ROMNEY, W.Va. — The West Virginia Schools for the Deaf and Blind dedicated its new Administration Building Memorial Thursday on the historic campus in Romney.
The memorial is the outline of the front of a building in memory of the former Administration Building that was destroyed in a February 2022 fire.
Schools for the Deaf and Blind Superintendent Clayton Burch said the memorial is a beautiful fit.
“After four years we have a gorgeous centerpiece to this Romney community and it’s a memorial,” Burch said.
The memorial plaza includes eight historical kiosks for visitors to the campus.
The high school students played a big role at Thursday’s ceremony.
“Their message is that we are going to honor our past but they also want to remind folks that this campus continues to change and we are going to prepare students for the future,” Burch said.
The history is an important part of the Schools for the Deaf and Blind, Burch said.
“This school began in 1870 and they (students) appreciate and respect the history,” he said.
The building that was destroyed more than four years ago was built in the 1800s and at the time of the fire housed the school’s artifacts and superintendent’s residence. It was unoccupied when the fire started.