Vandalia Heritage Foundation

HISTORIC PRESERVATION, ECONOMIC REVITALIZATION, REDEVELOPMENT, AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT.

THOMAS REVITALIZATION INITIATIVE - SINCE ITS INCEPTION IN 1998, VHF HAS FOCUSED SIGNIFICANT RESOURCES TOWARD THE REVITALIZING THIS SMALL, RURAL HISTORIC MOUNTAIN COMMUNITY IN TUCKER CO. VHF HAS WORKED TO STABILIZE AND RESTORE NUMEROUS HISTORIC STRUCTURES, STARTING WITH COTTRILL'S OPERA HOUSE AND CONTINUING WITH THE BUXTON & LANDSTREET BUILDING, THE 1900 FORMER COMPANY STORE, WHICH NOW HOUSES AN APPALACHIAN-THEMED ARTISAN GALLERY, STUDIOS AND OFFICES FOR LOCAL SMALL BUSINESSES AND NON-PROFITS. VHF ALSO CREATED AFFORDABLE HOUSING AND COMMERCIAL OPPORTUNITIES IN ANOTHER HISTORIC STRUCTURE DOWNTOWN, AND IN 2020 VHF STABILIZED THE FORMER DAVIS COAL & COKE ADMINISTRATION BUILDING ADJACENT TO THE BUXTON & LANDSTREET BUILDING, PARTNERING WITH FRIENDS OF BLACKWATER TO PRESERVE THIS IMPORTANT LOCAL COAL AND COKE HERITAGE.

VARIOUS OTHER DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS

WHEELING NEIGHBORHOOD REVITALIZATION - VHF ACQUIRED AND RENOVATED MULTIPLE PROPERTIES IN WHEELING, WV, PRESERVING VICTORIAN LANDMARKS IN NORTH WHEELING AND ADDRESSING BLIGHTED NEIGHBORHOODS IN EAST WHEELING AND ELSEWHERE CLOSE TO THE HISTORIC DOWNTOWN. AFTER PARTNERING WITH ITS SISTER ORGANIZATION VANDALIA REDEVELOPMENT CORP. TO UNDERTAKE EXTENSIVE NEIGHBORHOOD STABILIZATION IN EAST WHEELING IN PREVIOUS YEARS, IN 2020 VHF CONTINUED TO REFOCUS ITS EFFORTS TOWARD NORTH WHEELING AND CONTINUED IMPLEMENTING ITS DISPOSITION PLAN IN ORDER TO REALIGN PRIORITIES WITH LIMITED STAFFING AND FINANCIAL RESOURCES.

B&O REDEVELOPMENT IN GRAFTON, WV - AFTER INVESTING HEAVILY IN THE RESTORATION AND REHABILITATION OF THE HISTORIC 1900S B&O RAILROAD STATION IN GRAFTON, WV OVER A PERIOD OF YEARS, VHF CONTINUES TO WORK TOWARD IDENTIFYING USES AND OPERATORS FOR THE STATION, WHILE KEEPING THE ADJACENT WILLARD HOTEL MOTHBALLED FOR FUTURE REDEVELOPMENT. IN EARLY 2020, JUST PRIOR TO THE COVID PANDEMIC, VHF ISSUED A REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS FOR THE OPERATION OF THE USDA KITCHEN FACILITY WITHIN THE B&O STATION; UNFORTUNATELY, NO PROPOSALS WERE RECEIVED AND ONGOING PLANS FOR A COMMUNITY CLEAN-UP PROJECT IN PARTNERSHIP WITH WVU BROWNFIELDS CENTER AND THE LOCAL ALL ABOARD GRAFTON GROUP WERE PUT ON HOLD DUE TO THE PANDEMIC. ADDITIONALLY, VHF ENGAGED WITH WVU BROWNFIELDS CENTER AND A LOCAL WORKING GROUP DERIVED FROM A FOCUSED NON-PROFIT (ALL ABOARD GRAFTON), IN HOPE THAT INCREASED COLLABORATION WOULD PRODUCE RESULTS FOR THE COMMON GOAL OF RE-USING THE TRAIN STATION IN AN ECONOMICALLY SUSTAINABLE MANNER. IN PREVIOUS YEARS, VHF SUBSIDIZED A B&O HERITAGE CENTER THAT HAD OPERATED THE FACILITY, BUT AS THAT ENTITY DID NOT LAST, VHF HAS REVISITED HOW TO ACHIEVE BETTER RESULTS.