Eleanor’s
65th Anniversary and ‘The Brick’
by
Joseph Wilson Ruffner
Leaving
Nitro, WV, on the highway to Eleanor, you soon come to a roadside marker
showing the image of George Washington and giving a brief description of his
involvement with these western Virginia lands. After passing this marker, when
the shoulders of the road widen, you know you are approaching a more developed
area. Soon you are in Eleanor, WV.
On
the first day of our visit, we immediately spotted ‘the Brick’, or ‘the
Red House’, or ‘the Joseph Ruffner House’. It is known by each of these
names to the local citizens and, as described, it is an easily identified
landmark in the heart of this community. We met and were greeted by Mrs. Emma
Lee Lewis—who first made us aware of this Ruffner house, and Mrs. Marlane
Carr—the most knowledgeable person about the house’s history and the most
interested supporter of its preservation and future use.
As
we toured the house from top to bottom, Marlane’s descriptions of its known
history, its role and influence as the administrative center during
Eleanor’s early years of development, and the ideas for its future use were
most enlightening and intriguing. Its history is worthy of further discussion
at some point.
The
following day, we returned for the opening of their 65th
Anniversary Celebration. Before the community dinner and entertainment began,
we drove through most of the community. Here we saw the evidences of
Eleanor’s beginning and its continuing life; the homes, the schools, and the
park. Most of these are located on semi-circular streets which radiate from
the “hard road.” On the opposite side of the road, at their geometric
center, is ‘the Brick’.
The
housing was built for and by the original depression-era homesteaders. Some
homes look as though they have not changed except for new paint while others
have been remodeled. All are elegant; both in their neat and clean original
simplicity, and in their tasteful and varied remodeling. Many are still owned
by the original homesteaders’ descendants. The scheduled activities I
sampled during my brief visit were: A delicious home-cooked Celebration
dinner, and a very talented gospel music performance. But, the real treats I
derived from this experience were: Meeting and talking to the people, seeing
their community, seeing them gather as a community, and observing their
interactions with one another. Their interest in and concern for each other
and their community was very openly obvious.
Marlane
had said it would be a “simple small town celebration,” and Emma Lee’s
latest note states, “hope you are glad you came.” In my estimation, its
simplicity perfectly captured the real sense and qualities of community. The
same values which have been lost or were never possessed by many other
communities.
Yes, I’m glad I went to Eleanor and my ‘thanks’ to all of you for your cordial hospitality! I shall fondly remember my experiences with the people, the setting, ‘the Brick’, and their small town community. And, maybe the next time I’m in the vicinity, I’ll have enough time to just drop in to again say, ‘Hello!’
Click on the pictures for larger view
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