Huntington agency donating $400,000 to Marshall's new arts cente - Beckley, Bluefield & Lewisburg News, Weather, Sports

By James E. Casto

For The State Journal

The Huntington Municipal Development Authority (HMDA) is providing a $400,000 jump start for a fundraising campaign to help finance renovation of the former Stone & Thomas building in downtown Huntington.

Marshall University has purchased the old building, vacant since 1996, and announced plans to renovate it to house the school's visual arts program and a fine arts incubator. Marshall paid $1.15 million for the building and interior demolition work. Extensive renovations for the building are expected to cost $11 million. Of that, $9 million is to come from a bond sale and the other $2 million is to be raised privately.

City officials are scheduled to present HMDA's $400,000 check to Marshall President Stephen Kopp in a ceremony at the building at 11:30 a.m. Tuesday, May 15.

Huntington architect Edward Tucker, hired by Marshall to lead the renovation project, hailed HMDA's gift and said he's excited about the impact the project promises to have on Marshall's fine art program and on the city's downtown.

"Marshall is making a very progressive move that will foster growth in the community, improve curriculum delivery and provide an effective recruitment tool for students and faculty alike," Tucker said.

"For our staff members who grew up in Huntington, as I did, it's especially gratifying to be a part of bringing new life to the former Anderson Newcomb/Stone & Thomas department store. While we have completed many adaptive re-use projects in Huntington's Downtown Historic District, this building's size, history and significance brings tremendous opportunities for unique solutions," he said.

According to HMDA Executive Director Tom Bell, the $400,000 contribution is not coming from the city's general fund but instead is a portion of the money the authority received from Amazon when the company purchased the KineticPark site of its new customer call center.

Once a downtown landmark, the former department store in the 900 block of 3rd Avenue has a long history. Partners J.W. Valentine and W.H. Newcomb built the original building in 1902. Five years later, Valentine sold his interest to E.G. Anderson and the firm was re-chartered as Anderson-Newcomb. The original building had only three floors, but three more were added in 1920. In 1927, a new entrance and show windows were built and the store's familiar marquee was placed across its front. A two-story addition was constructed in 1954, and the store was given a new entrance and display windows in 1960-61.

In 1970, the Wheeling-based Stone & Thomas chain purchased the store but continued to operate it as Anderson-Newcomb. In 1980, the Anderson-Newcomb name was removed from the store, and in 1996, Stone & Thomas announced its closure.