MotionMasters is going on a treasure hunt of sorts looking for pictures, interviews and memorabilia that help tell the story of West Virginia’s state Capitol. Our journey has been enjoyable and informative. In recent weeks, we’ve interviewed a 95-year-old woman who witnessed the burning of one of our capitols in Charleston. Our cameras also were rolling in March when all the Capitol’s chandeliers were taken down and shipped off to a New Hampshire company for long over-due cleaning and restoration – their first since the building was completed in 1932. Our cameras even tagged along as fourth-graders took in our majestic Capitol for the very first time. A number of other interviews and events have been captured and will be woven into the first documentary ever produced about the history of the state Capitol. “Temple of Democracy: West Virginia’s State Capitol” will be released later this year to coincide with the 75th anniversary of the completion of the current capitol building.
In addition to being our seat of government, the state Capitol serves as a backdrop for many events. If you took wedding, prom or family pictures at the Capitol or if you have a memory you would like to share with us about an event that happened at our state Capitol please contact us.
Fund raising for this educational piece is ongoing. Major funding for the project is being provided by Appalachian Power, West Virginia Lottery and West Virginia State Legislature. Additional support to date includes Bowles Rice McDavid Graff & Love LLP, The Dow Chemical Company, Governor’s Office, Huntington Foundation, Schoenbaum Family Foundation, WV Department of Education and the Arts, Columbia Gas Transmission, The Greater Kanawha Valley Foundation, Robert H. Mollohan Family Charitable Foundation, Walker Machinery, Chesapeake Energy and Haddad Foundation. The University of Charleston is our fiscal sponsor. Contributions toward the production are tax-deductible.
The documentary will be distributed free of charge to all West Virginia secondary schools and libraries. The documentary is also slated to appear multiple times on West Virginia Public Broadcasting.