A message from the Lewis County Blueprint Communities team:

Our biggest success through our participation in the Blueprint Communities Program was engaging community members from across Lewis County. We brought people together through our four mini kickoff events at various locations throughout the county, with a business kickoff held at Lambert’s Winery, and a countywide kickoff. Community members came out to give their input about what they would like to see in their county, and we listened!

We started small with some community improvement projects including cleaning, staining, and repairing some local playground equipment and cleaning a local alleyway in downtown Weston. The Lewis County Blueprint team partnered with the Weston Democrat, our local newspaper, and other volunteer organizations to revitalize an alleyway located in central Weston. We are in the process of renovating the alleyway by highlighting an existing historical mural, installing string lights, redoing pavers, and installing tables and chairs for the community to enjoy the space.

Rebecca Young of the Weston Democrat said, “I love working on Blueprint projects, especially those focused on beautification. Everyone has something they can offer, and Blueprint allows for everyone’s involvement. Citizens from different walks of life can feel like they are part of their community. This to me is the most important aspect of Blueprint: everyone has an opportunity to be part of something bigger than themselves.”

The beautification projects are just a glimpse into what we were able to accomplish over the last year and there is so much more happening and still to come! Blueprint has been an incredible journey that will continue for many years to come. Our community and county are committed to continuing the work, engaging new people, and making Lewis County a better place for everyone.

A message from the Blueprint Communities team of Parsons: 

Yes, it’s been an unbelievably crazy year, and yes, you’d think a city probably couldn’t make much progress during this time, but Parsons defied all odds. And most of this progress is due to the assistance provided to us as a Blueprint Community.  

The program kicked off with community events. Citizens of Parsons were invited to the program kick-off, which was held in Mill Race Park, as well as a Chat and Chew event and a Cake Walk. At these events, our partners gave our local Blueprint team valuable input and decided what they wanted Parsons to become in the next few years. We took a serious look at that information and our community assets to determine how we could build on them.

Recreation partners came together to gain input and determine what a plan of action could be. This led to a serious discussion of the outstanding hiking and biking trails and the pristine waters of our five rivers that are being underused for recreation. The team also held a business forum which led to much discussion of priorities and led to the new Facebook group: We Are Parsons.

The city obtained a dilapidated building on the main street in Parsons and demolished it for much-needed green space downtown. We were awarded a competitive grant from the Mills Group for the design of the area, and a pocket park is ready to be built. A pergola will be the feature of the pocket park also with a mural on the PRO Plaza Building.  This area will provide an outstanding meeting and greeting place.   

PRO On Trac, which has worked in conjunction with the Blueprint Community Team, is currently renovating the first floor of a building on the Historic Register to be used for two retail businesses—all are hopeful that one of them will be a coffee shop that will open out onto the pocket park area. Another dilapidated building has been demolished, and there is a potential for multi-family housing to be constructed there.  

Short-term plans include implementing a “Paint a Bench” project to accentuate the river banks in downtown Parsons, a loan program for businesses to fix the façade of their buildings, continuing plans with the Parsons Economic Development Authority to have our first industry located in our industrial park in early 2021, and working together to define and better utilize our recreation industry.

While we are all busy fixing up the town, being a Blueprint Community has made us take a serious approach to these outstanding natural resources in our area. This mindset of prioritizing our rivers as an asset needed to take place.  The City of Parsons mayor, Dorothy Judy, sums up the attitude towards our rivers beautifully.  “After the flood of 1985, we became afraid of our rivers and the damage they did. After studying our assets, we now know we need to celebrate our rivers and the opportunities they bring our community for enhanced water sports, such as whitewater rafting, kayaking, boating, fishing, swimming and floating.” City Administrator Jason Myers further expounded upon our natural resources, “Our hiking and biking trails provide a scenic visit through our Mon Forest Town and community.”  

The Parsons Blueprint Team is assisting in moving forward to meet the needs of our citizens and visitors alike. As Corridor H nears completion, Parsons is defining itself as a safe, family-friendly recreational haven in Almost Heaven.

A message from the Blueprint Communities Team of Kingwood:

When we first heard we were going to be a Blueprint Community, we knew our little town of Kingwood was in for some positive changes over the next few years. As a team of volunteers, our first few meetings were day-long learning sessions with team members from the five other Blueprints Communities and representatives from The Hub and the Federal Home Loan Bank of Pittsburgh. From there, we repeatedly met with our larger community to hear about the changes everyone would like to see, and what community members would support. 

One of the main goals our community identified is to see the revitalization of downtown Kingwood. Over the years, Kingwood has seen more and more local business owners shutting their doors and buildings being left to deteriorate. A person strolling down the previously bustling South Price Street would see more “For Rent” signs and empty storefronts than open businesses. We aimed to change that together using the resources, trainings, and guidance provided through the Blueprint Communities program, and we started to see progress. 

When COVID-19 hit, we thought we would start moving backwards, but the entrepreneurs of Kingwood proved to be more resilient than that. Since May 2020, three new businesses–Tess Beauty Salon, Pockets of Time Antique and Artisan Marketplace, and Cat Daddy’s Ragin Cajun Cafe have opened, and Preston County Community Action relocated to an empty building on South Price Street.

The progress and dreams for South Price Street continue with plans for the future, including an open space park for community members to enjoy, and monthly block parties for the community to gather, connect, and shop at local businesses (once it is safe to, of course). South Price Street will also be a vibrant showcase of our community with local artwork, and efforts to highlight the available building spaces, and support existing businesses.

Along with the efforts underway for the revitalization of South Price Street, Kingwood has a unique opportunity in that we are becoming more of a destination for outdoor recreation. Preston County Parks and Recreation and the other nearby Rail Trail towns are collaborating and strategizing about the ways to improve and connect with the Kingwood Rail Trail. Main Street Kingwood is also partnering with Mountaineer County CVB to help create and promote packaged tourism for the area, to showcase ways to explore the abundant natural beauty in and around Kingwood. These revitalization efforts are meeting increasing economic opportunities and will lead to even more amazing businesses downtown.

In 2020, we learned that people are resilient. Plans change, and we roll with them. We know with the help of The Hub, FHLB of Pittsburgh, and members of our wonderful community, we will be able to keep Kingwood moving forward. In order to keep this momentum going, and make these community dreams happen, we need to work together!

If you would like to volunteer or learn more, contact us at: blueprintcommunitieskingwood@gmail.com.