Augusta’s Young visits Elkins Rotary Club
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ELKINS -- Seth Young, CEO of the Augusta Heritage Center, visited with the Elkins Rotary Club, giving the group an update on the organization's purchase and renovation of the Wilt Building in downtown Elkins.
The Augusta Heritage Center was established in 1973 by the Randolph County Creative Council. At that time, the group was headquartered in the Tygart Hotel, until 1981.
In 1981, the organization partnered with Davis & Elkins College, moving its operations to the campus. During this time, Augusta theme weeks were established, drawing an audience from around the world to engage in a week of immersive programming.
"We still keep those flagship programs on the campus of Davis & Elkins College to this day," said Young.
In February, Augusta established its own 501(c)(3) corporation. For the first time in its history, Augusta is its own organization with its own board of directors, many of whom are very active community members.
Augusta has taken on the project of purchasing and redeveloping the Wilt Building.
"Elkins is my home. I'm from here, I graduated from Elkins High School and Davis & Elkins College," Young said. "My parents are from here, my grandparents are from here.
"I've come to that time in my life where I started to ask myself how do I leave my home a better place than I found it. This project was a natural fit for what I thought would better the place I'm from. This is the project, this is the time, this is the opportunity," said Young.
"Traditional music and traditional art are something that no single person can create, it has to be created by generations over time, it speaks to entire cultures, what that cultures values. Because it gets transferred orally from one generation to the next, it gets honed down to what the human experience really is," added Young. "The best way to teach somebody about any given art is to start with traditional art."
One of the first independent initiatives is to create a physical brick and mortar Augusta Heritage Center.
"We were looking at properties all over town. It is very important that Augusta remains in Elkins. We want all our outreach to create roads back to Elkins. As we started to look around, the Wilt Building became more and more attractive" said Young.
Through private donations, the purchase price of the Wilt Building has been acquired. The purchase of the building will be completed around the first of the year. The second floor of the building is already leased and it's a goal to have vibrant action immediately upon acquiring the building.
Young and the Augusta staff have been working on developing programming over the past couple of years with an eye on the acquisition of the Wilt Building. The Benedum Foundation has provided financial support to establish a children's string program from scratch with children who had no experience in that area. There is also a children's choir and an adult community choir. There are also foodways classes that are held at the Phil Gainer Center.
The overall vision for the Wilt Building is to use the second floor for classroom space and offices. The top two floors will be of residential use.
"We really want that housing to be an incubator for civically engaged community minded individuals right in the downtown they serve. We're partnering with AmeriCorp because we know there are more AmeriCorp positions in town that can be filled because of the lack of quality housing at a price point AmeriCorp members can afford," said Young.
The first floor will remain commercial, with those spaces transitioning to Augusta businesses as the building is completed.
"During my time working on the local tourist train, 'The Polar Express,' I had the unique opportunity to witness firsthand the significant tourism draw it had for our charming Elkins community. However, what truly surprised me was how many families would come and go without fully engaging in our vibrant downtown area," Young said.
"This experience left a lasting impression on me, and now, as the CEO of the Augusta Heritage Center, I am dedicated to creating programming that not only enriches our cultural heritage but also encourages cultural tourists to explore and savor the wonders of our local community, keeping them here longer to experience all that Elkins has to offer," added Young.
A Congressional earmark has already been approved for $750,000 for the launch of the project. Young is in talks with Sen. Joe Manchin's office to arrange for more flexibility in the use of those funds should that funding not be available until after the project is underway.
There is work on state and federal tax credits as well as private donations that have been used to get the ball rolling. Several long-term, low interest loans are also being considered. The total for purchasing the building as well as the needed renovations is $1.4 million.
Rotary is a global network of 1.4 million neighbors, friends, leaders and problem-solvers who see a world where people unite and take action to create lasting change - across the globe, in their communities, and in themselves.
Visit www.Rotary.org to learn more about Rotary International, visit the club's Facebook page - Rotary Club of Elkins – or contact club president Kenny George at kenneth.george@blueridgeriskpartners.com for more information about the Rotary Club of Elkins.