By Gabrielle Diepenbrock, Account Coordinator & Social Media Manager
Last month, a few members of the team journeyed to Huntington, West Virginia, to take a look at several of the cultural assets Huntington and Cabell County have to offer. The trip was a great reminder to the team about why the agency does what it does. Cultural Tourism is fun! And it has a great potential to grow the economic development of a destination.
Cabell County, located in southwestern West Virginia along the Ohio River, has a rich history starting with its earliest inhabitants — the Adena people (also known as the Mound Builders). With European settlers coming in the 1700s, Cabell County prospered as a river and rail transportation hub.
Today, Cabell County has retained its wealth of culture, and the team enjoyed experiencing it on the ground!
The team members were thoroughly impressed as they walked the halls of the Huntington Museum of Art on Day 1 of their trip and saw impressive exhibits such as the San Quentin Project Exhibit (see picture below), the Touma Near Eastern Collection and the Herman P. Dean Firearms Collection.
Cabell County is also home to the Blenko Glass Company. Glassmaking has historically been a popular industry in the region. Being close to the Ohio River and having a dependable source of labor and natural gas resources, the region attracted many glassmakers like William J. Blenko in the late 1800s.
The team walked through the factory on Day 2 and learned that Blenko Glass is one of the only glass manufacturers that produces handmade glass the same way they did in the 1600s. Blenko makes flat glass for cathedral and architectural purposes as well as gift, novelty, and practical glass.
The team experienced the growing food scene in Huntington, dining at hotspots like The Peddler, Backyard Pizzeria, and La Famiglia.
The journey to Cabell ended with an incredible tour of Heritage Farm in nearby Huntington. With a grand collection of antiques and artifacts, the team was able to walk through the incredible history of the region and learn about the astounding spirit and character of the Appalachian people.
They also got kissed by their very friendly llamas!
Curious to learn more? Or want to schedule an On-The-Ground Assessment for your destination? The Goss Agency would love to help. Feel free to reach out to Gabrielle Diepenbrock at gabrielle@thegossagency.com or 828-259-9910 ext. 101. We would love to help you with one of our proprietary Cultural Tourism programs.
