Diane Sole

Last March saw the premier showings of "A Moving Monument, the West Virginia Capitol," an hourlong documentary by MotionMasters of Charleston.

MotionMasters president Diane Sole talked with Putnam Rotarians today about the development of the present 14-acre capitol complex and showed a clip from the film on architect and designer Cass Gilbert.

The construction was undertaken in stages on a quite conservative pay-as-you-go basis -- first the west wing, then the east wing, and finally the central domed structure.

"The project began in a period of prosperity," said Sole, "and was completed during the Great Depression." The cost of $9.4 million was a topic of intense public criticism. Why such expense while people are standing in breadlines?

MotionMasters is involved in a broad range of communications work, said Sole. "This includes magazines, videos, and web-site development.

"Our bread-and-butter is video work," she said. "Corporate videos -- sales videos and training videos."

In 1996, Gov. Caperton hired the company, through the West Virginia Film History project, to produce programs "about prominent West Virginians who had achieved success in a variety of fields."

One of the first stories was that of the Rev. Leon Sullivan. "He mentored Rev. Martin Luther Kind. He helped to free Nelson Mandela. He founded Opportunities Industrialization Centers of America, and was pastor of one of the largest congregations in the country. And he grew up in a dirt alley 'behind the alley' in Charleston, West Virginia"

After a second documentary on the life of Robert Byrd -- "The Soul of the Senate" -- "we found nothing had been done on the West Virginia state capitol, and the way it changed back and forth between Wheeling and Charleston.

"Six different buildings have served as the statehouse," she said. "Charleston finally became the permanent capital by vote of the people." With all of the public controversy, "the Legislature wiped their hands of it.

"Three cities were on the ballot. Martinsburg, Clarksburg, and Charleston.

"The tide turned in favor of Charleston due to the active campaigning of three men. Two of them accompanied a circus throughout the state.

"Before the circus acts began, these men argued the case for Charleston as the permanent capital."

One of the men was William A. MacCorkle who later became Governor. The other was William E. Chilton, who later bacame a U. S. Senator.

The third advocate for Charleston was none other than Booker T. Washington.

Copies of "A Moving Monument" may be purchased at Tamarack, at Taylor Books in Charleston and through other local outlets.