The World War Memorial, also known as the Kimball War Memorial Building, stands on a hill in Kimball, West Virginia. Designed in 1927 by Welch, West Virginia architect Hassell T. Hicks, the memorial was dedicated in 1928 to African-American veterans of World War I. It was the first such memorial to African-American veterans in the United States.[1] The building functioned as a community center in the isolated coal mining region until a fire in 1991, which destroyed the interior.[2] The stone, terra cotta and brick Classical Revival building stood as a ruin for more than a decade until a restoration.[3] The memorial building was listed while still a ruin on the National Register of Historic Places in 1993.[2]
African-Americans represented as much as thirty-five percent of the workforce in McDowell County coal mines, with 1500 volunteering for service in World War I. After a county-funded war memorial was built in Welch, African-American veterans petitioned the county commission for funding, resulting in an appropriation of $25,000 for the building's construction. The completed building housed a hundred-seat meeting room, trophy room, kitchen, recreation center and a library, and was used by local citizens of all races. It was also home to the Kimball American Legion post, which was itself the first African-American Legion post. The building was abandoned in the 1970s. After an abortive proposal to sell the property, studies continued for its restoration until the 1991 fire.[2]
The building was restored in the 2000s (decade) and is used as a community center, winning an Honor Award from the West Virginia chapter of the American Institute of Architects.[3]
References[]
- ↑ "Kimball War Memorial Building". Visit McDowell County. Council of the Southern Mountains. 2009-02-06. http://visitmcdowellcountywv.com/KimballWarMemorialBuilding.aspx.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Stacy Stone (December 18, 1992). "National Register of Historic Places Nomination: World War Memorial PDF (4.29 MB)". National Park Service.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 "Kimball War Memorial". Points of Interest. Coal Heritage. 2009-02-06. http://www.coalheritage.org/page.aspx?id=40.
External links[]
The original article can be found at World War Memorial (Kimball, West Virginia) and the edit history here.