- Coal House (Williamson, West Virginia)
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Coal House
Location: 2nd Ave. and Court St., Williamson, West Virginia Coordinates: 37°40′19″N 82°16′40″W / 37.67194°N 82.27778°WCoordinates: 37°40′19″N 82°16′40″W / 37.67194°N 82.27778°W Built: 1933 Architect: Hicks & Goode Architectural style: No Style Listed Governing body: Private NRHP Reference#: 80004297[1] Added to NRHP: March 6, 1980 The Coal House in Williamson, West Virginia is a unique building built of coal masonry. The bituminous coal was quarried as blocks and dressed as stone using 65 tons of coal from the nearby Winifrede Seam. At the time of its construction it was the only coal building in West Virginia. The house was designed by architect Hassell T. Hicks[2] of Welch, West Virginia and supervised by D.M. Goode. The coal masonry was varnished for weather-resistance. Located adjacent to the Mingo County Courthouse, it houses the Tug Valley Chamber of Commerce.[3]
The building's construction in 1933 was organized as a publicity stunt by O.W. Evans of the Norfolk and Western Railway, who wished to create a symbol of the "Billion Dollar Coalfield" centered on Williamson. While it is known as the "Coal House", it has never been a residence.
West Virginia's second coal house was built in 1959 in Lewisburg, West Virginia.
On October 11, 2010 the Coal House caught fire. There was extensive damage to the inside of the building and minimal damage to the outside structure. The group that owns the building, the Williamson Convention and Visitors Bureau, says that the building will be rebuilt.[4]
References
- ^ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. 2008-04-15. http://nrhp.focus.nps.gov/natreg/docs/All_Data.html.
- ^ Stacy Stone (December 18, 1992), National Register of Historic Places Nomination: World War MemorialPDF (4.29 MB), National Park Service
- ^ Michael J. Pauley (December 10, 1979), National Register of Historic Places Nomination: Coal HousePDF (4.98 MB), National Park Service
- ^ http://wowktv.com/story.cfm?func=viewstory&storyid=87480
External links
U.S. National Register of Historic Places in West Virginia Lists by county Barbour • Berkeley • Boone • Braxton • Brooke • Cabell • Calhoun • Clay • Doddridge • Fayette • Gilmer • Grant • Greenbrier • Hampshire • Hancock • Hardy • Harrison • Jackson • Jefferson • Kanawha • Lewis • Lincoln • Logan • Marion • Marshall • Mason • McDowell • Mercer • Mineral • Mingo • Monongalia • Monroe • Morgan • Nicholas • Ohio • Pendleton • Pleasants • Pocahontas • Preston • Putnam • Raleigh • Randolph • Ritchie • Roane • Summers • Taylor • Tucker • Tyler • Upshur • Wayne • Webster • Wetzel • Wirt • Wood • Wyoming
Other lists Keeper of the Register • History of the National Register of Historic Places • Property types • Historic district • Contributing property Categories:- Coal in the United States
- National Register of Historic Places in West Virginia
- Novelty buildings in the United States
- Buildings and structures in Mingo County, West Virginia
- Vernacular architecture in West Virginia
- Visitor attractions in Mingo County, West Virginia
- Roadside attractions in the United States
- West Virginia Registered Historic Place stubs
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