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Downtown Charleston is noted for striking architectural features on many of its buildings. Use this section as a guide for a leisurely walking tour. Many of these buildings are occupied by local businesses, restaurants and retail establishments.
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Formerly the Daniel Boone Hotel, one of Charleston's most lavish hotels, built by a progressive group of Charleston citizens at a cost of more than $1.2 million. It was named for Daniel Boone, the frontiersman who resided for a time in Kanawha County. This building has housed such notables as John F. Kennedy, Bob Hope, Tyrone Power and Elvis Presley. The interior was recently renovated in a unique style for office space while maintaining the original style and charm of the exterior. The interior is now noted for its 10-story atrium. 405 Capitol Street.
Brawley Walkway, named for noted Charleston historian, Harry Brawley, runs from Capitol Street to Court Street and links the renovated downtown to Charleston Town Center mall. Between Summers and Laidley Street, the walkway broadens out to become Slack Plaza and Transportation Mall. This favorite gathering place was named in honor of former Congressman John M. Slack.
The Beauz Arts-style brick and terra cotta trimmed depot provided the state capital with a grand point of interest in earlier days. In 1987, it was completely refurbished inside and out returning it to its original grandeur and a companion building in the same style was erected beside it. The old depot houses a restaurant on the main level with office space on the upper level. It also still houses the local depot for AMTRAK. 350 MacCorkle Ave, SE.
Dominating the entrance to One Valley Square, home of BB&T, is the sculpture Cabriole. The sculptor, Jimilu Mason of Arlington, VA., took three years to complete this work and terms it her "grandest project ever." The dramatic sense of movement and weightlessness is enhanced by Cabriole's 45 degree posture and asymmetrical composition. Summers and Lee Street.
 Capitol Center Theatre
From the day it opened in 1914 as a vaudeville showplace, to its later transformation as a movie theatre, the West Virginia Capitol Theatre has starred as one of Charleston's leading entertainment attractions. It was restored and reopened as the Capitol Center in 1984. This magnificent historical landmark continues to provide a wide variety of entertainment as part of West Virginia State University. 123 Summers Street.
H. Rus Warne, architect. Fluted, two-story, engaged columns lend classical dignity to the front elevation of Charleston's handsome seat of government. Court and Virginia Streets
The glass and metal tower of the Huntington Banks West Virginia building occupies the site of the old Statehouse Annex, which was a domed, Beaux Arts-style building that was built in 1901-03 to house the West Virginia Supreme Court and State Archives. 800 Block of Lee Street.
This 3-story brick structure was the "Gay Nineties" home of the dry goods company of Coyle and Richardson. Its ornate brickworks and detailing suggest strong Renaissance Revival appeal. Corner of Lee and Dickinson Streets.
A quiet oasis of greenery linking Capitol and Summers Streets. It features an equestrian statue of Henry G. Davis, U.S. Senator from West Virginia, 1871-83, railroader and vice presidential candidate. Davis is also honored with a copy of this statue in Elkins, West Virginia. Capitol and Lee Streets.
Weaver-Werner-Atkins, architect. One of the great architectural landmarks of West Virginia, the church displays an Imperial Roman exterior and a dazzling Byzantine interior, including a 52-foot diameter dome set on pendentives. 16 Leon Sullivan Way.
Before 1923, the Governor of West Virginia resided in a large Queen Anne-style house on the site of what is now Davis Square, an office building occupied by AT&T. Davis Park.
A lovely location for both special events and everyday enjoyment. The park features an amphitheatre that accommodates up to 5,000 for events such as symphony concerts and plays. It is also an excellent place for sight-seeing; picnicking; sunbathing; biking; running; and enjoying the picturesque Charleston riverscape. 700 Block of Kanawha Blvd.
Three units comprise the picturesque Romanesque-style mass of the main country courthouse. The first segment, built in 1892, was followed by a second, the Boulevard unit, in 1917. This was then succeeded by a Virginia Street addition in 1924. A modern courthouse annex was built across Virginia Street in 1985. 409 Virginia Street, East.
Originally the Federal Court Building and Charleston Post Office. Opened as the public library in 1966. The classical facade is distinguished by a colonnade of engaged ionic columns. The fountain sculpture was created in 1966 by Robert Cronback of New York. 123 Capitol Street.
Edwin Anderson, architect. Charleston's oldest extant house of worship is a significant example of High Victorian Gothic architecture. Its interior is aglow with color from Tiffany glass windows. 1009 Virginia Street, East.
This 20-story high-rise is richly appointed with gray and orange terra cotta trim. It served as headquarters of the Kanawha Valley Bank and occupies the site of the old West Virginia Capitol Building which burned in 1921. Corner of Capitol and Lee and Dickinson Streets. |
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Originally the home of Loewenstein & Sons Hardware and Saddle Firm, the interior has recently been renovated for office and apartment usage. A pressed brick building with eclectic late Victorian and classical details featuring Jack Arches and Keystones above the windows and on the upper floors. Very fine cornice details. 233 Capitol Street.
H. Rus Warne, architect. Intricate Gothic pinnacles, pointed arches and window tracery are terra cotta details unlike any other found in downtown buildings. 107 Hale Street.
Built in 1890 for a wholesale grocery company and recently renovated as an office building. Especially noteworthy is the environmental mural on the side of the building facing the Southside Bridge. This mural, incorporating the actual windows in the building, was conceived and painted by Bart Davies, a Fine Arts graduate of Penn State. It took two years to complete. Virginia and Hale Streets (at the foot of the Southside Bridge).
One of the most beautiful facades in Charleston using marble, terra cotta, mosaic tiles and imaginative ornamentation. Construction probably occurred in the 1930s. 819 Lee Street.
Great arches and a monumental tower are features of the Romanesque-style church whose cornerstone was laid by Bishop Donahue of Wheeling in late July, 1895. 1032 Virginia Street, East.
Onion domes representing candle flames, rise above the polychrome brick facade of St. George's. Of special beauty is the church's iconostasis separating the chancel from the nave. Lee and Court Streets.
Isaac Pursell, architect. The enormous tower and heavy base balanced with highpitched roofs and pointed arches combine elements of Gothic and Romanesque design. 1105 Quarrier Street.
The green-tiled dome and Corinthian portico of St. Marks are patterned after ancient Rome's great Pantheon. The capitols of the columns are deeply and expertly carved. 900 Washington St., East.
 Scott Building (1891)
Built for brothers W.D. and G.W. Scott, the Queen Anne-Renaissance-style pressed brick building housed, after 1914, the Scott Brothers Drug Store & Soda Fountain, an early Charleston mecca. The turreted Victorian building stands next to the site of the famed Burlew Opera House, a glittering 1,500 seat theatre that was replaced in 1918 by the O.J. Morrison Department Store. Now owned by First Empire Federal Savings and Loan Association. Corner of Fife and Capitol Streets.
John S. Atkins, architect. Originally the Kanawha National Bank, the building is clad in white glazed tiles with superb classical detailing. N.E. corner of Capitol and Virginia.
This street features sites and buildings prominent in West Virginia's African-American history. Among these are the Sam Starks House at 413 Shrewsbury St.. Sam Starks (1866-1908) was a nationally prominent African-American leader from Charleston. Among his many achievements was being appointed the first black state librarian in the U.S. Between 1000 block of Washington Street and Lewis Street.
This statue, located in the courtyard of St. Francis Hospital, is the work of William D. Hopen, a West Virginia artist from Sutton, WV. Other works of Mr. Hopen include the statue of Booker T. Washington on the State Capitol grounds and Mother With Children located at the Mother's Day Shrine in Grafton, West Virginia. 333 Laidley Street.
This eight-story office building was originally the National City Bank. Fine cream-colored terra cotta trim decorates the parapet and cornice. Corner of Kanawha Blvd. and Capitol Streets.
Clarence L. Harding, architect. The tallest building in West Virginia at the time of its construction, the landmark Union Building is a symbol of Charleston's early banking and business concerns. It was originally named the Alderson-Stephenson Building in honor of businessmen Charles Alderson and Samuel Stephenson who financed the construction. 723 Kanawha Blvd., East.
Designed by Paul Friedberg & Partners of New York in consultation with William Whyte, a nationally-recognized authority on "people places," United Center Plaza provides a quiet oasis for the pedestrian. The focal center of the Plaza is the sculpture titled Aspirations. This was designed and constructed by Alfred Kloke, a renowned sculptor-painter-architect from Berlin, Germany. 500 Virginia Stre et, East.
This group of buildings includes some of the oldest structures on Capitol Street, dating back to 1887. On the east side of Capitol Street between Virginia & Quarrier Streets
Mother church of African-American Baptists in West Virginia. Constructed in 1872, the church formed in the 1850s. Booker T. Washington was a member from age 9 to 16. Other historic sites in Malden are Kanawha Salines Presbyterian Church erected in 1840, Reynolds House, Oakes House and Booker T. Washington Park, site of his aunt's home, where he lived. US Route 60 East to Malden Exit, left on Malden Drive. This monument commemorates the first drilled well in America and the first industrial use of natural gas. On US Route 60 East of Charleston near the Capitol Complex. 
This historic house, a Greek Revival structure, was built in 1834 by Rev. James Craik, grandson of Dr. James Craik, physician and friend of George Washington. Later occupied by Colonel George S. Patton, grandfather of General Patton, of World War II fame. Open mid-April through mid-October, on Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, 1:00 pm - 4:00 pm. Groups by appointment, 304/925-5341. Located at Daniel Boone Park on US Rt. 60 East.
Last known remnants of a once thriving industry built around 1855. One of only two such wine cellars east of the Mississippi River. Dunbar Exit off I-64, follow State Route 25 to the park. Contact Rod Harless, 304/766-0223.
East End of Charleston. A variety of architectural styles including Greek Revival, late Victorian, Queen Anne, Richardson Romanesque, Colonial, Georgian, Spanish Colonial, Italianate and Renaissance. Mostly built between 1895 and 1925. District bounded by Bradford St., Quarrier St., East Ave., and Kanawha Blvd. Call Betty Wampler, East End Historical District. 304/344/3879. Built in 1852 in the Greek Revival style. Furnished with numerous pieces bought in 1857 by Judge Summers. Now owned by Marshall University Graduate College Foundation. Open only on special occasions as announced. Corner of Park Drive and Orchard Street (West Side).
Constructed by Daniel Ruffner in 1815 on what was then a plantation east of Charleston. The mansion is now preserved within the State Capitol Complex. The Mansion stands adjacent to the Governor's Mansion. Capitol Complex, Kanawha Blvd., East.
The second largest Indian burial mound in the state is located in downtown South Charleston on US Route 60 West. The mound was built by the Adena people, who are thought to be the first settlers in this area. A two-story Federal style residence built in 1845. The stone blocks are smooth ashlar. Open by appointment. Call Charleston Housing Authority, 304/348-6451. Washington Street, West, at Rebecca Street. Built by Samuel Shrewsbury, circa 1810. A significant example of Trans-Allegheny pioneer architecture, featuring 18-inch thick coursed rubble walls and large sandstone quoins strengthening the corners. Open third Saturday in May to October. Call Mrs. Adrian Edwards, 304/949-2380. Admission $3 for adults, $2 for children. US Route 60 East to Belle Exit, then 1/2 mile east on Dupont Avenue, right on Stubb Drive.Built in 1847 after fire destroyed the original church. It was occupied by federal troops during the Civil War and almost destroyed. Later restored, it was nearly 50 years before the federal government paid for damages. The bell is from the original church. "B" Street near 4th Avenue in St. Albans
Sunrise, home of William A. MacCorkle, Governor of West Virginia (1893-97), presents a classic facade overlooking the Kanawha River and downtown Charleston offering a spectacular view of the city. This beautiful 16-acre estate contains two restored mansions. It served as Sunrise Museum for many years. The museum moved to the Clay Center for the Arts & Sciences-West Virginia in 2003. 746 Myrtle Road
History of Charleston
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African Zion Baptist Church