Two Frankford Students, One Local Business, 120 Years of Impact

FRANKFORD W.Va. (WVDN) – Back in September of 2024, Howie Neal and Garrett Wallington, two fifth graders at Frankford Elementary, began a project that would lead to a lot of first place ribbons and show their creativity in the process. 

It all started when they went to a long-standing, local hardware store, Martin and Jones, in Ronceverte. They took a tour of the business with owner Jack Tuckwiller so they could do a Heritage Project for Autumn fest. They even left out of there with some hats, paint stirrers, and a calendar. While doing their tour, or investigation as they called it, they learned about how Martin and Jones has been in business for 120 years and how it survived a fire in the 1930’s and two floods (1985 and 1996). They also learned how even with Wal Mart and Lowe’s opening in the community that Martin and Jones still thrives due in part to their loyal customers.

The project then started to come together.

After presenting the project on February 1 at school, the boys were encouraged to enter it in the social studies fair. They added abstract to it to be able to do just that. 

They put it in the county social studies fair on March 1 and won first-place. They then had it in the regional social studies fair, and again, won first-place. On to the state fair they went, and yet again, another first-place finish. 

Last week, on ‘Good Friday’ April 18, Tuckwiller invited Neal and Wallington for biscuits at Martin and Jones which has become a tradition at the business on Good Friday. They went and had biscuits at the store and also gave their award-winning presentation to Tuckwiller so he could finally see it live and in person.

Part of the presentation was how Neal and Wallington dressed. The first day they took the tour of Martin and Jones, Tuckwiller had on a Carhartt shirt, jeans, and boots, so dressing like Tuckwiller played a big part in the project.

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