The city of Mannington became a Main Street community in 1991 when Mannington Main Street was officially founded. In 1991 several suspicious fires occurred in Mannington, West Virginia. Fires were set in Sandy's Yarn Shop, the Old Bank Building, Shawn's Playhouse, the Community Hardware, the Masonic Lodge, the East High Street Methodist Church, and two dwellings. An arson attempt was committed upon the Old Theater, also known as the Old Show Building.
Our town was heartbroken, but a group of concerned citizens (Robert Duncan, Philip Prichard, Betty Dent, Jean Wetzel, Orie Ellen Sterling, Joseph Potoczny, and Carol DelRosso) were determined to save our historic downtown and move forward. The group formed the Mannington Main Street program in collaboration with the City of Mannington.
The city has generously and continuously supported the efforts of the program over the past 33 years. The support of the city, our citizens, and local businesses has enabled Main Street to help reimagine what remained of our historic downtown.
Over the past three decades, Mannington has seen many gains and its share of growth and revitalization. However, in more recent years, much like many other small Appalachian towns, economic decline and population loss have influenced our downtown. On a positive note, the City of Mannington has made strides to clean up dilapidated buildings and houses.
One example of reimagining a downtown space was a section of buildings called the Wintergarden which previously held a restaurant, office spaces, and apartments. When the building became uninhabitable and torn down, Mannington Main Street and the City of Mannington collaborated on grant opportunities to fund Wintergarden Park. Located at the end of Water Street, Wintergarden Park has an amphitheater, which is utilized for concerts and various other events throughout the year.
The downtown area of Mannington has several businesses including the Millers Daughter Amish Grocery, BerTeas Tea Boutique and Tasting Bar, Mountaineer Florist, Something Special, Millers Hardware, Morris Marketplace & Menagerie, and Marios II restaurant.
Mannington also offers several other restaurants, an ice cream store (Our Back Porch), a modern gym (North Peak Performance), as well as a locally owned pharmacy and doctor offices and we will soon have a brand new public pool at Hough Park.
Economic decline and population loss are intertwined challenges that require thoughtful solutions to ensure the long-term viability of our community, but together we can overcome these challenges and exceed expectations.
