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Was just reading some of these old threads out of curiosity.
I notice 1960 being the operative time in this discussion.
Something happened back then when I was just a kid. It drastically influenced Huntington, and Charleston. I believe it had to do with a lot of the mining companies moving their business & accounting office staff to Pittsburgh or on further north.
After 1960 it began a downhill slide. The uphill rise from the turn of the century (1900) in Huntington & Charleston owed much to the mining industries who at that time had lots of office presence in the two cities. Not to mention the shops that repaired mining equipment in these two cities as those coal camps didn't have the facilities for the heavier repair work. Anything needing those repairs were shipped out on rail and once repaired, shipped back. A lot of supply companies had a presence in these two cities also and along with their staff & warehouses.
I once listened to some commercial Aircraft Pilots who were speaking to this in Huntington. They were talking about the big corporate airliners that were stationed at the Tri State Airport owned by Island Creek and others that were to be moved to Pittsburgh. They were not to be coming back. Basically any personnel coming back to WV for business would ride an airliner so the accountants could use that as a tax advantage. (cost of business)
Others I've listened to state that this is what has led WV to become a "Colonial Economy". Where wealth is simply extracted with little or no reinvestment.
And we cannot forget "Automation in the Mines".
In the meanwhile, look at the streets and parking lots at Hotels/Motels/Restaurants on the Holiday weekends and notice the disproportionate number of out of state license plates on the vehicles. Those are likely belonging to former citizens of the state and others kids who have their education and moved to other states where they can prosper while others remain here hanging on to Politicians Promises. They have realized they can thrive elsewhere while still young enough to enjoy that prosperity. (and come home to visit on the long weekends) Each Holiday weekend when folks return they tell younger relatives that when they have their education or trade they can follow their footsteps
to prosperity.
You are correct in all points and one thing people do forget even in Charleston/ Kanawha County is the automation of the mines. An uncle of mine lived on the East End of Charleston and was a Manager at one of the mines out in the eastern end of the County towards Campbells Creek. While many employees were from Belle, Marmet, Rand, etc they did have people come from Kanawha City. In addition, outside of the Chemical industry there were a number of other industrial entities that closed down. Kelly Axe Company on the West Side was where most of Patrick Street Plaza is now and Libby Owens Ford Glass in Kanawha City was massive and took up the entire site on both sides of MacCorkle where Lowes is and also the Kanawha Mall.
It is intersected by 3 major highways, at the very least- has thousands of state jobs, and the state's largest airport. It is the corporate home of a fairly large bank, has a very large level 1 trauma center, and is within 45 minutes of the state's second largest university. Charleston doesn't have notoriously high crime, and is generally speaking, a fairly wealthy city with a well-educated population.
If it has the infrastructure, the healthcare, a college-educated population, wealth, and a picturesque downtown- what caused it to go downhill- and when will it rebound?
Picture this: Charleston is wealthier than Richmond (city), has a nearly 2x higher percentage of college-educated residents, and Kanawha public schools are rated much higher than Richmond Public Schools. Charleston is wealthier while also having home values that are less than 1/2 of Richmond.
That all looks great on paper, but even with those truths, Richmond has rebounded (2010-ish) while Charleston still hasn't. I would think that those characteristics would attract both jobs and people.
Last edited by Archer705; 09-25-2023 at 02:48 PM..
I am not sure Richmond is the best example other than it is also a state capital. The city is considerably larger than Charleston- in particular the surrounding metro area which is at about 1.3 million and growing strong. There are at least six Fortune 500 headquarters in and around Richmond. It's also full of young transplants. The City of Richmond is also an independent entity (Virginia law requires this) from the larger and wealthier Chesterfield and Henrico Counties which are growing at a very fast clip. They are separate school systems as well unlike Charleston which is part of Kanawha County. Being in fairly close proximity to Washington/ Northern Virginia doesn't hurt either. I'd say Roanoke or Charlottesville are better examples minus the fact that they don't have two interstates going through them- then again neither does Richmond.
Last edited by NOVAmtneer82; 09-26-2023 at 11:24 AM..
Richmond has I-64, that should count right? I-85 splits from I-95 south of there too.
I meant to say three interstates going through them- but fair point- 85 splits about 25 miles south in Petersburg. I still see little comparison though between Richmond and Charleston other than that. Roanoke absolutely yes as the two were similar sized locales for years- Roanoke has continued to grow and Charleston hasn't though. Similar dynamics though. Mountain cities, good cultural and food scene for cities of their size, etc.
I meant to say three interstates going through them- but fair point- 85 splits about 25 miles south in Petersburg. I still see little comparison though between Richmond and Charleston other than that. Roanoke absolutely yes as the two were similar sized locales for years- Roanoke has continued to grow and Charleston hasn't though. Similar dynamics though. Mountain cities, good cultural and food scene for cities of their size, etc.
Richmond is geographically unavoidable if you are heading down the Eastern Seaboard. Well, you can go through Delaware, cross the Chesapeake Bay Bridge/Tunnel into Norfolk, but that is what it takes to bypass Richmond.
Geography is destiny and cities like D.C., Fredericksburg, Richmond, placed right on the fall line along major rivers are hard to bypass. Head west, you don't have bridges to cross. Head east and you are in the swamps or on peninsulas........meaning more lack of bridges.
Charleston doesn't have this advantage. You can head west or east and not have to visit that particular valley or cross the mountains at that point. You have other options.
I am not sure Richmond is the best example other than it is also a state capital. The city is considerably larger than Charleston- in particular the surrounding metro area which is at about 1.3 million and growing strong. There are at least six Fortune 500 headquarters in and around Richmond. It's also full of young transplants. The City of Richmond is also an independent entity (Virginia law requires this) from the larger and wealthier Chesterfield and Henrico Counties which are growing at a very fast clip. They are separate school systems as well unlike Charleston which is part of Kanawha County. Being in fairly close proximity to Washington/ Northern Virginia doesn't hurt either. I'd say Roanoke or Charlottesville are better examples minus the fact that they don't have two interstates going through them- then again neither does Richmond.
Maybe the answer is the six Fortune 500 companies and the DC proximity.
My question wasn't a comparison of the two, but was really how could Charleston not grow despite how wealthy it is. On face value, it seems like it would be very attractive to both employers and "young transplants".
So if I could break it down in micro questions;
-With I-77, I-79, and I-64 (which I'm fairly certain happens to end in Richmond oddly enough) along with a relatively substantial airport- why hasn't the region experienced a boom in logistics/warehouse/manufacturing
-With presumably an endless number of state jobs, a relatively major bank headquarters, and a decently large university nearby (Marshall)- what has caused the decline to continue?
Essentially, I am wondering what has been the missing piece for Charleston- on paper it doesn't have characteristics of a declining city. It doesn't have the extreme poverty, severely failing schools, or a blue-collar majority workforce. In addition, the $86,000 average household income (which is higher than median, indicating a significant number of high-earners within city-limits) and average home value of $156,000 is probably the best value in the nation.
Maybe the answer is the six Fortune 500 companies and the DC proximity.
My question wasn't a comparison of the two, but was really how could Charleston not grow despite how wealthy it is. On face value, it seems like it would be very attractive to both employers and "young transplants".
So if I could break it down in micro questions;
-With I-77, I-79, and I-64 (which I'm fairly certain happens to end in Richmond oddly enough) along with a relatively substantial airport- why hasn't the region experienced a boom in logistics/warehouse/manufacturing
-With presumably an endless number of state jobs, a relatively major bank headquarters, and a decently large university nearby (Marshall)- what has caused the decline to continue?
Essentially, I am wondering what has been the missing piece for Charleston- on paper it doesn't have characteristics of a declining city. It doesn't have the extreme poverty, severely failing schools, or a blue-collar majority workforce. In addition, the $86,000 average household income (which is higher than median, indicating a significant number of high-earners within city-limits) and average home value of $156,000 is probably the best value in the nation.
How much flat, usable space is left to develop in that valley? Some Appalachian cities, well many, are in narrow valleys that are quickly built out, yes you can reuse and re-adapt space, but that is normally more expensive than buying an undeveloped piece of flat land, and building your shell building and access road there.
Ever been to Warren Ohio? It was really weird. The city was in decline, but so flat that the "new commercial" wasn't built where the old commercial was. You drove through a couple of miles of almost completely vacant and decaying structures before you hit the "new commercial" store and restaurants. All I could figure was that it was easier to build out on that big flat river plane than it was to acquire and demolish the section that was outdated and old.
Charleston's economy was linked too closely with the coal and chemical industries. As they declined in the region, so too did the engineering firms, banks, insurance companies, light manufacturing, industrial supply companies, etc... They packed up and moved to larger metros like Columbus and Pittsburgh. The business climate in Charleston has never been attractive enough to draw in companies that were independent of those industries (for the most part).
You certainly cannot compare Richmond to Charleston. Richmond has a great location, reasonably flat and developable land, and has been an important city for all of its history. Heck, it was chosen as the capital of the Confederacy while Charleston was just a village during that time. Metro Richmond is far more prosperous than any part of West Virginia.
I think that the lack of flat land in Charleston is only a minor issue. Pittsburgh is a prime example of a city that overcame terrain to grow. Even in Charleston, they have found a way to develop the surrounding hillsides. Also, there's still plenty of land in the valley that can be redeveloped. It is what is happening now to some degree.
The thing that has kept major distribution centers out of WV in general is the inventory tax. That's right, a tax on the amount of stuff a company is storing up. Rather ridiculous if you ask me!
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