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The Putnam County Bank officially opened on&nbsp;October 25, 1901. Its first location was on Putnam Avenue, across the railroad
tracks from today's existing Main Bank location. In 1922 it was moved to its current location on Main Street.&nbsp; A second branch, the Interstate Office, was built in 1985 because of the new ability to connect branches by computer. It is located near the Hurricane exit of Interstate-64. The Interstate Office featured a new innovation,&nbsp;an automated teller machine. After its installation cash was available from the bank twenty-four hours a day and was a strong incentive for people to open accounts with Putnam County Banks. The third and final branch, the Valley Office, was added in Teays Valley in 1992, about five miles away from the main branch. It is located near the Winfield exit of Interstate-64. It was around the time that the third branch opened that&nbsp;computerization became more efficient and increased the bank's speed and accuracy. The bank's success has largely paralleled&nbsp;&nbsp;the growth of Putnam County. It is proud of its role in the community and has been publicly recognized by the Putnam County Commission, the Putnam County Development Authority, the Putnam County Chamber of Commerce, and the Putnam County Board of Education for its work in the community.

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Putnam County Bank is the first bank and second oldest business in Hurricane, West Virginia. The bank was originally located on Putnam Avenue across from the C&O Railway, but was moved in 1922 to its current location on Main Street where it has remained ever since. The building was expanded twice in 1959 and 1975. Today the Putnam County Bank has three branches and holds assets of over $600 million. 

Putnam County Bank

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Historic Hurricane has sites to see from the Main Street to the neighboring roads. Take a walk and discover all that Hurricane, West Virginia has to offer.

&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Hurricane Baptist Church was
established on May 26, 1860. It was a simple log cabin, used for worship and
Sunday School for the local community located near the Old Hurricane Bridge. Historians
believe that Morris Reece was the first pastor of the church, but records and
most locals say that L. E. Peters was the first pastor. In 1863, Civil War
soldiers fought in the surrounding area and burned down many buildings in the
area, including the church. The congregation was then scattered.

&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; It wasn't until 1871 when efforts
to bring the congratulation back together were attempted. On April 12, 1877,
the congregation received a deed for a parcel of land. They then erected a
large wooden frame, one-roomed with a bell tower. The bell is still in use
today behind the current church. The ringing of the bell was and still is used
to call the locals to the services, weddings, and funeral services. 

&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; As with many of the establishments
in the town of Hurricane, as it grew, so did the congregation. In 1900, the
church staff began to contemplate building a new church, or at the least, an
add on to the already existing church. These thoughts went on for about seven
years, until the construction of Route 60 passing through Hurricane. At the
time of the road being finished, the church did not face it. So the church body
took that as their opportunity to remodeled and were able to build it facing the
new road. 

&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; The nearby towns were centers of
war production materials during World War I, which led many people to live in
Hurricane. The church in turn gained the biggest increase of new members to the
congregation to date. This led to the church leaders suggesting brand new
building to hold the growing congregation. The construction began on May 1,
1924, and was completed on October 1, 1924. This new church building would
become the foundation of the modern church, as every addition to the church
were made from this particular building, such as the first addition being made
in 1953 to build more classrooms. Today, the building is used for the church
offices. The current sanctuary was built on July 2, 1967.

The Hurricane Baptist Church was built on May 26, 1860 as a log cabin where not only Baptists came to worship, but Methodists as well. It was originally known as the Hurricane Bridge Baptist Church. It now sits on the end of Main Street and is called First Baptist Church of Hurricane

First Baptist Church of Hurricane

Old Hurricane Baptist Church Cemetery is one of the oldest
sites in the town of Hurricane. Despite the name being associated with First
Baptist Church of Hurricane, the two technically have no connection to one
another. The cemetery was present on the land before the church was founded at
that particular spot. The earliest grave is dated 1822, long before even the
congregation was formed at the Hurricane Bridge Baptist Church on May 26, 1860. The earliest known grave belongs to Thomas Morris, while the most recent is from 1900 of Francis C. Reynolds. There are a total of 56 marked graves in this
cemetery, with fifteen unmarked graves. Rumor holds that the unmarked graves are of&nbsp;of Native Americans. A few Revolutionary War veterans and Confederate Captain Malon Kirtley are buried here; his body was later moved to a different section in the late 1900s.&nbsp;Many of the families buried in the cemetery have streets named after them today in the
neighborhood behind Main Street. The reason being; homage. They were some of
the first families to truly settle in Hurricane before it was officially a town
and they did not get to see it become one.

The cemetery had been neglected and in a poor condition&nbsp;before a teenage boy decided that he would restore it for his Eagle Scout project. Roger Hayslett and two friends
in the troop spent the spring break of their senior year weed eating, clearing
the fence of brush, and placing the headstones in their correct place. The
cemetery itself is in decent shape, with some graves being damaged by either
nature or vandalism. After Hayslett restored it, the City of Hurricane
began to maintain it, and continues so to this day.

Old Hurricane Baptist Church Cemetery, or just simply Old Hurricane Cemetery, is one of the oldest landmarks in Hurricane. It is known to have a total of 56 marked graves and at least fifteen unmarked. Its exact origin is unknown, but the graveyard holds the remains of many important people in the early history of Hurricane. 

Old Hurricane Baptist Church Cemetery 

In June 1906, Edward Felix Rappold
opened a barber shop on Main Street in Hurricane, West Virginia. E.F. came to
Hurricane after he had worked as a barber in Huntington for two years.&nbsp;The
store's first location was on Putnam Avenue on the second floor of a doctor’s
office. It was moved to a new location on Main Street in 1912; the&nbsp;shop operated on the first floor while the family lived on the second floor.In 1922 construction
started on Main Street. Almost all the previous buildings were torn down including the one
Rappold’s Barber Shop was housed in. It was moved further up Main Street beside the Putnam County Bank and remains there to this day. Today the shop is run by Steve Rappold, grandson
of E.F., and Steve's son, Roderick. In all, four generations of the Rappold family have&nbsp;worked in the shop.In addition to providing haircuts, the Rappold family also started and marketed a line of barber products called E.F. Rappold
Barber Supply Company. By the time E. F. Rappold passed away the business was selling products all over&nbsp;West Virginia, Ohio, and Virginia.&nbsp;Rappold’s
continues to be a popular place for local to get their hair
cut or beard trimmed. The&nbsp; shop has also been frequented by&nbsp;State Senator Bob
Hatfield, Marshall University’s head football coach John “Doc” Holliday, and several West Virginia circuit judges.

The third oldest business in Hurricane, West Virginia, Rappold's Barber Shop was established in June 1906 and has thrived ever since. The business has changed locations twice during the years it has been in business and has remained under the ownership of the Rappold family for four generations. 

Rappold's Barber Shop

Noah Allen opened the People's Department Store in 1909 on Putnam Avenue in Hurricane, WV. &nbsp;Not only did Allen sell general merchandise to the local community, he also offered services such as jewelry repair and watchmaking. &nbsp;In addition to those goods and services, Allen also offered his customers caskets and casket making materials. &nbsp;During the early 20th century it was customary for the family of the deceased to build their own caskets and handle the funeral arrangements. Realizing a greater need in the growing community of Hurricane, Allen established the Allen Funeral Home in 1916 to better serve local families. &nbsp;It was the first funeral home established in Putnam County&nbsp; Along with his casket building services, Allen also orchestrated funeral and burial arrangements. &nbsp;The funeral home even owned and operated a horse drawn hearse for transportation to the burial site. &nbsp;As a result of the growth of the business and an increasing need in the community, Allen moved the funeral home, in 1932, from its original location on Putnam Avenue to its present day location on Main Street in Hurricane. &nbsp;Allen had acquired what was then known as the Poindexter Hotel, and transformed it into what would become the funeral home it is today. Four generations later, the Allen family still owns and operates the Allen Funeral Home on Main Street. &nbsp;It currently is ran by Noah Allen's great-grandsons, Greg and Wesley Allen. &nbsp;The funeral home continues to operate with the same standard and care established over 100 years ago by the original Allen. &nbsp;Today the building and business serve as a reminder of the legacy of the Allen family and the services they have offered, and continue to offer the community of Hurricane.

Allen Funeral Home was first established in 1916 by Noah Allen to serve the families of the growing Hurricane community with care.  It was the first established funeral home in Putnam County.  Today Allen Funeral home still stands on Main Street in Hurricane. Four generations later it continues to be owned and operated by the Allen family. 

Allen Funeral Home

The Asbury house was built in 1876, making it one of the oldest homes in Hurricane, West Virginia.&nbsp;It was in fact built by one of the first family of settlers in the Hurricane area, the Conners. The Conner family came to the area near the end of the 1700s, and operated a successful hotel, known as the "Conner Hotel", located on today's Main Street. Their son, Andrew Jackson Conner, had four children; McFarland, Valeria, William, and Vaturia. On the land of the family farm, McFarland, or Mac Conner began construction of the home, but before he could complete it, he died in 1876. The home passed to his siblings, but decided to sell the home to William "Bill Mac" McCallister. The house laid uninhabited and unfinished for many years afterwards. After the American Civil War, the town of Hurricane started becoming more inhabited and lively due to the C&amp;O Railway passing through town. The, then owner of the home, Bill Mac McCallister, built two general stores near the house, and began to use the house as a boarding house for railway workers in 1908. However, in 1924, McCallister decided to tear the house down but ultimately&nbsp;let his son, Cline and daughter-in-law live in the house instead. He turned the deed over to his son and his wife, and they both lived in the home until 1929, when they sold the home to Doctor Homer A. Erwin, the town's dentist. Erwin would live in the home until 1969. In 1969, the house was bought by the Forrest Burdette United Methodist Church and renamed the Asbury House.&nbsp;The original idea of owning the house was to use it as a parsonage, due to the house being right beside the church, but the church wished to expand the sanctuary and add more parking on the house's land. The house was then bought by Renee Wiles, who moved the house one block away from its original location to the present day location. The house was added to the National Register of Historic Homes in 1997.

The Asbury House is a two-story historical home, located beside the Chesapeake & Ohio Railroad in Hurricane, West Virginia. It is across the railroad from Main Street, where several other historical buildings are located. The house itself was built in 1876, and was built by McFarland "Mac" Conner, but was unfinished until 1890. Renovations were made in the 1920s, with many of the windows from the renovations surviving to the present day. This includes most of the brick as well. In 1969, the nearby Methodist Church purchased the home and it was moved one block from its original location in 1994. It was named the Asbury house by the church. Today, it stands as one of the oldest homes in Hurricane, and was added to the National Register in 1997. 

Asbury House

In 1890 the Methodist Society was organized in the home of
one of the local members in Hurricane, WV.&nbsp;
It was the first organization of its kind in the community. Until the
new Methodist congregation could find a more permanent location, they were able
to share a building with another local congregation from the Hurricane Baptist
Church. A generous donation of land by
Thomas Harbour and his wife, Vaturia, in 1899, allowed the congregation to
begin the development of their own church building.&nbsp; In 1915, the original church was built, with
the Harbour’s grandson, Forrest Burdette, leading the congregation as the first
Sunday School Superintendent.&nbsp; The church
was named as the Hurricane Methodist Episcopal Church. Burdette was a faithful and dedicated leader,
not only through his church duties, but also by being deeply involved with and
caring for the community. On November
10, 1918, the Hurricane Methodist Episcopal Church was rededicated to the
memory of Forrest Burdette after he had joined the military to serve in World
War I, and passed away after contracting influenza. Since then the church has been known as,
Forrest Burdette Memorial United Methodist Church.Throughout the years as the
community of Hurricane continued and continues to grow as does the Forrest
Burdette Memorial United Methodist Church.&nbsp;
Along with the original church, there have been several additions of
fellowship facilities, classrooms, and even new sanctuaries. The church invested in surrounding land from
the 1930’s to the 1960’s to expand and create study rooms, spaces for a choir,
a new parsonage, and the addition of more parking space for cars, as the
congregation grew. In 1973 the first
sanctuary was replaced with a larger one with stain glassed windows that faces
the road running along the front of the church building. At that same time a room for children, work
rooms, an entrance hall, bathrooms, and a basement with a kitchen were added
based of the needs of the church.&nbsp;
Another new sanctuary was added and renovations were done, resulting in
the church building that is still used today.&nbsp;For over 100 years the Forrest
Burdette Memorial United Methodist Church has expanded and grown their congregation.&nbsp; Following the example of their namesake,
Forrest Burdette, the church and congregation continues to not only be involved
with their own church but also with the community through different programs
and curriculums. Some programs include
the Community Cupboard Pantry and Children’s Outreach Ministries that serve the
community through daycare, latch-key, and summer programs for the children in
the area. To supply the Community Cupboard
Pantry with vegetables throughout the year, the church cares for a community
garden. Local groups and organizations
such as Boy and Girls Scouts, the Hurricane Civic Chorus, AA groups, Quilter’s
groups, Putnam County Wyldlife&nbsp;as well as many others regularly share and use the church facilities.
In 2015 the church celebrated its 100th anniversary, still operating
under their motto “Blessed to be a Blessing”.Forrest Burdette is still continuing to grow today.&nbsp;They just finished building a Gymnasium and a new daycare facility which is called the Family Life Center,&nbsp;in December of 2017. The church is dedicated to the outreach of students in the area. They use the new facilities for not only their own student outreach programs, but also donate their new facilities to other outreach programs such as, Young Life, and Wyldlife, and other outreach programs. Young Life and Wyldlife are non-profit&nbsp;ministries for middle school and high school students&nbsp;in the area. Forrest burette is also still today&nbsp;building on to the lobby and&nbsp;office area on the front of the church. The cost of the new family life center was about $3.4 Million.

Forrest Burdette Memorial United Methodist Church is located along Putnam Avenue in Hurricane, West Virginia.  The church was founded in 1915 under the leadership of its namesake Forrest Burdette. In May 2015 the church celebrated its 100th anniversary.  Throughout those years the church has served and continues to serve its growing congregation and community through different programs and services such as a community garden and children's ministries.

Forrest Burdette Memorial United Methodist Church

In 1881, William "Bill Mac" McCallister built a home near his business on Putnam Avenue in Hurricane. The McCallister property bordered the Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad and North Main Street. The Italianate style house was constructed&nbsp;by Yance Hill and Bill Martin using bricks fired on-site with McCallister's own kiln. The bricks were used both as foundation for the house and insulation between the walls. The two-story house contains features such as&nbsp;bay windows across the front, a pediment in the center, ornamental bracketed eaves and decorative corner boards, all of which are indicative of the Italianate style. At the time of its construction, the McCallister house was one of the most impressive homes in the Hurricane area. In addition to being the first president of the Putnam County Bank, McCallister also operated a farm in Culloden, and a general store located near his home on Putnam Avenue. In addition to the house and general store, the property also contained two more store buildings, a barn, and stables. McCallister was a shrewd business man and his property and home displayed the prosperity he had in his endeavors during the post-Civil War railroad boom that sparked growth throughout the town of Hurricane. Beginning in 1925, after the death of McCallister, ownership of the home was passed through different members of the family and others in the community until it was acquired by Tom and Mary Blasingim in the late 1970s. &nbsp;The house not only served as a home for the Blasingims, but it also served as the residence of Mary's law office. &nbsp;In 1979 the Blasingims began renovating and remodeling different parts of the house, including the roof and porch. It was renovated and rejuvenated again by the current owners in the late 2010s. The McCallister house still stands as a reminder of one of the greatest businessmen to take up residence in Hurricane.

The McCallister House, built in 1881, is an Italianate style home located on Putnam Avenue in Hurricane, West Virginia. The home was built by William "Bill Mac" McCallister, the first president of Putnam County bank. McCallister and his family lived in the residence until his death in 1925. Since then the house has been home to many families and businesses including, a law office and blind company, which remains there today. Renovations were made to the property in the late 1970s and again in the 2010s. 

Main Street of Hurricane

Putnam County Bank

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