Marshall University App Brings History To Life In West Virginia And Beyond

The recently renovated Coin Harvey House on Third Avenue in Huntington is a beautiful old building with a double staircase and glass windows. It easily stands out from its modern-day surroundings, which include a fast food joint across the street and an auto body shop next door. 

“I am from this area, and I have lived and played in Huntington since I was little,” said Amanda Shaver, a Cabell County native and a graduate student at the Marshall University history department. “I remember seeing this house. It has such a unique look and feel to it, that once you see it, you won’t forget it. It looks like it belongs in New Orleans, or somewhere not Huntington.”

For a long time, the house was boarded up and abandoned, trapping much of its past inside and making its story nearly inaccessible to the public. 

In September, the National Endowment for the Humanities announced Clio was making some serious upgrades, thanks to several donations and grants, including $81,398 from the NEH grant and a $60,000 NEH matching grant. 

Shaver’s entry on the Coin Harvey House showcases some of those upgrades. In addition to a standard five-paragraph account of the history behind the house, she also included 360-degree images from inside, and an interview with Jim St. Clair, a local who most-recently renovated the house.