When Ken Allman visits his hometown of Hinton with fiancée Julie Rooney, it is evident that his connection and commitment to the community is solid.

His company, MountainPlex Properties LLC, has been working to restore and renovate Hinton’s courthouse square. Beyond commercial success and economic development, though those themes are key, Allman wants to see Hinton live to its full potential — as a destination.

And part of his vision of Hinton as a destination is bringing together the town’s historic past, present landscape and future business.

Allman points out that most of the town’s historic district was built between 1897 and 1929 as a railroad boom town, creating a “snapshot in time.”

“We are grateful the railroad is still here, but as the role of the railroad in Hinton changed, so did the town. The railroad left a legacy of history and culture that is still here and we have an opportunity to tell that story,” he said.

Allman recalls that his personal history is deeply entwined with Hinton’s — he comes from a long line of railroad employees and his Lionel train collection that features steam and diesel engines that came through Hinton speak to the past.

“I look at the past as an asset. We have a chance to build on that legacy and differentiate ourselves from other communities to make Hinton a destination,” he explained. “We have what money cannot buy in terms of scenery. We have the New River Gorge, Sandstone Falls, Bluestone Lake, Pipestem Park — nature, history and culture.”

Allman’s revitalization efforts were originally meant to serve MountainPlex’s sister company, Practicelink.com, which focuses on recruiting physicians.

Because of this need, the first remodeling effort was The Great House Inn, built in 1897 as a doctor’s office and home. The company purchased the home from Kathleen Timberlake who lived there into her 90s.

Guests of the inn can see Allman’s attention to detail and local history, from original furniture from the doctor’s office, to the Timberlake dining room and pictures of the previous owner as a child in Hinton. Allman did much of the inn’s interior design himself and it is a pleasant combination of original antiques and new pieces.

His restaurant, The Market, is a corner deli where old and new friends crowd for lunch or dinner before going to the theater.

Allman pointed out that “the town holds a lot of history for me as well as a lot of other people. My mom and dad met in this building when it was Jack’s Diner in the 1950s. Their first date was in the Ritz Theater,” which is also recently remodeled.

The Ritz, build in 1929, can seat over 300, he said. Although many remodeled theaters from this era have been carved up to allow for multiple screens, the Ritz has been renovated to it original authenticity, including a restored 1950s movie projector that is used for weekend showings.

The facility offers a performance space, he said, that can be used for live music, theater performances and conferences.

“Completely restored, the Ritz is a significant anchor for all of the redevelopment of the Hinton historic district,” said Allman. On average 200-300 people attend the movie on an average weekend, although some movies have brought in as many as 700 individuals, he reported.

Also housed in the Ritz building is the Historic Hinton Hometown Radio, 1380 AM, another of Allman’s projects. He explained, “Hinton is too big a town not to have a source of information. We feel that the station brings the community together in a way that Internet alone cannot. And we, in turn, use the Internet to transmit the radio station further.”

Hinton’s station is available 24/7 outside listening range via Internet, he said.

MountainPlex, which owns around 60 percent of courthouse square, has renovated those places that are the heartbeat of any community. Visitors can grab a bite to eat, take in a show and find a place to spend the night — all within walking distance.

“I think people appreciate the past and small towns more now than they once did, and we have the opportunity to do some wonderful things here. We hope to benefit the local community by appealing to people who visit and live here,” Allman noted.

Allman and MountainPlex’s most recent acquisition, challenge and opportunity is the McCreery Building, once a grand hotel. After the building fell into disrepair, his company agreed to take ownership and managed to invest his own funds and secure a $100,000 grant to re-roof the structure to prevent further water damage.

“Now that it is dry, we hope to restore the first floor back to retail use and would like to find a partner for the upper floors. We can get the first floor back to its original authenticity,” he added.

Allman stresses that the revitalization of downtown Hinton is not “a solo effort.” He pointed out that the city government has been diligent in improving the streetscape and the City Sidetrack Park. He also noted the work that has been done for the Railroad and Veterans Museums to exist.

Hinton also has a strong community of artists, he said, several of whom already show their work at Tamarack.

“We hope to work with the artist community and assist them anyway we can. We hope to help them find outlets and audiences for their art.”

Currently Allman is looking for local musicians to play weekly shows at the Ritz.

Allman concluded that “Hinton is already a great place to live and a great place to visit. In my job helping to recruit doctors for Practicelink.com, I have seen a lot of small tourist towns all over the country, and I think we have just as much to offer.

“State Route 20 that goes from I-64 to Sandstone through Hinton and connects with I-77, for instance, is an unnamed scenic highway; it is incredible what you get in 40 miles. We are not Lewisburg or Fayetteville or Princeton or Beckley. We have our own identity. Hinton is an uncut gem and it can be one of the cornerstones of tourism development in the New River Gorge region.”

—E-mail: splummer@register-herald.com