By Derek Redd, The Intelligencer
WHEELING, W.Va. — The latest resident at West Virginia Independence Hall glided into his final resting spot Friday morning.
The statue of Arthur I. Boreman, the first governor of West Virginia, was installed on the Independence Hall lawn. It nearly brings to an end the three-year process of conceiving the statue, raising funds for its creation and bringing it to Wheeling, where the image of Boreman now looks over Market Street. The final step comes Thursday, June 20 — West Virginia’s birthday — when Independence Hall hosts a statue dedication at 4 p.m. Local political figures from both municipal and state governments have been invited to attend, as has Gov. Jim Justice.
Local historian Margaret Brennan bounced around the Independence Hall grounds with a smile on her face all morning. Bringing the Boreman statue to Wheeling was a special mission of hers. She is a member of the Boreman Statue Committee and has traveled throughout the state drumming up interest and donations to make the dream a reality.
“It’s just thrilling because it was a worthy cause,” Brennan said. “And this man deserves this honor. He truly does, because he has no real honor in the whole state of West Virginia. That bothered me forever.”
