Shepherdstown can soon welcome a new welcome sign.

Following the successful completion of the welcome sign located near the Bavarian Inn at the Route 480 entrance to town, west of the James Rumsey bridge from Maryland, local citizens have once again come together to create a special greeting for guests.

Longtime Shepherdstown resident and business owner Jay Hurley has been charged with creating the new sign to sit adjacent to O’Hurley’s General store at the Route 230 entrance to town.

Working in cooperation with resident and Rotary Club member John Loeffler, Hurley has been approved by both the Shepherdstown Town Council and Historic Landmarks Committee to move ahead with a sign representative of the town’s character and history.

Just as the Route 480 welcome sign incorporated aspects of its surrounding area —made with stone replicating the Bavarian Inn’s own foundation, the new sign will be representative of its own location.

As he explained during June’s Town Council meeting the new sign will be forged with elements straight out of the East end’s industrial past.

“Shepherdstown’s east end has been the industrial end of town from the 1870’s and the coming of the railroad,” he said in his proposal.

“The sign base and frame reflect that industrial era and the Victorian period,” he said.

Each aspect of the sign will be a piece of the town itself Hurley explained.

“What’s really cool about this is that all the pieces for this are coming out of Shepherdstown,” he said.

“I’ve been holding them just for this purpose.”

As Hurley stated in his proposal, the fluted cast iron columns for the sign were salvaged from an old mill on the east side.

The brick and stone were salvaged from other demolition projects in town.

Hurley said the sign will be placed to optimize visibility without obstructing traffic from Route 230.

“It is the most visible place coming down the road,” he said.

Hurley will begin construction of the sign soon. Once completed, the sign will be conveyed to the town as last year’s sign was, though ownership of the sign has already been transferred to the town.

A dedication for the new sign will be held at its completion.