‘Peek’ into Fairmont’s past

By Jessica Legge
Times West Virginian

FAIRMONT May 15, 2008 02:25 am

— People traveling through downtown Fairmont will get “a little snippet” of what the city was once like.
In honor of National Preservation Month in May, Main Street Fairmont has placed old photographs of Fairmont in the windows of downtown businesses. On display from today until May 30, the exhibit features 18 enlarged historic photos — each measuring 2x3 feet — from the West Virginia State Archives.
“I think it brings a little bit of the past into our future, and it gives people a peek into what Fairmont used to be like,” Vera Sansalone, executive director of Main Street Fairmont, said.
“People are intrigued by downtown and what it used to look like. It just teaches people a little bit about history and about the history of Fairmont. I think people will really enjoy it.”
The Omni Associates in Fairmont enlarged the photographs and mounted them on foam boards. Chuck Warner, owner of Warner Photography in Fairmont, also reproduced some of the pictures for Main Street.
Many of the photos show streetscape views of certain blocks, including shots of Adams, Monroe and Jefferson streets and East Fairmont. Persons can also see pictures of St. Peter’s Church, the Palace Restaurant and the Masonic Temple, as well as the old train depot, fire department and filling stations.
People can view the photos in the windows of Friendly Furniture, Adams Office Supply, Vittoria and Banks, Veterans’ Square, Duck Soup, and the Chamber of Commerce and Main Street Fairmont offices in downtown Fairmont.
Main Street has created a leaflet that describes what the pictures show and where they can be found. People can stop by the participating businesses during office hours to pick up a copy.
Sansalone and Sandra Scaffidi, Main Street’s new AmeriCorps Vista staff member, have been doing research for this project for about 18 months. Scaffidi, who has an architectural historian background, began working on the endeavor while she was a volunteer with Main Street.
“She was sort of a catalyst to get this going,” Sansalone said of Scaffidi.
Scaffidi said the exhibit is a way “to remind everyone about how busy and vibrant Fairmont was and how we’re going to turn it around so we’re vibrant again.”
After May 30, Main Street will put the photos in its new office at 206 Adams St. for people to see. If anyone has memories they would like to share about the photos, Main Street would be happy to hear them, Scaffidi said.
Sansalone said these historic photographs also complement the upcoming school children’s tours. As part of National Preservation Month, Main Street Fairmont is co-hosting the school children’s tours with the Three Rivers Festival on Friday, May 23. This year’s theme is “It’s All About the History.”
She said the tours are a way “to get kids downtown and to get them to have a little bit of appreciation for our town’s history and for the architecture.” The children visit downtown businesses and find out how they fit into the history of Fairmont. The tours include presentations from the Carnegie Science Center and the FBI Center. Activities are also held at Palatine Park that day.
Contact Main Street Fairmont at 366-0468.
E-mail Jessica Legge at jlegge@timeswv.com.

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