Main Street Morgantown Celebrates Historic Preservation Month with Community-Wide Highlights Throughout May

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — This May, Main Street Morgantown celebrates National Historic Preservation Month with a series of initiatives highlighting the buildings, architecture, stories and spaces that define Historic Downtown Morgantown.

The month-long celebration officially kicks off with a dedication ceremony and ribbon cutting of the new Historic Mural at Wall Street in Downtown Morgantown on Friday, May 1 at 4 p.m.

The mural, created by West Virginia artist Blake Wheeler, transforms a once underutilized alley into a visual representation of Morgantown’s history and community identity. As part of the statewide America250 mural trail, the project serves as both a public art investment and a celebration of local heritage.

During the dedication ceremony, the City of Morgantown will also present Main Street Morgantown with an official Historic Preservation Month proclamation.

As one of the region’s recognized historic downtown districts, Downtown Morgantown reflects decades of preservation, investment and community stewardship. Establishing and maintaining a historic downtown district requires the protection of architecturally significant buildings, preservation standards and ongoing efforts to maintain the character and integrity of the built environment.

Throughout May, Main Street Morgantown will feature at least two historic buildings, spaces or preservation stories each week across its social media platforms. Featured highlights will include the newly restored ballroom inside Hotel Morgan, the 100th anniversary of the Morgantown Public Library, historic stained-glass windows inside Appalachian Gallery, a new exhibit at the Morgantown History Museum and additional historic locations throughout Downtown.

Community members are encouraged to participate throughout Historic Preservation Month by:

• Sharing photos of favorite Downtown historic buildings and architectural details on social media using hashtags #HistoricPreservationMonth #LookingUpMorgantown #DowntownMorgantown #PeopleSavingPlaces
• Following Main Street Morgantown’s social media accounts for weekly preservation highlights
• Visiting featured historic locations and businesses throughout Downtown
• Looking up to notice and appreciate the architectural craftsmanship found throughout Historic Downtown Morgantown

Historic preservation plays an important role in maintaining Downtown Morgantown’s identity, character and sense of place while supporting continued investment and revitalization efforts throughout the district.

Main Street Morgantown’s mission is to develop and promote vibrant and prosperous Downtown and Wharf Districts while encouraging thoughtful revitalization, historic preservation and property investment throughout the district.

For more information and updates throughout Historic Preservation Month, follow Main Street Morgantown on Facebook at @DowntownMorgantown and Instagram at @MainStreetMorgantown.

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