Arthurdale, West Virginia
Unincorporated community in West Virginia, United States / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Arthurdale is an unincorporated community in Preston County, West Virginia, United States. It was built in 1933 at the height of the Great Depression as a social experiment to provide opportunities for unemployed local miners and farmers. Arthurdale was undertaken by the short-lived Subsistence Homesteads Division and with the personal involvement of First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt, who used her influence to win government approval for the scheme.
Arthurdale, West Virginia | |
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Coordinates: 39°29′42″N 79°48′54″W | |
Country | United States |
State | West Virginia |
County | Preston |
Elevation | 1,775 ft (541 m) |
Time zone | UTC-5 (Eastern (EST)) |
• Summer (DST) | UTC-4 (EDT) |
GNIS feature ID | 1553753[1] |
Website | arthurdaleheritage |
Arthurdale Historic District | |
Location | E and W of WV 92, Arthurdale, West Virginia |
Area | 1,102 acres (446 ha) |
Built | 1933 |
Architect | Gugler, Eric; Wagner, Stewart |
NRHP reference No. | 88001862[2] |
Added to NRHP | February 1, 1989 |
The aim was to encourage self-sufficiency and reduce dependence on both market forces and welfare provision. The experiment failed through a clash of ideologies, between a strong emphasis on accommodating those most in need yet also having qualifications to ensure that the community would be self-governed in a professional manner. The entrepreneurial community spirit never took hold, and the project is generally remembered as a classic failure, though some of its original residents continued to defend its principles. Arthurdale is now classed as a historic district, with over 100 of the original buildings still standing in addition to a New Deal museum.