CHARLESTON, W.Va. – July marks not only the 250th anniversary of American independence, but also the 50th anniversary of the modern Mountain State’s masterpiece, the West Virginia Cultural Center.
It’s a deceptively simple, large, gray, boxy, stone-clad building in Charleston that houses some of the state’s most important cultural treasures. From museum exhibits and valuable documents to educational resources and the performing arts, it has provided significant public benefits to the state. Its discovery in 1976 completed a task that had been decades in the making.
A vision over 80 years in the making
The West Virginia Cultural Center’s towering Great Hall combines modern architecture with rich natural materials to create an inviting public space that has welcomed millions of visitors since opening during the nation’s bicentennial celebrations in 1976. (Photo courtesy of Cody Straley)
Efforts to create a repository for the preservation and interpretation of West Virginia history began in the 1890s, when the West Virginia Historical and Antiquarian Society was organized to collect important documents and artifacts.
In 1905, the state legislature established the West Virginia Department of Archives and History. Under the direction of famed state historian Virgil A. Lewis, the department administered the official State Museum and State Archives of West Virginia. Since 1929, both have been housed in the new State Capitol building.
Outgrowing the Capitol
Museums and archives are by nature ever-expanding, and after four decades the department had outgrown its space in the Capitol. By the late 1960s, the department faced a number of problems: overcrowding, inadequate climate control, and a small and poorly paid staff.
The archives encountered difficulties with the safe storage and systematization of documents. Infamously, the museum had to turn down an offer to take over the entire Hadesville Post Office building, which was later put on display at the Smithsonian Institution. Department heads have tried for years to get more funding and space, with little success.
Arch Moore and Norman Fagan champion new cultural landmark
Moore championed the construction of the landmark building, which opened in 1976 during the nation’s bicentennial celebrations. (Photo courtesy of Cody Straley)
That began to change in 1969, when Arch A. Moore, Jr. became governor. The controversial but politically savvy leader was receptive to the idea of creating new space for archives and a museum. Early in his administration, Moore met with Norman L. Fagan, director of the West Virginia Council on the Arts and Humanities and a strong supporter of the proposal.
Fagan convinced Moore to support the construction of a new building that would showcase not only the history of West Virginia, but also the arts. According to golden root Magazine Fagan told Moore, “The State Museum is a disgrace…You need a building that can house a museum, archives, a library commission, and an arts and humanities department.”
The next few years were spent finding funding to build and demolish properties west of the Capitol to make way for the building. Moore and Fagan were inspired by the recent opening of the Ohio History Center in Columbus in 1970 and the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. in 1971. Each featured bold, modern design and served as a government-sponsored site of cultural enrichment. Moore and Fagan were looking for a similar resource for West Virginia.
Designing a Modern Home with West Virginia History in Mind
Charleston firm C.E. Silling and Associates was awarded the contract to design the proposed center. Led by Cyrus “Cy” Silling and including other prominent architects such as Howard Joey, the company built a number of famous modernist buildings. Some of their most prominent works included the West Virginia University Coliseum in Morgantown and the National Bank of Commerce in Charleston. Silling designed the new center in the Brutalist style.
The WVU Coliseum, designed by Charleston architecture firm C.E. Silling and Associates, is one of the most famous examples of Brutalist architecture in West Virginia. The firm later designed the West Virginia Cultural Center, which opened in Charleston in 1976. (WVU Photo)
Brutalism, popular among governments and major institutions in the 1950s to 1970s, was an innovative, if not polarizing, style. It emphasized large, blocky forms, clean lines, visual display of structural elements, and heavy use of raw materials such as concrete in exterior finishes.
Perhaps not wanting anything too visually extreme, Moore specifically requested that the center’s design not overwhelm the adjacent Capitol building. As a result, Silling designed the new building lower to the ground, with a simple exterior and clad in Indiana limestone, the same material used in the construction of the Capitol.
Archie’s Bunker takes shape
Throughout the process, Governor Moore has been actively involved in the development of the center. He often visited the construction site, hand-picked marble for the interior, and introduced journalists to the facility in detail. The press even began calling this building “Archie’s Bunker.”
Moore was so closely associated with the center that his supporters later paid to have a large bronze bust of the governor installed on the second floor balcony. Moore biographer Brad Krauser has argued that the bust’s pedestal was screwed to the floor to prevent future administrations from removing it without causing costly damage.
Bicentennial debut
The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts opened in 1971 and inspired Governor Arch A. Moore Jr. and arts activist Norman L. Fagan to create a state cultural center that would celebrate the history, arts and heritage of West Virginia. (Photo courtesy of the Kennedy Center)
After three years of construction, the West Virginia Cultural Center was finally completed by July 1976, coinciding with America’s Bicentennial. In addition to the renovated state museum and spacious state archives, the building also houses the new West Virginia State Theater, the state library commission, a gift shop and the offices of the West Virginia Council on the Arts and Humanities, the West Virginia State Historic Preservation Office and golden root Magazine.
The centerpiece of the building was a great hall, a spacious lobby and event space with a forty-foot ceiling and a balcony with a view. More classic than modern in appearance, the room featured red marble tile floors, white marble and oak plank walls, and a golden brown coffered ceiling. Two giant dodecahedron-shaped chandeliers made of brass and crystal hung from the ceiling. They were designed by the artist Willy Malarcher, better known as the interior designer of Catholic churches.
The vernissage was attended by 35,000 people.
The center opened on July 11 with great pomp and ceremony. Up to 35,000 visitors gathered inside to explore the museum and other new public facilities. They were also treated to refreshments, craft demonstrations and twelve hours of entertainment.
In his remarks during the official dedication ceremony, Governor Moore memorably stated, “I am proud to be a West Virginian,” to a standing ovation.
Norman Fagan, who was appointed the center’s first director, boasted in a public statement: “We are going to bury this syndrome once and for all because we are poor Appalachians with nothing to be proud of.”
Early success and lasting influence
Although some observers criticized the building’s Brutalist design and the fact that construction went several million dollars over budget, overall the center was widely acclaimed.
“There was much to see and admire in the modernist structure,” wrote Charleston Gazetteadding that “The grandeur and splendor of the center bear little resemblance to the cramped museum in the basement of the Capitol.”
The museum and archives quickly expanded their collections with larger premises. Grant funding from the American Revolution Bicentennial Administration allowed the center to host an ongoing series of concerts and art exhibits during its first year of operation, attracting more than 30,000 visitors monthly. It was reported that by the fifth anniversary, one and a half million people had passed through the doors of the cultural center.
In 1977, the state legislature merged the West Virginia Department of Archives and History with other agencies within the cultural center to create the West Virginia Department of Culture and History. It later became the West Virginia Department of Arts, Culture and History, and in 2025 it was merged into the West Virginia Department of Tourism, which now operates the cultural center.
Investments in the next 50 years
Earlier this year, the state authorized the issuance of up to $150 million in revenue bonds to cover years of deferred maintenance for the center.
The funds will cover basic repair needs such as roof, window and utility replacements, as well as cosmetic repairs, and will allow it to remain a safe and useful asset to the state for generations to come.
A Living Piece of West Virginia History
The West Virginia State Museum’s recreated cityscape at the Cultural Center immerses visitors in the daily life of the Mountain State’s past. The museum’s exhibits have taught generations of residents and travelers the history of West Virginia since 1976. (Photo courtesy of Cody Straley)
In its first half-century, the West Virginia Cultural Center has left a strong legacy on the state’s cultural landscape. Thousands of researchers have used the state archives, and countless excursions, tourists and local climbers have explored the state museum.
Agencies such as the Office of the Arts and the West Virginia State Historic Preservation Office have awarded millions of dollars in grants to beneficial projects throughout the state. The center also hosts state traditions such as the Mountain State radio show, Poetry Out Loud competitions, Golden Horseshoe ceremonies and the annual Vandalia Gathering festival.
This place, created to share the history and culture of West Virginia, has now become a part of that history and culture.