Wikipedia:Today's featured article/requests/Romney Literary Society

Romney Literary Society

 * This is the archived discussion of the TFAR nomination for the article below. Subsequent comments should be made on the appropriate discussion page (such as Wikipedia talk:Today's featured article/requests). Please do not modify this page. 

The result was: scheduled for Today's featured article/January 30, 2016 by Brianboulton (talk) 16:42, 14 January 2016 (UTC)



The Romney Literary Society existed from January 30, 1819 to 1886, in Romney, West Virginia. Established as the Polemic Society of Romney, it became the first organization of its kind in West Virginia, and one of the first in the United States. The society was founded by nine prominent Romney men with the objectives of advancing literature and science, purchasing and maintaining a library, and improving educational opportunities. The society debated an extensive range of scientific and social topics, often violating its own rules which banned religious and political subjects. The society's library began in 1819 and grew to contain approximately 3,000 volumes in 1861. The organization also sought to establish an institution for "the higher education of the youth of the community." During the Civil War the contents of the library were plundered by Union Army forces. Reorganized in 1869, the society took a leading role in Romney's civil development and built in 1870 the Literary Hall (pictured) to house meetings and the library. The organization used its influence to secure the West Virginia Schools for the Deaf and Blind for Romney, and offered the school its former campus.
 * Most recent similar article(s): don't recall any literary society
 * Main editors: West Virginian
 * Promoted: Oct 2015
 * Reasons for nomination: founded on 30 January
 * Support as nominator. Gerda Arendt (talk) 16:37, 4 January 2016 (UTC)
 * Comment: Why not wait for the bicentenary, in 2019 (assuming TFA still exists then)?
 * It was written recently, and it doesn't exist any more, so there will probably no big celebration in 2019. What does the author say? --Gerda Arendt (talk) 18:02, 5 January 2016 (UTC)
 * The other thing to be borne in mind is that we already have two literature-related TFAs scheduled in January – this would make three. Brianboulton (talk) 19:37, 5 January 2016 (UTC)
 * , thank you for your thoughtful nomination of the society article for a feature on the main page. I concur with your rationale, as there are likely to be no other commemorations of the society's anniversary. My article is one of the few memorials to this society, so it would be fitting if it is honored later this month on the main page on the anniversary of its establishment. It is truly a unique subject, therefore, I do not think there will be another article like it in the same month. I am currently on temporary leave from Wikipedia, so I sincerely apologize for the late response. -- West Virginian   (talk)  07:18, 12 January 2016 (UTC)


 * Oppose per Brian. sst ✈  05:28, 6 January 2016 (UTC)
 * Support. Interesting article. I don't think starting January with a Shakespearean character and having a Maya Angelou book mid-month means we can't end the month with a library. There is variety there. Jonathunder (talk) 02:47, 8 January 2016 (UTC)
 * Falstaff is an opera article, not a literature article. The two to which I refer are the Maya Angelou book and the Stella Gibbons biography. The library article, I agree, is not similar to these in nature, and I'm not saying it can't run on 30th. Only that we should be careful not to run through our slender stock of literature articles too quickly. Brianboulton (talk) 19:31, 8 January 2016 (UTC)


 * Support Per the rationale of and  and as the main author of this article, I hereby support it for inclusion. --  West Virginian   (talk)  07:03, 14 January 2016 (UTC)