The Register-Herald, Beckley, West Virginia

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January 9, 2011

Phyllis Campbell Whitley

By Sarah Plummer Register-Herald Reporter

BECKLEY — Since 1998, residents of Summers County have become familiar with Phyllis Campbell Whitley, commonly known as “The Barn Lady,” a title she received from Hinton News Editor Fred Long.

Her upcoming book “Barns of Summers County: West Virginia Heritage” began as a modest picture book of old barns. When the book hits the presses in the spring, however, it will be an important anthology she hopes will preserve the history of barns built before 1950, the people who built them and their oral and cultural history.

Whitley said one reason she wanted to do this project is because a barn in Summers County, owned by her grandparents, was being torn down.

“It was a shame that I never took a picture of it while it looked beautiful. I realized that the barns are being lost and with them the history of West Virginia farm life.”

She began to visit with people, and many would show her the inside of the barn and talk about how it was made. One resident even told about how his father moved a barn from one ridge to another. Slowly, through word of mouth and referrals, her collection of barn photos and facts grew.

Fascinated with each barn’s history, she noticed that catalogs and histories of churches, homes and cemeteries were common on the Internet, but a barn study that included regional history would be unique.

“I expect this type of book to appeal to people from Summers County as well as those who love West Virginia, barns and history.”

Whitley’s book will be filled with her own photography alongside old pictures submitted to her. For instance, Glenna Harvey Saunders, a 90-year-old historian who now lives in Beckley, was able to give Whitley several pictures, including one taken after the laying of a stone foundation for a barn she already had a picture of.

Her barn project has led to many discoveries.

“In my research, I learned that there were tobacco barns in Summers County and a tobacco factory in Forest Hill,” she said.

“It became a passion and I became enthralled with the people. I have traipsed over mountains to get pictures of barns and have gotten close to locating most of the pre-1950s barns (the earliest being from the 1800s). The book has a good representation from all over the county and different sizes and styles.”

The Barn Lady, at this time, has traveled all but three small roads in Summers County. There are about 756 miles of road in Summers and over 200 miles are not maintained, she said. Her travels have introduced her to over 400 new people and countless barns and locations.

“I hope that those who read the book will be able to get a sense of what farm life has been in Summers County for the last 100 years,” she said.

Whitley has been nominated by the Summer’s County Historical Society for the West Virginia Hero History Award, confirmed Wayne Harvey, president. If her nomination is accepted, she will receive notification in early February and will attend a ceremony in Charleston on Feb. 24, he said.

All proceeds from the sales of “Barns of Summers County” will support the Hinton Library. She is currently taking orders for books (to know how many to print) and would appreciate any support. To reserve a book, contact Whitley at 540-786-7010, 304-466-1328 or acpcw@infionline.net.

To cover the cost of printing and ensure the library will receive all the proceeds, Whitley has published the first edition of Barns of Summers County calendar. These can be ordered by contacting her or visiting the Hinton Library.

To learn more about the project and view some of her pictures, visit her website at www.barnsofsummerscounty. com.

— E-mail: splummer@register-herald.com

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