HUNTINGTON, WV -
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
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