Aull Center Exhibit Tour

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The former site of the Sabraton Tin Plate Mill between Deckers Creek and Earl Core Road just north of I-79 was once home to one of the highest levels of industrial activity in the Greater Morgantown area. Although plans for the mill began in 1903 and the mill complex itself was constructed at that time, operations there did not begin until nearly three years later. At that time, Morgantown developer and U.S. Representative George C. Sturgiss purchased the mill site and began plans for the foundation of Sabraton, originally known as Sturgiss City. The mill remained in operation off and on throughout the twentieth century before being purchased by the Sterling Faucet Company in 1977, which closed the mill permanently in 1996. After its closure and eventual demolition, the mill was replaced by a variety of commercial businesses serving the Sabraton and Greater Morgantown area.

2. Morgantown High School

Morgantown High School, also styled as "MHS", is a renowned public school in Morgantown, West Virginia that holds many memories for alumni near and far. Situated in the South Park Historic District, this large school complex continues to be a cornerstone of educational history in Monongalia County since 1927. Many notable alumni such as Don Knotts and Emily Calandrelli are former Mohigans.

3. Colonel Zackquill Morgan Statue

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.

4. Aull Center for Local History and Genealogy Research

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.

5. Don Knotts Statue

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.

6. Lot 71

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.

7. Monongalia County Courthouse

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.

8. Westover Bridge

The bridge across the Monongahela River connecting Morgantown, West Virginia to nearby Westover via Pleasant Street is the third such bridge at that location. The first, a suspension bridge built prior the American Civil War, lasted until the turn of the twentieth, when the city replaced it with one of steel construction. The original bridge played a particularly prominent role in the Jones-Imboden Raid of 1863, when Confederate raiders set the bridge on fire during their occupation of Unionist Morgantown. Since its original construction the bridge to Westover has served as a vital thoroughfare for trade and travelers across the Monongahela River, stitching together the disparate communities of the area into Greater Morgantown. It has continued to do so on a daily basis since the second bridge’s replacement with the current bridge in 1977, which remains open to traffic on US 19.

9. Former Site of the University Armory

Once located at the edge of what is now the Mountainlair Green, the Armory building on High Street was the second such structure on West Virginia University’s downtown campus. Built at the turn of the twentieth century, the second university Armory was a considerable upgrade from the first (which stood at the approximate location of Oglebay Plaza and became an experimental station for the College of Agriculture after 1889). The university Armory was the primary headquarters, storage facility, and training ground for WVU’s Corps of Cadets, formalized along with other such organizations nationwide as the Reserve Officer Training Corps during World War I. It was during that conflict in particular that the Armory on High Street experienced its heaviest use, a period in which the entire campus essentially became a military camp as WVU (like many other such institutions) worked to meet the escalating demands of the federal government for trained military personnel. The Armory was demolished in the 1960s to make way for the ambitious construction project that became the university Mountainlair and adjacent Mountainlair Green.

10. Elizabeth Moore Hall

West Virginia University’s Elizabeth Moore Hall has served as a women’s physical education facility, women’s graduate student dormitory, office of the dean of women, and home of numerous campus organizations. The three-story, red brick, Georgian Revival structure was built between 1926 and 1928 to house the university’s physical education program. In 1938, the dean of women’s office was relocated to the building. A 1962 addition added extra gymnasium and classroom space. The building was listed on the National Register in 1985.

11. Sunnyside Superette (1930s-2015)

The Sunnyside Superette was an independent grocery and convenience store located in Morgantown’s Sunnyside neighborhood. The business began in the 1930s as the Sunnyside Fruit Market, which moved down the street to 2047 University Avenue in the 1940s and opened as the Superette Market Grocery. The business name changed to the Sunnyside Superette in the 1950s. The Sunnyside Superette was popular among local families who lived in Sunnyside in the mid-twentieth century and remained popular among Sunnyside’s student residents in the late twentieth century. In 2015, the Sunnyside Superette closed, its owner and patrons citing the new Sheetz located at University Place.

12. Seneca Center

In 1897, the Seneca Glass Company began production of glass on the shores of the Monongahela River and continued to do so for almost a century. While more than a dozen glass factories existed in Morgantown by the early twentieth century, the Seneca Glass Factory is one of the few industrial structures that remains from this economic heyday. It was a key component of Morgantown’s economy and led to the development of the Sunnyside neighborhood. After the factory’s closure in 1983, the interior of the building was redesigned and turned into the Seneca Center, containing various local artisan businesses, antiques dealers and restaurants. The building remains extremely architecturally faithful to its original designs and historical objects are displayed throughout.

13. Morgantown Brick Company (1899-1970s)

Morgantown Brick Company was established on this site in Seneca, now Sunnyside, in 1899. With its other facility in Westover, Morgantown Brick Company produced tens of thousands of bricks each day in the early twentieth century. While Morgantown was known for its numerous glass factories, the brickworks was part of the city’s diverse industrial history. The company disbanded in 1931, and the site later became a junkyard collecting and selling scrap metal. In 1971, the site was then sold to the WVU Board of Regents to construct the new Personal Rapid Transfer (PRT) system.

14. Star Glass Company (1905-1921)

Established circa 1905 by Louis Kauffeld, Sr., the Star Glass Company was once one of the most prominent manufacturing concerns in Monongalia County’s industrial district between the Monongahela River and the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad. Kauffeld was well known in the glass industry of the period, receiving national attention shortly before founding Star Glass for his claim that he had developed a formula for malleable glassware. After he brought his manufacturing concern to the Morgantown area Kauffeld began working to provide housing near the factory for his workers, efforts that culminated with the incorporation of Star City (named after Kauffeld’s company at his suggestion). A few years later Star City became one of only a handful of communities nationwide to elect a majority Socialist town council, a party that was supported heavily by the workers of Star Glass. The Star Glass Company suffered from a destructive fire on multiple occasions and did not recover following a 1921 conflagration. However, the site is still home to the Davis-Lynch Glass Company and is visible to the public from the Caperton Trail.

This Tour is a Walking Tour.

Aull Center Exhibit Tour

Created by Nathan Wuertenberg on August 1st 2019, 12:03:28 pm.

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Description

Welcome to the Aull Center for Local HIstory and Genealogy Research's tour of the historic objects and photos it has on display. The Aull Center was opened in 2004 as a branch of the Morgantown Public Library System, and focuses on historical research and study pertaining to Morgantown, Monongalia County, and West Virginia. Our display items relate to historical topics that range from the 18th century to the 20th and have been donated by library patrons and supporters over the course of our time in operation. By bringing our historic items into the 21st century with Clio, we offer you not only a tour of our Center, but a possible tour of Morgantown and Monongalia County as well.

Entries on This Tour

Aull Center Exhibit Tour

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