From the side of the old Morgan’s Sporting Goods building downtown.
If you head down the somewhat dark alley that exists behind the Morgantown Public Library, you’ll find this placid chair. I don’t know who has been sitting there, but somebody has, presumably.
Downtown on a warmer day, one more beautiful than today.
Panera To Open Downtown
Per the City of Morgantown’s Twitter Feed, it was announced today that Panera Bread has plans to expand into the city’s downtown. Meanwhile, some downtown institutions are also changing their look.* This is the sort of thing that gets people excited. “Progress!” they’ll shout, because having solid businesses downtown, whether new or evolving, is the sort of thing that that keeps the scene lively.
Yet, I find myself not entirely thrilled with these developments, not because I don’t recognize that change is necessary, but because these changes effectively serve to homogenize our community in a way that makes it seem very similar to everywhere else. If I wanted a Morgantown that was like anywhere else, I’d be anywhere else. But I’m not. I’m here in my hometown.
There’s something off-putting about there being a Panera downtown, if only because it will be exactly like the Panera in Evansdale (a place it fits in). Downtown’s for the misfits and the weirdos, the odd bakery shop in the old Dairy Queen building, the Blue Moose, and Jay’s Daily Grind. Each of those will be threatened by the monolith that is Panera and if I remember how these things generally go, those establishments will almost certainly suffer from the fight.
“Good!” the promoters of these things will say. “They should suffer! If they can’t keep up, they shouldn’t stay open!”
There’s no denying that mindset either. There are people that want sanitized everything, and let’s face it, downtown is sanitized. But we already have vast tracts of Monongalia County dedicated to the promotion of homogenized, chain culture. We’ve got all of Evansdale. We’ve got the mall. We’ve got the University Town Center. We’ve got the Suncrest Towne Centre. We’ve got the Glenmark Center. Do we really, absolutely, necessarily have to import that anodyne to our downtown? And must we have to do so enthusiastically?
(*Thanks to @ddryan)
High Street 1949. Photo Courtesy of the West Virginia Regional Archives of WVU
Twenty five thumbs up, at least. Also, note the presence of the I.O.O.F. Building, which still has a sign up (above BW3).
I’m not sure if the building on the left in the top photo is the same as the building on the left in the bottom photo, but so much else of what dominates this image has changed, especially everything beyond the bridge at to the left of Walnut. Central School is gone, replaced by the parking garage, as is whatever building was behind it. The beauty college building is still there, but now with that larger brick building obscuring its view. I do like that the trees in both images are still there.
Also, note the cable car lines in the photo above. There are no dates on this photograph, so I am not sure when it was taken.
Photo courtesy of West Virginia History On View.)
That’s the Red Hot Chili Peppers playing at what we now call 123 Pleasant Street. This photo was taken by Randy Squeak Williams. He was the co-owner of what was then known as the Underground Railroad Nightclub. The photo surfaced as part of a longer discussion about an upcoming event at the club. Information about that event is available here.
Some awfully big music has come through that club during its long history. It’s possible though that this picture captures the biggest of them. Thank you to both Mr. Williams and Ms. Jeannie Kuhn for sharing the image.
I’ll stop with the relentless hammering of the High Street and Fayette Street corner. I’ve now got it covered from three separate angles, although all three captured different views of the area. I also like how little has changed. With the exception of the huge tree beside the old Masonic Building, everything appears to be entirely the same architecturally. The top photo was from 1930; the second photo from last week. That’s 83ish years and little change. Buildings were built to last apparently.
(Photos courtesy of West Virginia History On View.)
