By Toni Milbourne, The Journal
MARTINSBURG, W.Va. — After more than 110 years in its current location, The Journal newspaper will move from West King Street, opening a new office location at 1351 Edwin Miller Blvd. in the Old Courthouse Square shopping center.
The new office will be open for business beginning Monday.
The move comes after the sale of the current location, which was prompted by a reduction in tasks performed at the downtown location.
The Journal was established in 1907 as The Evening Journal. Harry F. Byrd, former U.S. senator and governor of Virginia, started the paper. Byrd sold The Evening Journal to Max von Schlegell in 1912, who then sold it to H.C. Ogden in 1923. Through the years, the paper was known by different names, but The Journal was settled upon in 1993 and remains on the front cover today.
G. Ogden Nutting, grandson of H.C. Ogden, began his career at The Journal as a reporter and news editor. Nutting worked for more than 60 years in the family business before he passed away in August 2023.
As Ogden Newspapers expanded ownership of other regional newspapers, consolidation of tasks took place.
The presses that ran in the Martinsburg location ceased operation in 2017, with press runs moving to a more centralized location for all of the company’s papers. Integration of job functions continued, leading to less staff at the three-story downtown building, with much of the space not utilized.
Following the coronavirus pandemic, the newspaper made the switch from carrier delivery to delivery via the U.S. Postal Service, which eliminated in-office circulation needs. The paper also changed from a seven-day-a-week publication to six days, with a weekend edition, versus Saturday and Sunday papers.
All of the changes to streamline production have resulted in the need for less office space but also for more up-to-date office space. The new location offers modern work areas for both the advertising and editorial staff, who continue to serve the Eastern Panhandle.
An open house and ribbon-cutting ceremony will be planned in the coming weeks.
