Indian Camp Settlers ask Upshur County for repair funding for 1913 Normal Building; commissioners will consider after property sale

Representatives of the Indian Camp Settlers asked the Upshur County Commission on April 9 for funding assistance to make structural repairs to the Indian Camp Normal Building, a former teacher’s college built in 1913 and sited on 38 acres.

Shellie Humphrey and Brian Huffman told the Commission the non-profit purchased the property in 2025 from the United Methodist Conference and are attempting to raise money by selling timber on the land. They said prior attempts to place the building on the National Register of Historic Places were denied because modernization of the structure removed eligibility for registry funding.

Commissioners said the county is in the process of selling the Hampton Community Building and will consider the Indian Camp funding request once that sale is finalized. The Commission did not vote to commit county funds at the meeting.

The Indian Camp Normal Building’s age (built in 1913) and the stated lack of historic-registry funding make the group’s request reliant on local resources or private fundraising, the presenters said. No specific repair estimate or requested dollar amount was provided to the Commission at the meeting.

The Commission did not set a timeline for a decision; Commissioners signaled they will revisit the request after county property-sale proceeds are known.