4/23/01
Officials of the West Virginia Department of Arts, Culture and History today announced that Allegheny Energy, Inc., has made a $20,000 gift to The West Virginia State Museum Board, Inc., toward the project to renovate the West Virginia State Museum. The gift brings the total raised for the campaign to nearly $1.18 million. The announcement was made this afternoon at the Museum.
The West Virginia State Museum was founded in 1905 to collect and display items related to the state’s history. The Museum is now operated by the Department of Arts, Culture and History and is located in the lower level of the Cultural Center in the State Capitol Complex. The history of the state will be told in the renovated museum through modern exhibits which will appeal to visitors of all ages. Currently in the final design phases, the project will be completed next year at an estimated cost of $6 million, $4 million of which was pledged by the West Virginia Legislature. The Museum Board established the Millennium Fund to raise funds necessary for the completion of the project from the private sector.
“Allegheny Energy is extremely pleased to make this donation to the West Virginia State Museum project,” said Jay S. Pifer, president of Allegheny Power, the energy delivery business of Allegheny Energy. “The museum, in concert with the Department of Arts, Culture and History, plays a crucial role in preserving the rich history of West Virginia and certainly adds to the quality of life in the region. We are proud to serve the energy needs of West Virginia and we are committed to enriching the communities where our customers and employees live and work.”
Nancy P. Herholdt, commissioner of the Department of Arts, Culture and History, who accepted the gift on behalf of the West Virginia State Museum Board, said, “We are extremely grateful to Allegheny Energy for this generous gift. It is evidence of the company’s commitment to learning, technology and the communities it serves.”
Allegheny Energy officials present at the announcement included Pifer of Greensburg, Pa.; Russ Lorince of Fairmont, director of state affairs for Allegheny Energy; and Kenny Yoakum of Charleston, business account manager for Allegheny Energy.
Items from the West Virginia State Museum collection illustrating the electric and natural gas industries’ impact on consumers’ lives were on display at the event, including a circa 1890 gas light fixture, a vintage electric sewing machine and an early electric iron. A number of the items will be on display in the new Museum.
For more information about the project to renovate the West Virginia State Museum, contact Ginny Painter at (304) 558-0220, ext. 120.
An S&P 500 company, Allegheny Energy, Inc., is a diversified energy company headquartered in Hagerstown, Md. The Allegheny Energy family includes Allegheny Power, which delivers electric energy and natural gas to about three million people in parts of Maryland, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia and West Virginia; Allegheny Energy Supply Company, LLC, which operates and markets competitive retail and wholesale electric generation and operates regulated electric generation for its affiliates; and Allegheny Ventures, which actively invests in and develops telecommunications and energy-related projects. For more information, visit the Allegheny Energy website at www.alleghenyenergy.com.
The West Virginia State Museum Board is a non-stock, non-profit corporation incorporated by the State of West Virginia in November 1999. Its purpose is to guide and support the West Virginia State Museum and to help the West Virginia Department of Arts, Culture and History fulfill its mission. The West Virginia Department of Arts, Culture and History, an agency of the West Virginia Department of Arts, Culture and History, brings together the state’s past, present and future through programs and services in the areas of archives and history, the arts, historic preservation and museums. Visit the Division’s website at www.wvculture.org for more information about programs of the Division. The Department of Arts, Culture and History is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer.
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