s life prior to the outbreak of the American War for Independence remains unknown, and even his activities during and after that war continue to be surrounded by layers of mythology and misinformation. What is known, however, is that he played a pivotal role in that conflict, was involved in and with significant events and people prior to that period and opened the way for dramatically increased white settlement in the Appalachian area afterwards. Zackquill Morgan was the penultimate son of Colonel Morgan Morgan, an individual that was long credited as the first white settler in what became West Virginia (a claim that has more recently been discredited in light of the existence of other white settlers in the same area prior to the Morgans’ arrival). Zackquill Morgan grew to maturity in his father’s large home in what was originally Orange County, Virginia but became Frederick County in 1738 (and later Berkeley County in 1772). The Morgans had significant influence in the area and Morgan Morgan played a key role in the creation of Frederick County from Orange four years after his arrival in the area from Delaware. Morgan Morgan was not only a local magistrate but also a commander in the local militia (hence his rank of colonel). The Morgans also appear to have known George Washington as a young man while he served as a surveyor and commander of provincials in the area in the 1750s. Later, when he briefly settled in what was then Bedford County, Pennsylvania (now Fayette County) from 1769 to 1771, Zackquill would even be nominal neighbors with Washington, who had purchased the land adjacent to Zackquill’s because it included the site of his ill-fated Fort Necessity. There were even rumors in the Morgan family that Zackquill had served alongside Washington in Edward Braddock’s expedition against Fort Duquesne. Research into the available muster rolls for that expedition reveals, however, that Zackquill was most likely not present in that campaign. According to an affidavit by Jacob Prickett he was present in a later western expedition, that of Colonel Henry Bouquet against various members of the western Indian confederacy during Pontiac’s War in 1764. As mentioned above, after his involvement in Bouquet’s expedition in 1764 Zackquill remained in Frederick County a further five years before pulling up stakes and traveling west. He settled briefly in Pennsylvania before migrating southwards in 1772 down the Monongahela and staking claim to the land between the Monongahela River and Deckers Creek where the town of Morgantown eventually rose. For much of the 1770s Zackquill spent a considerable portion of his time traveling between what became Morgan’s Fort, nearby Prickett’s Fort in what is now Marion County, West Virginia, and settlements around Fort Pitt (later Pittsburgh). Zackquill did much of his traveling during the events of the American War for Independence. In that conflict, Zackquill aligned himself with the rebels and was appointed County Lieutenant of Monongalia County (formed in 1776) and elected a colonel in the local militia. In 1777, Morgan proved instrumental in quelling a suspected Loyalist plot against rebel authorities in the Fort Pitt region. A group of British-leaning colonists in the Redstone area twelve miles south of Fort Pitt swore oaths of loyalty to the Crown in August of that year, prompting Zackquill to rally the militia and march to arrest those of questionable loyalty to the cause of independence. Shortly after doing so, Zackquill was tasked with transporting one of these men (a Loyalist named Hickson) to Williamsburg from Fort Pitt for trial. While crossing the Cheat River Hickson fell into the water in his chains and drowned, leading to charges of murder against Zackquill that were eventually dropped. After the war, Zackquill continued to promote his settlement at the convergence of the Monongahela River and Deckers Creek. In October of 1785, he received a charter from the Virginia Assembly to lay out half-acre plots of land for the settlement of a town. By 1790, however, only four houses had been constructed in the town despite many of the plots being purchased. It would take the cessation of hostilities with the western Indians in what is now Ohio after the 1795 Treaty of Greenville (following the 1794 Battle of Fallen Timbers) for settlement in what became Morgantown to grow more steadily. Zackquill never lived to see his town take off. He died on New Year’s Day of 1795 with little wealth to his name and was buried at his request in Prickett’s Fort.

The Colonel Zackquill Morgan statue erected on Spruce Street in Morgantown in 2016 was cast by Vandalia Bronze after five years of planning, design, and construction. Founded by Jamie Lester, Vandalia Bronze created the piece in part from Greek bronze dated to 7,000 B.C. The statue commemorates the role of Colonel Morgan in the foundation of his namesake town after receiving a charter from the Virginia Assembly in 1785. Morgan was influential in regional affairs long before that, however, and in fact played a pivotal role in the events of the American War for Independence in the area. The statue is accessible at all hours, every day of the year.

Colonel Zackquill Morgan Statue

The Appalachian Gallery was founded in 1987 by Laurie Nugent and Penelyn Van Orange, who pulled together their experiences in professional framing and art. Their gallery includes two floors of arts and crafts created by West Virginia artists. The breadth of work featured in the gallery includes paintings, drawings, glass, pottery, woodwork, metalwork, jewelry, textiles, and toys. A number of these works feature West Virginia scenes or symbols. Other items like books and puzzles are also for sale. The gallery offers custom framing for pictures, paintings, diplomas, and other heirlooms.The art in the Appalachian Gallery is not all that visitors will see. The gallery is located in the historic Price House, built circa 1902 by Morgantown furniture store owner W.E. Price. It is the prototype or "sister" of the Garlow House on Spruce Street, today the home of the Aull Center for Local History and Genealogy Research. Both the Price House and Garlow House were designed by local architect Elmer Forrest Jacobs. A graduate of West Virginia University and the Carnegie Institute of Technology (now Carnegie Mellon University), Jacobs designed a variety of structures in northern West Virginia and Pennsylvania ranging from factories to government buildings to schools. In Morgantown, he is best known for adding the side wings on Woodburn Hall, part of the Seneca Glass Factory, and the Beaumont Glass Factory (now demolished).The Price House was designed in the popular Queen Anne style of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. The house's recognizable stone tower was added after Price saw the tower Jacobs incorporated in the Garlow House. The tower is often why the house is referred to as the "Sandcastle house." The building originally featured custom-made Tiffany windows, one of which is still extant and depicts a woman playing a harp. The Price House later served as the Sigma Nu fraternity and as a branch of the Fraternal Order of the Eagles. The Appalachian Gallery moved into the house in 2011.

The Appalachian Gallery is an art gallery, gift shop, and framing studio that promotes the work of West Virginia artists. Opened in 1987, the Appalachian Gallery features a variety of arts, crafts, and gift items. The gallery is located in the historic W.E. Price house, designed by famed Morgantown architect Elmer Jacobs. 

Appalachian Gallery

Now identified as the Berman Building, this antebellum construction built in 1852 houses a preserved Civil War prison in the cellar. The Berman Building has been home to many businesses: a bank, clothing store, and restaurants, but the true secret of this building hides below the surface. The Confederate soldiers held in this small prison were most likely taken from the Jones-Imboden Raid, the largest Civil War battle in present day northern West Virginia. Confederate cavalry under General William “Grumble” Jones raided Morgantown on April 29, 1863 after fighting battles in Hardy and Preston counties five days prior. The Jones-Imboden Raid was extremely destructive as the soldiers exploded railroad bridges and libraries, and set fire to wells, boats, tanks, and other equipment. The citizens of Morgantown hid their prized possessions, personal belongings, and livestock in hopes that they would not be taken or destroyed during the raid. <blockquote>"Every store in town was robbed of everything the thieves fancied. The home rebels pointed out the private property they wanted destroyed, and it was done. A valuable stem saw mill, belonging to J. N. Cromwell &amp; Co., was burned. The National printing office was destroyed because it has been uncompromisingly Union, while the butternut concern in Morgantown was uninjured because, as the traitors said, it was on their side and was devoted to their cause. The law and private libraries of Gov. Peirpoint were carried into the street in front of his office and burned; every horse in town and the surrounding country was taken. At least five hundred horses were taken out of Marion county alone." - The Wheeling Daily Intelligencer, May 5, 18631</blockquote> It is unknown as to why there was a small jail cell in the basement of this commercial building, but local historians believe that it was used as an auxiliary location. A theory is that the local jail cells at the court house were either too full or too obvious and the Confederate captives could easily be freed from that location. Today little remains of the Civil War era cell, and it is not open to the public. Morgantown Magazine was allowed access to the basement in 2014, and said that the one wooden structure and metal bars are only visible with assistance from a flashlight. Most restaurant customers are completely unaware of the history that is below them, as there is no historical marker to represent the jail cell.2

The Berman Building was a double story building with a basement that would hold prisoners during the Civil War. The building was Union occupied and used with the purpose of holding Confederate soldiers captive.Today the building is a restaurant that is located in the historic district. The restaurant is called The Dirty Bird, and they specialize in chicken wings and sandwiches. Upon entering the restaurant there are no markers to show the history that happened in the basement.


The Berman Building

The plans to renovate the Monongalia Courthouse Plaza were first discussed in 2016. The square prior to the update had been concrete and the Monongalia County Commission thought that it would be wise to renovate it in order to make it ADA accessible and to show a county pride and dedication to perception. As commision president Tim Bloom stated in May of 2018:“One of the things we needed to do, besides make it ADA accessible, was to show prospective business owners who were coming down here that we take care of our property."1In July of 2016, the Monongalia County Commission chose the local architect firm Mills Group to begin designing the renovations, citing safety concerns as the first priority. 2 Falling the initial planning the Commision held discussion with residents in November of 2016 to see what they would like to see incorporated into the design. The same month the plans were first presented to the public. 3, 4 These plans included an outline of the Monongahela River in the patio surrounded with LED rights, plaques honoring the counties fallen, armed forces members, a metal timeline of major events since 1800, and if possible incorporating a fountain to the front of the Courthouse as had been present prior to a modernization attempt in the 1960s.1,4,5 A contest was also issued for a new county flag to be hanged above the plaza open to the school children of the county, which was won by high school senior Andrew Riley. 6 The original fountain was thought to be lost when renovations began and was very difficult to redesign based on the fragmentary surviving evidence of it from old and blurry photographs from decades ago when Phil Cole, a designer on the project, stumbled upon during a run in a park in nearby Westover.5 This was the final piece of the project and added running water to the plaza to signify the role water had played in the development of the county.5 With the fountain added and all the construction completed, the plaza was rededicated on May 2, 2018. 1

Just outside of the Monongalia County Courthouse lies the Monongalia Courthouse Plaza which features memorial plaques, a glass outline of the Monongahela River, and other features design to showcase the local history and beauty of the area in an outdoor and accessible location.  It also fountains a restored historic fountain, Planned by Mills Group, a West Virginia based architecture, planning, and preservation firm, after the Monongalia County Commission sought to improve the existing courthouse square, this site was rededicated in May of 2018 after approval in 2016.  The site is open to the public and is ADA accessible.

 Monongalia County Courthouse Plaza

The presence of a courthouse at this location predates even the existence of Morgantown itself. In 1776, the Virginian District of West Augusta was split into three counties; Ohio, Yohogania, and Monongalia. At the future site of Morgantown, a simple wooden frame courthouse was erected to serve Monongalia County in 1784. This attracted businesses and residents eager to take advantage of close proximity to the court. In turn, the influx of residents spurred the establishment of the city of Morgantown in 1785. A brick courthouse replaced the original wood structure in 1804. Another new brick building replaced the prior structure in 1848. This courthouse was built in a Greek revival style to imitate a classical temple. It was two storied and capped by a box gabled roof and decorative rotunda. In 1851, a statue of Patrick Henry was added to the top of the rotunda. Henry was the first governor of Virginia and is famous for his statement “give me liberty, or give me death!”By 1884, the county courthouse was in a state of severe disrepair and was declared dangerous. The Monongalia County Court hired Pittsburgh architect James P. Bailey to draft plans for a new building, but local residents heavily opposed building a new courthouse, opting instead to repair the old one and striking down bonds for a new building. In 1890, the issue of the building came to a head. On September 13th, county officials removed vital records under cover of darkness and ordered demolition to begin. When incensed residents awoke and realized what had happened, they sought an injunction to prevent the demolition. Unfortunately for them, the court officials had all fled town and local lawyers refused to take the case. Demolition concluded in early 1891 and the court operated from a Methodist Protestant church on Walnut Street.The Monongalia County Courthouse which still stands today was built in 1891 by the George L. W. Mayers contracting firm. The Victorian Romanesque brick structure cost $53,478 – approximately $1.5 million adjusted for inflation. The eclectic mix of styles and elements found in the Monongalia County Courthouse was typical of United States civic buildings in the late nineteenth century. The flat-planed red brick exterior with cut stone windows are especially emblematic of the Victorian Romanesque style. The building itself is two stories with three-story tower and a five-story clock tower. The statue of Patrick Henry that graced the roof of a prior courthouse now resides on the ground floor of the smaller tour. Though the inside has been remodeled several times and a 1975 addition was added, the façade of the courthouse has changed extremely little since its construction in 1891.One major change to the Monongalia County Courthouse has been the evolution of the plaza. Until 1818, this space hosted the public whipping post, stocks, and pillories. After this it served primarily as a meeting place and market site. In the twentieth century, several war memorials and a drinking fountain were erected in the courtyard. A major project to completely redesign the plaza began in 2016. The primary concern was improving safety and appearance. A local architectural firm, Mills Group, was contracted to complete the renovations for about $2 million. The veterans memorials were restored and an LED-lit glass scale replica of the Monongahela river was added to the pavement. Initially, the drinking fountain that once graced the plaza was missing. Extensive efforts were made to recreate it based on a few poor-quality pictures, though this enterprise failed. However, a landscape designer for the project noticed the exact fountain tucked away in Westover Park while he went for a run one day. The cities of Morgantown and Westover collaborated, and the fountain was restored and added to the courtyard.The Monongalia County Courthouse is significant architecturally, historically, and culturally. It is an excellent representative of the Victorian Romanesque style of architecture. It is historically central to the political history of northern West Virginia and Morgantown. It has also been a crucial cultural aspect of Morgantown by providing a meeting place and social space. The renovations made in 2016 breathe new life to the courthouse space while maintaining the authenticity and tradition associated with the building.

The Monongalia County Courthouse was built in 1890 and is the fourth courthouse to occupy this space. The first three were built in 1784, 1804, and 1848. The construction of the extant building was a somewhat clandestine affair, as opposition from local residents necessitated the destruction of the prior courthouse during the night. The courthouse is built in a Victorian Romanesque style drafted by Pittsburgh architect James P. Bailey. The building itself has changed relatively little since being constructed in 1890, though the courtyard in front of it was heavily renovated in 2016. The courthouse is a hub of Monongalia County and Morgantown, hosting civic, political, and social events.

Monongalia County Courthouse

In 1922, the Morgantown Hotel Company was formed and immediately began plans for a new luxury hotel in its namesake town. Construction on the building near the end of high street began on January 15, 1925 and was completed October 16 of the same year. The Monongalia Historical Society was responsible for the name of the hotel. They requested that it be named after Morgantown’s founder and first lodging provider, Zackquill Morgan. The request was honored, and the new building was christened the Hotel Morgan.When the doors were opened in October, the Hotel Morgan was considered one of the grandest hotels in all of West Virginia. The tiered structure is seven stories near the entrance, rising to nine stories at the back. Even today, the Hotel Morgan towers over the rest of downtown Morgantown’s buildings. A steel frame supports the primarily brick and concrete structure. The construction of the hotel made it largely fireproof, a point of pride touted in advertisements. Albert Pick and Company – a Chicago based interior design firm specializing in hotels – took care of all interior decorating. No expense was spared and the hotel was decked from floor to ceiling in imported materials and fixtures. In addition to 152 guest rooms, the Hotel Morgan also included a beauty salon and barbershop, coffee shop, and dining room. 320 phone lines allowed for easy long-distance communication, and mailing facilities were also available on each floor. The Warner and Metropolitan Theatres were in close proximity to the Hotel Morgan, providing upscale entertainment to match the accommodations. The hotel was known for local community gatherings, such as the Lion's Club, the Kiwanis, high school dances, various fundraisers, and business conventions. In 1934, the Hotel Morgan hosted the first of several particularly famous guests when First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt visited. Roosevelt stayed in the hotel during her visits to Scotts Run and Arthurdale. In 1954, former President Harry Truman visited the hotel shortly after the end of his term. Finally, John F. Kennedy visited Morgantown in 1960 while serving as a senator and democratic presidential nominee hopeful. He attended a brief reception in his honor in the Hotel Morgan ballroom and addressed the gathered crowd of supporters.By the 1980s, chain motels had spelled the demise of many grand hotels all over the country; likewise, the Hotel Morgan had suffered from a lack of maintenance and upkeep despite its illustrious pedigree and famous previous guests. In 1999, the hotel was sold to R. Ted Brant and went through a complete remodel and restoration process. The ballroom's two-story ceilings and the balcony overlook were restored. The smaller original guest rooms were combined and converted to suites with the color scheme of gold and blue. The renovations incorporated a full-service restaurant on the 8th floor, The Montmartre, offering beautiful panoramic views of the downtown Morgantown district. Another restoration of the Hotel Morgan occurred in late 2019 through 2020. All original furnishings, items, and furniture were sold in preparation for the redesign. In addition, the entire hotel was completely rewired. The Montmartre closed at this time, though plans for a new rooftop space are being made. Despite the inside of the Hotel Morgan being renovated, restored, and renovated again, the exterior has changed extremely little. Even the current redesign plans to keep the iconic “Hotel Morgan” neon sign that was added circa 1965-1975 and is visible from all over Morgantown. The Hotel Morgan is one of the most instantly recognizable buildings downtown Morgantown and an important piece of local history.

The Hotel Morgan made its debut on October 16, 1925, as one of the most opulent hotels of its time. Its offerings included a grand ballroom and panoramic view of the downtown Morgantown area. Upon completion, the Monongalia Historical Society insisted that the new luxurious hotel be named after Zackquill Morgan, the founder of Morgantown. The Hotel Morgan has hosted many notable names, including Eleanor Roosevelt in 1934, former President Harry Truman in 1954, and was a campaign stop for John F. Kennedy during the 1960 presidential election. Hotel Morgan was renovated in 1999 by replacing the outdated 1970s decor and restoring the hotel to its former 1920s glory. A more recent renovation in 2020 has attempted to modernize the hotel. Despite numerous changes, the exterior of the Hotel Morgan has changed extremely little over the years and is an iconic fixture of the Morgantown skyline.

Hotel Morgan 

The Neo-classical building that houses the Monongalia Arts Center was constructed in 1913 and was a federally owned post office until it was purchased in September 1975 by the Louis F. Tanner family. The post office was designed by Oscar Wenderoth in Classical Revival style and referred to as the Old Morgantown Post Office. The building itself was the first in Morgantown, WV to be federally built and federally owned by the U.S. government.  When the building opened in 1914 there was an open house to show off the new post office to the community. Citizens scrutinized one attribute to the building, and it was the "lookout" feature. This lookout was a narrow passageway at ceilings' height that ran through the work areas. The postal inspector used the lookout to secretly watch employees while stopping at "Black shutters" along the lookout and wearing a Black mask so he couldn't be detected.1 Mabel Tanner was a founder of the Morgantown players and local art critic for over 40 years. Tanner had long since envisioned a facility complete with a theatre, art gallery, exhibit area, classrooms and workshop space. The facility would house the performing and creative arts and provide a central point from which to foster the arts and encourage their growth. After Tanner's death in 1974, her family purchased the building in 1976 and then established the Monongalia County Arts Association, Inc. to begin work upon a community arts center, thus giving birth to Tanner's reverie.  In 1978, after two years of planning and development, the Monongalia County Arts Association officially opened the MAC to the public. In 1979, the MAC was added to the National Register of Historic places as "Old Morgantown Post Office". It is located in the Downtown Morgantown Historic District, listed in 1966. The Benedum Gallery, made possible through funding Benedum Foundation, was established in 1979; It is located on the first floor of MAC where the gallery displays monthly art exhibits from a variety of cultural and artistic backgrounds. The gallery is handicap accessible and open during weekdays and Saturday afternoons, information on each month's gallery is available on location or online at the center's website.  The Robert M. Davis Gallery is MAC's second floor gallery. The Benedum Gallery, established in 1979, was named after the Benedum Foundation for their donation to the MAC. This gallery was the first commercial gallery in the region and the first community controlled gallery of its type to allow artists submissions. The gallery was created out of a grassroots effort in 2004 as a means to showcase emerging artists and cutting-edge art forms. In 2007 and 2008, the Davis Gallery experienced several upgrades and was doubled in size due to a grant from the Hazel Ruby McQuian Charitable Trust and community volunteer efforts. The Robert M. Davis gallery uses a gallery track hanging system and covers over 800 square feet on the second level.  The Mabel DeVries Tanner Theatre was dedicated in 1981, and the room serves as MAC's space for the performing arts. Originally a federal building, this 1913 Neo-classical structure was donated in 1976 to be developed and maintained as a cultural center for Monongalia County. Over the years, the theatre has hosted everything from plays and classic theatre productions to music performances. The theatre also functions as multipurpose space, available to the public for reservations for events such as wedding receptions and other private parties. In 2008, the MAC began regularly booking local and touring bands for shows and concerts in the space.  The MAC offers classes and workshops in a variety of fields, including classes in Zumba, Yoga, and Kindermusik. The center also hosts two free sewing circles and MACKnitters. Ongoing artists studio sessions for figure drawing are offered all year featuring multiple models and body types. MAC offers the most affordable private music and art lessons in the region as well. Another ongoing program is MAC Improv which meets every Tuesday from 7-9 PM.

The Monongalia Arts Center, or MAC, is located in Morgantown, West Virginia near the campus of West Virginia University. The MAC opened to the public in 1978 as a non-profit arts and culture center to showcase local artists and performers. The MAC's mission is to provide the materials needed to build interest in the arts through ongoing educational programs. Located in a former post office building, the MAC has two galleries, a theatre for the performing arts, and is undergoing production on other projects including an internet radio station and the establishment of the Tanner Theatre as a regular venue for touring bands. 

Monongalia Arts Center

The Morgantown History Museum is&nbsp;a nonprofit institution and the first city-sponsored museum in the Morgantown area dedicated to&nbsp;historic records and&nbsp;artifacts from the city and&nbsp;surrounding region.&nbsp;The Grand Opening on the museum&nbsp;was held on December 16, 2011. Since then, the museum&nbsp;has featured exhibits on and including the Monongalia River, local celebrities like&nbsp;Morgantown native Don Knotts, and the recognition of the 100th anniversary of the HMS Titanic's demise, which Morgantown has ties to.&nbsp;Visitors to the museum are welcome to tour the exhibits although&nbsp;tours must be made within a week advance.&nbsp;Tours include a film documentary on glassmaking and other activities.&nbsp;The museum also provides educational programs for children and adults through a variety of&nbsp;programs and thematic lectures. In 2011&nbsp;for the museums&nbsp;grand opening, hundreds visited "The Way We Worked" exhibit developed by the National Archives. It used demographic and labor data to explore how work became a central element of American culture. In 2014,&nbsp;A traveling&nbsp;exhibit called&nbsp;"Hometown Teams" was&nbsp;brought to the Morgantown History Museum by the West Virginia Humanities Council. "Hometown Teams" examined the role of sports in American culture, past and present. The museum was also&nbsp;part of an effort to build a replica of one of the flatboats that traveled the Monongahela River. These flatboats transported goods and&nbsp;were an essential economic lifeline&nbsp;in the early years of the region's development.&nbsp;

The Morgantown History Museum is a city-sponsored museum of history that collects, preserves, and interprets the history of the city and region. The museum offers a permanent exhibit which includes historic artifacts and displays about prominent residents and institutions within Morgantown and the surrounding area. The museum also sponsors a variety of traveling and temporary exhibits dedicated to a more in-depth look at certain topics related to local history. Although they are not affiliated, the Morgantown History Museum is located directly behind the Morgantown Arts Center.

The Morgantown History Museum

Lucian Philip Smith was
born on August 14, 1887 in Dawson, Pennsylvania to Norval Preston Smith—a former Union
private who had served in the 3rd Regiment, Maryland Infantry, Potomac Home
Brigade during the Civil War—and Anne Houston Smith (née
Cochran), whose family had been heavily invested in the coke industry
of Fayette County, Pennsylvania. Additionally, Lucian had two siblings.
Together the family moved to Morgantown, West Virginia where Lucian spent his
childhood.

According to his 1909 passport application,
Lucian stood at 5’7’’, had blue eyes with brown hair and was a student at West
Virginia University. He attended the school from Fall 1904 to Spring 1906 and studied music. He was also a member of the school’s Pennsylvania Club. By
1912, Lucian was living at 76 High Street with his sister, brother-in-law,
their child and two servants.

Sometime in early January 1912, 24-year-old Lucian heard
about 18-year-old Mary Eloise Hughes, a Huntington, West Virginia socialite and
the daughter West Virginia congressman James A. Hughes, who was being presented
to Washington society after having just returned to the country following a
year spent in Europe. Following a whirlwind courtship, their wedding was set
for Thursday, February 8 at Central Christian Church in Huntington with a
reception to follow at the Hotel Frederick. The wedding was described by a
local newspaper as “one of the most brilliant wedding functions” ever held in the
city. They departed for their honeymoon across Europe onboard the White Star
Line’s Olympic manned by Captain Edward John Smith. By early April,
however, the couple was yearning to return home to West Virginia.

In a letter written to her parents Eloise said: &nbsp;<blockquote>'Lucian is getting so anxious to get home
and drive the car and fool around on the farm....We leave here Sunday....By
boat to Brindisi [Italy], by rail to Nice and Monte Carlo, then to Paris and via
Cherbourg either on the Lusitania or the new Titanic….’</blockquote>

The Smith’s decided upon booking a first class ticket (#13695) on
the RMS&nbsp;Titanic’s maiden voyage. They boarded the ship in Cherbourg, France
on Wednesday, April 10 and stayed in cabin C-31 on the starboard side.

On the night of April 14, Eloise Hughes Smith left her
husband with some friends outside of the Cafe Parisian before returning to her
cabin around 10:30. When the ship struck the iceberg at 11:40 p.m., Lucian had
been playing a game of bridge with three Frenchmen: Alfred Omont, Pierre Maréchal,
and Paul Chevré. He quickly went to wake his wife but found
her already awake and curious as to why it seemed the ship had stopped. He
calmly informed her:&nbsp;&nbsp;<blockquote>"We are in
the north and have struck an iceberg: It does not amount to anything, but
probably delay us a day getting into New York. However, as a matter of form,
the captain has ordered all ladies on deck.”&nbsp;</blockquote>Not aware of the danger,
Eloise took her time getting dressed. Once on deck the couple noticed that
there was no commotion, nor panic and no one seemed to be “particularly
frightened”, only interested in the unusual occurrence of the ship’s North
Atlantic crossing. In fact, when the first lifeboat was lowered on the port
side of the Titanic Eloise refused to leave her husband behind, and no
one particularly urged her to get in. The second lifeboat to leave the ship had
a friend of Eloise’s in it and Lucian attempted to convince his wife to join
her. Once again, however, Eloise refused unless her husband would go with her.

Captain Edward John Smith—the same man who had been the
captain onboard the Olympic at the beginning of the couple’s
honeymoon—was standing on deck nearby holding a megaphone. Eloise approached
him and asked if Lucian might accompany her as she was all alone. The captain
ignored her personally, but shouted into his megaphone:&nbsp;<blockquote>“Women and children
first.”</blockquote>&nbsp;Lucian responded with,&nbsp;<blockquote>“Never mind, captain, about that; I will see she
gets in the boat.”</blockquote>&nbsp;He then turned to his wife and said,&nbsp;<blockquote>“I never expected to
ask you to obey, but this is one time you must; it is only a matter of form to
have women and children first. The boat is thoroughly equipped, and everyone on
her will be saved.”&nbsp;</blockquote>He truly believed it and was then able to convince
Eloise to get into lifeboat number 6 under the command of Quartermaster Robert
Hitchens. As the lifeboat was being lowered Lucian yelled to his wife:&nbsp;<blockquote>“Keep
your hands in your pockets, it is very cold weather.”&nbsp;</blockquote>That was the last she saw
of him.

In a lifeboat built to hold 65 people but only filled
with 24—including
one Margaret Brown who would come to be known as the “Unsinkable Molly
Brown”—Eloise watched as the ship slipped beneath the water at 2:20 a.m. She
assumed the cries for help coming from the water were from the officers or
possibly steerage passengers who had overslept. Unaware that her husband and
friends had still been onboard the ship when it foundered, she looked into the
nearby lifeboats for any sign of him.

During the early morning hours of Monday, April 15, 1912,
the survivors were first spotted by the Cunard Line’s RMS&nbsp;Carpathia. A
woman on board was kind enough to give up her own berth for Eloise. In her
affidavit read by Congressman Hughes on the eighteenth day of the United States
Senate Inquiry into the disaster, Eloise stated that it was shameful how many
women had been relegated to sleeping on the floor in the Carpathia’s dining
saloon while J. Bruce Ismay, chairman of the White Star Line, was given the
“best room” in the center of the ship with a sign on the door saying, “Please
do not knock.” She also mentioned that “the whole thing seemed to have been a
monied accident” by the White Star Line company.

Early newspaper reports stated that the couple had been
saved and family members traveled to New York to meet Lucian and Eloise when
the Carpathia docked. Eloise
returned home to Huntington by train a week later with her parents where
hundreds of residents awaited her arrival. Due to the size of the crowd, five
policemen had to escort the family to Westmoreland where Eloise’s grandmother
lived. Meanwhile, James Smith travelled to Halifax, Nova Scotia in search of
his brother’s body in the makeshift morgues that had been set up for recovered
bodies. Eloise, hopeful that Lucian’s body would be found, had been planning a
lavish mausoleum for her husband, but gave up hope when it became known that
Lucian’s body was either unidentifiable or simply had never been recovered.&nbsp;

Ironically, the friends Lucian had been playing bridge
with the night of the sinking had all survived by leaving the ship in Lifeboat
No. 7, which had been the very first lifeboat to leave the ship and held men
and women occupants. 

A memorial service for Lucian was held on Sunday, May
12, 1912 at 3 o’clock in the afternoon in Huntington’s Central Christian
Church—the same church the couple had been married in two months prior—and was
overflowing with mourners.&nbsp; One of the
hymns sung at the service was ‘Nearer My God To Thee’, a song that numerous
survivors reported the Titanic’s orchestra to have played during the
ship’s last hours. Following the funeral, Eloise and her brother-in-law
traveled to Morgantown where the settlement of Lucian’s estate was held.

On November 29, 1912, Eloise gave birth to Lucian’s son, Lucian
Philip Smith II, in Cincinnati, Ohio. If she knew about her pregnancy at the
time of the sinking, she never mentioned it.

Eloise
married again twice before her death at the age 46 of a heart attack in a Cincinnati
sanitarium. One of those men was Robert W. Daniel, another Titanic survivor who had been standing with Lucian at the rail
watching lifeboats pull away from the ship and was the last to see him alive.
He claimed that as the ship went under, a great wave rolled over the railing
knocking Lucian back onto the deck while Daniel dove into the water. Before her death&nbsp;she once again took Lucian’s name and was
interred with her father and mother in Huntington’s Spring Hill Cemetery as
Eloise Hughes Smith.&nbsp;

Located in downtown Morgantown, West Virginia, 76 High Street is a Queen Anne Revival that was built in 1895 as a home for the West Virginia University dean of the School of Engineering. With the exception of an addition on the back of the building, it has retained its original facade. The building is currently home to Bel-Cross Properties, a property management and real estate firm. Beginning in the fall of 2001 and lasting through June 30, 2016 the building was the location of Cafe Bacchus, a local restaurant that was known to host a Titanic dinner in honor of former resident, Lucian Philip Smith, who died during the sinking of the RMS Titanic. Before that, it was home to the Demanielis—descendants of Greek immigrants to Morgantown—who had decided to transform their home into The Flame Steakhouse, a restaurant that operated for over 30 years.

Downtown Morgantown Walking Tour

Arts Monongahela

Introduction

Images

Backstory and Context

Sources

Additional Information