An Evening in Charleston, West Virginia

Back when the skies were a lot less gray, the trees were more green and the temperatures were above freezing, I journeyed to Charleston, West Virginia in the late evening to photograph downtown in high contrast. It’s one of my favorite cities to walk around in, as it has varying architectural styles, is dense and a little rough around the edges. What’s not to like?

My favorite vantage of downtown and the valley is from the Fort Hill neighborhood, specifically atop the Interstate 64 and US 119 interchange. From the top of some impressive highwalls are expansive views to the north – including the Interstate 64 viaduct and Kanawha River Bridge, the West End, downtown and the Charleston Town Center. On good days, you can get a clear view of the West Virginia State Capitol Complex.

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The South Side Bridge provides amazing views of downtown as well. Most interesting is the sight-lines along Kanawha Boulevard, which was constructed between 1938 and 1940 as a Works Progress Administration project during the Great Depression. The Union Building, which is a barrier along the roadway, was built from 1909 and 1911 and was the tallest skyscraper in the state at the time of its completion. Although all of the surrounding buildings were demolished for the roadway, the Union Building was spared although it became physically separated from the remainder of downtown.