Food, dancing and fun to benefit the Waldo Hotel Preservation Society

At a glance:
What: Benefit dinner/dance for the Waldo Hotel Preservation Society (all ages)
When: Saturday, February 8th
Where: Main Street Cafe, 331 West Main Street, Clarksburg, WV
Price: $15 per individual/$25 per couple

If you enjoy good food, grooving to some classic tunes or preserving historical buildings, then grab some friends and come to the Main Street Cafe this Saturday, February 8th.

This Saturday, the Main Street Cafe will be pairing up with the Waldo Hotel Preservation Society to host an all-ages benefit event. At 6 p.m. a dinner will be served, followed by a silent auction and a 50-50 raffle. At 7 p.m. Ryan Cain and The Ables will perform their signature 50's and 60's-styled rockabilly music for a Valentine's dance.

The proceeds from the dinner will go towards helping the WHPS in their goal of preserving and restoring the historic Waldo Hotel in downtown Clarksburg.

[caption id="attachment_20" align="alignleft" width="300"] A classic picture of the Waldo Hotel. From the Revive "The Waldo Hotel" Facebook group.[/caption]

Completed in 1904, the Waldo Hotel was funded by Nathan Goff, Jr. and named after his father, Waldo Goff. Goff, Jr., a civil war veteran who held many different political offices, invested $400,000 in what would become West Virginia's premiere hotel of the era.

The eight-story building was commissioned to Harrison Albright, an american architect with an innovative eye. Albright designed everything from courthouses to schools, but most of his work was dedicated to crafting luxurious hotels. His most notable work is the West Baden Springs Hotel in Orange County, Indiana. The West Baden Springs Hotel had the largest free spanning dome in the world at the time of construction (1902).

Upon completion, the Waldo Hotel became a bustling social center and large source of revenue for the city of Clarksburg. Fast-forward to today and the hotel is no longer in service. After shifting from being a hotel to dormitories, apartments and offices, the Waldo was abandoned.

According to WHPS President Martin Shaffer, the hotel hasn't been in use for about 20 years. It is now condemned and threatened to be demolished. That's where the WHPS comes in.

"We were formed with the intent to save the historic Waldo Hotel and find a developer who would develop it, hopefully, back into a historic hotel," said Shaffer.

"If we can get that done," he continued, "then it's going to bring a considerate amount of revenue to the city of Clarksburg."

The money earned on Saturday will go towards paying off the hotel's property tax. By April 1st, the $5,726.73 tax is due.

"We have over half the funds available for taxes now. We're hoping with a successful event Saturday we'll have enough to pay off the taxes," said Shaffer.

The Main Street Cafe, along with Ryan Cain and the Ables, are offering their services free of charge to assist in the preservation of the Waldo Hotel.

[caption id="attachment_22" align="alignright" width="196"] Flier from the WHPS website.[/caption]

This will be the Main Street Cafe's first event after reopening with new management.

Manager Daniel Bonner said, "Tim (Gentilozzi, owner), along with myself and Sissy (Broadwater, manager), are very passionate about the preservation of historical buildings. So, what better way to show our support than to offer our cafe as a spot for them to hold their own meetings and events?"

Shaffer is appreciative of all of the support from the Cafe, as well as Ryan Cain and the Ables.

"It's going to be an exciting event...it's nice to have such a nice facility in downtown Clarksburg," said Shaffer.

Tickets for the dinner are $15 each, or $25 for a couple. They will be available at the door, or by contacting Martin Shaffer at 304-623-0007.

The parking lot directly behind the cafe is open for use.

Dress is business casual and the catering is done by Washington Square. The menu is as follows:

• Penne pasta in meat sauce or penne pasta in Alfredo sauce with grilled chicken


• Salad w/house dressing


• Italian bread and butter


• Strawberry Shortcake


• Coffee, tea and soft drinks

Visit the Waldo Hotel Preservation Society's website for more information about the hotel and the process to save it.