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Petersburg is the gateway to the Monongahela National Forest from Washington DC. Just a 2.5 hour drive from the major metropolis, Petersburg is the first town east coasters pass through on their way to the hottest spots in the Monongahela Forest, like Thomas, Blackwater Falls, or Seneca Rocks. But Petersburg is much more than a gateway. The community is located near some of the most popular hiking trails, mountain biking trails, and fishing holes in the state and is using these recreational tourism assets to build a thriving Main Street where tourists are happy to stay a few days, take it easy, and enjoy the welcoming, small town atmosphere after a day on the trail or river.
Petersburg’s proximity to the North Fork Mountain, Dolly Sods Wilderness, and the North Fork of the Potomac River are major assets that attracted the community members who later came to form the community team to put down roots in town. Team members like Bob McCalley, a community volunteer and retired engineer, and Carla Kaposy, the Executive Director of the Grant County Convention and Visitors Bureau and owner of the newly renovated Hermitage Inn, are assets to the growth of Petersburg. Though they’ve both lived in town for over 20 years now, Bob relocated to Petersburg from Washington DC and Carla relocated from Pittsburgh.
West Virginia communities of all sizes are engaging in innovative work. Many of these communities exemplify our Rural Community Building Best Practices, guideposts identified through evidence-based research processes. By looking to these communities as models, we can work together to replicate small wins and major successes.
Team members say that one of their greatest assets is their ability to communicate efficiently and respectfully. “It’s a gift to be in a community where egos are checked at the door,” said Sarah Moomau, HubCAP team member and all-around community leader. Sarah serves as the City Clerk, Vice-President of the Grant County CVB Board of Directors, and is the Owner of the Fort Hill Motel.
Petersburg community members don’t work in silos; they’ve found ways to make sure that everyone at the table is heard, giving all ideas equal consideration. “It’s amazing the communication that goes on. I’ve never seen anything like it anywhere else. It’s not a competition,” said Sarah.
The group has established a unique method of ranking the projects they want to focus on as a team. They work together to organize a list of projects that fit the objective of building a sustainable recreational economy. Everyone on the team writes what they want to see on the list and is given three votes. From a much longer list, the team ended up with 36 projects to work from and ranked the projects’ attainability, focusing first on the most do-able ones. Some projects, like ones that require significant funding, are part of a longer-term vision. “This is the beginning of our big statement,” said Bob.
The team is also able to evaluate what project may best serve the community because they are working to conduct their own research that evaluates Petersburg’s growth and measures success. By surveying community members and gathering data from state, county, and municipal resources, volunteers keep an annual count of the number of new businesses in town, any increase/decrease in school enrollment, investment in local business, the number of jobs created by local businesses, number of recreational businesses, whether a business location has been repurposed, and whether a new business is health and wellness-based. The team found that 25 new brick and mortar or mobile businesses have started in Petersburg since 2020.
“We don’t always agree on anything, but we have the same vision,” said Carla. Having data to work from makes it much easier for team members to compromise and see the bigger picture. Ultimately, everyone is rooting for the success of their community and their neighbors above anything else. “Petersburg is surrounded by a real love of community,” said Carla.
Petersburg is surrounded by a real love of community.
Because Petersburg’s community team has so methodically crafted their list of priorities, they set themselves up for success to accomplish attainable goals and agree on what large project to tackle when given the opportunity. For example, an attainable project that Petersburg is making happen on a short timeline is to revitalize an outdoor area near the stoplight in town. The team wanted to add a pavilion for music and entertainment to liven up the downtown area. This will serve as a space for events, concerts, and small festivals to be held without needing to close down Petersburg’s streets. “We want the main drag to be appealing so people have reasons to stop on the way to their outdoor adventures,” said Carla. The community paved and began to utilize the space in Summer 2022, but there are more plans to build it out in 2023. This is just one way that the community is working to create an inviting, family-friendly, and exciting environment in town.
Through the HubCAP (Hub Communities of Achievement) program, the community narrowed their focus on two projects: further developing a hike and bike trail that runs through town and creating new branding and printed materials and improving their online presence.
The team worked with local engineers and the Army Corps of Engineers to develop plans for the trail that runs along the Petersburg dike. The proposed trail will run approximately three miles and will include multiple entrances for walkers and bikers. The team secured a $25,000 grant from Senator Hamilton, which was matched locally by the City of Petersburg, the County Commission, and the Board of Education, each adding an equal share to bring the total to $50,000. Along the trail, they also are working to improve fishing and boating access to the South Branch River with a new river access ramp and improved parking. Parts of the trail are now complete and usable, while others are still in development.
With the HubCAP grant, the team also hired New South Media to help with new branding, a brochure, a Grant County Visitor’s Guide, and a new website to help boost visibility, improve their online presence, and attract a new demographic to Petersburg with their modern, elevated brand. The printed materials are placed throughout Visitor’s Centers and other spaces that tourists frequent.
It’s a gift to be in a community where egos are checked at the door.
Petersburg was one of six Mon Forest communities uniquely positioned to jump directly from one Hub program to another, moving from the HubCAP IV cohort to the first Downtown Appalachia: Revitalizing Recreational Economies (DARRE) cohort in Spring 2022 along with Cowen, Elkins, Franklin, Marlinton, and White Sulphur Springs. Parsons and Richwood are also participating in DARRE, having completed Hub programs in earlier years. Through DARRE, community teams work with a network of service providers to develop downtown buildings, engage and support local entrepreneurs, and create long-term plans for revitalization (learn more about DARRE here).
The Hermitage Inn was one of the first projects tackled under DARRE. Partners provided support to owners Carla and Jason Kaposy when they purchased the 31-room inn and renovated and rebranded it from top to bottom throughout 2022. DARRE helped facilitate business coaching through Woodlands Development Group. Woodlands Business Advisor, Marti Neustadt, provided specific insight to the hospitality industry. Ray Moeller, Economic Redevelopment Specialist at the Northern Brownfields Assistance Center at WVU, also supported the project with environmental assessments and helped the business owners utilize historic tax credits.
“DARRE is important because you need things for people to do in the evening,” said Bob. Petersburg community leaders are confident in the number of recreational activities offered in and around town, but they are looking for opportunities to keep people in town longer.
The Hermitage Inn is providing a solution to lengthening its visitors’ trips with the Taphouse (the original Hermitage built in 1841, which is on the national historic registry), set to open in Spring 2023. The restaurant, bar, event space, and extension of the Inn will provide an ideal environment for travelers to relax and wind down after a day on the trails. The Taphouse will feature locally sourced Appalachian-American fare and a robust selection of spirits and West Virginia craft beers. Meeting and event spaces will be available for rent, but what really makes the Taphouse stand out is its vibrant and lively green space and beer garden, which creates some highly-visible energy and excitement along one of Petersburg’s main roads. “People see things happening and they want to be a part of it, so we’re hoping it will breed more success and encourage more growth,” said Carla.
DARRE is important because you need things for people to do in the evening.
In addition to helping the owners of the Inn, the DARRE partners and community team are working to solve Petersburg’s issue of having too many vacant buildings downtown, either due to the condition or price of the buildings. Ray Moeller is using his downtown development expertise to provide some solutions for the team, but the project is still in its early stages. “They’re leading us in the right direction and giving us guidance for how it was done elsewhere,” said Bob.
Our work is made possible thanks to incredible partnerships with other community development organizations across the state. From local economic development authorities (EDAs) to state level nonprofits working to uplift communities, all of our partners are crucial in making West Virginia the best it can possibly be by working together.One partner that made our work truly profound this year is Coalfield Development. For years, Coalfield Development has worked to rebuild Appalachian communities by inspiring the courage to grow, activating the creativity to innovate, and cultivating communities of opportunity in central Appalachia.We are proud to be part of Coalfield Development’s ACT Now Coalition, a broad network of organizations working hand-in-hand to uplift communities throughout Southern West Virginia. The ACT Now Coalition is infusing more than $63 million into programs to help communities using business development, building revitalization, and so much more.The Hub is leading the Community and Business Resilience Initiative as part of the larger ACT Now Coalition to bring other partners with us to build up community and business resilience in the Coalition’s footprint.“For decades, we’ve known the economy of southern West Virginia needs diversification. Some progress has been made on this goal, but not nearly enough,” Brandon Dennison, CEO of Coalfield Development, said about the ACT Now Coalition. “ACT Now constitutes a tangible opportunity to take a major leap forward in this generational challenge to become a vibrant, growing, diversified economy. In the wake of continued coal-job losses, nothing could be more important for our region.”Our partnership with Coalfield Development is giving us a chance to take our work to new communities and to build upon our years of experience. Working alongside Coalfield Development in this large undertaking to bring $63.8 million to communities in Southern West Virginia is validation that the work happening to uplift West Virginia communities continues to grow.
The Hub works alongside communities across West Virginia coaching community teams as they come together to make transformative changes in their towns. In 2022, one town stands out for its continued work and unwavering commitment to making its community a place where people want to live, work, play, and visit.Petersburg, located in Grant County at the northernmost point of the Mon Forest, is filled with community members who want to make their town a destination. Not only have businesses opened, and stayed open, the town has transformed the way they present to the world through rebranding and outdoor recreational development.As part of the HubCAP IV program, Petersburg utilized its technical assistance to push forward with projects to bring transformative change to its community. Part of the work Petersburg worked towards was creating plans to pave a hike and bike trail that runs along the Petersburg dike. The proposed trail will run approximately three miles along the Petersburg dike and will include multiple entrances for walkers and bikers. The group secured a $25,000 grant from Senator Hamilton, which was matched locally by the City of Petersburg, the County Commission, and the Board of Education, each adding an equal share to bring the total to $50,000.This year, Petersburg witnessed a major upgrade to one of the town’s most iconic and historic structures: The Hermitage Inn. The hotel, which dates back to 1841, has been renovated and once again welcomes guests to stay the night and have a nice dinner in the restaurant.The Hermitage Inn is the first project initiated and completed as part of the Downtown Appalachia: Revitalizing Recreational Economies (DARRE) program. Seeing the old hotel returned to its majesty has been an incredible development for Petersburg adding another jewel to the downtown area.Seeing Hub communities come together to create transformative change thrills us. Community members are the subject matter experts on what their towns need. Our commitment to accompaniment and walking alongside communities as they do the hard work guides us in our work. Celebrating their victories with them gives us a moment to uplift those making the work happen.
Since 2018, The Hub has been working diligently to bring Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion into our work. For years, the organization has been working internally to expand on one of our core values: “We believe diversity creates strength.”We believe that now is a time when we must work from the ground up to commit to long-term efforts to build power through leadership development, programmatic strategies, and partnerships that commit to building power and advancing racial equity.Looking back at our organizational history, we acknowledge that our work in rural communities with populations of less than 15,000 has not reached a diverse cross-section of people in West Virginia. Because of this, we began to ask, “Who isn’t here?” when examining our involvement in communities. The social unrest in 2020 led us to examine our role in white supremacy, ableism, classism, and gender discrimination, and the ways we have perpetuated unjust systems in our communities and across West Virginia.Since 2020, our equity journey has included a staff racial equity learning series, making internal commitments to increasing our hiring and retainment of diverse staff including creating full-time Racial Equity Fellowship and VISTA positions, committing to increased coaching for rural communities of color across the state, and tackling the inherent challenges of advancing equity across the community development field within a highly rural, majority white state where Black and brown leadership has been historically marginalized and under-invested.Our belief in the power of local people to see the value and the potential of their place, and of each other, is at the core of our belief in the potential we have to build power in West Virginia to advance racial equity, inclusion, and accessibility while disrupting systems that have historically excluded some communities.We are committed to engaging in conversations to uplift communities and leaders of color to move from talk to action on why race matters in West Virginia as we work to disrupt these systems. We will support investment in Black-led organizations and rural Black leadership. And we are committed to driving public and private investments into these spaces, both organizational and geographic.
A core team led by Unleash Tygart, Inc participated in Opportunity Appalachia, receiving technical assistance to support a community development project located in an Opportunity Zone.
Core teams led by Thundercloud, Inc. and the City of Huntington participated in Opportunity Appalachia, receiving technical assistance to support community development projects located in Opportunity Zones.
A core team led by Crawford Holdings, LLC participated in Opportunity Appalachia, receiving technical assistance to support a community development project located in an Opportunity Zone.
Residents participated in round 4 of The Hub’s capstone Communities of Achievement program with a focus on building local recreational economies.
Residents participated in round 4 of The Hub’s capstone Communities of Achievement program with a focus on building local recreational economies.
Residents participated in round 4 of The Hub’s capstone Communities of Achievement program with a focus on building local recreational economies.
Residents participated in round 4 of The Hub’s capstone Communities of Achievement program with a focus on building local recreational economies.
Residents participated in round 4 of The Hub’s capstone Communities of Achievement program with a focus on building local recreational economies.
A core team led by Woodlands Development Group also participated in Opportunity Appalachia, receiving technical assistance to support a community development project located in an Opportunity Zone.
Residents participated in round 4 of The Hub’s capstone Communities of Achievement program with a focus on building local recreational economies. Read their community case study.
Residents participated in the Blueprint Communities* program to engage their neighbors and co-create strategic plans for their future.
Residents participated in the Blueprint Communities* program to engage their neighbors and co-create strategic plans for their future. Read their community case study.
Residents participated in the Blueprint Communities* program to engage their neighbors and co-create strategic plans for their future. Watch their community documentary.
Residents participated in the Blueprint Communities* program to engage their neighbors and co-create strategic plans for their future. Read their community case study.
Residents participated in the Blueprint Communities* program to engage their neighbors and co-create strategic plans for their future.
Residents participated in the Blueprint Communities* program to engage their neighbors and co-create strategic plans for their future.
Residents participated in the Cultivate WV program to kickstart community and economy building. Read their community case study.
Residents participated in the Cultivate WV program to kickstart community and economy building. Read their community case study.
It has been a year of abundant opportunities and partnerships across the state, and a year that has pushed all of us to work harder, faster, and smarter – together.At The Hub, we say that “the work works when you put in the work.” This means that our approach to community-based development, and individual leadership development, really does transform local communities, especially when we all work together for the same goal, and stay committed to working together for the long haul.In 2023, we continued to be amazed at the local leadership, drive and innovation we saw in communities throughout the state that are building locally-driven development from the ground up. Our network of community leaders, partners and opportunities keeps growing and shows no signs of slowing in 2024!
We extend our deepest gratitude to everyone for being part of the larger Hub community as we reflect on this year’s deep impact in West Virginia communities through our work. We are thrilled to have champions who believe in our mission that every community in West Virginia can achieve economic growth when they are supported with the tools and training they need to lead and spark positive change.
We believe strongly in the fact that putting in the work yourself to improve your neighborhood, your town, and our state is where true transformational change happens. With strategic partners and thought leaders like you in the work with us, we continue to be able to walk alongside community teams as they do the work to uplift their communities.Thank you to all of the community teams and leaders who are brave enough to keep showing up every day, and putting in thousands of hours of volunteer time to support your communities and the entire state. Your determination in the face of difficult work and far-off successes is something to applaud yourself for – and to celebrate.Whether you’re volunteering on the ground in your community, sharing our stories of hope with your friends and neighbors, or attending a virtual event with The Hub, your participation in our work is what keeps it going. Thank you for all your work and support this past year, and we are excited to continue in the work with you in 2024!In Continued Accompaniment,