Kimball War Memorial

Kimball War Memorial. . , In the 1920s, a group of World War I veterans approached the McDowell County Commission to discuss their plans for building a new memorial that would recognize African American veterans. The county approved the plan and set aside $25,000 for the construction. The Kimball War Memorial was the first building in the United States to honor the 400,000 African Americans who volunteered their service during World War I. Of the 50,000 who served overseas, over 1,500 were from McDowell County. , Construction of the memorial began in 1927 and was dedicated on February 11, 1928. Hassel T. Hicks, a resident of Welch, West Virginia, designed the war memorial in classical Greek style. This multi-purpose building housed the first black American Legion Post as well as a library, kitchen, trophy room, reading room, pool hall, auditorium, and offices. The building became the center of community life hosting high school proms, wedding receptions, and performances by Cab Calloway and other well known entertainers. , As the coal industry declined, so did the memorial. Local restoration efforts were underway when the building caught fire on April 12, 1991, leaving only the exterior shell. Community members began raising funds to restore the building. With additional funds from state and federal sources, the war memorial was restored and reopened in 2006.