Clarksburg Italian-American History Found at Estate Sale Features Old West Virginia Macaroni Company
By Connect-Bridgeport Staff on August 26, 2025
A forgotten piece of Clarksburg’s Italian American history has come to light thanks to a privately purchased estate sale discovery and the 
work of a national pasta historian.
work of a national pasta historian.
In July 2024, Beth Gain of the Clarksburg History Museum privately purchased a stack of paper ephemera through an online estate sale auction. When she went to pick up the lot, she discovered that a 1931 issue of the West Virginia Review magazine was included. Inside was a detailed article on the West Virginia Macaroni Company, a pasta factory once located on North Ohio Avenue in Clarksburg.
Surprised to learn that Clarksburg once had its own macaroni factory, and realizing that few people in the community knew about it, Gain began searching for more information. Her inquiry through the National Pasta Association’s website connected her with Leonard J. DeFrancisci of Florida, a historian and member of the Association’s History Committee.
That conversation sparked DeFrancisci’s own research, which has now been published in the August 2025 issue of Professional PASTA 
magazine. His article, West Virginia Macaroni, reconstructs the story of the company’s founding in 1919, its growth into a producer of well-known brands such as La Contadina, Pan Handle, and Splendid, and its eventual closure during the Great Depression.
magazine. His article, West Virginia Macaroni, reconstructs the story of the company’s founding in 1919, its growth into a producer of well-known brands such as La Contadina, Pan Handle, and Splendid, and its eventual closure during the Great Depression.
The article also highlights how the macaroni factory fits into the larger story of Italian immigrants in West Virginia. These families helped power the coal mines, introduced the pepperoni roll, and brought with them a strong tradition of pasta making.
“The discovery of this story shows how quickly even important parts of our history can be forgotten unless we preserve them,” said Gain. “Finding the magazine in a privately purchased box of estate ephemera and then connecting with Len allowed us to bring back a chapter of Clarksburg’s Italian American heritage that few people knew about.”
The Clarksburg History Museum has added both the 1931 West Virginia Review article and DeFrancisci’s research to its growing collection on local Italian American history.
About the Clarksburg History Museum
The Clarksburg History Museum is dedicated to preserving and sharing the stories of North Central West Virginia. Through exhibits, events, and community partnerships, the museum highlights the region’s history of industry, immigration, and cultural traditions.
Editor's Note: Top photo shows the West Virginia Macaroni Company during its operational days, and shown below as it stands today as a building housing City Window & Construction. Photo and story submitted by Beth Gain of the Clarksburg History Museum.
