Burch High School

Burch High School is an abandoned high school in Delbarton, West Virginia.







Burch High School is a former high school in Delbarton, West Virginia that closed in 2011. 1 The town, incorporated in 1946, was named in honor of a New Jersey country estate belonging to one of the owners of United Thacker Coal Company.

The high school was first envisioned under the leadership of the Lee District in 1916. The principals of the Rock House and Upper Elk schools were brought to Mingo County in 1918 to organise the new school. The two principals organized a third-class high school at Rock House in 1919. In the fall of 1920, the new Rock House High School was moved to Upper Elk. Rock House was promoted to a second-class high school.

In the fall of 1921, Rock House High was moved back to Rock House as a first-class high school where the name was changed to Burch High School. The first graduating class, in 1922, comprised of 21 students.

Burch High shared its space with Burch Junior High until June 1987, when the two schools separated. Burch Junior High remained in the same building while Burch High moved adjacent to the Mingo County Vocational School in Airport Bottom. Burch Junior High remained in Delbarton until June 2011, when it was consolidated with schools in Gilbert, Matewan, and Williamson to form Mingo Central High School, which opened in August 2011. 2


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Sources

  1. Justice, Henry C. “History of Burch High School.” Burch High School Alumni. Article.
  2. “About Mingo Central High School.” Mingo Central Miners, 2012. Article.

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I graduated from this school in 1975. I knew the building was abandoned but I had no idea it was in this horrible condition. So many memories made here.

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