An interior view of the recently renovated Buffalo Welcome Center during the Founders’ Day celebration.
Even before Putnam County was established, the town of Buffalo existed as a settlement along the Kanawha River, where it benefited from wide river bottoms and trade on the waters. And even before that, the area which would later become Buffalo was the location of several Native American settlements from ancient days to more modern times.
Buffalo’s long history was celebrated last Saturday, April 4, with a Founders’ Day Celebration hosted by the Friends of Buffalo WV History group. All of the buildings in the town’s Historic Square – the Welcome Center, Methodist Church, Academy, and Historical Square Community Church – were open to the public for the duration of the event. Local historian Dr. Philip Hatfield discussed the Battle of Atkeson’s Gate, a skirmish which was fought near Buffalo on September 27, 1862. Hatfield is part of an effort to get a Civil War Trails marker installed on the property, which was recently purchased by Google for a data center. Other Founders’ Day activities included a tour of the Historic Square and a birthday cake to celebrate the town’s birthday.
The Buffalo Welcome Center was recently renovated after extensive water damage from various leaks, and these restoration efforts were commemorated with a rededication ceremony on Saturday. The town spent almost $20,000 on this project, which included adding new flooring, window sills, remodeling the restroom, and mold removal. The Welcome Center houses historical displays, photographs, and artifacts from Buffalo’s past; a listing and photo directory of Buffalo veterans; and the Buffalo Hall of Fame, a showcase of notable Buffalonians who have achieved accomplishments on a state or national level. Among the eighteen people in the Hall of Fame are Kallie Cart, reporter for WCHS TV8 and Fox 11 Eyewitness News; Anthony Whittington, baseball player for the Anaheim Angels in 2004 and 2005; and Timothy “Timmy” Eads, WVU Mountaineer mascot from 2019 – 2020.
The building which houses the Buffalo Welcome Center was originally the Buffalo Bank, which was built in 1930 and closed in 1962. The bank was robbed in 1953 by a pair of armed robbers who stole over $9,000, an incident which went down in Buffalo history. The other buildings in the town’s Historic Square include the Buffalo Academy, which began as a private liberal arts school in 1849 and later served as a public school until its closure in 1952; the Buffalo Presbyterian Church (now Historical Square Community Church), which was built in 1857; and the Buffalo Methodist Church, which was built in 1870.
The Friends of Buffalo WV History group welcomes the public to their meetings, which take place at the Buffalo Welcome Center, which is located on Route 62. Upcoming meetings will be held on May 31, August 16, and October 18. Each meeting starts at 3 p.m.
