Arthurdale in Preston County, West Virginia — The American South (Appalachia)
The First Arthurdale House
Photographed By Bradley Owen, March 26, 2021
1. The First Arthurdale House Marker
"It was fabulous. That's the only word I can think of right now. It changed my life completely…within one day, my life changed overnight." - Glenna Williams
Arthurdale's 165 houses were built in three phases beginning in 1933. The first 50 homesteaders moved into prefabricated cottage-style Hodgson houses in 1934. These kit houses were meant to be summer homes so they needed insulation and a heating system added which led to major cost overruns. Eleanor Roosevelt helped design the interiors and they came partially furnished.
The Kees house, lot E-2, was the first house completed. The original owner was Arnold Malone, a member of the National Youth Administration which focused on providing jobs and training to young adults ages 16-25. The local chapter paid NYA workers $6-$40 a month primarily for working in community projects and agriculture. In 1942 Malone sold the house to the Kees family who donated it to Arthurdale Heritage, Inc. in 2011.
[Captions:]
The Hodgson houses were ill-suited to West Virginia winters, but were still a vast improvement for the first homesteaders.
Photo credit: Library of Congress
Youth stand on the porch of an Arthurdale home. Notice the National Youth Administration sign above them.
Photo credit: Arthurdale Heritage,
this page online
Erected 2014 by West Virginia University.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Settlements & Settlers. A significant historical year for this entry is 1933.
Location. 39° 29.788′ N, 79° 49.088′ W. Marker is in Arthurdale, West Virginia, in Preston County. Marker is on E Road, 0.1 miles west of A Road, on the left when traveling west. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 305 E Rd, Arthurdale WV 26520, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. The Great Hall (approx. 0.2 miles away); The Community Center (approx. 0.2 miles away); Community At Arthurdale (approx. 0.2 miles away); The Forge (approx. 0.2 miles away); Service Station (approx. 0.2 miles away); Administration Building (approx. 0.2 miles away); History of the Houses (approx. 0.2 miles away); Food Storage (approx. 0.2 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Arthurdale.
Also see . . . Arthurdale Heritage Inc. (Submitted on March 30, 2021, by Bradley Owen of Morgantown, West Virginia.)
Photographed By Bradley Owen, March 26, 2021
2. The First Arthurdale House Marker
Photographed By Bradley Owen, March 26, 2021
3. The Kees House
Photographed By Bradley Owen, March 26, 2021
4. An Original Barn Still Stands At This Property
Barns were built for 158 of the 165 Arthurdale homesteads.
Credits. This page was last revised on March 30, 2021. It was originally submitted on March 30, 2021, by Bradley Owen of Morgantown, West Virginia. This page has been viewed 275 times since then and 46 times this year. Last updated on March 30, 2021, by Bradley Owen of Morgantown, West Virginia. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on March 30, 2021, by Bradley Owen of Morgantown, West Virginia. • Devry Becker Jones was the editor who published this page.
