Work Progresses at Sweet Springs
Work is progressing on the stabilization of the shuttered Sweet Springs Resort in eastern West Virginia.
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West Virginia
Tag
West Virginia
Roadside West Virginia
often passed by an abandoned roadside curiosity in southern West Virginia for years. During a Sunday drive through the countryside with my girlfriend, I decided to pull off the road and check out a rambling collection of five buildings.
The 1969 Chevy C10
I had expected to come across a waterfall or two along a road that was aptly named Falls Run Road,…
Coming To Wilsontown
People always seem to gravitate toward the latest “Instagram” hotspot in West Virginia, but there is so much to discover—sometimes even alongside the road!
Rainy Day Aerials of an Asylum
A deeply overcast morning provided the perfect setting for aerials of the Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum, later known as the Weston State Hospital, in Weston, West Virginia.
The Algoma Company Store
Imagine standing in the heart of the Pocahontas Coalfield region of southwest West Virginia, surrounded by the rugged topography of the mountains. Amidst this landscape lies the abandoned Algoma Company Store and Offices.
The 1963 Chevy Impala
Tucked away inside an abandoned and collapsing funeral home in the coalfields of West Virginia is a beautiful 1963 Chevrolet Impala. Based on the license plate, it has not been registered since 1989.
The Tiny Prosperity School
In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, West Virginia had thousands of schools that were gradually closed through consolidations. The isolated Prosperity School atop Great Flat Top Mountain remained open far longer than others.
Winding Gulf Churches
Mining in the Winding Gulf coalfield of West Virginia began in the early 1900s, producing low-volatile smokeless coal, including metallurgical coal suitable for use in steel making. Mining was centered on the thick Beckley seam until it was economically exhausted by the 1950s, and the Pocahontas seam until the late 1980s.
But after the coal seams were exhausted, these coal camps were all but abandoned and today, only a few reminders of this booming era remain.
I was pretty excited to come across two notable churches in the Winding Gulf that are still extant.
Exploring the Old Hospital on College Hill
Years ago, when I first started to explore the coalfields of Appalachia, I would venture down the Tolsia and King Coal highways toward Williamson, West Virginia. Atop College Hill was the old Williamson Memorial Hospital, a place that I had long wanted to venture inside of. On April 11, 2021, I finally had my chance.
The History of Lake Shawnee
The abandoned Lake Shawnee Amusement Park in southern West Virginia is probably home to more ghostly tales than any other place in the region—but they are just that, stories told as truths that have at times come at the expense of Native Americans.
New River Gorge’s Industrial Transformation
The introduction of the railroad to West Virginia’s New River Gorge turned the area into a globally significant coal mining region.
Renovation Progress at the Morris Memorial Hospital Site
My journey through West Virginia a few days ago took me by the former Morris Memorial Hospital for Crippled Children in Milton. I had been wanting to conduct aerial photography of the site for some time and see how much progress had been made in converting it into the Grand Patrician Resort & Spa!
West Virginia Exposition Hall Destroyed
The Exposition Hall, originally part of the West Virginia Exposition & State Fair located in Wheeling, was destroyed by fire on January 1, 2020.
A Day at Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum
The Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum, located in Weston, West Virginia, stands as a testament to a complex history, transitioning from a mental health institution to a prominent tourist destination.
Bootleg Racing and the West Virginia Motor Speedway
Once considered outdated and redneck, dirt oval racetracks have made a resurgence across the rural swaths of America as unending regulations and expensive fares making it hard to justify trips to a NASCAR race track. Local dirt track racing has come back full throttle, although that resurgence has not spread to the abandoned West Virginia Motor Speedway near Parkersburg, West Virginia.
Exploring Wheeling Steel’s Benwood Works
The factory that produced the first welded steel pipe is partially abandoned. Wheeling Steel’s Benwood Works dates to 1884 when Riverside Iron Works, its earliest predecessor, became the second mill in the area to produce steel.
Revisiting the Jefferson School
There are times when I revisit an old friend and discover something new, such as the case of the long-abandoned Jefferson School in Wheeling, West Virginia. I had not discovered much about the historic structure other than coming upon its demolition in 2013.
Exploring the Coalfields of West Virginia
Several years ago, I undertook a meandering journey through the Winding Gulf coalfield in West Virginia, delving into the history of this once-vibrant region.
Historic West Virginia
It was Yogi Berra who once said to trust your instincts, to keep trying, and most importantly, act.
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