Robert C. Byrd Center for Congressional History and Education
  • Home
  • About
    • Latest News
    • Leadership
    • Our Partners
    • Parking and Directions
    • News Archives
  • Education
    • Educational Resources
    • Internship Program
    • People Powered
  • Research
    • Congressional Collections >
      • Robert C. Byrd Congressional Papers
      • Harley O. Staggers, Sr. Congressional Papers
      • Harley O. Staggers, Jr. Congressional Papers
      • Scot Faulkner CAO Papers
      • Alan B. Mollohan Congressional Papers
    • Digital Collections
    • Byrd's-Eye View
    • Plan a Visit to the Archives
    • Collecting Policy
    • Oral History Project
    • Share Your Story!
    • Blog
  • Events
    • Constitution Day
    • Past Events >
      • Kate Masur 10/8
      • Nancy Spannaus 11/20
      • Tom Barkin 10/24
      • Constitution Day 2024 9/18
      • Mountain Music at the Mill 8/24
      • The Fiddlin' Bobby Byrd, Mountain Musician with Adam Booth 5/9
      • Beto O'Rourke 3/3&4
      • An Evening of WV Stories with Adam Booth 2/22
      • Niagara Movement Film 2/8
      • Voices of the Community Series 2023
      • Summer Fundraiser 2023
      • Constitution Day 2023
      • The Arc of Power
      • Forum on Pollution
      • Formidable - author event
      • Constitution Day 2022
  • Support Us
    • Friends of the Byrd Center
    • Name a Seat
  • Reservations
  • Login
  • WV Civics Coalition

Making West Virginia’s Tallest Peak a “Stairway to the Stars”

4/11/2017

 
By Jody Brumage
​

Ascending to a height of 4,863 feet, Spruce Knob is the tallest mountain peak in the state of West Virginia as well as the highest summit of the Allegheny Mountain Range. Located in Pendleton County, West Virginia, Spruce Knob has been a popular scenic attraction for hiking and other recreational activities since its inclusion in the Monongahela National Forest in 1920. Senator Byrd recognized early in his career in Congress that Spruce Knob offered great potential for West Virginia’s tourism industry.
Picture
Senator and Mrs. Byrd tour Spruce Knob.
In 1965, Spruce Knob gained further recognition when President Lyndon Johnson signed legislation formally establishing the “Spruce Knob-Seneca Rocks National Recreation Area.” Containing over 100,000 acres of land protected and administered by the U.S. Forest Service, this was the first National Recreation Area to be created in the United States.
​
The creation of the National Recreation Area initiated several projects designed to provide visitor amenities that would encourage tourism to the scenic location. Even before the bill reached President Johnson’s desk, Senator Byrd was working in the Appropriations Committee to secure funding for an observation tower atop Spruce Knob. In a press release dated February 24, 1965, Senator Byrd announced that he would seek $100,000 to fund the project.
Picture
Building an observatory on the mountain would constitute a step towards the goal of enhancing West Virginia’s attractiveness to tourists, an advancement Senator Byrd believed would help to boost the economy of the state as its main industry, coal mining, was waning. At a meeting with constituents in October 1965, Senator Byrd declared “a law has been passed which I think we can call a milestone in West Virginia’s quest for the golden fleece of ‘tourism.’ Not only you and I, and the people of West Virginia, but also the people of the United States, have recognized that we have something special here.”
​
In the spring of 1966, Senator Byrd published an article in Outdoor America, the magazine of the Izaac Walton League, a national organization promoting conservation and outdoor recreation. Entitled “Come to Spruce Knob,” the article represented Senator Byrd’s first nation-wide publicity campaign for the Spruce Knob-Seneca Rocks National Recreation Area.
​Work to construct one of the park’s central features, the observatory atop Spruce Knob, progressed throughout 1966 and 1967. Preliminary designs included a unique sculpted tower resembling alpine mountain peaks with an observation deck suspended near the top. The final design selected for the project was a more restrained yet modern structure with two levels of observation platforms and an enclosed space for exhibit panels. The tower was finished in the summer of 1969.
Picture
Conceptual design for the Spruce Knob Observation Tower.
Picture
The final selected design of the tower.
​On September 13, 1969, Senator Byrd delivered the keynote address at dedication ceremonies for the Spruce Knob Observation Tower. Praising West Virginia’s commitment to enhancing its offerings to encourage tourism, Senator Byrd declared “West Virginia has so much that is beautiful and inspirational – so much that can enable the human soul. I hope that the day will come when people all over America will know West Virginia for its true quality and its grandeur.”
Scenes from the dedication of the Spruce Knob Observation Tower

Comments are closed.
    Welcome to the Byrd Center Blog! We share content here including research from our archival collections, articles from our director, and information on upcoming events. 

    Categories

    All
    Director's Posts
    Intern Blogs
    Posts From The Archives

    Archives

    April 2025
    July 2023
    January 2023
    November 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    November 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    April 2019
    March 2019
    December 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    January 2013
    November 2012
    October 2012
    August 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012
    May 2012
    December 2011

    RSS Feed

Picture
213 North King Street
PO Box 5000
Shepherd University
Shepherdstown, WV 25443
(304) 876 - 5701

Our Mission:

The Byrd Center advances representative democracy by promoting a better understanding of the United States Congress and the Constitution through programs and research that engage citizens.
Copyright © Robert C. Byrd Center for Congressional History and Education
  • Home
  • About
    • Latest News
    • Leadership
    • Our Partners
    • Parking and Directions
    • News Archives
  • Education
    • Educational Resources
    • Internship Program
    • People Powered
  • Research
    • Congressional Collections >
      • Robert C. Byrd Congressional Papers
      • Harley O. Staggers, Sr. Congressional Papers
      • Harley O. Staggers, Jr. Congressional Papers
      • Scot Faulkner CAO Papers
      • Alan B. Mollohan Congressional Papers
    • Digital Collections
    • Byrd's-Eye View
    • Plan a Visit to the Archives
    • Collecting Policy
    • Oral History Project
    • Share Your Story!
    • Blog
  • Events
    • Constitution Day
    • Past Events >
      • Kate Masur 10/8
      • Nancy Spannaus 11/20
      • Tom Barkin 10/24
      • Constitution Day 2024 9/18
      • Mountain Music at the Mill 8/24
      • The Fiddlin' Bobby Byrd, Mountain Musician with Adam Booth 5/9
      • Beto O'Rourke 3/3&4
      • An Evening of WV Stories with Adam Booth 2/22
      • Niagara Movement Film 2/8
      • Voices of the Community Series 2023
      • Summer Fundraiser 2023
      • Constitution Day 2023
      • The Arc of Power
      • Forum on Pollution
      • Formidable - author event
      • Constitution Day 2022
  • Support Us
    • Friends of the Byrd Center
    • Name a Seat
  • Reservations
  • Login
  • WV Civics Coalition