Fairmont State University is committed to serving Fairmont and communities in North Central West Virginia. A significant part of this mission involves preserving Fairmont’s culture and history through volunteer work at Woodlawn Cemetery. This historic landmark, maintained largely by volunteers, has been integral to Fairmont for nearly 150 years. Dr. Raymond Alvarez, professor of healthcare management and Woodlawn’s president, collaborates with university staff and students on various projects to support and enhance the cemetery.
“A group of dedicated volunteers reorganized the nonprofit cemetery board in 2016 to maintain this 42-acre site,” Alvarez said. “We’ve used Fairmont State students in various roles since 2019 to assist in identifying historic graves and telling the stories of the 12,000 burials here. Many projects have brought history to life.”
Jon Dodds, Fairmont State’s chief technologist and a Woodlawn board member, has contributed by creating video stories that highlight the cemetery’s beauty and historical importance. “Jon volunteered to help promote Woodlawn as a cultural tourism site,” Alvarez said. “Each video attracts over 4,000 views as they are released weekly.”
Under Alvarez’s guidance, Fairmont State students have identified GPS locations for more than 100 historic burials. Projects have included landscape architecture students designing a future memorial garden, now a fundraising effort, and a team of surveying students completing a capstone project in May to map the cemetery’s borders. This work offers hands-on experience and safeguards the site’s history.
“Woodlawn is attracting people from all over the country, which was our cultural tourism goal,” Alvarez said. “Visitors come to this well-maintained historical site where West Virginia history begins. Fairmont was home to leaders in statehood, industry, education and more. History starts here.”
Since 2018, students from various programs have aided Woodlawn through marketing, storytelling and technical support. “Fairmont State has always been involved in community organization and development,” Alvarez said. “I hope this continues as we invite the community and schools to see how much has been accomplished by this grassroots effort.”
Established in 1876, Woodlawn Cemetery is the final resting place for many prominent citizens, including veterans and local leaders who contributed to Fairmont’s growth. Its scenic landscape features rolling hills, mature trees and diverse monuments reflecting different memorial architecture periods.
Several notable figures from Fairmont State’s history are buried at Woodlawn, such as Rev. William White, the first principal of Fairmont Normal School, and Francis Pierpont, a key figure in the school’s establishment. Dr. Paul Opp, founder of the International Thespian Society and Alpha Psi Omega, also rests there.
Woodlawn Cemetery continues to be an active burial site, serving the community and preserving Fairmont’s past. Fairmont State University invites alumni and community members to learn more about the cemetery, which exemplifies the university’s commitment to education, community and history.
For more information, visit www.historicwoodlawncemetery.org.
