The Shadow
The Clifton Forge Armory which was constructed from 1940-1941 has benefited from recent improvements funded by the Town of Clifton Forge and the Clifton Forge Armory Committee (CFAC).
Clifton Forge Mayor Jeff Irvine remarked, “Everything in the restrooms is brand new.”
All of the old pipes and fixtures have been replaced with new ones and the walls painted. The Town of Clifton Forge provided funding for the upgrade of the restrooms.
“The old scoreboard had been used for the past 20 years, and it has been replaced with a new updated scoreboard,” Irvine continued.
The CFAC paid for the new scoreboard and receives revenue from rental fees of the facility that is used by Alleghany County Recreation Department for its youth leagues.
The Clifton Forge Armory is used for recreational activities, youth leagues, private parties and special events such as sports card trading events that can be held via renting the facility from the CFAC.
Scott Dudding, a resource officer at Mountain View Elementary School, serves as President of the CFAC which is composed of 10 members that the Town of Clifton Forge has authorized to oversee the facility that served as the home gymnasium for Clifton Forge High School.
Clifton Forge High School won state championships in both boys’ basketball and girls’ basketball before consolidation between Alleghany County Public Schools and the City of Clifton Forge Schools took place in 1983.
Clifton Forge Town Manager Chuck Unroe attends CFAC board meetings, and with Irvine as both the mayor of the Town of Clifton Forge and a member of CFAC, the Town of Clifton Forge has established a direct line of communication between the Town and the CFAC.
Irvine continued, “We (CFAC) are going to remodel the kitchen and replace the side doors.”
According to Irvine, CFAC will pay for remodeling the kitchen.
He noted other improvements that have been accomplished, “New painting has been done in the front entranceway.”
The wooden floor of the basketball court remains in excellent condition along with the gymnasium’s seating.
Irvine admits that “green and gold” runs through his veins, Clifton Forge High School’s colors, and he recalls the glory days when CFHS went undefeated in football for two seasons during which the Mountaineers posted a 23-0 record in the late 1960s.
