HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION NO. 32
(By Delegates Prunty, Fantasia and Caputo)
Requesting that the Department of Transportation, Division of
Highways, rename the South Side Bridge on Adams Street in
Fairmont, Marion County, West Virginia, the Francis H.
Pierpont Bridge in honor of the first governor of the
restored government of Virginia, and the father of West
Virginia statehood.
Whereas, Francis H. Pierpont was born in Middleton,
Monongalia County, now Marion County, and practiced law in
Fairmont after a long and distinguished political career, and is
buried in Woodlawn Cemetery in Fairmont; and
Whereas, Francis H. Pierpont was unanimously elected by the
delegates of the Wheeling convention of 1861 to serve as the
first Governor of the restored government of Virginia; and
Whereas, Governor Pierpont convened the 1864 convention of
the restored government which abolished slavery; and
Whereas, Governor Pierpont was a zealous proponent of the
statehood movement of the western counties of Virginia and
advanced seminal arguments for the formation of the new state of West Virginia; and
Whereas, Governor Pierpont exercised wisdom and foresight in
restoring war-scarred state institutions, including mental
asylums, colleges, and the Supreme Court; and
Whereas, In 1869, Governor Pierpont was elected to the West
Virginia House of Delegates from Marion County; and
Whereas, Governor Pierpont was appointed Collector of
Internal Revenue by President James Garfield; and
Whereas, Governor Pierpont's statue was placed in Statuary
Hall of the United States Capitol in 1910 honoring his service to
the people of Virginia, West Virginia, and the United States; and
Whereas, The Legislature of West Virginia, and the people of
this State are indebted to Governor Pierpont for his unique role
in the formation and preservation of the government of West
Virginia; therefore, be it
Resolved by the Legislature of West Virginia:
That the Department of Transportation, Division of Highways, is hereby requested to rename the bridge currently known as the
South Side Bridge on Adams Street in Fairmont, Marion County,
West Virginia, the Francis H. Pierpont Bridge; and, be it
Further Resolved, That the Clerk of the House of Delegates
is hereby directed to send copies of this resolution to the
Secretary of the Department of Transportation and the Mayor of Fairmont.