RONCEVERTE, W.Va. (WVDN) – March 17 seems like an auspicious day to hold a grand opening.
On a rainy Friday morning, March 17, well-wishers gathered to wish James and Joanne Holt the best of luck with their new endeavor, the Ronceverte Skate Shop.
The Holts were joined by members of the Greater Greenbrier Chamber of Commerce, Ronceverte Mayor Deena Pack and friends and supporters for their official ribbon cutting.
The Ronceverte Skate Shop is located at 543 Edgar Avenue, a downtown street that seems set to have a retail resurgence. The Sportsman tavern recently reopened down the street, and the Ronceverte Food Truck Festival is slated to take over the avenue for several weekends this summer.
The Holts said they are glad to be part of the town’s revitalization efforts.
“We are excited to be a part of the energy in Ronceverte,” said Joanne Holt. “We got in at a good time, and we hope that Ronceverte becomes an intentional destination in Greenbrier County.”
James Holt added, “We want to give a special thanks to the community for embracing the idea of a skate shop.”  There is a skate park on nearby Island Park, so the store should fit right in.
The shop’s logo, a monkey playing a drum, not only is a fresh design befitting a skateboard store, but also references an odd piece of Ronceverte’s history.
In 1906, 300 monkeys perished in a rail car in the Big Bend Tunnel in Hinton, after a train carrying the entire menagerie of the Sells Brothers Circus stalled inside the tunnel.
The deceased monkeys were discovered when the Sells Brothers Circus arrived in Ronceverte. They were buried in Ronceverte in an unnamed location, adding the unusual story to the lore of the river town.
For more information about the Ronceverte Skate Shop, call 304-207-0234.
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