 The Romney Literary Society reorganized on May 15 , 1869 . Following the reorganization , the society built Literary Hall between 1869 and 1870 while also undertaking an initiative to bring the West Virginia Schools for the Deaf and Blind to its old Romney Classical Institute campus . The construction of Literary Hall was part of the society 's effort to revive the organization and reassemble its original library . The society set about recovering original volumes and purchasing new ones , and the library reopened with 700 volumes . For a period of ten years between 1870 and 1880 , much of Romney 's intellectual life centered on Literary Hall . As older members died , interest in the society began to dwindle . The society 's meetings were held less frequently , and its last recorded meeting was held on February 15 , 1886 . 
