Huntington’s Old Central City — a quaint district centered on West 14th Street and known for its antique shops, craft stores and historic buildings — has given birth to a new non profit organization that hopes to secure the area’s history.
“RenewAll is a nonprofit developer,” RenewAll Executive Director Laura Kemp said. “We lead programming and engage in projects that bring new activities and experiences to West Huntington and celebrate our history.”
The organization is involved with many local projects, including entrepreneurial ventures. Recently, it teamed up with an Ohio-based company called ECDI, which provides educational training for startup businesses. Several of the small businesses involved with RenewAll have gone through the process to improve business practices, become more efficient and attract investors.
Sequoia Ware, the RenewAll community engagement coordinator, felt positively about the initiatives for Huntington entrepreneurs.
“RenewAll is investing in a future where students can build their careers locally; building spaces that will empower and serve the next generation of professionals,” Ware said.
Another point of entry for Central City businesses is a focus on community. Behind every business is a person, and behind every person is a history. RenewAll has made it its goal to tell the histories and embrace their impact on the community.
“I think a really important thing that we maybe miss out on in today’s world is that our communities used to be really closely intertwined and that idea of giving back was just part of what a small business did because it served local people,” Kemp said.
Not only does the appreciation improve communities and businesses, it also attracts new and creative people to Huntington.
“A lot of our goals with our programming is trying to draw people in, engage new voices in Central City and make sure that everything we’re doing is representative of the community’s mission,” Kemp said.
RenewAll is also involved with the preservation and celebration of Central City’s rich history. The town began with the railroad boom and quickly became an industrial and manufacturing center. The city and population bloomed between 1893 and 1909 when it was officially incorporated into the city of Huntington.
“So that’s where we get the name Central City,” Kemp said. “It’s central because it’s a midpoint between what was then Huntington in 1893 and Kenova, where the railroad terminated at the time.”
RenewAll has captured the beauty and strength of the historic Central City through several projects — specifically, the Central City Museum, which offers free visits. The museum displays oral histories and collections of objects, which are continuously accumulated and documented.
“We’ve really been able to build on that written history that was created 30 years ago and create a museum experience that is available to the public seven days a week,” Kemp said.
Claire Johnson can be contacted at [email protected].
