CHARLESTON, W.Va. — The Capitol Market in Downtown Charleston announced on Friday that it was included on the National Register of Historic Places.

This new designation sheds light on places that have historical and cultural significance in a certain area.

Evan Osborn, the executive director of the Capitol Market, says this will help show off the market’s rich history to the next generation.

“Today was about honoring our history and also using it as an inflection point in which we’re talking about what we’re going to do to honor that history into the future,” Osborn said.

The Capitol Market was originally built to be the Kanawha & Michigan Railway Depot Warehouse in the early 1900’s. According to Osborn, the Kanawha & Michigan Railway was one of the main thoroughfares that got products and goods across the country at that time. The market was repurposed into what is today in 1997.

While Osborn agrees with the designation, he says getting it was no easy task.

“It’s a process and the actual obtaining of it is very difficult,” Osborn said. “We were fortunate to receive a grant from the state Historical Preservation office in which to develop this nomination.”

Osborn says this will bring out new, curious customers who heard it was a historical spot.

“There are all kinds of social media pages devoted to people making whole road trips around going and visiting different historical places throughout the United States, so it’s certainly a new hook in the regard,” Osborn said. “It also will unlock some grant opportunities around, not just a historical preservation, but as we seek to expand our umbrella and our services and our events, it will create some new and creative opportunities to fund our work that we do at the market.”

Osborn says he wants to welcome in guests from all parts, but his desire is for everyone in West Virginia to make a stop in when they’re in the Capitol City.

“We want to welcome anyone that wants to come visit the market regardless of where you’re from, however, we really love to see other West Virginians come in from out of town,” Osborn said.