Summers County Historical Society Receives Grant

SUMMERS COUNTY W.Va. (Hinton News) - The Summers County Historical Society is pleased to announce that it has received a grant from the National Coal Heritage Area Authority to make improvements at Hilltop Cemetery located in Hinton. The cemetery, founded about 1877, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The grant was matched 1:1 with another grant from the Hinton Area Foundation and other resources from the Historical Society including volunteer labor and donations. The Historical Society would like to thank the many people who have supported this project.

The major use of the grant will be to remove dead trees so that they do not fall and damage tombstones or cause an unsafe environment for cemetery visitors. Another equally important aspect of the project will be to create reenactments at the cemetery for both local residents and tourists. The overall goal of the endeavor is to make Hilltop an attractive tourist destination similar to many other historic cemeteries across the country.

Upkeep of Hilltop Cemetery is accomplished solely by volunteers, with Bobby Cox as the main volunteer who regularly mows the several acres holding over 1800 graves. Donations to help with maintenance are greatly appreciated and are tax-deductible. They may be sent to the Hinton Area Foundation, Hilltop Fund.

The next most pressing undertaking at Hilltop will be the restoration of the Lawrence Memorial which stands prominently near the entrance of the cemetery. The imposing memorial consists of an archway with pillars, balusters, and urns, all of which are deteriorating. Lawrence died over 100 years ago and has no descendants.

The National Coal Heritage Area Authority is headquartered in Oak Hill. It encompasses 13 WV counties and was created to recognize the area as a unique cultural region where coal mining made a significant contribution to the America’s industrial growth.

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