Riff Raff in Princeton receives WV Rural Devleopment grant

Oct. 13—PRINCETON — A museum project celebrating the region's industrial history got a boost Wednesday when West Virginia's representatives in the nation's capitol announced a series of federal grants to entities across the state.

U.S. Senators Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., and Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., members of the Senate Appropriations Committee, announced that $680,700 from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development program will go into supporting 13 projects across West Virginia. The funding will support upgrading local infrastructure, boosting small business development, strengthening agricultural production and providing additional resources for West Virginia communities.

The RiffRaff Arts Collective in Princeton was awarded $74,000 for an ongoing museum project. This funding will be used to develop a strategic organizational plan focused on the Lonnie Gunter, Jr. Center for Culture and History, as well as provide technical assistance.

In a second grant, the Friends of Monroe in Union received $60,000. The money will be used to develop a strategic organizational plan focused on the Lonnie Gunter, Jr. Center for Culture and History, as well as provide technical assistance.

Last March, the RiffRaff Arts Collective was awarded $637,000 to help develop the Lonnie Gunter, Jr. Center for Industrial History. This new museum will be located in the city' historic East End. Lori McKinney, executive director of the RiffRaff Arts Collective (RRAC), said then that the non-profit organization had secured and planned to develop three properties to establish the center.

The project's site is adjacent to the Princeton Railroad Museum in the Mercer Street Historic District of downtown Princeton, McKinney said. Part of the site includes the Wheby's Grocery building — a landmark in Princeton — constructed in 1925.

The museum will display the collection of Lonnie Gunter, Jr. This collection includes steam engines, early vehicles, agricultural machinery, antique toys and memorabilia. Proposed programming at the museum includes large exhibition space, a restoration workshop and a MakerSpace focused on STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) education, a West Virginia artists gallery and a period soda fountain.

Manchin and Capito said that investing in the state's communities is important.

"Investing in our communities spurs economic development and creates good-paying, long term jobs. I am pleased USDA is investing more than $680K in these 13 critical projects across West Virginia, which will strengthen local infrastructure, support small business expansion, help provide a variety of resources for West Virginians and much more. As a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, I will continue advocating for funding to ensure our rural communities across the Mountain State have the resources they need to thrive," said Manchin said.

"It's great to see West Virginia receive funding through USDA's Rural Development program that will improve our infrastructure, strengthen our small businesses, and provide a boost to communities across our state," Senator Capito said. "I am confident that this funding will help make a difference in communities throughout West Virginia, and I look forward to continuing my efforts to secure resources that help support our localities and improve the lives of our residents."

— Contact Greg Jordan at gjordan@bdtonline.com

Contact Greg Jordan at gjordan@bdtonline.com