One visit to this growing arts community and you’ll know why Elkins attracts people from all over the world.
written by SUSAN JOHNSON
photographed by NIKKI BOWMAN MILLS
Matt Condra, a software engineer from Louisville, Kentucky, moved to Elkins a year ago this past August. He and his wife, Allyson, were tired of the stresses of urban life, so they researched incentives for remote workers. The Ascend West Virginia program—and the city of Elkins—checked all the boxes for the Condras and their three young children.
“For us, Elkins was the ‘vending machine’ for all our outdoor activities and interests while still providing us a comfortable home base with the convenience of a city life.” What Condra didn’t expect was how much he and his family would love the community. “The people here are authentic; they have a big heart to serve their community and want to see it succeed. It’s evident when you show up to an event and half your neighborhood is there.”
The Condras are part of a group of more than 25 new “Ascenders” to apply for and receive money to relocate to Elkins since it became a featured community in the Ascend program in 2022. The area has even grown to meet these remote workers where they’re at, opening Common Door right downtown—a “shared workspace community” that combines the productivity that an office allows with the flexibility and collaboration remote jobs require.
What’s Here?
Elkins is an old town with a new energy—a fast-growing community where young entrepreneurs are thriving alongside traditional industries. The city was founded in 1890 by industrialist Senator Henry Gassaway Davis and his son-in-law Stephen Benton Elkins, who developed rail lines, coal mines, and timber mills.
Elkins is still a hub of the timber industry, but its position as headquarters of the Monongahela National Forest makes it the perfect incubator for one of America’s fastest-growing economic sectors: outdoor recreation. Traditional nature pursuits like hunting, fishing, hiking, and camping have been joined by glamping, spelunking, rock climbing, stargazing, birding, and mountain, trail, and gravel biking.
As for culture, the Augusta Heritage Center offers year-round classes, concerts, and workshops that showcase traditional Appalachian music and culture. The Mountain State Forest Festival, founded in 1930, draws 80,000 to 100,000 visitors each fall.
The food scene in Elkins is lively and eclectic. The Forks offers a fusion of French and Appalachian-American cuisine—smoked trout and walleye, creme brûlée, and shrimp bisque. El Gran Sabor serves up all manner of Latin fare, from Venezuelan to Mexican to Cuban. On Wednesdays and Fridays, you can enjoy live music as you sip margaritas and dine on shrimp empanadas. One of the newer eateries is fast becoming a town favorite: Clementine’s Cantina features a Mexican menu, but its real draw is entertainment like stand-up comedy and open mic nights as well as live music events, such as Sippin’ Sunday. Drop by Graceland Inn & Restaurant for a bite—have the summer quiche for brunch, or round off your dinner of pan-seared salmon with a stunning Orange Creamsicle Creme Brûlée. Too full to move? Book a room and stay the night. TipTop’s delicious java and gorgeous pastries keep visitors and locals energized.
One story cannot begin to do justice to all the features and amenities Elkins has to offer. There’s the New Tygart Flyer, a vintage diesel-powered locomotive engine excursion. New shops and boutiques like Hippie Chick Boutique and Mossy Merchant have joined mainstays like The Delmonte Market and Serendipity Gifts and Toys. Places like Artists at Work, The Arts Center, Ceramics with Class, and The Old Brick Playhouse illustrate the town’s devotion to creative endeavors.
Why Stay?
Lisa Wood, executive director of the Elkins/Randolph Chamber of Commerce, says Elkins has the “trifecta” for vibrant, growing small cities—a hospital, a college, and a riverfront.
First, Davis Memorial Hospital is an 80-bed acute care regional hospital providing inpatient, outpatient, surgery, emergency, and physician specialties to residents of surrounding areas. DMH recently added a new 75,000-square-foot addition to its facility and was recognized as one of the top 100 regional hospitals in America by the Chartis Center for Rural Health.
Second, Davis & Elkins College, a private liberal arts college with an enrollment of around 800, was named one of the top southern regional colleges in 2023 by U.S. News & World Report. According to the D&E website, “The City of Elkins is an integral part of student life for Davis & Elkins students. It’s a safe, friendly place that feels like an extension of a campus you’ll find just as warm and welcoming.” Like the hospital, the college just finished a huge expansion project of $25 million for new student housing.
Wood, whose husband, Chris Wood, is president of D&E, believes the college enriches the city with a taste of life outside the shelter of the Appalachian Mountains. “Our student body is international,” she says. “One of my favorite events is the Forest Festival Parade, where the students carry the flags of their various homelands.” At the same time, the college is constantly adjusting its curriculum to provide programs that will keep young people in West Virginia and meet the needs of the city, the county, and the state.
Finally, the third element of the trifecta is the riverfront. A year ago, Big Timber Brewing opened its new spacious taproom overlooking the Tygart River. Right around the corner, the historic Tygart Hotel, built in 1906 and recently restored, has quickly become the cornerstone for downtown, drawing visitors and locals alike. It has inspired a wave of new businesses, renovations, apartments, restaurants, and new young entrepreneurs like Matt Condra.
Perhaps the best answer to the question “Why Elkins?” is that it is a city where you can raise a family and where your children have opportunities so they can stay. “Our kids are much happier here than we anticipated,” Condra admits. “They have a lot more autonomy to roam the neighborhood by bike or visit a friend’s house because of the tight-knit community we have here.”
For Lisa and Chris Wood, the biggest surprise is that their children did not leave the state after college as so many of our young people do. “We never dreamed our two daughters would stay in West Virginia, let alone Elkins,” Wood says. “But both of them found their life partners and careers right here.”
READ MORE ARTICLES FROM WV LIVING’S FALL 2024 ISSUE
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