BUCKHANNON – During the open nomination period in May and June, residents submitted over fifty nominations in the Name the New Street Contest! The street, located between West Main Street and Franklin Street, adjacent to CVS Pharmacy, is freshly paved and ready for a name.

Now, our Street Name Committee has whittled that impressive list down to 5 nominations:

Apothecary Way — We received this nomination from a Buckhannon resident, and feel it is a great name that nods to the hospitals (existing and past) and pharmacies in the area near the new street.

Coplin Way — We received numerous nominations related to the Leonard Memorial Hospital, and this name, Coplin Way, recognizes the individual the hospital was named for, Elizabeth Coplin Leonard, while avoiding the potential for confusion with other streets. Buckhannon already has a “Leonard Street”, located near Save-A-Lot and Loudin Insurance, and an Elizabeth Street, located near the Board of Education office running parallel to S. Florida and Smithfield Streets. Therefore, we cannot use “Leonard” or “Elizabeth” in the name, as even a variation could potentially cause confusion during an emergency response, and we do not want that. Thus, our committee considered other names that are related to the hospital, but do not include Leonard or Elizabeth.

Olive Way — Olive Leonard, the daughter of Elizabeth Coplin Leonard, donated $1,000 to go toward a monument to her mother. Following an additional donation of $25,000 by Olive’s cousin, the hospital was given the name Elizabeth Coplin Leonard Memorial Hospital to honor this request. Again, as we cannot use Leonard or Elizabeth in the street name, we suggest Olive Way as another related alternative.

Rusmisell Way — In honor of Dr. James A. Rusmisell who practiced medicine and operated the Buckhannon City Hospital, later named the Elizabeth Coplin Leonard Memorial Hospital. This was a nomination from a resident.

Vandalia Way — We received this nomination to commemorate the proposed idea for a colony that would have included West Virginia, known as the Vandalia Colony. 

Have a favorite?

Take this survey and let us know! We will submit the survey results to the Buckhannon City Council for the official street name selection at the regular City Council meeting scheduled for August 6, 2020. This survey will remain open and collecting responses until Friday, July 31, 2020.

Thank you for helping us name the new street!

Survey Link: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/newstreetname