Spirit of West Virginia was created by C. Paul Jennewein in 1950. The terra cotta mural uses the figure of a woman to represent West Virginia. The woman is surrounded by symbols of the state’s natural resources and industry. Designed in an Art Deco style, Spirit of West Virginia stands out on capitol grounds as a unique treatment of space.
Dedicated in 2010 and located within the West Virginia State Capitol Complex, this statue is the first to honor female soldiers from the Mountain State. This memorial also features the only sculpture on the Capitol grounds that depicts a woman. The work was sculpted by Charleston artist Joe Mullins to represent a female veteran of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars wearing military fatigues designed to represent multiple branches of the Armed Services. The statue is symbolic of the sacrifices and commitment of all the women who have served in the United States Armed Forces.
The Gold Star Families Memorial Monument honors both soldiers who have died in the line of duty and the families that support them. The project was made possible by Hershel Woodrow “Woody” Williams, a West Virginia native and the sole surviving Medal of Honor recipient from the Pacific Theater of World War II. The Gold Star Families Memorial Monument was officially dedicated in 2020, making it one of the newest sculptures on capitol grounds.
The West Virginia Veterans Memorial was designed by Charleston native P. Joseph Mullins, and built in stages from 1990-1999. The monument honors the over 10,000 West Virginian soldiers who lost their lives in the service of their nation. The memorial was originally funded by private donations and completed with the support of the state legislature. Though the memorial honors all West Virginian veterans, inscribed names are limited to four twentieth century conflicts for which data on West Virginian service exists: World War I, World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War. The Veterans Memorial remains a popular gathering place for events and ceremonies that involve veterans.
W.D. Hopen created Fallen Partner in 1990. Hopen, a native of Sutton, West Virginia, was commissioned by the West Virginia Chapter of the Fraternal Order of Police to sculpt the work. The completed piece depicts a male law enforcement officer dressed in a police uniform and bearing a shield and gun. The figure was cast from bronze, while the base is granite. At the base of the sculpture is a plaque, which lists well over one hundred law enforcement officers who have lost their lives in the line of duty. In 2019, the sculpture was restored by Evergreene Architectural Arts to reverse weathering and other damage. The memorial remains a frequent location for events honoring law enforcement.
Fallen Firefighter was created by James Edward Lykins in 1994. The bronze sculpture was commissioned by the West Virginia Firemen’s Association to honor West Virginia firefighters who have died in the line of duty. The sculpture depicts a figure dressed fully in firefighting gear who holds an axe in one hand and a small child in the other. A plaque on the side of the base of the sculpture records and honors over one hundred firefighters. New names are added as occasion demands. The sculpture is also the yearly gathering place for the West Virginia State Firemen’s Association’s Memorial Ceremony. Artist James Edward Lykins is a military veteran and Purple Heart recipient who creates a variety of large and small-scale sculptures and carvings.
The WV Coal Miners Memorial is located on the grounds of the West Virginia State Capitol Complex in Charleston, West Virginia. Coal mining has deep roots in West Virginia and is a quintessential aspect of culture in the Mountain State. However, coal mining is difficult and dangerous work. The Coal Miners Memorial was designed by Burl Jones in 2002 to honor the men and women who have dedicated their lives to mining coal in West Virginia. To this day, the statue remains a gathering site for those wishing to honor coal miners for their hard work, historical contributions, and personal sacrifices.
Dedicated in 1985, this monument honors West Virginia educator Booker Taliaferro Washington. Born into slavery prior to the end of the Civil War, Washington established Tuskegee University and worked to establish private funding for hundreds of schools for African American children across the South at the turn-of-the-century. After the Civil War, Washington moved to West Virginia with his mother and stepfather. As a young boy, Washington worked with his stepfather in the salt mines of Malden, a small town near the city of Charleston. At this time, the boy learned of a schoolhouse that was near their home and convinced his stepfather to allow him to attend that school by working morning and nights in the mines while reserving the daytime hours for school. This ambition for knowledge would be the signature of Washington's life. Washington returned to West Virginia throughout his life and often spoke at West Virginia Colored Institute, a historically Black college that is now West Virginia State University.
In response to the dedication of a statue honoring Clarksburg, West Virginia native and Confederate General Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson at the old State Capitol in downtown Charleston, West Virginia, veterans of the Union Army received an equivalent statue sculpted by Henry Kirke Bush-Brown in 1912. The bronze statue depicts a pro-Union citizen militiaman carrying a flag and musket, while the two reliefs on the base depict Mountaineer home life. Colonel William Seymour Edwards, former speaker of the West Virginia House of Delegates was instrumental in the erection of the statue.
Born in Clarksburg, West Virginia, Thomas "Stonewall'' Jackson rose to prominence as one of the Confederacy's most effective generals. In 1862, Jackson quickly maneuvered his forces to thwart the reinforcement of George McClellan's Army of the Potomac. The following year, Jackson was shot by accident by one of his own men, but his memory lived on as supporters of an ideology known as the "Lost Cause" used his tactical success to support their belief that Confederate troops and officers were only defeated owing to the superior numbers and resources of the North. In 1909, the United Daughters of the Confederacy hired Confederate veteran Moses Ezekiel to sculpt a bronze statue in the general's honor. The state legislature approved the UDC's request to place this statue on capitol grounds. In 1910, this monument honoring a Confederate leader became the first on the state capitol complex. As chronicled by local newspapers, including the Charleston Advocate, an African American newspaper edited by Storer College graduate John Gilmer, hundreds of Confederate veterans and other attendees at the monument's dedication ceremony wore "Lily White'' buttons. As Gilmer and other editors explained, these buttons were a reference to a 1908 campaign by the state's Democratic Party to disenfranchise African American voters in West Virginia and pass Jim Crow laws. Gilmer and others argued the while some Democratic leaders denied their support of these measures, the prevailing spirit at this monument's dedication ceremony demonstrated that supporters of segregation and disenfranchisement had not abandoned their cause or lost the "Lilly White" buttons they had worn during the last election. As more West Virginians learn of the connection between this monument and the Lost Cause, segregation, disenfranchisement, and the actions of the United Daughters of the Confederacy, there have been repeated calls for the monument's removal. Supporters of Confederate imagery have responded by working with Republican lawmakers, and as of March 2021, a law to prevent statues in public places from being removed is being considered.
West Virginia sculptor Fred Torrey designed Lincoln Walks at Midnight in the 1930s based on Vachel Lindsay’s 1914 poem of the same name. The statue represents Lincoln's decision to grant West Virginia statehood during the Civil War. “Whereas, by the Act of Congress approved the 31st. day of December, last, the State of West Virginia was declared to be one of the United States of America, and was admitted into the Union on an equal footing with the original States in all respects whatever, upon the condition that certain changes should be duly made in the proposed Constitution for that State; And, whereas, proof of a compliance with that condition as required by the Second Section of the Act aforesaid, has been submitted to me; Now, therefore, be it known, that I Abraham Lincoln, President of the United States, do, hereby, in pursuance of the Act of Congress aforesaid, declare and proclaim that the said act shall take effect and be in force, from and after sixty days from the date hereof. In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and caused the Seal of the United States to be affixed.” -Abraham Lincoln (April 20, 1862)
The east entrance to the capitol building features the final grouping of sculptures. The figures are Mercury, Vulcan, and Minerva, also known as Hermes, Hepaestus, and Athena, respectively. On the left is Mercury, messenger of the gods and readily identifiable thanks to his winged helmet. In the center is Vulcan, god of fire and patron of Blacksmiths. Though some myths identify Vulcan as ugly or crippled, this depiction includes strong features and a more idealized face. Lastly, Minerva rounds out the figures. She is the goddess of wisdom, justice, and the creative arts.
These busts face the interior courtyard from the entrance to the East Wing of the Capitol Building. The figures depicted are Perseus, Prometheus, and Juno. Juno is also known as Hera in Greek mythology. On the left, Perseus wears a Galea, a plumed Roman helmet typically worn by legionaries. The son of Zeus, Perseus is most famous for slaying the gorgon Medusa. Next to Perseus is the rebellious titan Prometheus. Prometheus defied his titan siblings by siding with the Olympians, but also defied the will of Zeus by gifting humanity fire. As punishment, Prometheus was chained to a rock and each day a bird pecked out his liver. Prometheus' matted unkempt hair is a reminder of his daily torture. Finally, the goddess Juno is depicted on the right. She wears a crown appropriate to her position as consort of Zeus and queen of the gods. Juno is also the goddess of marriage and motherhood.
This façade of the West Wing of the Capitol Building faces into the central courtyard. The three figures that grace this entrance are Heracles, Jupiter, and Fortuna. Heracles and Jupiter are respectively known as Hercules and Zeus in Greek mythology. On the left is Heracles, son of Jupiter and a mortal woman. In this sculpture, Heracles is cloaked in the skin of the Nemean Lion, a beast invulnerable to normal weapons but who Heracles wrestled to death. Jupiter is the ruler of the heavens and greatest of all gods. His wild hair and beard recall the lightning he controls, while his resolute gaze reminds the viewer of his divine sovereignty. Fortuna, as the name suggests, is the goddess of fortune and chance. The three amorphous tendrils behind her head could be references to the three fates who control human life.
The west entrance to the main capitol building hosts the first three of John Donnelly, Sr's. mythological busts. From left to right, these three sculptures depict the Roman goddesses and god Vesta, Neptune, and Ceres. In Greek mythology, the figures are known instead as Hestia, Poseidon, and Demeter, respectively. On the left, Vesta wears a domestic cap and veil, apropos for the goddess of home and hearth. In the middle, Neptune's curly hair is crowned by a shell, signifying his role as ruler of the seas and oceans. On the right, Ceres wears the vestments of a farmer and her hair hangs like the crops she bestowed upon mankind.
The Union Soldiers and Sailors monument is a memorial to the West Virginians who fought for the Union in the American Civil War. As West Virginia became a state in response to Virginia's secession from the Union, the new state was predominantly sympathetic to the Union. The memorial was funded by the State of West Virginia and placed on the capitol grounds in 1930. It faces Kanawha Blvd. east of the Governor’s Mansion. The statue depicts a soldier carrying a musket and symbolically marching towards the statue of Confederate General Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson, which is also placed on capitol grounds.
This Tour is a Walking Tour.
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This tour explores the various sculptures on Charleston's Capitol Complex grounds. Works include military memorials, civic monuments, and artistic embellishments. This tour draws heavily from a tour by Charleston's Office of Public Art and was made with the office's cooperation. To learn more visit: http://publicartcharleston.org/.
