photo by: Emma Delk

MOUNDSVILLE — From organizing genealogy records to preserving old Moundsville city directories, the Joe & Nellie Parriott Archival Center in Moundsville wants to make local history accessible for Marshall County residents.

The archival center is part of the Moundsville-Marshall County Public Library and is located in a separate building on Morton Avenue next to the Gold, Khourey & Turak building. Residents can make an appointment to study local history or conduct genealogy research at the center.

“Here at the archival center, we assist patrons with local history or genealogy research, which includes helping people locate family in the Marshall County area,” librarian archivist Tanner Skym said. “We have history books and genealogy records for residents to access, and I can help them with their research.”

The archival center began moving from the library into its new building in January 2024 and opened its doors to visitors in November last year. Skym said that since its opening, the center has acquired “a lot more” historical records and collections for residents to access.

The archival center will be open to residents by appointment only until construction is completed on the new Moundsville municipal building. This will free up parking on Morton Avenue for visitors. Once this occurs, Skym said they will open the center to visitors from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on weekdays.

The archival center’s first floor contains a local history section, which includes history books from the library covering Marshall County and its surrounding areas. The section also contains genealogy books, records and city directories from the Marshall County Historical Society.

The first floor also houses vertical files with newspaper clippings covering significant events in the county and research binders compiled by local historians.

The second floor of the building contains history collections donated by residents, as well as historical maps. Records from this section can be viewed upon request.

“The second-floor collections are mostly off-limits to the public, but if someone requests something specific, I can go upstairs and grab the box they need,” Skym said. “We have many delicate items stored up there, such as photo collections, so we want to make sure that they’re stored properly.”

The second floor also includes the final copies of history books and city directories, which Skym and library staff are currently working on digitizing for residents to access online.

With records dating back to the early 1800s, Skym said residents can use the archival center to research their family, historical events and former businesses in the area.

“While it can be easy to do a Google search for certain history topics, having this actual physical building is important because it makes historical information for Marshall County that may be difficult to find online easily accessible,” Skym said. “Having all this information in one area helps patrons be able to research easily, and in some cases, maybe they’ll find out about things they had no idea happened.”

One of Skym’s favorite pieces from the archival center’s history collection is photographs of streetscapes of Moundsville from the 1930s to the 1950s.

“We have a lot of photos that show the county’s prime during the 20th century when everything was booming,” Skym said. “Factories were in the area, and more people were living here too, so there were a bunch of small towns and stores.”

Residents can contact Skym at 304-843-1082 or tanner.skym@wvlc.lib.wv.us to schedule appointments at the archival center. Residents can also reach-out to Skym to coordinate donations of genealogy records or history collections involving Marshall County and its surrounding areas.