The Exposition Hall, originally part of the West Virginia Exposition & State Fair located in Wheeling, was destroyed by fire on January 1, 2020.
Tag: West Virginia
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.
Once considered outdated and redneck, dirt oval racetracks have made a resurgence across the rural swaths of America as unending regulations and expensive fares make it hard to justify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.
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.
Sometimes, I revisit an old friend and discover something new, such as the long-abandoned Jefferson School in Wheeling, West Virginia. I had not discovered much about the historic structure other than its demolition in 2013.
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.
Yogi Berra once said to trust your instincts, keep trying, and, most importantly, act. For years, I have been traveling to the southeast corner of West Virginia, exploring its many one-lane roads and scenic byways and taking in all the Mountain State had to offer. The desire for wanderlust was just too great.
From the window of my hotel room in Beckley, I could see the leaves billowing down the street among a fine rain punctuated by dark, gloomy skies. It was perfect road trip weather,
Ghost towns along the New River in West Virginia are aplenty but what makes these three unique is that they lay within the New River Gorge National River. Prior to the creation of the national park in the late 1970s, much of the land was used for the production of coal and coke. Small, company-owned towns were developed for the miners and their families, and when those mines closed out—so did the communities.
A minor fire in at the Waldo Hotel in Clarksburg, West Virginia yesterday evening did no damage to the historic building.
Cass, West Virginia is a company town that was constructed by the West Virginia Pulp and Paper Company (WVP&P) in 1901.
Nestled along the winding New River in Fayette County, West Virginia, lies Nuttallburg, a town forged from the ambitions of English entrepreneur John Nuttall. With foresight and determination, Nuttall acquired land rich in coal seams, anticipating the arrival of the Chesapeake & Ohio Railway in the early 1870s.
Thurmond, West Virginia is a fascinating town along the New River in Fayette County. With just a population of five, Thurmond served as an important stop for the Chesapeake & Ohio Railroad before the advent of the diesel locomotive era.
Amid the rugged terrain and verdant valleys of West Virginia, the echoes of an industrial age resonate through the winding corridors of abandoned railroads, now repurposed as recreational havens. These remnants of a bygone era stand as monuments to the indomitable spirit that once propelled the engines of progress, their steel rails beckoning visitors to embark on journeys of discovery.
A suspicious fire was reported on February 11 at the former Glen Rogers High School in Glen Rogers, West Virginia.
In the annals of West Virginia’s architectural heritage, the Cottrill Opera House in Thomas is a testament to the enduring legacy of design.
After a recent drive through Cairo, Illinois (article forthcoming), and seeing the effects of decades of racial segregation and violence, and then economic decline and population loss, I wondered what other major and minor cities in the United States has experienced such steep and dramatic losses? Besides Cairo, Detroit and Wheeling, I asked my Facebook readers of other examples.
While whiling away a dreary afternoon at the local library, I chanced upon a trove of information regarding the now-defunct American Car and Foundry Company’s manufacturing operations in Huntington, West Virginia.
Instead of seeking out nature’s splendors amidst the highlands of West Virginia or the horse farms of Kentucky, I embarked on a journey to document the derelict abandonments scattered across our region. There is an undeniable beauty to be found in these forgotten structures, a visual poetry in the peeling paint and rusting machinery that echoes the grandeur of stately trees and grazing livestock.