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Routes to Roots: A Fairmont Heritage Trail
Fairmont State University Dr. Maria Rose
President 1201 Locust Avenue
Fairmont, West Virginia 26554
January 1, 2016 – June 30, 2017
May 31, 2017
Pat Musick Interim Director
Frank & Jane Gabor West Virginia Folklife Center 719-200-5296
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Title of Project: Routes to Roots: A Fairmont Heritage Trail
Grant Period: January 1, 2016 – June 30, 2017
Grantee name: The Frank and Jane Gabor West Virginia Folklife Center, Fairmont State University
Project Director: Pat Musick (Co-Instructors: J. Tyler Chadwell and Pat Musick)
Description of Project
The Frank and Jane Gabor West Virginia Folklife Center’s Fairmont State University students researched, created, proposed, and implemented cultural heritage experiential educational materials centered on Fairmont’s historical and cultural assets as a component of economic development.
Students in the FOLK 3399 Appalachian Teaching Project course worked with community partners, the Marion County Historical Society (primary partner), Marion County Convention and Visitors Bureau, and 4Fairmont (downtown development). Students carried out research, interviews with scholars, and site visits, and wrote text/script for the trail narrative, to design and produce a Fairmont Heritage Trail walking tour map of the downtown Fairmont area, along with a website for more detailed interpretive materials. Students experienced teamwork and individual specializations in various part of the project. From a list of proposed trail “themes” provided by instructors and community partners, students created a trail highlighting a combination of historical events, sites, and significant people (primarily Francis and Julia Pierpont); local folklore and ghost stories; and significant local musician Johnnie Johnson—introducing trail users to local history and cultural heritage.
Activities
Meetings with community partners: • May 15, May 24 Preliminary meetings with community partners, also including 4Fairmont
member Amy Baker as a part of the planning phase for the course. • May 27 Professor Chadwell presented community members with the proposed project at an event
hosted by the Marion County Historical Society. • August 24: First meeting with Marion County Historical Society that included the students.• August 17 - September 14: Multiple email conversations with Leisha Elliot of the Marion
County CVB November 16: Meeting with community partners to discuss outcomes and presentfindings.
• December 2: Presentation of project and poster at ATP Conference in Washington, DC• December 15: Wrap-up meeting at the Historical Society to present copies of the Map and
discuss the ARC presentation.
Presentation of student research to community groups: • November 16, 2016: First presentation to community partners and a small selection of community
members. • February 25, 2017: Presentation at the Marion County Convention and Visitors Center for
Governor Pierpont’s Birthday Celebration
Presentation of student research to other groups: • March 9-12: Appalachian Studies Association Poster presentation.• April 1, 2017: Public Presentation, Mountaineer State History Expo (Marion County Historical
Society)
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Links to videos, social media, other online materials: http://www.wvillustrated.com/story/34068269/fairmont-state-students-discuss-heritage-trail-in-dc https://www.facebook.com/113661618829/photos/a.118833388829.99099.113661618829/10154699559493830/?type=3&theater https://www.facebook.com/113661618829/photos/a.118833388829.99099.113661618829/10154471543968830/?type=3&theater https://www.facebook.com/113661618829/photos/a.118833388829.99099.113661618829/10154699539428830/?type=3&theater https://www.facebook.com/113661618829/photos/a.118833388829.99099.113661618829/10154699551303830/?type=3&theater https://www.facebook.com/113661618829/photos/a.118833388829.99099.113661618829/10154699556178830/?type=3&theater https://scontent.fash1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t31.0-8/s960x960/17359476_10154902296836900_4617743959623843926_o.jpg?oh=cf4927ea977e63bc30f2daa26feaf0aa&oe=59B06069 https://www.facebook.com/pg/marionhistorical/posts/?ref=page_internal# Website created by students for Virtual Map http://annabissett7.wixsite.com/fairmontheritagewalk Project Outcomes ARC Strategic Plan Goals Supported
Goal #4 Natural and Cultural Assets: Strengthen Appalachia's community and economic development
potential by leveraging the region's natural and cultural heritage assets. • The Heritage Trail combined little-known historical events and people with local folklore and
ghost stories to present Fairmont's rich cultural heritage as an aid to cultural tourism efforts and as a component of civic pride and identity.
• The Heritage trail map produced by the ATP students is being distributed by the Marion County Convention and Visitors Bureau and the Marion County Historical Society.
Goal #5 Leadership and Community Capacity: Build the capacity and skills of current and next-
generation leaders and organizations to innovate, collaborate, and advance community and economic
development.
• Partner organizations shared knowledge with students and became more fully aware of students' capacity to work creatively with this information and produce materials useable in cultural tourism
• Students gained awareness of community programs and assets and developed research and skills in public outreach, public speaking, and community collaboration.
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• One student has gone on to graduate work in Public History at West Virginia University. (A student in the graduate program there expressed admiration to her for having already experienced presenting at a major conference.)
Student Goals
A. Students will develop leadership skills and awareness of community assets that can foster sustainability.
--Throughout the course, students encountered and re-encountered these concepts via reading/research, discussions with community partners and presenters, and especially at the ARC conference through relating their work to the issues and projects of others. Student comments about the conference include: “It’s good to feel surrounded by conscious/aware Appalachians who really care and work to better their community/region;” “It was interesting how many projects had a similar premise to ours, yet were handled in such diverse ways… I learned that students value the arts/music in Appalachia & that they want to see growth & want to stay in the area.” --Students greatly increased their awareness of and knowledge about Fairmont’s historical and cultural assets. They showed this in their enthusiasm in telling others what they had discovered, and in numerous casual remarks as the course progressed, along the lines of “I never realized …” --Student initiative in finding out about other projects (past or current) cultural history/cultural tourism projects in the Fairmont area was limited. As instructors, we need to provide more direction and guidance with regard to expectations and techniques in this area. --Students’ understanding of the ARC mission and enthusiasm for expanding public knowledge of said mission was greatly increased, first by an introduction to the ARC booklet, and most profoundly by their experience at the ATP conference—both through the ARC representatives and through seeing the fruits of others’ projects. (An incomplete understanding of how some aspects of the ARC work was revealed in one student’s comments in a television interview. This shows us where we can improve in instruction.) Student comments on our wrap-up evaluation included: “I appreciate how the ARC values the opinion of students/young people & uses this project to address what our generation thinks are the greatest challenges/shortcomings of Appalachia;” “From listening to the ATP directors I…gained a better understanding of the vision of the ARC/ATP.” --Students worked in small teams on areas of research (history, literature/lore, etc.), and individually met with community partners. In compiling the presentation and the trail map, each student served as a specialist in a particular area, such as writing, images, website creation, interviews with specialists on parts of the trail’s contents, etc.
B. Students will be engaged as active learners and participants in community projects. --Students engaged in interviews with community partners and community members. --Students’ contributions of volunteer work under the direction of community members was limited. (Guidance by instructors for this aspect of the project—both to students, and to community partners—needs improvement.)
C. Students will engage in active research to assist communities in creative approaches to sustainability through asset development.
--Students researched specific geographic sites, historical events, etc; conducted personal interviews with knowledgeable community members; researched in primary and secondary written sources--some more deeply engaged than others. One student took on the responsibility for the major part of research into the challenges, responses, and results encountered by community asset development elsewhere.
Student Activities
A. Active engagement with at least one community partner
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The Marion County Historical Society was an active participant in student direction and research, with clear anticipation for the contribution that the students’ work would make for direct use in cultural tourism. In addition to MCHS, Marion County Visitors Bureau and 4Fairmont representatives met with the students as a group; students interviewed them part way through the course to gain feedback and input as the project developed.
B. Presentation of Research and D. Presentation to community organizations and national conference Students gave a formal presentation of the project to a group of community members and stakeholders; they presented their poster at the ASA conference and at two local-history events in Fairmont (see above under “Activities,” and attachments)., as well as presenting at the ATP conference.
C. Poster Students worked together on designing the poster, selecting photos, writing captions, and general layout, and worked with Folklife Centre staff in producing the finished poster.
Problems Encountered: This was the first time either of the instructors had taught the ATP, the first time it had been taught at Fairmont State by anyone other than our predecessor, Judy Byers; and the first time we worked together as co-instructors (with normal challenges in communication that such a situation can bring) . Because one of us was an adjunct here with a full-time job in another town, we didn’t have the daily interactions that could have assisted in the way of ongoing, informal sharing of ideas and clarifications of roles and expectations. We made several errors with regard to time management and expectations for student work (students learned there were real world consequences to not turning in an assignment). As a result poor time management played into the final product we produced at the ARC conference. Students were not prepared for the level of independence expected of them. We as faculty were late in recognizing the degree to which structure and greater clarity of expectations were required. In the past, our ATP projects have been connected with other courses, some taught in spring semester. With our current structure, students were not part of the proposal phase (due in June). Students shaped the project's final outcome and product, but had had little agency in its initial creation; one challenge was in facilitating their sense of investment. Our primary community partner was very enthusiastic about our project, but opportunities for active student engagement working alongside community members through that partnership was limited. From what we learned in the process of conducting this course, we would in future be able to work better with such a situation. We find that our partners are hoping we continue to dedicate time and resources to other related projects, essentially as a service (as distinct from a side-by-side partnership), while we feel that our resources can better serve the goals of the ATP in other ways—a challenge for us that at least indicates partner satisfaction with our contribution. Program Continuation and Sustainability: The Marion County Historical Society and the Marion County Convention and Visitors Bureau both plan to stock our self-guided tour maps at their locations. The Marion County Historical Society would like to give a guided tour of our route in the fall and perhaps add in some story telling at some of the locations. The City of Fairmont has been awarded a GIS grant to expand the kind of work we are doing using GIS
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information in which to locate, identify, and make available information on historic buildings within the city. There is tremendous support for the ATP at Fairmont State. Because of administrative restructuring, the Folklife Center is now positioned within the College of Liberal Arts (formerly, it was an entity directly under the President). Therefore, a great deal of education about the ATP--what it is, its scope, and its significance--was required and was provided this year to administrators (the Dean of the College of Liberal Arts, the Provost, and department chairs). These administrators, as well as other faculty and academic advisors/counselors, have expressed enthusiastic support for the ATP, are spreading the word about it, and take pride in it. Conclusions and Recommendations: This project resulted in a number of positive outcomes, including: Research partnerships between communities and institutions of higher education in the region:
• Community partners, especially our primary partner, the Marion County Historical Society, were so pleased with our research and product that they have approached us regarding continued activities in a particular area of regional history that was emphasized in our project (Francis Pierpont's significance in West Virginia history and his local presence).
Development of leadership and civic capacity among the students engaged in the project:
• Student comments on end-of-course evaluations indicate enormous growth in realizing their capacity to effect positive change. This emerged in part through their development of teamwork and meeting with, and presenting to, community partners and stakeholders, and in part through attending the ATP conference and realizing the scope of the ATP and other students' positive impacts in their communities.
Research, recommendations, and action that lead to sustainability of Appalachian communities
• Our community partners are distributing the Heritage Trail map we produced; it has become one of the tools being used by several entities in Marion County in the collaborative efforts of several community groups engaged in economic development through rebranding/publicity featuring local heritage
Enhancement of student and community awareness of the work of the ARC at all levels
• Students had been unaware of the work of the ARC and now tell others about it. All the students--formerly unaware of the ARC—now actively express dismay and outrage about proposals to eliminate it
• Through our published trail map and institutional and community presentations and discussions, the work of the ARC has been emphasized to individuals and organizations in Fairmont.
Good communication, clarity, and early team-building activities are essential. In previous years, our ATP projects have often been linked to a course the previous semester that culminated in a trip abroad during the summer: this resulted in a familiarity and bonding among students that doesn’t exist when a group meets together for the first time in fall semester. For this fall’s ATP, we will engage in team-building early on; contacts with the Outdoor Leadership faculty to provide some activities have already been made. As Fairmont State had to forego conducting an ATP course the previous year, there was a gap in continuity of students’ awareness of the project through their peers. Our ATP courses have been new ones each fall in the past, but without the continuity of working with the same community partners over a
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series of years (as some groups do), this aspect of creating the collaborative atmosphere added to our challenges. In future, we may consider multi-year projects, but in any case we will:
• create immersive activities early on that help create a “team” bonding, • take advantage of the offer to have the class communicate with Kostas Skordas and/or with other
groups or ATP alumni to have a better sense, early on, of what ATP is all about and how it works,
• ensure that students have more agency in creating and shaping the project so their investment is clear and present in their product,
• plan projects embodying strong opportunities for students to work side by side with community members,
• design a form of structure into the course that both clarifies expectations and empowers students in the evolution of the project.
Attachments • Poster presentation • Publicity
• Photographs showing students in action
• Heritage Trail Map brochure
Our minutes from meetings unfortunately can’t be located. Minutes were taken at the preliminary meetings with an assortment of community members and potential partners. Notes were taken when community partners and others spoke to the students (these were primarily in the realm of student research and information-gathering about our subjects, rather than project development.) Most communications with our main community partner were by phone; there was limited correspondence.
12th Annual
Julia Pierpont Day
May 28, 2016
Joann Lough
City of Fairmont Historic
Landmarks Commission
200 Locust Avenue
Fairmont, WV 26554
304-363-9341
Dora Grubb
Marion County Historical
Society and Museum
210 Adams Street,
Fairmont, WV 26554
304/367-5398
www.marionhistorical.org
Woodlawn Cemetery
335 Maple Avenue
PO Box 765
Fairmont, WV 26554
304/657-1813
www.historicwoodlawncemetery.org
Bobbi Mohrman
The Women’s Club of Fairmont
300 First Street
Fairmont, WV 26554
304/363-9441
Julia Pierpont Day Committee
As proclaimed by:
The State of West Virginia The County of Marion
The City of Fairmont
Ceremonies to be held at:
The Gatherings (the City Church) 216 Monroe Street, Fairmont, WV
and
Woodlawn Cemetery Historic District 332 Maple Avenue, Fairmont
City of Fairmont
Mayor’s Office
Fairmont Historic
Landmarks
Commission
The Women’s Club
of Fairmont
Office of the Governor of West Virginia
WV State Senate
Marion County Commissioners Office
Marion County Military Veterans Council
VFW Post 7048 Honor Guard
West Virginia Civil War Re-enactors Assoc.
Historic Methodist Episcopal Church (the
City Church)
WV Living History Interpreters: Art & Pamela
Dodds, and Gary & Millie Goetze
We Three Music Group
Marion County Historical Society, Inc.
Woodlawn Cemetery Historic District
Pierpont Community & Technical College
WV Three Rivers Festival
Times West Virginian
Acknowledgements
JULIA PIERPONT DAY 2016
AT THE GATHERINGS
(The City Church) Historic Methodist Episcopal Church
216 Monroe Street, Fairmont, WV
Pastor Roger Thrower
10:30 AM Civil War Era Music
‘We Three’ - Faith Bowyer,
Dawn McClain and Chuck McClain
11:00 AM
Pledge of Allegiance Krystian Leonard
2016 WV Three Rivers Festival Queen
A Prayer for Peace
Reverend Richard Bowyer
Opening Remarks Dora Grubb, Master of Ceremonies
Reading of 1932 Memorial Day Address
Address delivered by Captain James Chambers Pryor, Medical Corps US Navy,
Memorial Day May 30,1932 at East Lynn MA Reading performed by Robin Gomez,
Fairmont City Manager
A PIERPONT REMEMBRANCE
Julia and Francis Pierpont are portrayed by
Pamela and Arthur Dodds Living History Interpreters
Senator John Carlisle and Mrs. Mary Carlisle are portrayed by Gary and Millie Goetze
Living History Interpreters
A Tale of Decoration Day at the Hollywood Cemetery, Richmond, VA - Julia Pierpont
“Hail Columbia, Happy Land” - Julia
Pierpont
“The Telegram” - Governor of Restored VA
Francis H. Pierpont
Fairmont WV and Richmond VA Connection Christa Pierpont, Direct Pierpont Descendent
Searching for Mary “Mamie” Augusta
Pierpont - Joe Friedl
Pierpont Community & Technical College Beginnings - Blair Montgomery
Frank and Jane Gabor WV Folklife Center Appalachian Teaching Project
Presented by James Tyler Chadwell, In-
structor of Record, WVU
12:00 PM - 12:30 PM
Tours of the Historic Methodist E. Church (The City Church)
Pastor Roger Thrower, Guide
12:30 PM
Depart for Woodlawn Cemetery 332 Maple Avenue, Fairmont
Thank you for being a part of this celebration
honoring the history of Marion County.
AT WOODLAWN CEMETERY
Battle Hymn of the Republic” and “Dixie”
medley performed by ‘We Three’
Bagpipe music (in full array) performed
by Marvin Carr, WV Highlanders of
Davis and Elkins College
1:00 PM
At the Veteran’s Monument
A Rendering of Honors to Those Who Gave Their Lives in Service to Their Country
Playing of Taps and Military Songs
Honor Guard of the VFW 7048 (Hershel “Woody” Williams Post)
Placement of Wreaths* at the Gravesites
*Donated by the City of Fairmont
Honoring Boaz Fleming “Founding Father of Fairmont” Ron Straight, Mayor City of Fairmont
Honoring Governor Francis H. Pierpont
“Father of West Virginia” Blair Montgomery, First President of Pierpont Community & Technical College
Honoring Julia Augusta Robertson Pierpont
Fairmont City Commissioner
Placement of Civil War Veterans Grave Markers/Flags*
*Flags donated by Senator Bob Beach
in honor of the Julia Pierpont Society
Walking and Bus Tours of the Fleming Mausoleum and Woodlawn Cemetery
With the Fairmont Women’s Club
Proceeds from sales of cookies, beverages, and flowers will help fund the Fairmont Women’s Club
efforts to restore these historic sites.
Pierpont’s birthday to be celebrated Wednesday
• By Leah Nestor | Times West Virginian
• Jan 21, 2017
•
FAIRMONT — First governor of restored Virginia Francis H. Pierpont’s birthday will be
celebrated Wednesday with cake, music and lithographs.
President at Marion County Historical Society and Museum Dora Grubb said there will
be various programs and presentations.
State Sen. Bob Beach, D-Marion, Monongalia, will present information about The Civil
War Marker’s Project.
According to the invitation for the free and open event, students from the Frank and
Jane Gabor West Virginia Folklife Center will present a project they did for the
Appalachian Regional Commission in Washington, D.C., in December.
The musical group We Three will play music typical of Pierpont’s time.
State Delegate and Mayor of White Hall Guy Ward will draw a winner for a rare
lithograph.
Pierpont Community & Technical College President Johnny Moore will cut the birthday
cake. Fairmont Councilman Dan Weber will present the contributions of Pierpont, which
Grubb says are virtually endless.
“He was elected unanimously as the governor of Restored Virginia ... he was an
abolitionist ... he started Fairmont State College ... he helped unify the Methodist
Church that had been separated during the Civil War ...” she said. “(The college was a)
teachers college, one of the first of its kind, and it was to teach teachers to educate all
people.”
She explained that Pierpont had a passion for education for all people regardless of
race or gender. She also noted he was instrumental in making West Virginia the most
prolific coal-producing state in the nation.
“The contributions are national contributions, not just local contributions or even state
contributions,” she said. “His wife is responsible for the starting of Decoration Day,
which we know now as Memorial Day.”
According to “Architect of the Capitol,” Pierpont’s statue was given to National Statuary
Hall Collection in 1910.
“When Virginia seceded, he organized a convention of Unionists, which declared that
their elected officials had abandoned their posts and elected Pierpont provisional
governor of Virginia,” aoc.gov reads.
The purpose of the event, Grubb said, is to promote all that Pierpont has given and to
bring tourism into the area.
She also mentioned her hope for a play about the Pierponts to represent the true people
of West Virginia, people of education.
The event begins at 12:30 p.m. at Marion County Convention and Visitors Conference
Room on the Connector with refreshments. The program begins at 1.
Email Leah Nestor at [email protected].
You are invited to a Birthday Celebration for Governor Francis H. Pierpont on February 25, 2017 Place: Marion County Convention and Visitors Conference Room on the Connector. Time: 11:30 - 1:00 11:30 - 12:00 - Social Gathering with Period Music by We Three Light Refreshments 12:00- Welcome by Dora Kay Grubb Invocation by Rev. D.D. Meighen Pledge of Allegiance by Mayor Tom Manellia The Contributions of Francis H. Pierpont by Dan Weber-Can we form a Pierpont Committee? Introduction of the Civil War Flags by Art Dodds Power Point Presentation of Routes to Roots as presented to the Appalachian Regional Commission in Washington D.C by the Appalachian Teaching project students from the Gabor WV folklife Center on the Campus of Fairmont State University by J. Tyler Chadwell, BA, MAIS, and Susan Cook. Presentation of the new threefold designed by the students to City Mananger Robin Gomez by J. Tyler Chadwell The Civil War Marker’s Project by Senator Robert Beach Reading of the Amendment by The Marion County Commission Travis Henline will be presenting his recent experience at the Governor’s Inauguration as Francis H. Peirpont. Cutting of the Cake by of Pierpont Community and Technical College Drawing for the Lithograph. By Delegate Guy Ward. Tickets: for Lithograph $1.00 or 7 for $5.00
