2012-05-17
A new fund has been established through Your Community Foundation (YCF) to build and erect a statue of Col. Zackquill Morgan, an early settler in the region, veteran of the Revolutionary War and founder of the city of Morgantown.
“This project holds great historic significance for our city, and will memorialize our founder for future generations,” said Brenda Shinkovich, chairman of the Col. Zackquill Morgan Statue Fund. “We are very excited about partnering with YCF to make this project a reality.”
The fund committee, started by Shinkovich and Sandra Bennett of Morgantown, has commissioned prestigious sculptor Jamie Lester to create the statue, which will be located at the Hazel Ruby McQuain Riverfront Park and Amphitheater. Lester is best-known locally for creating the Jerry West monument at the WVU Coliseum.
Lester has designed the statue and is currently starting work on the actual life-sized image. The committee is now counting on donations from local citizens, businesses and organizations to cover the estimated $45,000 cost.
“We felt there was a need to honor the founder of Morgantown,” Shinkovich said. “Col. Morgan served with distinction with the Virginia forces during the French and Indian War, the Revolutionary War and the Battle of Saratoga. During the Revolution, Zackquill was ‘County Lieutenant’ of Monongalia County with the title of Colonel.”
Morgan was born in Berkeley County in 1735, a son of Welsh-born Colonel Morgan Morgan, the first known white settler in what would become the state of West Virginia, and his wife, Catherine Garretson. He and his brother David arrived in present-day Morgantown in about 1766, and Zackquill was later granted 50 acres of land to establish the town that became known as Morgans Town.
He opened the town’s first tavern in 1783, and lived for a time in a house on Front Street. He died at age 60 on New Year’s Day in 1795, and was buried in the quiet country cemetery at Prickett’s Fort in a grave marked by a rough native sandstone slab engraved simply “Z. M.” and “Jan. 1, 1795.”
“The time has finally come for Morgantown to honor this gentleman,” Shinkovich said. “I hope the community will rally behind this project and support us with their tax-deductible donations.”
YCF is a charitable, non-profit organization created in 2011 by the merger of the Greater Morgantown Community Trust and the Community Foundation of North Central West Virginia. It encourages, develops and manages endowment funds and uses the net proceeds to support a long list of community programs and scholarships. The merged foundation manages assets and pledged assets of approximately $7 million and administers more than 140 separate funds.
YCF actively encourages the creation of new endowments as well as contributions to existing funds. Any individual, organization or business can establish a donor fund, or contribute any amount of money to one or more existing funds, by contacting the foundation at (304) 296-3433. Information about the foundation and a description of its endowment funds is available at www.ycfwv.org.