A place people should know
If you’re traveling to or from West Virginia on Route 844, you might want to slow down around West Middletown.
One of the smallest communities in Washington County, with an annual budget of just $55,000, it contains a wealth of history, with 31 homes built before 1850. It’s picturesque, no question about it.
But West Middletown also faces some of the same problems that plague other small towns in the region where the history doesn’t run as deep.
Jobs are few and far away, and some of the homes are in need of repair.
As we reported last week, preservationists are working to keep West Middletown healthy. Among other things, they hope to present a sidewalk project to the county’s redevelopment authority, and are working with Hopewell, Canton and North Franklin townships on a zoning ordinance that will encompass all four communities and, West Middletown hopes, strengthen the codes around its historic district.
West Middletown is a place more people in the region should know about.
In fact, if you’re driving through West Middletown, you might want to do more than slow down. You might want to stop, park your car, walk around and appreciate its charm.