Along the Kanawha River just nine miles west of Charleston, the neighboring communities of Dunbar and Institute, West Virginia, share geography but remain distinct entities. Their separation, particularly the status of West Virginia State University (WVSU) as an unincorporated part of Institute rather than absorbed into Dunbar, reflects deep historical roots, racial legacies, and ongoing tensions over identity and autonomy. This enduring divide recently flared again with controversial annexation efforts, revealing unresolved questions about community, governance, and equity.
The Weight of History: Founding Stories
The tale of Institute’s origin reads like a dramatic epic. In the mid-19th century, wealthy plantation owner Samuel I. Cabell defied societal norms by choosing Mary Barnes, one of his enslaved women, as his lifelong partner. They had thirteen children. Cabell, fiercely protective of his family, wrote multiple wills ensuring Mary and their children would inherit his vast 967-acre plantation along the Kanawha River upon his death, explicitly granting them immediate freedom. His fears proved justified. In 1865, amid the turmoil of Reconstruction, Cabell was murdered, allegedly by neighbors enraged by his open relationship with a Black woman and his Confederate sympathies. Though seven men were arrested, all were swiftly acquitted. After his death, Cabell’s wishes were honored: Mary successfully petitioned to change the family surname to Cabell in 1869, and the land was divided among her and the children, creating a rare African American landholding community in post-Civil War West Virginia.
This land became the nucleus of Institute. Crucially, Cabell prioritized education. With no schools for Black children in West Virginia, he sent his children to a private academy in Ohio. This commitment laid the groundwork for an educational legacy that would define Institute.
Dunbar, in contrast, emerged decades later as a product of 20th-century industrialization. Laid out in 1919 and incorporated in 1921 by the Dunbar Development Company, it was named for Charleston banker and lawyer Dunbar Baines. Built on former agricultural land once part of George Washington’s holdings, Dunbar thrived initially on industries like Gravely Tractor and Dunbar Flint Glass. It developed as a white residential and commercial suburb of Charleston, distinct from the historically Black community growing beside it . This racial and economic separation set the stage for future political divides.
Table 1: Founding Histories of Dunbar and Institute
| Characteristic | Dunbar | Institute |
|---|---|---|
| Established | 1919 (incorporated 1921) | Post-1865 (formalized post-Cabell inheritance) |
| Named For | Dunbar Baines (banker/lawyer) | Samuel I. Cabell’s “Institute” (WVSU) |
| Original Land | Part of George Washington’s holdings | Samuel I. Cabell’s 967-acre plantation |
| Early Demographics | Predominantly white industrial suburb | African American landholding community |
| Economic Base | Manufacturing (Gravely Tractor, Flint Glass) | Agriculture; later Education (WVSU) |
West Virginia State University: The Anchor of Institute
The founding of West Virginia State University (WVSU) cemented Institute’s separate identity. Established in 1891 under the Second Morrill Act as the West Virginia Colored Institute, it was one of 19 land-grant institutions dedicated to educating Black citizens in agriculture and mechanical arts during segregation. It began as a high school and vocational training center, evolving into a degree-granting college (West Virginia Collegiate Institute) by 1915. Under President John W. Davis, it gained accreditation (1927) and became West Virginia State College in 1929, emerging as a leading public institution for African Americans.
WVSU transformed Institute into an academic and cultural hub for Black West Virginians. This identity was reinforced after the landmark 1954 Brown v. Board decision outlawing segregation. Unlike many HBCUs that faced declines, WVSU rapidly integrated, becoming a predominantly white commuter school, though its core mission and identity remained deeply tied to its Black heritage. Critically, WVSU operated as a self-contained entity – a state institution with its own land-grant status (though controversially stripped by the state in the 1950s and only restored by Congress in 2001) and later, its own Research and Development Corporation. This institutional independence, rooted in its federal land-grant origin, made incorporation into Dunbar politically and practically unnecessary from the university’s perspective. Its campus and surrounding community developed symbiotically but outside Dunbar’s municipal boundaries.
Annexation Tensions: Past and Present
The question of absorbing Institute (and thus WVSU) into Dunbar is not new. The distinct identities forged over a century – Dunbar as a white-majority city and Institute as a historically Black community anchored by a university – created a persistent cultural and political divide. A significant modern attempt to bridge this gap emerged recently.
In the 2010s, a group called Citizens for Positive Change petitioned for the annexation of Institute, West Dunbar, and Pinewood into the city of Dunbar. This move was met with fierce opposition from many residents of these unincorporated communities. Critics questioned the petition’s signature-gathering methods and the motives behind the push. Concerns likely included loss of community identity, potential tax implications, and distrust stemming from historical divisions. The controversy grew heated enough that Dunbar Mayor Terry Greenlee acknowledged the city was prepared for a court battle. However, in a significant victory for annexation opponents, the petition was withdrawn before any legal decision, with the group citing “the timing was wrong” and a need to reconsider . While Mayor Greenlee stated the annexation push was driven by a desire to serve those communities (“we wanted whatever they wanted”), the withdrawal suggests a lack of consensus and strong local resistance in Institute . This episode highlights the enduring desire of the Institute community to maintain its autonomy.
Table 2: Key Factors in the Dunbar-Institute Annexation Dynamic
| Factor | Impact on Annexation |
|---|---|
| Historical Identity | Institute’s deep roots as an African American community vs. Dunbar’s 20th-century white suburb origins create distinct, persistent identities resistant to merger. |
| WVSU’s Role | The university acts as a powerful, independent anchor institution, reducing Institute’s perceived need for Dunbar’s municipal services and strengthening community pride. |
| Governance Concerns | Institute residents likely fear losing voice in a larger city and prioritize control over local assets (e.g., Raglin Center). |
| Socioeconomic Disparities | Potential for inequitable distribution of resources or services post-annexation fuels distrust. |
| Recent Federal Scrutiny (WVSU Funding) | Highlighted state underinvestment ($850M over 30 years ) may deepen Institute/WVSU skepticism of state/local structures. |
Current Dynamics and the Future
The annexation bid may be dormant, but the communities remain intertwined yet distinct. Recent developments underscore Institute’s push for local control:
- Community Autonomy: The transition of the William J. Raglin Community Education Center from Kanawha County Schools to the Institute/West Dunbar/Pinewood sub-area planning committee, Inc., in May 2025, marked a significant shift. This center, vital for afterschool care and adult education and historically serving the area’s African American population, is now under direct local nonprofit control. Planning committee president Kenneth Mosley emphasized using it as a “springboard” to address community needs, highlighting aspirations for self-determination.
- Ongoing Disparity: The 2023 letter from the U.S. Departments of Education and Agriculture to Governor Jim Justice starkly highlighted the historic underfunding of WVSU compared to WVU – estimated at over $850 million over three decades. While recent state legislation promises full federal land-grant matching funds moving forward, the legacy of inequity reinforces a narrative of neglect that likely fuels Institute’s desire to maintain its independent voice and identity rather than be subsumed into Dunbar.
- Shared Geography, Separate Identities: Dunbar continues to function primarily as a residential and commercial suburb grappling with population decline , while Institute remains defined by WVSU’s campus and its historical legacy. Community figures like the late Goldie C. Pickens, remembered for her decades of service at WVSU and local businesses , embody the deep, generational ties binding residents to “State” and Institute, not Dunbar.
Conclusion
The Kanawha River flows past both Dunbar and Institute, but a river of history, race, education, and institutional identity keeps them administratively separate. The story of Samuel Cabell and Mary Barnes created the land that became Institute. The founding of West Virginia State University on that land entrenched its distinctiveness as an educational and cultural beacon for African Americans. Dunbar’s later development as a white industrial suburb solidified a parallel existence. The failed annexation bid and the successful local takeover of the Raglin Center demonstrate that the Institute community values its autonomy and heritage. While practical collaborations exist, the historical weight of Cabell’s legacy, WVSU’s struggle for equitable recognition, and the community’s demonstrated preference for self-governance suggest Dunbar and Institute will remain neighbors divided by invisible but potent lines of history and identity for the foreseeable future. Their story is a microcosm of America’s ongoing negotiation between geography, community, and the enduring legacies of race.
Bibliography
“City of Dunbar, West Virginia.” Accessed May 29, 2025. https://www.cityofdunbarwv.gov/.
“Dunbar Annexation Bid Dead after Petition Withdrawn.” The Charleston Gazette-Mail, n.d. https://www.wvgazettemail.com/news/dunbar-annexation-bid-dead-after-petition-withdrawn/article_d57ef0e6-e46b-50ee-b724-312e8173fad9.html.
“Dunbar.” e-WV: The West Virginia Encyclopedia. Last revised February 8, 2024. https://www.wvencyclopedia.org/entries/1918.
“Feds Claim Unequal Funding at W.Va. State University.” WSAZ. September 27, 2023. https://www.wsaz.com/2023/09/27/feds-claim-unequal-funding-wva-state-university/.
“History and Traditions.” West Virginia State University. https://wvstateu.edu/about/history-and-traditions/.
“Institute: It Springs from Epic Love Story.” West Virginia State University. https://wvstateu.edu/about/history-and-traditions/chapters-from-our-history/institute-it-springs-from-epic-love-story/.
“William J. Raglin Community Education Center Transitions to Local Nonprofit.” WCHS. May 27, 2025. https://wchstv.com/news/local/william-j-raglin-community-education-center-transitions-to-new-local-control.
“WVSU Archives.” Facebook. May 6, 2021. https://www.facebook.com/WVSUArchives1891/posts/throwback-thursday-5-6-21goldie-c-pickens-was-a-native-of-dunbar-wv-but-lived-in/744389089585539/.
“WVSU Research & Development Corporation.” West Virginia State University. https://wvstateu.edu/rdcorp/.
As always, thank you for riding with me!
https://youtu.be/TkSrcIKU4Ss
Visibility: Partly Cloudy
*GPS Coordinate Data Provided on bottom left corner with date and speed*
Destinations in West Virginia by appearance:
South Charleston
Dunbar
Cross Lanes (8:30)
Nitro Marketplace – Cross Lanes
Jefferson Road – South Charleston (45:30)
Saint Albans
Kanawha Terrace – Saint Albans (1:00:00)
WV25/Fairlawn Avenue – Dunbar (1:20:00)
Stewart Avenue – Dunbar (1:30:00)
Shawnee Park – Dunbar (1:40:00)
Bailes Road – Dunbar (1:45:00-1:51:10)
Nitro Marketplace – Cross Lanes (2:00:00)
WV25/I64 – Institute (2:10:00)
Dunbar Towers – Dunbar (2:15:00)
Listen while you ride: My Spotify Playlists
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5FI2WfzKqFIz5dD0BOA1iw?si=4f12084e12b247ec – Mix
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5IWoDtlir7k6eww0PNVdGh?si=dca253ebf4e94ac1 – Chill
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4TNiUuJHvogwtk7ZxWoOpl?si=d4594c2bf5ff4328 – Upbeat
