Gallery: West End Walking Tour

Toril Lavender/For The Herald-Dispatch

Parsons-Abbott-Mosser House, 725 9th. St. W. Built in 1870, this is the oldest house in the district and the most extraordinary. The 2 1/2-story Victorian home features lavish front elevation sawn work, most noticeably in the 2-story entrance bay porch. A Swiss-style, the house was built for Captain H. Chester Parsons (1840 to 1894) a local official and attorney for C&O Railroad.

Toril Lavender/For The Herald-Dispatch

Parsons-Abbott-Mosser House, 725 9th. St. W. Built in 1870, this is the oldest house in the district and the most extraordinary. The 2 1/2-story Victorian home features lavish front elevation sawn work, most noticeably in the 2-story entrance bay porch. A Swiss-style, the house was built for Captain H. Chester Parsons (1840 to 1894) a local official and attorney for C&O Railroad.

Toril Lavender/For The Herald-Dispatch

The Fiedler-Frasher House, 729 9th St., W. Built in 1935, the gambrel-roofed brick house of Dutch Colonial style was built by Paul Fiedler, mayor of Huntington from 1943-46.

Toril Lavender/For The Herald-Dispatch

Old Central City's 14th Street West is home to more than a dozen antique shops and is known as the Antiques Capital of the Tri-State.

Toril Lavender/For The Herald-Dispatch

Antique Shops. Old Central City's 14th Street West is home to more than a dozen antique shops such as MarkÕs Antiques (whose building is painted with a Mail Pouch Barn painting), The Central City Antique Mall and many more. There are also unique stores that include JohnnieÕs Market Fresh Meats, 722 West 14th St., Perry & Jaymes Florist (PJÕs) at 701 West 14th St., and West End Floral & Gift, 520 West 14th St., and at the corner of Madison and 14th Street, West Tenampa Mexican Restaurant.

Toril Lavender/For The Herald-Dispatch

The Boys and Girls Club in the West End is just one of the gathering spots along 14th Street West. There is also a senior center right down the block as well as a public library.

Toril Lavender/For The Herald-Dispatch

Central City Cafe, 529 W. 14th St. Opened and operated by David Luther, the history-filled cafe's walls are lined with old, newspapers, historic photographs and memorabilia from Old Central City. In 2008, the Cafe was featured on The Food Network show, Guy FieriÕs ÒDinerÕs, Drive-ins and Dives,Ó as well as mentioned in FieriÕs first cookbook of the same title.

Toril Lavender/For The Herald-Dispatch

Pride in community and country is strong along Old Central City and 14th Street West. This renovated neighborhood and business district on Huntington's west end is home to several festivals including Old Central City Days every third weekend in June.

Toril Lavender/For The Herald-Dispatch

Central City Market. Located at 555 West 14th St., the market is home to the Farmer's Market and the Senior Center. From June to October, The Central City Market, is packed with farmers from a 75-mile radius of Huntington selling a variety of West Virginia products, hard-to-find foods, flowers, plants and fresh produce.

Toril Lavender/For The Herald-Dispatch

This stone marks the short but explosive history of Central City. The city, and its 5,000 residents were annexed into Huntington in 1909. Central City was named because it was about midway between Guyandotte and Catlettsburg, Ky., the two biggest cities in the area at the time. Central City had a slew of factories including a tumbler factory, mental and furniture factory, a brewery, a handle factory, plate-glass works, an immense veneer plant, a bung factory, a distillery and much more.

Toril Lavender/For The Herald-Dispatch

This stone marks the short but explosive history of Central City. The city, and its 5,000 residents were annexed into Huntington in 1909. Central City was named because it was about midway between Guyandotte and Catlettsburg, Ky., the two biggest cities in the area at the time. Central City had a slew of factories including a tumbler factory, mental and furniture factory, a brewery, a handle factory, plate-glass works, an immense veneer plant, a bung factory, a distillery and much more.

Toril Lavender/For The Herald-Dispatch

Central United Methodist Church is just one of several churches that anchor the Old Central City area of West Huntington.

Toril Lavender/For The Herald-Dispatch

While Central City is best known for its many industries, it is also home to many churches tucked between 14th Street West and the 9th Street Historic District. This is the Madison Avenue Christian Church at 722 West 12th St.

Toril Lavender/For The Herald-Dispatch

While Central City is best known for its many industries, it is also home to many churches tucked between 14th Street West and the 9th Street Historic District.

Toril Lavender/For The Herald-Dispatch

Second Presbyterian Church, located on the corner of Jefferson Avenue and 9th St. W., the Beaux-Art style church, designed by Levi J. Dean, is a distinct landmark visible for many blocks because of its high copper-covered dome as well its imposing size at 150-feet-by-120-feet. Built in 1924-25, the church stands on the site of the congregationÕs first home built in 1910.

Toril Lavender/For The Herald-Dispatch

Duncan Box and Lumber Company. Located at 1034 West 14th St., Duncan Box is the oldest family-owned business in the Central City neighborhood of Huntington. M.L. Duncan bought the Beader Box Co., in 1894. Through the decades, Duncan supplied Fesenmeier Brewery and other beer companies with boxes, and also made soft drink boxes, box shocks, and Callapso Coops, a H.A. Duncan-patented device for penning poultry.

Toril Lavender/For The Herald-Dispatch

Opened in spring of 1996, the Central City Gazebo has been used for a wide range of community events including gospel sings, square dances, art exhibits, band concerts and even weddings. Available for rental to the public the Gazebo hosted its first wedding (Lynn Hudson and John Gallaher) on May 28, 1996. U.S. Senator, Jay Rockefeller (D-WV) said, ÒNow, this is a gazeboÓ at the dedication service. A large flagpole was dedicated to the memory of Bob and Mayme Chapman, early supporters of the Central City reunions.

Toril Lavender/For The Herald-Dispatch

Located at 1001 Jefferson Ave., Huntington Middle School is the former West Middle School. It's being used temporarily as Huntington Middle School, where 500 sixth, seventh and eighth graders attend school.

Toril Lavender/For The Herald-Dispatch

The Chapman-Smith-Hazelett House, 904 Madison Ave., is one of three historic homes located along Madison Avenue. Built in 1895, this two-story home features a patterned, slate-covered, multi-gable roof. In the gables, there is rich wood shinglework and enriched porch fascias suggesting Queen Anne styling. Floyd S. Chapman, Huntington mayor from 1912-15, 1922-25 and 1931-32, lived in this house during his first term.

Toril Lavender/For The Herald-Dispatch

Located between 10th and 9th Streets along Madison Avenue are three homes of historic significance. The Pollard-Scott House, 928 Madison Ave., was built in 1892. It is a gray Queen Anne-Style frame house with a corner round tower crowned with a shingled conical cap. The tower houses a half-spiral staircase.

Toril Lavender/For The Herald-Dispatch

Located between 10th and 9th streets along Madison Avenue are three homes of historic significance. The Surbough-Ferguson House, 910 Madison Ave., was built in 1893 with Queen Anne design elements on the frame house. Brackets, turned posts, shinglework, wood pendants, and other outstanding sawn and turned-wood envelop the house in the manner of frosting on a large Victorian wedding cake.

Toril Lavender/For The Herald-Dispatch

Brick sidewalks are found along some blocks of Madison Avenue and Jefferson Avenue between the historic districts of 9th Street West and 14th Street West, home to Old Central City, the Antiques Capital of the Tri-State.

Toril Lavender/For The Herald-Dispatch

Old Central City's 14th Street West is home to more than a dozen antique shops such as Mark's Antiques (whose building is painted with a Mail Pouch Barn painting).

Toril Lavender/For The Herald-Dispatch

While Central City is best known for its many industries, it is also home to many churches tucked between 14th Street West and the 9th Street Historic District. On Jefferson Avenue, you'll pass the New Day Ministry, 615 10th Street West, located in the former Jefferson Avenue Baptist Church building that was built in 1964.

Toril Lavender/For The Herald-Dispatch

Duncan Box and Lumber Company. Located at 1034 West 14th St., Duncan Box is the oldest family-owned business in the Central City neighborhood of Huntington. M.L. Duncan bought the Beader Box Co., in 1894. Through the decades, Duncan supplied Fesenmeier Brewery and other beer companies with boxes, and also made soft drink boxes, box shocks, and Callapso Coops, a H.A. Duncan-patented device for penning poultry.

Toril Lavender/For The Herald-Dispatch

J. Taylor Auto Collection. Located at 1404 Washington Ave., the J. Taylor Auto Collection is the newest museum in Huntington. Inside the museum see Jim Taylor's impressive collection of automobiles from 1914 on and that features Model TÕs, Model AÕs as well as a rare 1930 V-16 Cadillac Limousine and a 1936 Chrysler Convertible.

Toril Lavender/For The Herald-Dispatch

Located at Memorial Boulevard and 14th Street West in Huntington's Ritter Park, this outdoor museum is owned and operated entirely by the Collis P. Huntington Railroad Historical Society. It's open free from 2 to 5 p.m. every Sunday from Memorial Day to Sept. 30. The museum features more than half a dozen special train cars including the centerpiece, a C&O Mallet Freight Locomotive #1308 as well as the 1880s-style wood frame hand-car that appeared in the movie ÒMatewan.Ó