A Lesser Known Bit of West Virginia History

 

One of my favorite projects is to share a little bit of history with everyone I meet. And this will be the first of what I hope will be many stories of hidden West Virginia history. Some may be short and others will will likely be a bit long. But there are so many amazing stories just waiting to be shared. And my goal is to share as many as I can.

 

This time I'll tell the story of how the Kanawha Valley played a very important role in the defense of the United States for nearly twenty years. 

 

Just a few miles north of South Charleston, there was once an Air Force Station. Guthrie Air Force Station was part of the Air Defense Command. It was built in 1951 in response to the start of the Korean War in 1950, and was part of the 783rd Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron. In its early years, Guthrie AFS served as a Ground Contol and Intercept (GCI) and warning station. As a GCI station, the stations main role was to guide interceptor aircraft toward unidentified intruders which were picked up by the unit's radar scopes.

 

During 1962 Guthrie AFS joined the Semi Automatic Ground Environment (SAGE) system and was redesignated as the 783d Radar Squadron (SAGE) on July 1, 1962. The radar squadron provided information 24/7 to the SAGE Direction Center where it was analyzed to determine range, direction, altitude, speed, and whether or not aircraft were friendly or hostile.

 

Guthrie Air Force Station was permanently closed on June 30, 1968. However, the grounds are still in use today, serving as the home of several state agencies, most notably the West Virginia Department of Agriculture. In fact, the main thoroughfare through the complex, Gus R. Douglass Lane is named for for the long time Agricultural Commissioner. 

If you're interested in taking a trip, the site is just a short drive off of the Tuppers Creek Exit 111 of I-77 or the Edens Fork Exit 106 of I-79. If you do decide to take the trip, you will definitely see remnants of the military presence. 

                                                   If you look closely, you will see that the

                                                   base of the radar tower in the picture above

                                                   now forms the foundation for the red

                                                   building.