A blanket of snow has settled over Blennerhassett Island State Park, and recent temperatures have reminded us that winter has a firm grip on the area. Yet from above, the Island glows warmly thanks to new lighting enhancements. Those lights were funded, in part, by a grant from the Local History and Resource Conservation Fund, which is celebrating 45 years of impact in our community.

Established in 1981, the Local History and Resource Conservation Fund was created to support projects that preserve local history and share the stories of our region’s historic places. Over the past four and a half decades, the fund has quietly but consistently helped protect the heritage that defines our region. The recent lighting improvements at Blennerhassett Island State Park are just one example of how the fund continues to make history accessible and visible for residents and visitors alike.

The fund was established by Albert Wolfe, a visionary with deep roots in Parkersburg and a lifelong passion for historic preservation. Mr. Wolfe also played a key role in the founding of the Parkersburg Area Community Foundation in 1963, helping to lay the groundwork for decades of local philanthropy.

Born in Parkersburg, Mr. Wolfe went on to graduate from Princeton University and Harvard Law School before building a distinguished legal career in New England. In 1940, he became a partner at the Boston law firm of Rackemann, Sawyer, and Brewster, where he specialized in real estate law with a particular focus on historic preservation and conservation. Though he lived much of his life away from West Virginia, his connection to the Mid-Ohio Valley never faded.

The Wolfe family supported many charitable efforts in the Parkersburg area. Mr. Wolfe donated the land for the Presbyterian Church built in 1961, and his sister, Elizabeth Wolfe Eddy, donated the Cook House at Thirteenth Street and Murdoch Avenue to the Junior League of Parkersburg, now owned by the Oil, Gas, and Industrial Historical Association, Inc.

Nationally, Mr. Wolfe’s commitment to preservation was equally strong. He served as counsel for the Society for the Preservation of New England Antiquities, chaired the Cambridge Historical Commission, served on the Massachusetts Historical Commission, and was a trustee of the National Trust for Historic Preservation.

Forty-five years after the fund’s creation, its mission continues to glow, much like Blennerhassett Island on a snowy winter night, reminding us that thoughtful investments can brighten even the coldest of seasons.

Picture of Blennerhassett Island State Park courtesy of MOV Drone Services.