| Home | Portfolio | Resume | Photos |
Jim Kompanek
Introduction
Small by national standards, Huntington is the second largest city in West Virginia (behind Charleston). It is located at the junction of the Ohio and Guyandotte Rivers, approximately 15 miles east of where Kentucky, Ohio, and West Virginia come together. Much of Huntington's growth occurred during the first half of the twentieth century and was the result of the rapid growth of numerous industries. Like many cities in the northeast and midwest, Huntington has endured great loss, both in economics and population, since the 1960's. This decline lead to the destruction of numerous historic structures, both directly from neglect and fire, and indirectly as a result of well intentioned urban renewal. Even with this, Huntington's golden era left a great legacy of public and private architecture, much of which still stands today.
The goal of this project will be to contact governmental and private historic preservation organizations to determine what lengths historic architecture is documented and mapped in Huntington. Ultimately, I would like to compile the data collected by different agencies into a single geodatabase, which will be the basis of a map of historic structures in Huntington.
Data Needs
Ideally, the various agencies I plan on contacting will have, whether it be in CAD dwg, shapefile, or geodatabase, map layers of significant historic structures in Huntington. At this point, it is unclear what is documented and to what extent. In addition to the historic structures, a basic road map, city boundary, and other reference layers will be necessary to place the location of structures in context. If the scale of the map permits, digital orthophotos may also be desirable as the background to the map.
Data Availability/Cost
At this point, it is unclear what is available. At the very minimum, it may be possible to obtain a list of addresses from the Department of the Interior of structures listed in the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP). Ideally, more detailed information may be obtainable from local preservation organizations or the State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO). Other layers, including roads, boundaries, etc. are available free-of-charge in the public domain, at wvgis.wvu.edu or the USGS seamless site.
Data Accuracy
Depending on the scale of my final map, data accuracy will be important. Ideally, I would like to outline individual structures on a digital orthophoto at a scale where they are readily identifiable. If layers I obtain (either digitally or on paper) were recorded on 1:24000 7.5 minute USGS topographic quadrangle, it is unlikely the accuracy will be sufficient, and further work will be necessary.
Future Considerations
Ultimately, I would like to create a base map including historic properties, that can be posted on the internet, with its geodatabase freely available. It may also be possible to post pictures and/or the NRHP recommendation forms online. It may also be desirable to use census information and/or property assessor data to determine which structures, or neighborhoods may be at risk.
Potential Contacts
WV Division of Culture and History
Information System Coordinator
GIS System Administrator
Capitol Complex
1900 Kanawha Boulevard East
Charleston, WV 25305-0300Preservation Alliance of West Virginia
Executive Director
P.O. Box 3371
Charleston, WV 253333City of Huntington Historic Preservation Commission
City Hall
800 Fifth Avenue
Huntington, WV 25701Cabell County Assessor
Cabell County Courthouse
750 Fifth Avenue
Huntington, WV 25701
This document is published in fulfillment of an assignment by a student enrolled in an educational offering of The Pennsylvania State University. The student, named above, retains all rights to the document and responsibility for its accuracy and originality.