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The West Virginia Encyclopedia
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The West Virginia Encyclopedia
The Memorial Arch, the only structure of its kind in West Virginia, stands at the intersection of 11th Avenue and Memorial Boulevard in Huntington. The clean lines of this impressive arch reflect the solemn nature of its purpose as a tribute to Cabell County soldiers who fought in World War I.
The arch was designed by Huntington architect Jerry DeYoung, and it is patterned after the Arc de Triomphe in Paris. The arch is 42 feet tall, 34 feet wide, and nine feet thick. The exterior is made of Indiana limestone.
In the early 1920s, the Cabell County War Memorial Association was formed. This group drafted plans for a boulevard and a suitable memorial, and it was responsible for the erection of the Memorial Arch. On November 11, 1924, Armistice Day, the cornerstone was laid.
The arch cost $40,000 to build. It took the association almost 10 years to raise the money, and much of the labor and materials were donated. After eight years of intermittent construction, in the fall of 1929 work on the monument was completed. The ceremony of dedication of the Memorial Arch was held on November 11, 1929. The arch was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1981.
Read the National Register nomination.
Written by Joseph Platania