4/27/01
Nancy Herholdt, commissioner of the West Virginia Department of Arts, Culture and History, said today that the agency’s West Virginia State Archives is indeed interested in obtaining a collection of architect Cass Gilbert’s original 1921 plans for the West Virginia State Capitol and that citizens interested in contributing to the effort can make pledges designated for that purpose to the West Virginia State Museum Board Inc. (WVSMB).
A California auction house will sell seven collections of Gilbert’s work next month on the Internet auction site eBay. The lot in which the State Archives is interested is reported to include 50 pencil and ink drawings done by Gilbert and his son. In addition to renderings of the Capitol itself, the collection features a construction agreement signed by then-Governor Ephraim Morgan, plans for a parking garage and drawings of the Division of Motor Vehicles building.
“In the last couple of days, we’ve received a number of calls from people who want to donate to a fund to help buy this collection. We are pleased that the State Museum Board has come forward and offered to collect pledges from the private sector,” she said. “The Board’s commitment to the Division’s mission to preserve our state’s history is very much appreciated.”
Herholdt, who just learned of the auction this week, said that State Archives staff members are in the process of determining exactly what is in the auction house’s lot, whether or not the items would be useful to the state’s collection and how much the items are worth.
Those interested in making a contribution to the fund should call Victor Grigoraci, WVSMB treasurer, at (304) 343-5511.
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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