Concord, Newburg, Preston County, WV
Concord,West Virginia had been assigned a question mark on my original list of Concords in the USA. I had hoped it qualified, but after hours of research, I concluded there was just a crossroads with a church and nothing else. As such it didn’t qualify.
Six years later as I was planning this final trip, I popped Concord WV into Google maps and there was more detail. The internet had caught up with Concord, West Virginia. There was a Concord Cemetery and a Concord Rd. It was listed as an unincorporated place in Preston County WV. It was back on the list.
After leaving Concord University, we headed north for three hours to this unpromising spot on the map in the middle of Appalachia. We set the GPS to the one clear spot - The Concord Cemetery. The drive took us through the backroads of West Virginia. We tried to remember the lyrics to the rest of John Denver’s “Take me home, country road, to the place I belong, West Virginia…”
Concord,West Virginia had been assigned a question mark on my original list of Concords in the USA. I had hoped it qualified, but after hours of research, I concluded there was just a crossroads with a church and nothing else. As such it didn’t qualify.
Six years later as I was planning this final trip, I popped Concord WV into Google maps and there was more detail. The internet had caught up with Concord, West Virginia. There was a Concord Cemetery and a Concord Rd. It was listed as an unincorporated place in Preston County WV. It was back on the list.
After leaving Concord University, we headed north for three hours to this unpromising spot on the map in the middle of Appalachia. We set the GPS to the one clear spot - The Concord Cemetery. The drive took us through the backroads of West Virginia. We tried to remember the lyrics to the rest of John Denver’s “Take me home, country road, to the place I belong, West Virginia…”
On all of my trips, I have been confronted by decay: decaying cities, decaying towns, decaying villages. In rural settings, there are often boarded-up farmhouses and tumbledown barns. There is such elegance in these images of man-made objects being overtaken by nature. In my early trips, I would often document this stunning juxtaposition. After these early trips, I no longer pulled the car over every time I saw a swing-set covered in vines, or a front porch with a jungle of overturned lawn chairs. Sagging barns and rusted skeletons of cars with tail fins lost their appeal. These images were everywhere. I couldn’t stop at them all, and after a while I didn’t stop to photograph any of them. They seemed like stereotypes based on the glorious images of the classic black and white photographers of America’s Great Depression Era. My goal has always been to meet people and hear their stories and find the best of their lives. It is too easy to focus on the worst aspects of Concords.
There are rotting, abandoned houses in affluent Concord, Mass. Decay generally leads to rebirth. For example, those who fell on hard times in the City of Concord,North Carolina lost their homes to the bank. The bank offload these properties to immigrants, and a new community arose from the urban decay. There is a natural cycle: birth, growth, decay, rebirth. In so much of Appalachia, this cycle does not seem to exist. Perhaps the core of the problem is that the land sucks. The greenery and beautiful rolling hills and hollers attracted the Scots and the Irish, but the cheap land was an invitation to generational misery. The land was just productive to eke out a living, but never, no matter how hard they worked by building new barns and schools and churches could they escape crushing poverty. They couldn’t provide a future of anything more than toil for their many offspring.
In the Mid-West, the inefficiency of the family farm led to the rise of mega-farms.Traveling the back roads of West Virginia, I didn't see a single affluent working farm. Maybe I was just concentrating too hard on staying on the winding country roads, but the roadside pattern was two or three abandoned homes followed by a neat, small, but decaying, home, followed by a couple of expanses of lawn with a prefab one-story home on a concrete block base. Dense woods of immature trees followed. Scattered amongst these scraggly oaks were ruins of cabins overgrown by vines. Some showed signs of fire, others were still painted with vibrant colors that reflected the ambition of these day-care providers, or motel owners, or barkeepers. People worked so damn hard to create their family’s future only to have all their efforts crushed.
There are rotting, abandoned houses in affluent Concord, Mass. Decay generally leads to rebirth. For example, those who fell on hard times in the City of Concord,North Carolina lost their homes to the bank. The bank offload these properties to immigrants, and a new community arose from the urban decay. There is a natural cycle: birth, growth, decay, rebirth. In so much of Appalachia, this cycle does not seem to exist. Perhaps the core of the problem is that the land sucks. The greenery and beautiful rolling hills and hollers attracted the Scots and the Irish, but the cheap land was an invitation to generational misery. The land was just productive to eke out a living, but never, no matter how hard they worked by building new barns and schools and churches could they escape crushing poverty. They couldn’t provide a future of anything more than toil for their many offspring.
In the Mid-West, the inefficiency of the family farm led to the rise of mega-farms.Traveling the back roads of West Virginia, I didn't see a single affluent working farm. Maybe I was just concentrating too hard on staying on the winding country roads, but the roadside pattern was two or three abandoned homes followed by a neat, small, but decaying, home, followed by a couple of expanses of lawn with a prefab one-story home on a concrete block base. Dense woods of immature trees followed. Scattered amongst these scraggly oaks were ruins of cabins overgrown by vines. Some showed signs of fire, others were still painted with vibrant colors that reflected the ambition of these day-care providers, or motel owners, or barkeepers. People worked so damn hard to create their family’s future only to have all their efforts crushed.
We drove past the Concord Cemetery. Couldn’t see it. We kept going, slowing down despite the pickup looming in the rear view mirror. After a mile that seemed like much more, there it was - “Concord Road”. I hit the brake and slid onto the gravel road to the right. I jumped out to take a picture of the signs. After 80+ Concords, I admit I ‘m obsessed with “Concord” signs. We headed up the hill toward the “Concord Community Church.”
The structure was clearly a church, but there was no evidence that it was in operation. There was no signboard with pithy inspirational statements. There was no sign stating the time of service. There wasn’t even a sign saying the name of the church. There was just white 8” aluminum siding surrounding a white building with two doors.
I tapped the siding. Yep, aluminum. My father had sold the stuff back in the 1960’s through the 1980’s. I worked for my dad off and on over my younger years, so I knew my building products. It had been 50 years since the heyday of aluminum siding. Vinyl siding quickly dominated the renovation market, but here in Concord West Virginia was this pristine example of a building products bygone era.
The doors were locked, but I wiped clean a few windows, and to my surprise, the interior was pristine ready for service. Maybe that last service was 20 years ago, maybe it was yesterday.
I tapped the siding. Yep, aluminum. My father had sold the stuff back in the 1960’s through the 1980’s. I worked for my dad off and on over my younger years, so I knew my building products. It had been 50 years since the heyday of aluminum siding. Vinyl siding quickly dominated the renovation market, but here in Concord West Virginia was this pristine example of a building products bygone era.
The doors were locked, but I wiped clean a few windows, and to my surprise, the interior was pristine ready for service. Maybe that last service was 20 years ago, maybe it was yesterday.
The doors were locked, but I wiped clean a few windows, and to my surprise, the interior was pristine ready for service. Maybe that last service was 20 years ago, maybe it was yesterday.
By the time I returned to the car, Liz had determined that Concord Road continued to the left.
The dirt road heaved up and down, right and left. There were side roads, but each had either a rusty gate or a sign that started “TRESPASSERS WILL…”. Normally, I ignore such warnings. Trespassing laws vary, but in general, passing through on road or path is tolerated, but we didn't want to stumble on some illicit moonshining operation. West Virginia is also at the center of the opioid epidemic. According to Google, the mortality rate is between 80-90 deaths per 100,000 people mostly due to synthetic opioids like fentanyl, prescription painkillers, and methamphetamine. It's mind boggling that nearly 1 out of a 1000 people die annually due to drug use. We drove on up the rutted rocky road.
The dirt road heaved up and down, right and left. There were side roads, but each had either a rusty gate or a sign that started “TRESPASSERS WILL…”. Normally, I ignore such warnings. Trespassing laws vary, but in general, passing through on road or path is tolerated, but we didn't want to stumble on some illicit moonshining operation. West Virginia is also at the center of the opioid epidemic. According to Google, the mortality rate is between 80-90 deaths per 100,000 people mostly due to synthetic opioids like fentanyl, prescription painkillers, and methamphetamine. It's mind boggling that nearly 1 out of a 1000 people die annually due to drug use. We drove on up the rutted rocky road.
We drove past a guy in an orange long sleeve shirt , Liz warned “I’m getting a bad vibe.”
“Don’t talk to him. I get a bad feeling from him. He looks scary” I stopped anyway.
I missed his name, but I remember his answer. He liked Concord, because it was quiet and people left you alone and you could hunt. We continued up the road.
“Don’t talk to him. I get a bad feeling from him. He looks scary” I stopped anyway.
I missed his name, but I remember his answer. He liked Concord, because it was quiet and people left you alone and you could hunt. We continued up the road.
The dirt road heaved up and down, right and left. There were side roads, but each had either a rusty gate or a sign that started “TRESPASSERS WILL…”. Normally, I ignore such warnings. Trespassing laws vary, but in general, passing through on road or path is tolerated, but we didn't want to stumble on some illicit moonshining operation. West Virginia is also at the center of the opioid epidemic. According to Google, the mortality rate is between 80-90 deaths per 100,000 people mostly due to synthetic opioids like fentanyl, prescription painkillers, and methamphetamine. It's mind boggling that nearly 1 out of a 1000 people die annually due to drug use. We drove on up the rutted rocky road.
After a couple of minutes of deepest darkest America, we came upon a clearing. Suddenly, there was a large prefab house in front of a massive expanse of recently mowed grass. We had emerged into another world.. In front of us was a recreational wonderland. A full set of playground equipment flanked a picnic area and a basketball court. A full 5 acre field, recently mowed, served as the backdrop.
What the heck was this place? I jumped out of the car and took pictures of the playground in the woods.
After a couple of minutes of deepest darkest America, we came upon a clearing. Suddenly, there was a large prefab house in front of a massive expanse of recently mowed grass. We had emerged into another world.. In front of us was a recreational wonderland. A full set of playground equipment flanked a picnic area and a basketball court. A full 5 acre field, recently mowed, served as the backdrop.
What the heck was this place? I jumped out of the car and took pictures of the playground in the woods.
We continued on until the GPS said we were well beyond Concord, so we returned back toward the Concord Community Church.
Just beyond the church, I spotted smoke, so we pulled off to investigate. I parked and walked up the driveway.
Just beyond the church, I spotted smoke, so we pulled off to investigate. I parked and walked up the driveway.
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Sean and Jessica Howard. and Baby Beau.
Sean gave us direction back to our original destination - the Concord Cemetery.
We doubled back a mile down the road and pulled off at a driveway. It wasn't the warmest welcome. We parked and walked up the hill. The headstones went back to the early 1800's, but it was a pretty depressing cemetery.. Concordians had been scratching out a living for over two hundred years in the area. It was hard to imagine much had changed.
"Prayer is the best way to meet the Lord. Trespassing is faster."
